Unit 5: Earth, Moon, and Sun Vocabulary

Front

What is the movement of an object in a circular or elliptical course around another called?

Back

Revolution

Front

What do we call a phase of the moon that is partially illuminated but less than half?

Back

Crescent

Front

What term refers to the sun?

Back

Solar

Front

What is the innermost and darkest part of Earth’s shadow during a lunar eclipse?

Back

Umbra

Front

What do we call the moon at any time after new moon and before full moon, when its illuminated area is increasing?

Back

Waxing

Front

What is the term for the phase of the moon that is more than half illuminated but not fully illuminated?

Back

Gibbous

Front

What is the term for the shadow cast by the Earth during a lunar eclipse that is partially shaded?

Back

Penumbra

Front

What is the term for the time it takes for the moon to complete one full orbit around the Earth?

Back

Lunar month

Front

What is the term for the tilt of the Earth's axis that affects the seasons?

Back

Axial tilt

Front

What is the phenomenon called when the moon passes directly between the Earth and the sun?

Back

Solar eclipse