Solar System Flashcards
Astronomical unit (AU)
A unit of distance that equals the average distance between the Earth and the sun.
Solar system
The system consisting of the sun and planets and other objects such as asteroids, comets, and ice that revolve around it.
Planet
An object that orbits the sun that is big, enough to have become rounded by its own gravity, and has an orbit.
Dwarf planet
An smaller object than a planet that orbits the sun. It is spherical. But has not cleared the area of its orbit.
Asteroids
A rocky objects that revolves around the sun.
Comet
A collection a ice and dust that orbits the sun in a long narrow orbit.
Planetesimal
A small asteroid-like body that is formed by the building blocks of the planets.