Space Flashcards
Orbit
When some thing goes around another thing
Ex: Earth ORBITS the sun
Solar System
What we live in; a group of planets that orbit or go around a star
Galaxy
Dead stardust that comes together and is put under so much pressure that it forms a galaxy
Universe
Existing matter considered as a whole
Satellite
A metal object that sends signals
Impact Crater
When a small meteor hits the moon it makes an impact crater
Axis of Rotation
It rotates upon itself as it rotates something else
Revolution
an instance of revolving
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
Lunar Maria are large, dark, basaltic plains on Earth’s Moon, formed by ancient volcanic eruptions. They were dubbed maria, Latin for “seas”, by early astronomers who mistook them for actual seas.
Eclipse
When the moon completely or some covers the sun
Umbra
Complete inner shadow of the moon in a solar eclipse
Penumbra
The outside of a shadow in a eclipse
Astronomical Unit (AU)
Unit of length usually earth to sun
Ellipse
A regular oval point traced by a point moving in a plane so that the sum of its distances from two other points (the foci) is constant, or resulting when a cone is cut by an oblique plane that does not intersect the base
Terrestrial Planet
terrestrial planets are the inner planets closest to the Sun, i.e. Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars
Composed of rocks and maetals
Gas Giant
Planets that are made of gas and are huge
Asteroid
A space rock that falls from the sky
Comet
A rock in space that as star dust, smaller rocks and gases that trail behind it
Meteor
A space rock
Meteorite
A space rock that falls in to our atmosphere
Geocentric
Rock studies
Heliocentric
Measured from the center of the sun
Gravity
The thing that keeps us on the earth
Tide
The event of the ocean cleaning itself with the gravity pull of the moon
1) Waxing
2) Waning
3) Crescent
4) Quarter
5) Gibbous
6) Full
7) New
MOONS
1) less than half but more than full
2) more than half but less than full
3) less than a quarter
4) quarter
5) same as 2
6) full illumination
7) no illumination
