Earth, the Moon, and the Stars Crossword Puzzle

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Across
  1. 2. A force of attraction that pulls objects without them touching. Earth’s gravity pulls objects near its surface toward Earth’s center
  2. 4. A curved path that an object makes around another object.
  3. 6. A unit of measurement used to describe distances between stars in space. One light-year is the distance that light travels in one year.
  4. 8. The streak of light that a chunk of rock falling from space toward Earth produces
  5. 12. Getting smaller. The lit part of the moon is waning for about two weeks after a full moon.
  6. 13. brightness A measurement describing how bright a star looks from Earth.
  7. 16. To spin. Earth rotates around its axis.
  8. 18. The imaginary line that Earth rotates around. Earth’s axis goes through the middle of Earth from the North Pole to the South Pole.
  9. 19. new moonThe moon when it cannot be seen. The moon is a new moon at the beginning of its cycle of phases.
  10. 20. A telescope that uses lenses to collect and focus light.
  11. 21. A telescope that works in space, beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
  12. 23. A section of the sky that has a recognizable star pattern. Some star patterns, such as the Big Dipper, are part of larger constellations.
Down
  1. 1. Growing slowly. The lit part of the moon is w axing for about two weeks after a new moon.
  2. 3. A part of the world where the same standard time is used. There are 24 time zones in the world, one for each hour in the day.
  3. 5. An area of darkness that forms when light from any source is blocked. Shadows caused by the sun change in regular patterns.
  4. 7. A telescope that uses a curved mirror to collect and focus light.
  5. 9. A scientist who studies objects and energy in space.
  6. 10. The different shapes of the lit part of the moon seen from Earth. The pattern of changing moon phases is caused by the moon revolving around Earth.
  7. 11. A telescope that uses an antenna to collect radio waves.
  8. 14. A complete spin. Earth makes one rotation every 24 hours.
  9. 15. The moon when it appears as a full circle. The moon is a full moon halfway through its cycle of phases.
  10. 17. A tool that uses the shadow cast by an object in sunlight to keep track of time during the day.
  11. 22. A clear object that refracts light. Some lenses refract light so that light rays focus. Other lenses refract light so that light rays spread apart.