Space Vocaburlary Flashcards
The path of an object in space as it moves around another object due to gravity.
Orbit
The Sun and its family of orbiting planets and moons and other objects.
Solar system
Millions or billions of stars held together in a group by their own gravity
Galaxy
Space and all the matter and energy in it.
Universe
An object that orbits a more massive object.
Satellite
A round pit left behind on the surface of a planet of other body in space after a smaller object strikes the surface
Impact crater
A imaginary line about which a turning body such as the Earth rotates.
Axis of Rotation
The motion of one body around another, such as Earth in its orbit around the Sun
Revolution
One part of a pattern of Temperatures changes and other weather trends over the course of a year.
Season
In an orbit, a position and time in which sunlight shines equally on the Northern and Southern Hemisphere, a time of the year when daylight and darkness are nearly equally for most parts of the Earth.
Equinox
In the orbit, a position in time during which one hemisphere receives it maximum area of sunlight while the other hemisphere receives it minimum amount the time of the year when the days are either longest or shorter.
Solstice
A large dark plain of solidified lava on the moon
Mare
An event during which one object in space casts a shadow onto another.
Eclipse
The dark central region of a shadow, such as the cone of complete shadow cast by an object.
Umbra
A region of lighter shadow that may surround a dark central region. The spreading cone of lighter shadow come of lighter shadow cast by an object.
Penumbra
Average distance from the Sun who needs is approximately 93,000,000 miles or 150 million kilometers
Astronomical unit (AU)
An oval or flattened circle
Ellipses
A planet that has a rocky surface
Terrestrial Plant
A large planet that consists mostly of gases in a dense form
Gas Giant
A small solid rock body that orbits the Sun
Asteroid
A body that produce a coma of gas and dust, a small icy body that orbits the Sun.
Comet
A brief streak of light produced by a particle entering Earths atmosphere at high speed.
Meteor
A small object from outer space that passes through Earths atmosphere and reaches the surface.
Meteorite
Earth centered theory of the solar system.
Geocentric
A Sun centered theory of the solar system.
Heliocentric
The force that objects exert on one another because of their mass.
Gravity
The rise and fall of the ocean levels caused by the gravitational pull of the moon.
Tide
The gradual increase of the illuminated surface of the moon.
Waxing
The gradual decrease in the illuminated surface of the moon.
Waning
More than half but less than fully illuminated.
Gibbous moon
The illuminated surface is less than a quarter illuminated
Crescent moon
The entire surface of the moon is illuminated
Full moon
The entire surface of the moon is not illuminated
New moon
Half of the moons surface is illuminated
Quarter moon
