Astronomy Flashcards
What is an astronomical unit ?
The average distance between the Earth and the Sun .
What is the distance that light travels in a year ?
A Light year .
What are parsecs used to describe ?
Parsecs are used to describe large distances .
What is the birthplace of our solar system ?
Nebula is the birthplace of our solar system .
How are Constellations created ?
They’re the gathering of a group of stars .
How do Planetesimals form ?
The matter in a disk that clumps together, makes small masses .
How are Planetesimals and Protoplanetary related ?
When the planetesimals collide together, the form a protoplanetary .
What is a nuclear fusion ?
At 15 million degrees Celcius, hydrogen atoms combine to creat helium atoms in a gas cloud’s center .
How are terrestrial planets defined ?
A planet with a rocky surface [ just like Earth’s ) .
True or False : Gas giant planets only have a small amount of gas ?
False . Gas giant planets are almost entirely consumed with gas .
What is a comet ?
A celestial object with a nucleus of ice and dust . A “ tail “ of gas and dust is created when near the sun .
What are asteroids ?
A small body of rock that orbits the Sun .
What do cosmologist study ?
An astronomer that studies space-time relations and the evolution of the universe .
What is angular velocity ?
The rate of change of the positioning angle of someone that’s rotating .
What is the name of the curved path of a celestial object around the Earth, Moon or Sun ?
This is called an orbit .
What is another name for how long it takes to complete one cycle of revolution ?
Another name is a period .
How does something revolve ?
By moving in a circular orbit around .
What is the term used to define the time between two consecutive transits of the First Point of Aries ?
Sidereal Day .
True or False : Solar day is the time between meridian transits of the Sun at a particular place ?
True !
What is a year ?
The period of 365 days and 366 on leap years .
Define accretion .
The process of growth and increase .
What is a tide just after a new moon or full moon ?
Spring Tide .
What is a neap tide ?
A neap tide is a less than average tide occurring at the first and third quarters of the moon .
Define eccentricity .
The deviation of a orbit from a circuar motion .
What is the diffuse cloud of gas and dust that surrounds the nucleus of a comet ?
A coma .
