Introducing The Solar System Vocabulary Flashcards
0
Q
Astronomical unit (AU)
A
A unit of distance equal to the average distance between Earth and the sun, about 150 million kilometers.
1
Q
Solar system
A
The system consisting of the sun and the planets and other objects that revolve around it.
2
Q
Planet
A
An object that orbits a star, is large enough to have become rounded by its own gravity, and has cleared the area of its orbit.
3
Q
Dwarf planet
A
An object that orbits the sun and is spherical, but has not cleared the area of its orbit.
4
Q
Asteroids
A
One of the rocky objects revolving around the sun that are too small and numerous to be considered planets.
5
Q
Comets
A
A loose collection of ice and dust that orbits the sun, typically in a long, narrow orbit.
