definitions and terms Flashcards
what is “any natural object that is found in space?
celestial bodies
one of 88 officially defined areas of the sky in which an asterism forms a perceived outline or pattern.
constellation
what is “any pattern formed by relatively bright stars that appear close to one another”
Asterism
what is “a regularly repeating path that one object in space takes around another.”
Orbit
the object’s orbital motion around another object. For example, Earth revolves around the Sun.
Revolution
an object’s spinning motion about its own axis.
Rotation
what is “Using one of the senses (sight, hearing, touch, etc.) or measurement tools to gather information? Observations are necessary to collect and record data, which helps us to develop and then test hypotheses and theories.”
Observation
a star located at the centre of our solar system.
the sun
a sphere of burning hot gases (hydrogen and helium).
a star
what is “consists of at least one star and all the celestial bodies that orbit it”.
solar system
the cooler spots of the sun
sunspots
what is “Enormous loops of hot gas that extend out from Sunspots and if one snaps it can make a solar flare!”.
Solar prominences.
Rapid and violent eruptions on the Sun`s surface measure up to 11 million oC! They release large amounts of both solar radiation AND solar wind. solar flares
solar flares
what is “A stream of high-energy gas particles that is constantly being sent into the solar system from the Sun. The solar wind increases when the Sun is more active and when solar flares occur. “
Solar wind
what is “a thin layer of ozone gas that absorbs most of the harmful radiation from the Sun known as ultraviolet radiation”
Ozone layer
caused by the movement of the earth’s iron core, this field surrounds the earth and blocks much of the solar wind. magnetic field
magnetic field
what is “Scientists use this to describe large distances within our solar system.”
Astronomical units (AU)
has to Orbit one or more stars and Has a spherical shape due to its own massive gravity.
it also Has cleared its orbit of debris.
planets
what is “ a type of planet that is closer to the sun, has shorter orbits, the planets are warmer and are smaller than the other planets. It is also dense and is made primarily of rocks. They rotate slower than the other planets.”
Terrestrial planets.
these planets are farther from the sun and have longer orbits, the planets are colder and less dense. They are primarily made up of gasses and have a faster rotation than other planets.
Jovian planets
what is “ planets that Orbit the Sun, are mostly spherical, BUT have not cleared their orbits of debris.”
Dwarf planets
small, rocky celestial bodies that are remains of the formation of the solar system.
Asteroids
what is “the visible trail of a space rock as it burns up in the atmosphere.”
Meteors
what is “ pieces of asteroids that hit the Earth’s surface.”
Meteorites