Introducing the Solar System Flashcards
0
Q
Astronomical Unit
A
A unit of distance equal to the average distance between Earth and the Sun, about 150 million kilometers.
1
Q
Solar System
A
The system consisting of the sun and the planets and other objects that revolve around it.
2
Q
Planet
A
Must be round, orbit the sun, and have cleared out the region of the solar system along its orbit.
3
Q
Dwarf Planet
A
An object that orbits the sun and has enough gravity to be spherical, but has not cleared the area of orbit. (This means other objects share its orbit)
4
Q
Asteroids
A
Small, mostly rocky bodies that orbit the sun.
5
Q
Comets
A
A loose collection of ice and dust that orbits the sun, typically in a long, narrow orbit.
6
Q
Planetesimal
A
One of the small asteroid-like bodies that formed the building blocks of the planets.
