Moon/space Flashcards
the circular path of an object as it revolves around another object due to gravity
Orbit
The sun and its family of orbiting planets, and moons, and other objects
Solar system
Millions or billions of stars held together in a group by their own gravity
Galaxy
Space and all the matter and energy in it
Universe
An object that orbits a more massive object
Satellite
A round pit left behind on the surface of a planet or other body in space after another smaller object strikes the surface
Impact crater
An imaginary line about which a turning body such as earth rotates
Axis of rotation
The motion of one body around another, example of earth around the sun
Revolution
One part of a pattern of temperature changes, and other weather trends over the course of the year
Season
In an orbit, a position and time in which sunlight shines equally on the northern and southern hemisphere
Equinox
In an orbit, a position and time during which ones hemisphere receives its maximum area of sunlight while the other hemisphere receives it minimum amount.
Solstice
A large dark plain of solidified lava on the moon
Mare
An event during which one object in space casts a shadow onto another
Eclipse
The dark central region of a shadow, such as the cone of complete shadow cast by an object
Umbra
The region of lighter shadow that may surround a dark central region. The spreading cone of lighter shadow cast by an object
Penumbra
Average distance from the sun which is approximately 93,000,000 miles or 150 million kilometers
Astronomical Unit (AU)
An oval or flattened circle
Ellipse
A planet that has a rocky surface
Terrestrial planets
A large plane that consists mostly of gases in a dense form
Gas giant
a small rocky body orbiting the sun.
Asteroid
A body that produce a coma of gas and dust, a small icy body that orbits the sun
Comet
a brief streak of light produced by the particle entering earths atmosphere at high speed
Meteor
A small object from outer space that passes through earths atmosphere and reaches the surface
Meteorite
Earth centered theory of the solar system
Geocentric
A sun centered theory of the solar system
Heliocentric
The force that objects exert on one another because of their mass
Gravity
The rise and fall of the ocean levels caused by the gravitational pull of the moon
Tide
The gradual increase of the illuminated surface of the moon
Waxing
(of the moon) have a progressively smaller part of its visible surface illuminated, so that it appears to decrease in si
Waning
(of the moon) having the observable illuminated part greater than a semicircle and less than a circle.
Gibbous moon
the curved sickle shape of the waxing or waning moon.
Crescent
the phase of the moon in which its whole disk is illuminated.
Full moon
the phase of the moon when it is in conjunction with the sun and invisible from earth, or shortly thereafter when it appears as a slender crescent.
New moon
Third Quarter. The moon is one-half illuminated by the sun. Occurs when the moon’sillumination is decreasing, Waning Crescent. The moon is less than one-half illuminated by the sun but less than one quarter illuminated
Quarter moon
