Solar System Flashcards
Any object that moves around another object
Satellite
A natural object in space that orbits a planet
Moon
Elliptical path in which an object in space moves around another object in space
Orbit
Nearly round object in space that dominates its orbit around a star
Planet
A smaller, round planet-like object in space that orbits a star but does not dominate its orbit around a star
Dwarf Planet
The closest star to earth and the center of our solar system
Sun
Earth-like; mostly rocky
Terrestrial
Jupiter-like; large and made mostly of gases
Jovian
Cloud of dust and has in space
Nebula
Describes how the solar system formed due to gravity pulling the mass of a rotating cloud of dust and gas together into a star and surrounding planets and moons
Nebular Theory
The sun, the planets and their satellites and all other objects that orbit the sun
Solar System
Small, irregularly shaped bodies that through the accretion of colliding bodies, grow into planets; protoplanets
Planetismals
Having to do with mars
Martian
Small, irregularly-shaped rocky body typically found between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter
Asteroid
A small body of rock and metallic material held together by ices that orbit the sun, commonly in long, elongated orbits
Comet
