SCIENCE REVIEWER

MODULE 13 - EARTH’S MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO THE SUN

● Oblate spheroid - shape ng Earth
● ~8,000 miles - diameter ng Earth
● Rotation - Earth’s spinning around its tilted axis
○ Tilted at 23.4 ⁰
○ 24 hours = 1 day
○ Direction = eastward, in prograde motion ; counterclockwise
○ We have day and night because of Earth’s rotation.
● Revolution - Earth’s movement around the sun
○ Orbit - The path of the Earth moving around the Sun
○ 1 revolution = 1 year = 365.25 days
○ Direction = eastward, in prograde motion ; counterclockwise
○ Leap year = every 4 years
○ Due to Earth's revolution around the sun, we can experience daily weather and
global climate by affecting wind direction, temperature, ocean currents and
precipitation.

MODULE 14 - Why do the seasons change?

● Seasons are short periods of climate change caused by changes in the amount of solar
radiation (sunlight) an area receives.
● “Direct rays” means that the rays of the Sun hit the ground at 90°.
○ High Angle = Greater amount of Solar Energy
● On the other hand, when the Sun’s rays come in at an oblique angle, the ground will
receive a lesser amount of solar energy.
● The Northern Hemisphere has opposite seasons compared to the Southern Hemisphere.

MODULE 15 - Aphelion and Perihelion

● The orbit in which the Earth moves is highly elliptical.
● It orbits the Sun at an average distance of 149.60 million km (92.96 million mi), and one
complete orbit takes 365.25 days, during which time Earth has traveled 940 million km
(584 million mi).
● Earth’s distance from the sun varies.
● Aphelion - comes from the Gk. words, “helios” meaning “Sun” and “apo” meaning “far”
○ Aphelion is the point of the Earth’s orbit that is farthest away from the Sun.
○ At aphelion, it will be 94,510,886 miles away from the Sun.
○ When Earth reaches aphelion, the sun appears slightly smaller in the sky than
at any other time of year, though the difference is not noticeable to the naked
eye.
○ At aphelion the Northern hemisphere is in Summer.
○ Aphelion always happens in early July, about two weeks after the June solstice
where Earth is farthest from the Sun.
○ Earth is less hot when we're farther from the Sun.
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● Perihelion - comes from the Gk. words, “helios” meaning “Sun” and “peri” meaning
“close”
○ Perihelion is the point of the Earth’s orbit that is nearest to the Sun.
○ At perihelion, Earth will be 91,399,454 miles away from the Sun.
○ At perihelion, the Southern hemisphere is in Summer and receives more sunlight
due to being slightly closer to the Sun.
○ Perihelion always happens in early January, about two weeks after the December
Solstice where Earth is closest to the Sun.
○ The average temperature of Earth at aphelion is about 4o F (2.3o C) higher than
it is at perihelion.
● Earth’s distance from the sun does not affect the seasons.

MODULE 16 Phases of the Moon

● The Moon rotates on its axis and revolves around the Earth as the Earth revolves around
the Sun.
● It takes about 27 Earth days for the Moon to rotate on its axis and about 29 ½ Earth
days (month) for it to revolve around the Earth.
● Because the Moon’s period (time) of rotation on its axis and period of revolution around
the Earth are nearly the same, the same side of the Moon always faces Earth.
● The Lunar Sidereal Period is the time it takes the Moon to complete one orbit around
the Earth with respect to the stars.
● Moon's Sidereal period = 27.3 days Also called the "Sidereal Month".
● The Lunar Synodic Period is the time between successive New Moons. Moon's
Synodic period = 29.5 days Also called the "Synodic Month"
● Phases of the Moon
○ New Moon - The Moon is positioned between the Sun and the Earth so that
the side of the Moon that is viewed from Earth is cannot be seen. Because of
this, there appears to be no Moon in the night sky.
○ Full Moon - - The Sunlit portion of the Moon is facing the Earth while the Earth is
positioned between the Sun and Moon. The Moon is visible in the sky.
○ Crescent Moon-either waxing or waning; less than ½ of the Sunlit portion of the
Moon is visible.
○ Gibbous Moon - either waxing or waning; Greater than ½ of the Sunlit portion of
the Moon is visible.
○ First/Third Quarter-1/2 of the Sunlit portion of the Moon is visible. A first quarter
follows the waxing crescent.

Module 17 Solar Eclipse

● An eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when an astronomical object or
spacecraft is temporarily obscured, by passing into the shadow of another body.
● Solar eclipses can only occur during the new Moon phase, when the Moon is in
between the Sun and Earth.
● Total Solar Eclipse - When the moon passes between Earth and the sun, and
completely blotting sunlight
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○ The moon casts a shadow on our planet.

○ 3 CONDITIONS FOR TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE TO OCCUR:
■ the moon is in the "new moon" phase
■ the moon crosses the exact plane of the Earth's orbit
■ the moon is at its closest point to Earth in its orbit.
● Partial Solar Eclipse - happens when the Moon comes between the Sun and Earth, but
the Moon only partially covers the Sun
○ Shadow of the moon
■ Umbra - the inner, darker part of a shadow (total solar eclipse)
■ Penumbra - outer, lighter part of a shadow (partial solar eclipse)

MODULE 18 LUNAR ECLIPSE

● Lunar Eclipses occur because our Moon travels through the Earth’s shadow.
● This can occur only when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are exactly or very closely aligned
(in syzygy) with Earth between the other two, and only on the night of a full moon.
● Unlike the moon, Earth is surrounded by a blanket of air, which refracts the sun's light in
a way that makes the moon appear orange-red. That's why lunar eclipses are also called
blood moons.
● A totally eclipsed Moon is sometimes called a blood moon due to its reddish color,
which is caused by Earth completely blocking direct sunlight from reaching the Moon.
● Longest Lunar Eclipse - July 2018
● 3 types of lunar eclipse:
○ Total Eclipse - occurs when the entire Moon enters the planet's umbra.
○ Partial Lunar Eclipse - occurs when only a portion of the Moon enters Earth's
umbra
○ Penumbral lunar eclipse - occurs when the Moon passes through Earth's
penumbra