science vcab Flashcards
Solar system
The collection of the Sun and all the celestial bodies that are bound to it by gravity, including planets, moons, comets, and asteroids
Orbit
The curved path that a celestial body takes as it revolves around another body in space, such as a planet around the Sun
Asteroid
They are left over material from the formation of the solar system. They are made out of rock and metal
Meteor, Meteoroids, and Meteorites
Meteoroids are made of rock and metals found in space that usually come from comets or asteroids. They are known as meteors while they are flying through the atmosphere. They are known as meteorites when they hit the Earth
Comet
They are chunks of ice and dust and small rocky particles whose orbits are usually very long, narrow eclipses
Dwarf planet
A celestial body that orbits the Sun and is similar to a planet but does not clear its orbit of other debris
Telescope
An instrument that gathers and magnifies light to observe distant celestial objects
Satellite
A natural or artificial object that orbits a planet, such as the Moon or a man-made satellite
Celestial body
Any natural object outside of the Earth’s atmosphere, including stars, planets, moons, asteroids, and comets
Ellipse
An elongated circle; the shape of the orbit of planets around the Sun
Gravitational attraction
The force that pulls objects toward one another, such as the force that keeps planets in orbit around the Sun
Orbital patterns
The specific paths that celestial bodies follow as they move through space
Composition
The materials and elements that make up a celestial body, such as rocks, metals, and gases
Major planets
The largest planets in the solar system, including Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune
Planetary positions
The locations of planets in their orbits around the Sun at any given time
