Solar System Flashcards
Solar System
Sun,planets, and all the other objects that revolve around the sun
Geocentric Model
Earth is in the center of the universe
Heliocentric Model
Sun-centered model of the solar system
Epicycles
Movements of planets in circles while they orbit
Elliptical Orbit
An oval shaped path, used to describe the shape of the earth’s orbit around the sun
Gravity
A force of attraction between objects that is due to their masses
Sun
The star at the center of our solar system
Planet
An object that orbits a star, is large enough to have become rounded by its own gravity, and has cleared the area of its orbit
Dwarf Planet
An object that orbits the sun and is spherical, but has not cleared the area of its orbit
Moon
Natural Satellite
Asteroid
A small rocky body orbiting the sun
Comet
A ball of frozen dust and rock that orbits the sun and has a tail that glows
Meteor
A small body of matter from outer space that enters the earth’s atmosphere, becoming incandescent as a result of friction and appearing as a streak of light
Revolution
The movement of an object around another object
Rotation
The spinning of earth on its axis
