Space Vocabulary Flashcards
(34 cards)
the circular path of an object as it revolves around another object
Orbit
a system of objects that revolve around a star
Solar System
a group of solar systems, dust, and gas held together by gravity; our solar system is part of the Milky Way galaxy
Galaxy
everything that exists in, on and around the Earth
Universe
a natural or artificial object that revolves around another object in space
Satellites
a crater on a planet or moon caused by the impact of a meteorite or other object, typically circular with a raised rim.
Impact Crater
Definition of axis of rotation. : the straight line through all fixed points of a rotating rigid body around which all other points of the body move in circles.
Axis of Rotation
the orbiting of an object around another object
Revolution
a period of the year determined by the position of Earth as it revolves around the sun
Season
the time or date (twice each year) at which the sun crosses the celestial equator, when day and night are of equal length
Equinox
either of the two times in the year, the summer solstice and the winter solstice, when the sun reaches its highest or lowest point in the sky at noon, marked by the longest and shortest days.
Solstice
The lunar maria /ˈmɑːriə/ (singular: mare /ˈmɑːreɪ/) are large, dark, basaltic plains on Earth’s Moon, formed by ancient volcanic eruptions. They were dubbed maria, Latin for “seas”, by early astronomers who mistook them for actual seas
Mare
an event that happens when the shadow of an object in space falls on the surface of another object
Eclipse
the fully shaded inner region of a shadow cast by an opaque object, especially the area on the earth or moon experiencing the total phase of an eclipse
Umbra
the shadow cast by the earth or moon over an area experiencing a partial eclipse.
Penumbra
the mean distance from the center of the Earth to the center of the sun (about 149.6 million kilometers); used to measure distances in the solar system
Astronomical Unit (AU)
a regular oval shape, traced by a point moving in a plane so that the sum of its distances from two other points (the foci) is constant, or resulting when a cone is cut by an oblique plane that does not intersect the base.
Ellipse
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.
Terrestrial Planet
a large planet of relatively low density consisting predominantly of hydrogen and helium, such as Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, or Neptune.
Gas Giant
a small object made of rock or metal that orbits the sun
Asteroid
a body of ice and dust that travels in a long narrow orbit around the sun
Comet
a streak of light in the sky that forms when a piece of rock from space burns up in Earth’s atmosphere (related term: shooting star)
Meteor
a piece of rock or metal from space that strikes Earth’s surface
Meteorite
having the Earth as the center
Geocentric
