Solar System Vocabulary

Question 1

Nebula

Answer 1

A nebula is a distinct body of interstellar clouds.

Question 2

Solar Nebula

Answer 2

Solar nebula, gaseous cloud from which, in the so-called nebular hypothesis of the origin of the solar system, the Sun and planets formed by condensation.

Question 3

Nuclear Fusion

Answer 3

Nuclear fusion is a reaction in which two or more atomic nuclei are combined to form one or more different atomic nuclei and subatomic particles.

Question 4

Sunspot

Answer 4

Sunspots are temporary phenomena on the Sun’s photosphere that appear as spots darker than the surrounding areas.

Question 5

Terrestrial Planets

Answer 5

A terrestrial planet, telluric planet, or rocky planet is a planet that is composed primarily of silicate rocks or metals.

Question 6

Prograde Rotation

Answer 6

Retrograde motion in astronomy is, in general, orbital or rotational motion of an object in the direction opposite the rotation of its primary, that is, the central object.

Question 7

Retrograde Rotation

Answer 7

Retrograde motion in astronomy is, in general, orbital or rotational motion of an object in the direction opposite the rotation of its primary, that is, the central object. It may also describe other motions such as precession or nutation of an object’s rotational axis.

Question 8

Gas Giant

Answer 8

A gas giant is a giant planet composed mainly of hydrogen and helium.

Question 9

Satellite

Answer 9

In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object that has been intentionally placed into orbit.

Question 10

New Moon

Answer 10

In astronomy, the new moon is the first lunar phase, when the Moon and Sun have the same ecliptic longitude.

Question 11

Waxing Crescent

Answer 11

The waxing crescent phase is the moon’s first step toward fullness.

Question 12

1st Quarter Moon

Answer 12

First quarter: The moon is 90 degrees away from the sun in the sky and is half-illuminated from our point of view.

Question 13

Waxing Gibbous

Answer 13

The Waxing Gibbous is an intermediate phase of the Moon that starts right after the First Quarter when the illumination is 50%.

Question 14

Full Moon

Answer 14

The full moon is the lunar phase when the Moon appears fully illuminated from Earth’s perspective.

Question 15

Waning Gibbous

Answer 15

The Waning Gibbous is an intermediary Moon phase.

Question 16

Last Quarter Moon

Answer 16

A last quarter moon appears half-lit by sunshine and half-immersed in its own shadow.

Question 17

Waning Crescent

Answer 17

The waning crescent is the last phase of the moon.

Question 18

Solar Eclipse

Answer 18

A solar eclipse occurs when a portion of the Earth is engulfed in a shadow cast by the Moon which fully or partially blocks sunlight. T

Question 19

Lunar Eclipse

Answer 19

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth’s shadow.

Question 20

Comet

Answer 20

A comet is an icy, small Solar System body that, when passing close to the Sun, warms and begins to release gases, a process that is called outgassing.

Question 21

Asteroid

Answer 21

An asteroid is a minor planet of the inner Solar System.

Question 22

Asteroid Belt

Answer 22

The asteroid belt is a torus-shaped region in the Solar System, located roughly between the orbits of the planets Jupiter and Mars.

Question 23

Meteoroid

Answer 23

A meteoroid is a small rocky or metallic body in outer space.

Question 24

Meteorite

Answer 24

A meteorite is a solid piece of debris from an object, such as a comet, asteroid, or meteoroid, that originates in outer space and survives its passage through the atmosphere to reach the surface of a planet or moon.

Question 25

Meteor

Answer 25

A meteoroid is a small rocky or metallic body in outer space.