Solar System Flashcards
(32 cards)
Solar System
The Sun and it’s family of orbiting planets,moons,and other objects
Galaxy
Millions or billions of stars held together in a group by their own gravity
Universe
Space and all the matter and energy in it
Satellite
An object that orbits a more massive object
Impact Crater
A round pit left behind on the surface of a planet or other body in space after a smaller object strikes the surface
Axis of Rotation
An imaginary line about which a turning body,such as Earth rotates
Revolution
The motion of one body around another,such as Earth around the sun;the time it takes an object to go around once
Season
One part of a pattern of temperature changes and other weather trends over the course of the year.Astronomical seasons are defined and caused by the position of Earth’s axis relative to the direction of sunlight
Equinox
In an orbit,a position and time in which sunlight shines equally on the northern hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere;a time of year when daylight and darkness are nearly equal for most of earth
Umbra
The dark central region of a shadow,such as the cone of complete shadow cast by an object
Penumbra
A region a lighter shadow that may surround an umbra;for example,the spreading cone of lighter shadow cast by a space object
Astronomical Unit(AU)
Earths average distance from the sun,which is approximately 150 million kilometers
Ellipse
An oval or flattened circle
Terrestrial Planet
Earth or a planet similar to Earth that has a rocky surface.The four planets in the solar system-Mercury,Venus,Earth,and Mars are Terrestrial Planets
Gas Giant
A large planet that consists of mostly gases in a dense form.the four large planets in the outer solar system
Asteroid
A small,solid,rocky body that orbits the sun.most asteroids orbit In the region between Mars and Jupiter called the asteroid belt
Comet
A body that produces a coma of gas and dust;a small,icy body that orbits the sun
Meteor
A brief streak of light produced by a small particle entering earth’s atmosphere at a high speed
Meteorite
A small object from outer space that passes through Earth’s atmosphere and reaches the surface
Geocentric
having or representing the earth as the center, as in former astronomical systems
Heliocentric
having or representing the sun as the center, as in the accepted astronomical model of the solar system
Gravity
The force that objects exert on each other because of their mass
Tide
The periodic variation in the surface level of the oceans and of bays, gulfs, inlets, and estuaries, caused by gravitational attraction of the moon and sun.A specific occurrence of such a variation: awaiting the next high tide.
Waxing
the moon at any time after new moon and before full moon, so called because its illuminated area is increasing. Compare waning moon. Origin of waxing moon Expand.
