Solar System Vocabulary Flashcards
(25 cards)
Nebula
a cloud of gas and dust in outer space, visible in the night sky either as an indistinct bright patch or as a dark silhouette against other luminous matter.
Solar Nebula
system began forming within a concentration of interstellar dust and hydrogen gas called a molecular cloud
Nuclear Fusion
a nuclear reaction in which atomic nuclei of low atomic number fuse to form a heavier nucleus with the release of energy.
Sunspot
are temporary phenomena on the Sun’s photosphere that appear as spots darker than the surrounding areas. They are regions of reduced surface temperature caused by concentrations of magnetic field flux that inhibit convection.
Terrestrial Planets
A terrestrial planet, telluric planet, or rocky planet is a planet that is composed primarily of silicate rocks or metals. Within the Solar System, the terrestrial planets are the inner planets closest to the Sun, i.e. Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars
Prograde Rotation
Having a rotational or orbital movement that is the same as most bodies within a celestial system
Retrograde Rotation
All eight planets in the Solar System orbit the Sun in the direction of the Sun’s movment
Gas Giant
a large planet of relatively low density consisting predominantly of hydrogen and helium, such as Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, or Neptune.
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an artificial object which has been intentionally placed into orbit. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as Earth’s Moon.
New Moon
In astronomy, the new moon is the first lunar phase, when the Moon and Sun have the same ecliptic longitude. At this phase, the lunar disk is not visible to the unaided eye, except when silhouetted during a solar eclipse. Daylight outshines the earthlight that dimly illuminates the dark side of the new Moon.
Waxing Crescent
The moon is less than one-half illuminated by the sun but less than one quarter illuminated
1st Quarter Moon
If it is the left or right half, depends on where you are on Earth
Waxing Gibbous
Moon at Third Quarter. With some exceptions
Full Moon
the phase of the moon in which its whole disk is illuminated.
Waning Gibbous
phase repeats every 29.531 days
Last Quarter Moon
The moon has moved another quarter of the way around Earth, to the third quarter position.
Waning Crescent
Third Quarter. The moon is one-half illuminated by the sun. Occurs when the moon’s illumination is decreasing,
Solar Eclipse
A solar eclipse occurs when an observer passes through the shadow cast by the Moon which fully or partially blocks the Sun.
Lunar Eclipse
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly behind Earth and into its shadow. This can occur only when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are exactly or very closely aligned, with Earth between the other two. A lunar eclipse can occur only on the night of a full moon
Comet
a celestial object consisting of a nucleus of ice and dust and, when near the sun, a “tail” of gas and dust particles pointing away from the sun.
Asteroid
Asteroids are minor planets, especially of the inner Solar System
Asteroid Belt
The asteroid belt is the circumstellar disc in the Solar System located roughly between the orbits of the planets Mars and Jupiter.
Meteoroid
a small body moving in the solar system that would become a meteor if it entered the earth’s atmosphere.
Meteorite
a meteor that survives its passage through the earth’s atmosphere such that part of it strikes the ground. More than 90 percent of meteorites are of rock, while the remainder consist wholly or partly of iron and nickel.
