| A | B |
|---|
| a hollow area or pit in the ground. | craters |
| a temporary state of being, often used to describe a change in the appearance of the Moon | phase |
| looks like a smile; a small sliver | crescent shape of the Moon |
| more than half of the Moon is lit | gibbous moon |
| the Moon is getting smaller (lit part is decreasing) | waning |
| the Moon is getting larger (lit part is increasing) | waxing |
| the phase of the Moon where the lit side of the Moon cannot be seen from Earth | New Moon |
| the phase of the Moon that we see when its entire surface is lit | Full Moon |
| an instrument used to view distant objects in space. It makes them look closer. | telescope |
| men and women who travel to space in rocket-powered vehicles to study the solar system | astronauts |
| the 4 weeks it takes the Moon to go through all its phases | lunar cycle |
| small pieces of rock and/or metal that speed through space | meteoroid |
| when a meteoroid hits the Earth's surface | meteorite |
| a vehicle used by astronauts to travel and explore the Moon's surface | lunar rover |
| Earth's closest neighbor in space | the Moon |
| Does the Moon have its own light? | No, moonlight is reflected light from the Sun. |
| How long does it take for the Moon to orbit Earth? | just over 29 days |
| What are tides? | Tides are the daily rise and fall of the ocean's surface. |
| What causes tides? | The Moon's gravity causes tides. |
| What is an eclipse? | An eclipse is a shadow cast by the Earth or Moon |
| What is a lunar eclipse? | A lunar eclipse happens when Earth is directly between the Sun and the Moon. |
| Where does Earth cast a shadow during a lunar eclipse? | The Earth casts a shadow on the Moon (luna) during a lunar eclipse. |
| What is a solar eclipse? | A solar eclipse is a blocking of the Sun's light that happens when Earth passes through the Moon's shadow |
| What type of moon does it have to be in order to have a solar eclipse? | A solar eclipse happens only when there is a new moon. |
| What happens during a total solar eclipse? | All of the Sun's light is blocked during a total solar eclipse. |
| the scientific study and observation of objects in space (stars, planets, comets, galaxies, etc.) | astronomy |
| Why is Earth's surface not covered with craters? | The Earth's surface is not covered with craters because most meteoroids burn up in Earth's atmosphere before reaching the surface. |
| What do meteoroids become if they hit the Earth's surface? | Meteoroids become meteorites if they hit the Earth's surface. |
| What is a Hubble Telescope and why is it important? | A Hubble Telescope orbits Earth above our atmosphere. It was launched in 1990, and it gives a much better view than a regular telescope. Travels at a rate of 5 miles per second, so it can travel across the U.S. in 10 minutes. It completes a spin around the Earth every 97 miinutes. |
