space Flashcards
Meteoroid, Meteor, Meteorite diffrences
Meteoroid → When a rock is trapped and pulled by Earth’s Gravity
Meteor → When the rock enters the Earth’s Atmosphere
Meteorite → When the rock hits the surface of the Earth
How many planets are there and what is the order
8 planets
(in order)
Mercury,Venus,Earth,Mars,Jupiter,Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.
What are the inner planets also known as and what are they.
They are also known as Terrestrial Planets and they include Mercury Venus Earth Mars
What are the outer planets also known as and what are they.
They are also known as Gas Giants and they include Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune
What are the Inner planets realative size, temp,type of surface,number of moons and is there oxygen present in the atmosphere
They are realativly small.
They are realativly hot
Rocky surface
Not many moons
Oxygen in the atmosphere
What are the outer planets realative size, temp,type of surface,number of moons and is there oxygen present in the atmosphere
They are realativly big
They are realativly cold
No solid surface (gaseous)
Many moons
No oxygen in the atmosphere
What is the unit that we use to meausre distance in the solar system
It is au (atomic unit) it is about 148,000,000km or 148 million km.
ex. Mars is 1.52AU from the sun so it is 224.96 million km away from the sun
(1.52*148000000=224960000)
What constellation is the big and little diper apart of.
The great bear
What does the big dipper “point” to
It points to the north star
What is the north star also known as
Polaris
THings in space from least to most specific
UNIVERSE
GALAXIES
SOLAR
SYSTEM
PLANETS &
CELESTIAL
OBJECTS
What are stars
A massive ball of superheated gases that gives off light and heat
What is the brightest star in the night sky
Sirius
What is a planet
A planet is a large, round celestial
object that travels around a star.
● Non-luminous
● Reflect light from stars
What are dwarf planets
A celestial body that:
a) orbits the Sun
b) is large enough to have self-gravity (round), BUT
c) cannot clear its orbit (gravitational influence is
insignificant)
What are asteroids
Rocky (Irregular-shaped) with
craters due to other impacts
with other asteroids that orbit
the Sun but are too small to
be considered planets.
● Composed of rock and
minerals from the formation
of the Solar System.
● Asteroid belt - ring of asteroids
between Mars and Jupiter
Where is the kuiper belt and what are KBO (kuiper belt objects)
Made up of rock
and ice objects,
past the orbit of
Neptune
● 20 times larger
than the Asteroid
Belt
Where is the asteroid belt
It is bettwen mars and jupiter
What is a comet
Icy objects that orbit the Sun.
○ “Dirty snowball” → dust and other particles
● When the comet enters the inner solar system, it
starts to melt and creates the comet’s “tail”.
● Short period: takes a few years to orbit the Sun
and originate in the Kuiper Belt.
● Long period: takes thousands of years to orbit the
Sun and originate in the Oort Cloud.
What is the oort cloud
Defines the gravitational boundary of the
Solar System and contains billions of comets
What it is called when the moon is “getting bigger”
Waxing
What is it called when the moon is “getting smaller”
Waning
What are the 8 moon stages
New moon (cannot see the moon because it is above the earth meaning the light isnt refected onto the earth)
Waxing cresent (crescent moon left side dark getting bigger)
First quarter (left side dark half dark half lit)
Waxing Gibbous (mostly lit dark on left side)
Full moon (fully visible)
Waning Gibbous (crescent moon getting smaller)
last quarter (half lit right side dark)
Waning crescent( crecent moon right side dark)
What is a lunar eclipse
It is when the Earth is in the middle of the moon and the sun allowing you to faintly see a red moon in the middle of the night
What is a solar eclipse
It is when the Moon is in bettwen the earth and the sun and because it is 400 times smaller than the sun but it is 400 times closer it appears as the same size and the sun is fully covered up by the moon causing it to do dark during the day.
Key characteristics for each planet
Mercury: Closest and smallest no moons
Venus: No moons. Brightest, hottest.
Earth: 1 moon. Terrestrial.
Mars: 2 moons. Terrestrial. May have once supported life.
Jupiter: Biggest. Gas giant
Saturn: Has rings. Gas giant
Uranus: poles are on the left and right. Gas giant. Coldest planet
Neptune. Farthest planet. Gas giant
What are asteroids
Asteroids are small celestial objects in the Solar System composed
of rock and metal.
Although they also orbit the Sun, they are too small to be
considered planets.
The vast majority of asteroids lie in an area known as the asteroid
belt, located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Asteroids vary
in size and can have a diameter of up to 950 km.
The largest asteroids are round, but most are irregularly shaped.
