Earth-Moon-Sun Motions
Order by
30 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 angle of insolation | the angle at which the sun's rays strike earth. |
| apogee | farthest point from the earth in the orbit of a satellite |
| axial tilt | the inclination of the earth's acis in relation to its plane of orbit around the sun (ecliptic) |
| Coriolis effect | the effect of Earth's rotation on the direction of winds and currents |
| crescent | Moon phase in which less than half of the Moon appears to be illuminated. |
| ecliptic | The apparent annual path of the Sun on the celestial sphere. |
| equator | an imaginary circle around the middle of the earth, halfway between the North Pole and the South Pole |
| equinox | either of two times of the year when the sun crosses the plane of the earth's equator and day and night are of equal length |
| Foucault's pendulum | a freely swinging pendulum whose path appears to change over time in a predictable manner. provides evidence of earth's rotation. |
| gibbous | Moon phase in which more than half of the Moon appears to be illuminated. |
| highlands | mountains of the moon |
| impact theory | the Moon formed from gas and debris thrown off Earth whe a Mars sized meteor struck it billions of years ago, the material orbited the Earth and coalesced to form the Moon |
| lunar eclipse | occurs at a full moon when Earth is directly between the moon and the sun, and casts its shadow on the moon |
| mare | Dark-colored, basaltic, smooth plain on the Moon |
| neap tide | a less than average tide occurring at the first and third quarters of the moon |
| perigee | nearest point to the earth in the orbit of a satellite |
| quarter moon | the phase of the Moon when half of the Moon's near side is sunlit |
| regolith | Layer of loose, ground-up rock on the lunar surface. |
| revolution | the movement of an object around another object |
| rotation | the spin of a body on its axis |
| solar eclipse | occurs when the Moon passes directly between the Sun and Earth and casts a shadow over part of Earth |
| solstice | the day when the Sun reaches its greatest distance north or south of the equator |
| spring tide | When the tidal range is greatest. (full moon and new moon) |
| synchronous rotation | Describes the state at which the Moon's orbital and rotational periods are equal. |
| Tropics of Cancer/Capricorn | The parallel of latitude 23°26ʹ north (tropic of Cancer) or south (tropic of Capricorn) of the equator |
| waning | (of the moon) pertaining to the period during which the visible surface of the moon decreases |
| waxing | (of the moon) pertaining to the period during which the visible surface of the moon increases |
| Centripetal | tending to move toward a center |
| Arctic / Antarctic Circles | latitudes 66 1/2°N and 66 1/2°S, respectively; marking the boundaries of light and darkness during the summer and winter solstices |
| Asteroid | any of numerous small celestial bodies composed of rock and metal that move around the sun (mainly between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter) |
First Time Here?
Welcome to Quizlet, a fun, free place to study. Try these flashcards, find others to study, or make your own.