Space Vocabulary Flashcards
Orbit
The circular or elliptical path of an object as it revolves around another object
Solar system
A system of objects that revolve around a star
Galaxy
A group of solar systems,dust,and gas held together by gravity ; our solar system is part of the Milky Way galaxy
Universe
Everything the exists in,on ,and around the earth
Satellite
A natural or artificial object that revolves around another object in space
Impact crater
A crater on a planet or moon caused by the impact of a meteorite or other object , typically round with raised trim
Rotation
The spinning of a celestial body,such as a planet, around axis
Revolution
The orbiting of an object around another object
Season
A period of the year determined by the position of the earth as it revolves around the sun
Equinox
The twice a year occurrence during which earths axis is perpendicular (90 degree angle) to a line joining the sun in the earths center
Solstice
A twice a year occurrence during which the sun appears at the highest point in the sky as seen from the north and South Pole
Mare
A large,dark,basaltic plains on Earth’s Moon formed formed by ancient volcanic eruptions
Eclipse
An event whereby one astronomical body passes between two other astronomical bodies
Umbra
The fully shaded in a region of a shadow cast by an opaque object, especially the area on the earth or miss experiencing check your total pass on an eclipse
Penumbra
A partial shadow between regions of foreshadow in for illumination especially as cast by the earth,the moon, or another body during an eclipse
Astronomical unit
The mean distance from the center of the earth into the center of the sun to measure distances in the solar system
Ellipse
A closed plane curve that results from the intersection of a plane cutting through a cone
Terrestrial planet
Telluric planet, or rocky planet is composed primarily of silicate or metals
Gas giant
A large, massive, low density planet composed primarily of hydrogen,helium,and ammonia in either gaseous or liquid state
Asteroid
A small objects into made of rock or metal that orbits the sun
Comet
A body of ice and dust that travels in a long narrow orbit around the sun
Meteor
A streak of light is in the sky that forms when a piece of rick from space burns up in Earth’s atmosphere
Meteorite
A piece of rock or metal from space that strikes earths surface
Geocentric
Having the earth as the center