solar Flashcards
.a large cloud of gas and dust in interstellar space; a region in space where stars are born
Nebula.
.a rotating cloud of gas and dust from which the sun and planets formed; also any nebula from which stars and planets may form
Solar Nebula
.the process by which nuclei of small atoms combine to form a new, more massive nucleus; the process releases energy
Nuclear Fusion
.a dark area of the photo sphere of the sun that is cooler than the surrounding areas and that has a strong magnetic field
Sunspot
.the average distance between the Earth and the sun; approximately 150 million kilometers
Astronomical Unit
.one of the highly dense planets nearest to the sun; Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Earth
Terrestrial Planets
..a small body of ice, rock, and cosmic dust that follows an elliptical orbit around the sun and that gives off gas and dust in the form of a tail as it passes close to the sun
Prograde Rotation
..one of the highly dense planets nearest to the sun; Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Earth
Retrograde Rotation
..a small body of ice, rock, and cosmic dust that follows an elliptical orbit around the sun and that gives off gas and dust in the form of a tail as it passes close to the sun
Gas Giant
..one of the highly dense planets nearest to the sun; Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Earth
Satellite
..a small body of ice, rock, and cosmic dust that follows an elliptical orbit around the sun and that gives off gas and dust in the form of a tail as it passes close to the sun
Phase
..one of the highly dense planets nearest to the sun; Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Earth
Eclipse
.a small body of ice, rock, and cosmic dust that follows an elliptical orbit around the sun and that gives off gas and dust in the form of a tail as it passes close to the sun
Comet
a small, rocky object that orbits the sun; most asteroids are located in a band between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
Asteroid
.the region of the solar system that is between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter and in which most asteroids orbit
Asteroid Belt
