Astronomy Vocab Flashcards
Forces that cause all things to be attracted to one another
Gravity
***** are objects constantly falling. (similar to revolution)
Orbit
An object that orbits another object
Satellite
A flat imaginary plane on which an object orbits
Orbital Plane
Spinning on an axis
Rotation
A line that you spin on
Axis
Gaseous covering around a planet
Atmosphere
The outer layer of the planet
The Crust
The center layer of the planet
The Core
Atoms combining to create a new element
Nuclear Fusion
One atom splitting into two or more atoms
Nuclear Fision
A round object that orbits a star
Planet
Gooey layer under the crust
The Mantle
A hot ball of plasma usually undergoing fusion
Star
An object orbiting a planet
Moon
Stars, planets that orbit each other
Solar System (ours is 5 million years old)8
Millions of solar systems that orbit a common center
Galaxy (ours is the milky way)
All the matter, energy and space
Universe (about 13.77 billion years old)
How far light travels in one year
Light Year
3.26 light year
Parsec
The average distance from Earth to the Sun (93 million miles)
Astronomical Unit
The particle of light and the fastest thing in the universe
Photon
Positive building blocks of atoms
Proton
Neutrally charged building blocks of atoms
Neutron
Just like regular matter but with opposite charges
Antimatter
Smaller than usual
Drawf
Something early in its development
Proto
x1,000
Kilo
x1,000,000
Mega
x1,000,000,000
Giga
A model which combines space (3rd dimension) with time (4th dimension)
Spacetime
