Inrtoducing The Solar System Flashcards
Astronomical Unit
A unit of distance equal to the average distance between Earth and the sun, about 150 million kilometers.
Solar system
The system consisting of the sun and the planets and other objects that revolve around it
Planet
Is round, orbits the sun, have cleared out the region of the solar system along its orbit. (This means it done not share the area of its orbit with any other objects)
Dwarf planet
Is an object that orbits the sun and has enough gravity to be spherical, but has not cleared the area of its orbit. (This means other objects also share its orbit)
Asteroids
Small, mostly rocky bodies, that orbit the sun.
Comets
Loose balls of ice and rock that usually have very long, narrow orbits.
Planetesimal
One of the small astroid-like bodies that formed the building blocks of the planets.