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 energy in it
Satellite
An object that orbits a more massive object
Impact crater
A round pit left behind on the surface of a planet
Axis of rotation
An imaginary line about which a turning body
Revolution
The movement of one body around another
Season
One part of a pattern of temperature changes and another trends over the course of a year
Equinox
In an orbit, a position and time in which sunlight shines equally on the northern hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere
Solstice
In an orbit, a position and time during which one hemisphere gets its maximum area of sunlight, while the other hemisphere gets its minimum amount
Mare
A large, dark plain of solidified lava on the moon
Eclipse
An event during which one object in space casts a shadow onto another
Umbra
The dark, central region of a shadow
Penumbra
The region of lighter shadow that may surround an umbra
Astronomical unit
Earth’s average distance from the sun