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| What shape is the Earth and approximately, what is the diameter? |
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Definition
| It's a flattened sphere with an average diameter of 13,000km. |
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| Our atmosphere scatters shorter wavelengths of sunlight making the sky appear blue. |
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| How did Eratosthenes calculate the circumference of the Earth? |
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Definition
| He noticed that a stick at Syene didn't cast a shadow at noon on the 21st of June, whilst a stick at Alexandria did cast a shadow. He found out the distance from Syene to Alexandria and used simple geometry to calculate the circumference of Earth. |
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Term
| What are some benefits of the atmosphere to humankind? |
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Definition
| It protects us from harmful rays like x-rays, gamma rays and UV radiation. It also regulates the temperature so that water can exist in it's liquid form. |
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Term
| How can beginners observe the Sun safely? |
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Definition
| You can project an image of the Sun from a telescope or a pair of binoculars onto a piece of cardboard. |
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| How long is the lunar phase cycle? |
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| When the solar wind hits the Earth's atmosphere, most of it is deflected by the magnetic fields, however, some of it enters through the poles and hit the atmosphere, making the molecules they hit emit light. |
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