Solar System And Planets 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
Asteroid
A
Small, mostly rocky bodies that orbit the sun.
5
Q
Comet
A
A loose balls of ice and rock that usually have very long, narrow orbits.
6
Q
Planetesimal
A
One of the small asteroid-like bodies that formed the building blocks of the planets.
