Solar system vocab

Question 1

Meteor

Answer 1

The light we see when a space rock burns in the atmosphere

Question 2

Meteorite

Answer 2

A space rock that hits earth

Question 3

Meteoroid

Answer 3

A chunk of rock or metal in space

Question 4

Asteroid

Answer 4

One of the rocky objects revolving around the sun that is too small and numerous to be considered a planet

Question 5

Comet

Answer 5

A loose collection of ice and dust that orbits the sun, typically in a long, narrow orbit

Question 6

Dwarf planet

Answer 6

A body in space that orbits the sun, is massive enough to almost be round but not so massive that its orbit does not cross any other objects. It is not a moon of another planet

Question 7

Gravity

Answer 7

The attractive force between objects; the force that moves objects downhill

Question 8

Inertia

Answer 8

The tendency of an object to resist a change in motion

Question 9

Inner planets

Answer 9

The four inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars) have slower orbits (period of revolution = year) , slower spin (period of rotation = days) , no rings , and they are made of rock and metal with a solid outer surface

Question 10

Moon

Answer 10

A natural satellite that orbits a planet

Question 11

Outer planet

Answer 11

Four massive (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) in the solar system that are primarily made of gas, have rings, rotate quickly and orbit slowly

Question 12

Sun

Answer 12

The massive sized star at the center of our solar system around which the 8 planets orbit

Question 13

Telescope

Answer 13

An optical instrument that forms enlarged images of distant objects