Astrophysics Flashcards
What is a solar system
A solar system consists of a central star and everything is bound to it by gravitational forces
What is a star
A star is a hot glowing sphere that emits light and is found at the center of a solar system
What is a planet
A planet is a spherical object that orbits a star
What is a moon
A moon is a spherical object that orbits a planet
What is the period of rotation of the Earth around itself
24 hours
What is the period of rotation of the Earth around the Sun
365.25 days
What is an asteroid
An asteroid is a rock in an asteroid belt that orbits around the Sun
What is a comet
A comet is a ball of ice, rock and dust which is speeding through space and has an elliptical orbit
Why do comets have tails and what’s their deal
Comets have tails when they get near the sun. This is because heat makes some of the ice turn into gas. The gas streams away, carrying dust with it and forming tails that always point away from the Sun
When are comets faster and why
Comets are faster when they are closer to the Sun, as gravitational forces are stronger.
What are galaxies
Galaxies are collections of stars/ solar systems
What is the universe
The universe is a collection of billions of galaxies
What are satellites
Satellites are objects that orbit a planet
What are two types of satellites
Natural satellites: Natural satellites are astronomic bodies that orbit a planet
Artificial satellites: Objects set by humans to orbit a planet
What is the difference between weight and mass
Weight changes depending on the planet and its gravitational force. Mass stays the same
