Astonomy Flashcards
What is a Constellation?
A group of stars in the night that makes a familiar pattern.
Explain what a Nebula is.
A general term for a cloud of gas and the stars in the sky.
What is an Astronomical Unit?
Distance between Earth and Sun.
Explain the term “Light Years”?
A Light year is the measurment in distance if light traveling in one year.
What is a Planetsimal?
A small group from the solar nebula that grew into a protoplanet over time.
Name a Constellation.
The big dipper
def. a group of stars in the night that make a familiar pattern
Define a Parsec.
Measurment of large distance
ex. 1 pc = 3.26 light years
How did Protoplanetary bodies form?
In the early stages of developing planets planetesimals collided.
What two gases caused a nuclear reaction?
Hydrogen and Helium combined with nuclear fusion to make a nuclear fusion. This created the sun.
Define a Gas Giant Planet. Give an Example.
A planet on the outer solar system that consists mostly of hydrogen and helium gases. ex. Jupiter.
What is the difference between a comet and an asteroid?
A comet is a mixture of dust and ice the exists usually on the outside of a solar system. An asteroid is a dark rock that orbits the sun.
What does a cosmologist do for a living?
They are a scientist who studies the origin and dynamics of our unique universe.
What is Angular Velocity?
Rate of change of a rotatiating object.
What does it mean when the Earth orbits the Sun?
When a planet orbits the Sun it means that it follows a path in a circular motion around the planets diameter.
Is a Period a measure of time, or distance?
Distance
What does it mean for an object to revolve?
It means for an object to follow a similar path around another object
Define: Rotation
Rotation is when an object moves in a circle around the center
What happens during a Sidereal Day?
The Earth takes 4 minutes less than a solar day to pass the constellation aries.
What is a Solar Day?
The time frame of which the Earth makes a complete rotation.
Define: Year
The time it take for Earth to completely revolve around the Sun.
