The Solar System Flashcards
(33 cards)
Solar system
The sun and its family orbiting planets, moons and other objects
Galaxy
Millions or billions of stars held together in a group.
Universe
Space and all the matter and energy in it
Satellite
A 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.
Axis of rotation
An imaginary line about which a turning body, such as Earth rotates.
Revolution
The motion of one body around the other
Season
One part of a pattern changes and other weather trends over the course each year
Equinox
In a orbit, a position and time in which sunlight shines equally on the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere.
Mare
A large, dark plain of solified lava on the moon.
Eclipse
An event during which one object in space casts a shadow onto another.
Umbra
The dark, center all region of a shadow, such as the cone of complete shadow cast by an object.
Penumbra
A region of a lighter shadow that may surround an umbra.
Astronomic unit. AU
Earths average distance from the sun, which is about 150 million kilometer.
Ellipse
An oval or flattened circle
Terrestrial planet
Earth or a planet similar to earth that has a rockey surface.
Gas giant
A large planet that consists mostly of gases in a dense form.
Asteroid
A small, solid, rockey body that orbits the sun
Comet
A body that produces a coma of gas and dust.
Meteror
A brief streak of light by a small partial entering earths atmosphere at a high speed
Meteorite
A small object form outer space that passes through earths atmosphere and reaches the surface.
Gravity
The force that objects exert on each other because of their mass
Geocentric
Having or representing the earth as a center
Heliocentric
Measured or considered as being seen from the center of the sun.
