Key Terms Flashcards
Orbit
when something circles around an object
Inner Planet
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars
Outer Planet
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
Asteroid Belt
the region of space between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter in which most asteroids are located
Rocky Planet
a planet mostly made out of rock and ice
Ring
rocks and chunks of ice orbiting a larger celestial object and look like a band around the celestial object
Gas Planet
a planet made of gas
Hydrogen
a colorless, odorless, flammable gas that combines chemically with oxygen to form water
Helium
an inert, gaseous element present in the sun’s atmosphere and in natural gas
“Gas Giant”
A nick Name for Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, or Neptune
Spin
to turn around rapidly
Northern Hemisphere
the half of the earth between the North Pole and the equator
Polaris
the North Star
Zodiac
the 12 constellations that appear every month
Ursa Minor
a constellation, supposedly shaped like a bear, containing the Little Dipper and Polaris
Luna
the Latin word for the moon
Crater
the cup-shaped depression on the surface of an object
Meteorite
a mass of stone or metal that has reached a planet or moon from outer space
Gravity
the force of attraction by which terrestrial bodies tend to fall toward the center of the earth.
Reflect
to give back
Lunar Cycle
the cycle of the moon
Crescent
a shape resembling a segment of a ring tapering to points at the ends
Waxing
growing
Waning
shrinking
Gibbous
swollen on one side; half the moon is lit
Lunar Calendar
something that tells people what phase the moon is every day
Southern Hemisphere
the half of the earth between the South Pole and the equator
North Pole
the northernmost point on the Earth
South Pole
the southernmost point on the Earth
Equator
an imaginary line drawn right around Earth’s middle
Tropic of Cancer
an imaginary line of latitude where the sun’s rays hit directly during summer in the Northern Hemisphere
Tropic of Capricorn
an imaginary line of latitude where the sun’s rays hit directly during winter in the Northern Hemisphere
Winter Solstice
December 21, shortest day of the year, first day of winter
Vernal Equinox
March 21, entire Earth gets 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night, first day of spring, chance of a equinox
Summer Solstice
June 21, longest day of the year
Autumn Equinox
September 22, entire earth gets 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night, first day of Fall, chance of a eclipse
