Solar System Vocab Flashcards
the collection of the Sun and all the celestial bodies that are bound to it by gravity, including planets, moons, comets, and asteroids
solar system
the curved path that a celestial body takes as it revolves around a body in space, such as a planet around the sun
orbit
they are left over material from the formation of the solar system. They are made out of rock and metal
asteroid
meteoroids are made of rock and metals found in space that usually come from comets or asteroids. They are known as meteors when they hit the earth
meteor, meteoroids, and meteorites
they are chunks of ice and dust and small rocky particles whose orbits are usually very long, narrow eclipses
comet
a celestial body that orbits the sun and is similar to a planet but does not clear its orbit of other debris.
dwarf planet
An instrument that gathers and magnifies light to observe distant celestial objects.
telescope
The specific paths that celestial bodies follow as they move through space.
orbital patterns
Any natural object outside of the Earth’s atmosphere, including stars, planets, moons, asteroids, and comets.
celestial body
A natural or artificial object that orbits a planet, such as the Moon or a man-made satellite.
satellite
The force that pulls objects toward one another, such as the force that keeps planets in orbit around the Sun.
gravitational attraction
An elongated circle; the shape of the orbit of planets around the Sun.
ellipse
The materials and elements that make up a celestial body, such as rocks, metals, and gases.
composition
The largest planets in the solar system, including Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
major planets
The locations of planets in their orbits around the Sun at any given time.
planetary positions
