6th - Science Chapter 21 Solar System Key Terms Flashcards
A small, rocky object that orbits the Sun.
Asteroid
A small, rocky and icy object that orbits the sun.
Comet
The average distance from Earth to the Sun - about 150 million km.
Astronomical Unit (AU)
The four largest of Jupiter’s 63 moon’s discovered by Galileo.
Galilean Moons
A small rocky particle that moves through space.
Meteoroid
A meteoroid that has entered Earth’s atmosphere and produces a streak of light.
Meteor
A meteoroid that strikes a planet or a moon.
Meteorite
A round depression formed on the surface of a planet, moon, or other space object by the impact of a meteorite.
Impact Crater
A large sphere of hydrogen gas, held together by gravity, that is hot enough for nuclear reactions to ocorr in its core
Star
Round body that orbits the sun but is massive enough to clear away other objects in its orbit
Dwarf planet
