Introducing The Solar System Vocabulary Flashcards

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0
Q

Astronomical unit (AU)

A

A unit of distance equal to the average distance between Earth and the sun, about 150 million kilometers.

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1
Q

Solar system

A

The system consisting of the sun and the planets and other objects that revolve around it.

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2
Q

Planet

A

An object that orbits a star, is large enough to have become rounded by its own gravity, and has cleared the area of its orbit.

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3
Q

Dwarf planet

A

An object that orbits the sun and is spherical, but has not cleared the area of its orbit.

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4
Q

Asteroids

A

One of the rocky objects revolving around the sun that are too small and numerous to be considered planets.

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5
Q

Comets

A

A loose collection of ice and dust that orbits the sun, typically in a long, narrow orbit.

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