Space Flashcards
Solar system
The sun and its family of orbiting planets,moons,and other objects
Galaxy
Millions or billions of stars held together in a group by their own gravity
Universe
Space and all the matter and in it
Orbit
The path of an object in space it moves around another object due to gravity
Satellite
an artificial body placed in orbit around the earth or moon or another planet in order to collect information or for communication.
Impact crater
a crater on a planet or moon caused by the impact of a meteorite or other object, typically circular with a raised rim.
Axis of rotation
An imaginary line about which a turning body , such as Earth rotates
Revolution
The motion of one body around another, such as earth in its orbit around the sun
Season
each of the four divisions of the year (spring, summer, autumn, and winter) marked by particular weather patterns and daylight hours, resulting from the earth’s changing position with regard to the sun.
Equinox
the time or date (twice each year) at which the sun crosses the celestial equator, when day and night are of equal length (about September 22 and March 20).
Solstice
either of the two times in the year, the summer solstice and the winter solstice, when the sun reaches its highest or lowest point in the sky at noon, marked by the longest and shortest days.
Mare
A large dark plain of solidified lava on the moon.
Eclipse
An event during which one objects in cast a shadow into another
Umbra
The dark, central region of a shadow, such as the cone of complete shadow cast by object
Penumbra
A region of lighter shadow that may surround an umbra
Astronomical unit (AU)
Earth’s average distance from the sun, approximately mately 150 million kilometers( 93 million miles)
Ellipse
An oval or flattened circle
terrestrial plants
Earth or a planet similar to earth that has a rocky surface
gas giant
a large planet of relatively low density consisting predominantly of hydrogen and helium, such as Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, or Neptune.
Asteroids
a small rocky body orbiting the sun.
Comet
a celestial object consisting of a nucleus of ice and dust and, when near the sun, a “tail” of gas and dust particles pointing away from the sun.
Meteor
a small body of matter from outer space that enters the earth’s atmosphere,
Meteorite
a meteor that survives its passage through the earth’s atmosphere such that part of it strikes the ground.
Geocentric
having or representing the earth as the center, as in former astronomical systems.