Astronomy Flashcards
(11 cards)
What are planets?
Planets are large objects that orbit a star.
What is a dwarf planet?
They are planet-like objects that aren’t big enough to be planets.
What is a moon?
Moons orbit planets with usually almost circular orbits. They’re a type of natural satellite.
What is an artificial satellite?
Artificial satellites are man made satellites that usually orbit the earth
What is an asteroid?
Asteroids are lumps of rock and metals that orbit the sun. Usually they are found in the asteroid belt.
What is a comet?
Comets are lumps of ice and dust that orbit the sun. They are usually highly elliptical orbits.
What is the Geocentric model?
That geocentric model was a theory that suggested the moon, planets and stars all orbited the earth.
What is the heliocentric model?
The heliocentric model was the theory that the sun was at the center of the solar system.
What did Galileo find that supported the heliocentric theory?
Galileo found moons around Jupiter which supported that not everything was around the earth.
What creates orbit?
Gravity is the reason why moons and planets orbit planets and suns.
Why do planets orbit the sun and not just hit it?
The force would cause the object to fall towards whatever it is orbiting, but as the object is already moving, it causes it to change direction.
