Space & Satellites Flashcards
Which direction is down?
Gravity pulls things ‘down’ towards the center of the planet
How does gravity affect objects?
It pulls them down, towards the ground. A big object attracts a smaller object.
How do you work the weight of an object from its mass
If you know the mass of an object and the strength of gravity you can work out the weight of an object.
Weight(N) = mass(kg) x strength of gravity (N/kg)
Differences between weight and mass (weight)
Weight- the effect of gravity on an object
- measured in newtons (N)
- varies on different planets
Differences between weight and mass (mass)
Mass- the amount of matter in an object
- measured in kilograms
- always the same
Why is gravity different on other planets?
Because gravity depends on the size of the planet and not all of the planets are the same size.
Definition of day
The time it takes for a planet to rotate on its axis
Definition of moon
A natural satellite
Definition of asteroid
A small lump of rock orbiting around the sun.
Constellation
A pattern of stars
Milky Way
The galaxy where our solar system is in
Galaxy
Millions of stars grouped together
Orbit
The path a planet takes around the Sun, or the path that a moon or satellite takes around a planet.
Light year
A light year is the distance light travels in a year.
What is the relationship between gravity/ mass/ distance
The larger the mass the larger the gravity, and the closer the distance the larger the gravity.
What is a satellite?
An object that revolves (orbits) around a planet
Differences between geostationary and polar orbit satellites
Polar: multiple orbits a day and goes from north to south
Geostationary: appears to stay in one place above Earth. Follows Earth’s rotations. It goes horizontally.
Uses of polar orbit satellites
- monitoring weather
- spying
Uses of geostationary orbit satellites
- Communication
- TV
- phones
Different ways in which scientists can find out about the solar system
Telescopes, infrared cameras, red shift light
Advantages of telescopes
You can see from very far away
Advantages of infrared cameras
It stays recorded
Advantages of red shift light
You know if a star is getting closer or getting away.
Early ideas about the Solar System
Ptolemy thought that the center of the solar system was the Earth and the Copernicus said no, the center of the solar system was the Sun
