solar system Flashcards
Nebula
a cloud of gas and dust in outer space
Solar Nebula
cloud of gas made from a collection of dust
Nuclear Fusion
a nuclear reaction in which atomic nuclei of low atomic number fuse to form a heavier nucleus with the release of energy
Sunspot
a spot or patch appearing from time to time on the sun’s surface
Astronomical Unit
the mean distance from the center of the earth to the center of the sun
Terrestrial Planets
A terrestrial planet, telluric planet, or rocky planet is a planet that is composed primarily of silicate rocks or metals
Prograde Rotation
Having a rotational or orbital movement that is the same as most bodies within a celestial system
Retrograde Rotation
All eight planets in the Solar System orbit the Sun in the direction that the Sun is rotating
Gas Giant
a large planet of relatively low density consisting predominantly of hydrogen and helium
Satellite
an artificial body placed in orbit around the earth or moon or another planet in order to collect information or for communication
Phase
a distinct period or stage in a process of change or forming part of something’s development
Eclipse
an obscuring of the light from one celestial body by the passage of another between it and the observer or between it and its source of illumination
Comet
a celestial object consisting of a nucleus of ice and dust and, when near the sun
Asteroid
a small rocky body orbiting the sun
Asteroid Belt
a region of space between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter where most of the asteroids in our Solar System are found orbiting the Sun
