flashcards
Nebula
A nebula is a distinct body of interstellar clouds. Originally, the term was used to describe any diffused astronomical object, including galaxies beyond the Milky Way.
Solar Nebula
Solar nebula, gaseous cloud from which, in the so-called nebular hypothesis of the origin of the solar system, the Sun and planets formed by condensation.
Nuclear Fusion
Nuclear fusion is a reaction in which two or more atomic nuclei are combined to form one or more different atomic nuclei and subatomic particles.
Sunspot
Sunspots are dark, planet-sized regions that appear on the “surface” of the Sun.
Terrestrial Planets
The Terrestrial Planets. From top: Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.
Prograde Rotation
Retrograde motion in astronomy is, in general, orbital or rotational motion of an object in the direction opposite the rotation of its primary
Retrograde Rotation
Retrograde refers to an object that spins in the opposite direction of its orbit.
Gas Giant
A gas giant is a large planet mostly composed of helium and/or hydrogen.
Satellite
A satellite is a moon, planet or machine that orbits a planet or star
New Moon
In astronomy, the new moon is the first lunar phase, when the Moon and Sun have the same ecliptic longitude
Waxing Crescent
The Waxing Crescent is an intermediate phase of the Moon, which starts after the New Moon and lasts until the First Quarter. In this phase,
1st Quarter Moon
The moon is 90 degrees away from the sun in the sky and is half-illuminated from our point of view. We call it “first quarter
Waxing Gibbous
The Waxing Gibbous is an intermediate phase of the Moon that starts right after the First Quarter when the illumination is 50%. T
Full Moon
the phase of the moon in which its whole disk is illuminated.
Waning Gibbous
More than half full in phase, but growing smaller.
Last Quarter Moon
A last quarter moon appears half-lit by sunshine and half-immersed in its own shadow. It rises in the middle of the night,
Waning Crescent
The Waning Crescent phase occurs when the illumination of the Moon decreases from 49.9% to 0.1%.
Solar Eclipse
A solar eclipse occurs when a portion of the Earth is engulfed in a shadow cast by the Moon which fully or partially blocks sunlight.
Lunar Eclipse
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth’s shadow.
Comet
A comet is an icy, small Solar System body that, when passing close to the Sun, warms and begins to release gases,
Asteroid
An asteroid is a minor planet of the inner Solar System.
Asteroid Belt
The asteroid belt is a torus-shaped region in the Solar System,
Meteoroid
a small body moving in the solar system that would become a meteor if it entered the earth’s atmosphere.
Meteorite
A meteorite is a solid piece of debris from an object,
