Space Flashcards
Orbit
An orbit is the curved path in space that is followed by an object going around and around a planet, moon, or star. Mars and Earth have orbits which change with time. transitive verb. If something such as a satellite orbits a planet, moon, or sun, it moves around it in a continuous, curving path.
Solar
Definition of solar. 1 : of, derived from, relating to, or caused by the sun. 2 : measured by the earth’s course in relation to the sun a solar year also : relating to or reckoned by solar time. 3a : produced or operated by the action of the sun’s light or heat solar energy.
Galaxy
A galaxy is a huge collection of gas, dust, and billions of stars and their solar systems. A galaxy is held together by gravity. Our galaxy, the Milky Way, also has a supermassive black hole in the middle. … Some scientists think there could be as many as one hundred billion galaxies in the universe.
Universe
all of space and everything in it including stars, planets, galaxies, etc. : an area of space or a world that is similar to but separate from the one that we live in. : the people, places, experiences, etc., that are associated with a particular person, place
Satellite
a celestial body orbiting around a planet or star the earth is a satellite of the sun. Also called: artificial satellite a man-made device orbiting around the earth, moon, or another planet transmitting to earth scientific information or used for communication See also communications satellite.
Impact crater
An impact crater is an approximately circular depression in the surface of a planet, moon, or other solid body in the Solar System or elsewhere, formed by the hypervelocity impact of a smaller body.
Rotation
the action or process of rotating on or as if on an axis or center specifically : the turning of a body part about its long axis as if on a pivot rotation of the head to look over the shoulder.
Revolution
the action by a celestial body of going round in an orbit or elliptical course also : apparent movement of such a body round the earth.
Season
a period associated with some phase or activity of agriculture
Equinox
either of the two points on the celestial sphere where the celestial equator intersects the ecliptic.
Solstice
either of the two points on the ecliptic at which its distance from the celestial equator is greatest and which is reached by the sun each year about June 21 and December 21.
Mare
a female horse or other equine animal especially when fully mature or of breeding age.
Eclipse
the obscuration of the light of the moon by the intervention of the earth between it and the sun (lunar eclipse) or the obscuration of the light of the sun by the intervention of the moon between it and a point on the earth (solar eclipse) .
Umbra
Like any other opaque objects illuminated by a light source, the Moon and the Earth cast shadows into space as they block the sunlight that hits them. Each shadow has 3 different areas: the umbra, the penumbra
Penumbra
a space of partial illumination (as in an eclipse) between the perfect shadow on all sides and the full light.
Astronomic units
Definition of astronomical unit. For general reference, we can say that one astronomical unit (AU) represents the mean distance between the Earth and our sun. An AU is approximately 93 million miles (150 million km). It’s approximately 8 light-minutes.
Ellipse
Ellipsis definition is - the omission of one or more words that are obviously understood but that must be supplied to make a construction grammatically complete. How to use ellipsis in a sentence.
Terrestrial planet
Terrestrial refers to things related to land or the planet Earth. Terrestrial may also refer to: Terrestrial animal, an animal that lives on land opposed to living in water, or sometimes an animal that lives on or near the ground, as opposed to arboreal life
Gas giant
A large, massive, low-density planet composed primarily of hydrogen, helium, methane, and ammonia in either gaseous or liquid state. Gas giants have swirling atmospheres primarily of hydrogen and helium, with no well-defined planetary surface; they are assumed to have rocky cores.
Asteroid
An asteroid is a large, irregularly shaped object in space that orbits our Sun. If one of these giant rocks ends up on a collision course with Earth, we are in for big trouble. An asteroid is like a comet. However, while comets are mostly made of ice, asteroids are made up of rock or even metal.
Comet
a celestial body that appears as a fuzzy head usually surrounding a bright nucleus, that has a usually highly eccentric orbit, that consists primarily of ice and dust, and that often develops one or more long tails when near the sun.
Meteor
a small body of matter from outer space that enters the earth’s atmosphere, becoming incandescent as a result of friction and appearing as a streak of light.
Meteorite
a meteor that survives its passage through the earth’s atmosphere such that part of it strikes the ground. More than 90 percent of meteorites are of rock, while the remainder consist wholly or partly of iron and nickel.
Geocentric
The definition of geocentric is something that considers Earth as the center. (adjective) An example of geocentric is the idea that the sun rotates around the earth
Heliocentric
Heliocentrism is the astronomical model in which the Earth and planets revolve around the Sun at the center of the Solar System. Historically, heliocentrism was opposed to geocentrism, which placed the Earth at the center.
Gravity
the force that attracts a body toward the center of the earth, or toward any other physical body having mass.
Tide
the alternate rising and falling of the sea, usually twice in each lunar day at a particular place, due to the attraction of the moon and sun.
Waxing
noun. the moon at any time after new moon and before full moon, so called because its illuminated area is increasing. Compare waning moon.
Wannig
to decrease in strength, intensity, etc.: Daylight waned, and night came on. Her enthusiasm for the cause is waning. to decline in power, importance, prosperity, etc.: Colonialism began to wane after World War II.
Gibbous moon
Gibbous refers to the shape, which is less than the full circle of a Full Moon, but larger than the semicircle shape of the Moon at Third Quarter. With some exceptions, the Waxing Gibbous Moon rises during the day, after noon.
Crescent
the figure of the moon at such a stage defined by a convex.
Full moon
the moon with its whole apparent disk illuminated.
New moon
the phase of the moon when it is in conjunction with the sun and invisible from earth, or shortly thereafter when it appears as a slender crescent.
Quarter moon
And half the moon is always lit by the sun. … Astronomers recognize four primary moon phases
Perihelion
the point in the orbit of a planet, asteroid, or comet at which it is closest to the sun.
Aphelion
the point farthest from the sun in the path of an orbiting celestial body (such as a planet) — compare perihelion.
