# Space Watchers Crossword: Astronomical Phenomena

Astronomical phenomena are observable events that happen among objects in space, such as seasons, Moon phases, eclipses, equinoxes, solstices, and auroras ([PDF p.1](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/library/pdf/2134?page=1), [Knowledge](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/36537)). Many of these events follow a predictable, cyclical pattern, which means they repeat over and over in a way scientists can observe and predict ([Knowledge](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/36537), [Skills](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/36539)). This crossword reviews the vocabulary you need to describe and explain these sky events, from why Alberta has long summer days to why the Moon seems to change shape every month ([PDF p.2](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/library/pdf/8634?page=2)).

## How to play

Read each clue carefully and write your answer in the matching numbered spaces on the grid. Every word connects to something in space that repeats in a cycle you could observe yourself, on a clear night, at sunrise, or across the seasons. If you get stuck on one clue, try the crossing letters from a word you already know. Work in pencil so you can fix mistakes, and check your finished puzzle against the answer key only after you have filled in every space you can.

## Puzzle grid

| ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | 1 | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |
|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
| ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |   | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |
| ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |   | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |
| ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |   | ■ | 2 | 3 |   |   |   |   | 4 |
| ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |   | ■ | ■ |   | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |   |
| ■ | ■ | ■ | 5 |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | ■ | ■ | ■ |   |
| ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |   | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |   |
| ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |   | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |   |
| ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | 6 |   |   |   |   |   |   | ■ | ■ | ■ |   |
| ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |   | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |   | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |   |
| ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |   | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |   | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |
| ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |   | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |
| ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |   | ■ | 7 | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |
| 8 |   |   |   |   |   |   | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |
| ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |   | ■ |   | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |
| ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |   | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |
| ■ | ■ | ■ | 9 |   |   |   |   |   | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |
| ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |   | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |

## Clues

### Across

2. When one space object blocks the light from another (7)
5. The day with the longest or shortest daylight (8)
6. To say what will happen before it occurs (7)
8. To watch and notice something carefully (7)
9. Colourful lights in the sky near the poles (6)

### Down

1. Different shapes the Moon appears to have (6)
3. Happening in a repeating pattern (8)
4. The day when day and night are equal length (7)
6. A design or sequence that repeats (7)
7. Spring, summer, fall, or winter (6)

## Answer key

- **1 down**: PHASES
- **2 across**: ECLIPSE
- **3 down**: CYCLICAL
- **4 down**: EQUINOX
- **5 across**: SOLSTICE
- **6 across**: PREDICT
- **6 down**: PATTERN
- **7 down**: SEASON
- **8 across**: OBSERVE
- **9 across**: AURORA

| ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | P | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |
|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
| ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | H | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |
| ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | A | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |
| ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | S | ■ | E | C | L | I | P | S | E |
| ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | E | ■ | ■ | Y | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | Q |
| ■ | ■ | ■ | S | O | L | S | T | I | C | E | ■ | ■ | ■ | U |
| ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | L | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | I |
| ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | I | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | N |
| ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | P | R | E | D | I | C | T | ■ | ■ | ■ | O |
| ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | A | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | A | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | X |
| ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | T | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | L | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |
| ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | T | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |
| ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | E | ■ | S | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |
| O | B | S | E | R | V | E | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |
| ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | N | ■ | A | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |
| ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | S | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |
| ■ | ■ | ■ | A | U | R | O | R | A | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |
| ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | N | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ | ■ |

---
*AILI game · language en · model claude-sonnet-5 · generated 2026-09-17 · id 6454b2af-3393-480d-93fb-0f7265678994*

### Sources

- node:n1: Sciences › Science (K–6) › Grade 5 › Space: Understandings of the living world, Earth, and space are deepened by investigating natural systems and their int… › How are astronomical phenomena observed and interpreted? (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/36535)
- node:n2: Sciences › Science (K–6) › Grade 5 › Space: Understandings of the living world, Earth, and space are deepened by investigating natural systems and their int… › How are astronomical phenomena observed and interpreted? › Students investigate and interpret astronomical phenomena. (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/36537)
- node:n3: Sciences › Science (K–6) › Grade 5 › Space: Understandings of the living world, Earth, and space are deepened by investigating natural systems and their int… › How are astronomical phenomena observed and interpreted? › Students investigate and interpret astronomical phenomena. (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/36539)
- node:n4: Sciences › Science (K–6) › Grade 5 › Space: Understandings of the living world, Earth, and space are deepened by investigating natural systems and their int… › How are astronomical phenomena observed and interpreted? › Students investigate and interpret astronomical phenomena. (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/36538)
- node:n5: Sciences › Science (K–6) › Grade 5 › Space: Understandings of the living world, Earth, and space are deepened by investigating natural systems and their int… › How are astronomical phenomena observed and interpreted? (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/36535)
- node:n6: Sciences › Science (K–6) › Grade 5 › Space: Understandings of the living world, Earth, and space are deepened by investigating natural systems and their int… › How are astronomical phenomena observed and interpreted? › Students investigate and interpret astronomical phenomena. (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/36537)
- node:n7: Sciences › Science (K–6) › Grade 5 › Space: Understandings of the living world, Earth, and space are deepened by investigating natural systems and their int… › How are astronomical phenomena observed and interpreted? › Students investigate and interpret astronomical phenomena. (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/36538)
- node:n8: Sciences › Science (K–6) › Grade 5 › Space: Understandings of the living world, Earth, and space are deepened by investigating natural systems and their int… › How are astronomical phenomena observed and interpreted? › Students investigate and interpret astronomical phenomena. (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/36539)
- node:n9: Sciences › Science (K–6) › Grade 5 › Space: Understandings of the living world, Earth, and space are deepened by investigating natural systems and their int… (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/36534)
- pdf:p1: Sciences › Science (K–6) › Stepping Into Science Alberta | Space - Grade 5 › p.1 (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/library/pdf/2134?page=1)
- resource:r1: Resources › type#activity › SCI5 (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/library/resource/ehtbu3rO7U-tzN0ysj38uQ)
- resource:r2: Resources › type#activity › SCI5 (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/library/resource/tkmflCpTaUSiN1HdacKnFQ)
- pdf:p2: Sciences › Science (K–6) › Stepping Into Science Alberta | Space - Grade 5 › p.4 (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/library/pdf/2133?page=4)
- pdf:p3: Sciences › Science (K–6) › Stepping Into Science Alberta | Space - Grade 5 › p.2 (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/library/pdf/8634?page=2)
- resource:r3: Resources › type#activity, type#classroomactivity › SCI5 (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/library/resource/Eb1Akh9ZokaRcz3hGCmP8Q)
- resource:r4: Resources › type#activity, type#classroomactivity › SCI5 (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/library/resource/JtAACEOlkkys3yZ8yY6X3g)