Space Vocab Flashcards
Orbit
The curved path of an object around a star
Solar system
The collection of eight planets and their moons orbit around the sun
Galaxy
A system of billions of stars together with gas and dust
Universe
All existing matter and space considered as a whole
Satellite
An artificial body placed in orbit around the earth or moon or another planet in order to collect information
Impact crater
A crater on a planet or moon caused by the impact of a meteorite or other object
Rotation
The action of rotating around an axis or center
Revolution
A forcible overthrow of a government or social order
Season
Each four divisions of the year
Equinox
The time twice a year the sun crosses the celestial equator
Solstice
When the sun reaches its highest or lowest point
Mare
A large dark basaltic plain on earths moon
Eclipse
The sun blocking something
Umbra
When the light source is completely blocked by occluding body
Penumbra
The partially shaded outer region of the shadow cast
Astronomical unit
The mean distance from the center of the earth to the center of the sun
Ellipse
A regular oval shape, traced by a point moving in a plane so that the sum of its distances from two other points is constant
Terrestrial planet
A rocky planet that is composed primarily of silicate rocks or metals
Gas giant
A large planet relatively low density mostly hydrogen and helium
Asteroid
A large, irregularly shaped object in space that orbits our sun
Comet
A celestial object consisting of a nucleus of ice and dust
Meteor
A small body of matter from outer space that enters earths atmosphere
Meteorite
A meteor that survives its passage through earths atmosphere such that it strikes the ground
Geocentric
Having the earth as a center
