The Cosmic Perspective: A Modern View of the Universe (Chapter 1)

Question 1

The plane of Earth’s orbit around the Sun

Answer 1

Ecliptic Plane

Question 2

The amount by which a planet’s axis is tilted with respect to a line perpendicular to the ecliptic plane

Answer 2

Axis Tilt (Of a planet in our solar system)

Question 3

Another term for Solar System

Answer 3

Star System

Question 4

The portion of the Milky Way Galaxy that is located relatively close (Within a few hundred to a couple of thousand light-years) to our Sun

Answer 4

Local Solar Neighborhood

Question 5

Generally, the region of our solar system beginning at about the orbit of Jupiter

Answer 5

Outer Solar System

Question 6

Spacecraft that go into the orbit of another world for long-term study

Answer 6

Orbiters (of other worlds)

Question 7

The name given to the event is thought to mark the birth of the universe

Answer 7

Big Bang

Question 8

The group of about 40 galaxies to which the Milky Way Galaxy belongs

Answer 8

Local Group

Question 9

The orbital motion of one object around another

Answer 9

Revolution

Question 10

The name is used both for our galaxy and for the band of light we see in the sky when we look into the plane of our galaxy

Answer 10

Milky Way

Question 11

A moderately large object that orbits a star and shines primarily by reflecting light from its star

Answer 11

Planet

Question 12

Term for a cluster of stars

Answer 12

Star Cluster

Question 13

A great island of stars in space, containing millions, billions, or even trillions of stars, all held together by gravity and orbiting a common center

Answer 13

Galaxy

Question 14

The idea that the space between galaxies or clusters of galaxies is growing with time

Answer 14

Expansion (of the universe)

Question 15

An object that orbits the Sun and is massive enough for its gravity to have made it nearly round in shape, but doesn’t qualify as the official planet because it hasn’t cleared its orbital neighborhood

Answer 15

Dwarf Planet

Question 16

Another term for a cluster of galaxies

Answer 16

Galaxy Cluster

Question 17

The distance that light can travel in 1 year, which is 9.46 trillion kilometers

Answer 17

Lightyear (ly)

Question 18

Any object orbiting another object

Answer 18

Satellite

Question 19

The supercluster of galaxies to which the Local Group belongs

Answer 19

Local Supercluster

Question 20

A large, glowing ball of gas that generates energy through nuclear fusion in its core

Answer 20

Star

Question 21

A star (sometimes more than one star) and all objects that orbit it

Answer 21

Solar System

Question 22

The path followed by a celestial body because of gravity; an orbit may be bound (elliptical) or unbound (parabolic or hyperbolic)

Answer 22

Orbit

Question 23

The average distance (semimajor axis) of Earth from the Sun, which is about 150 million kilometers

Answer 23

Astronomical Unit (AU)

Question 24

An alternative name for the universe

Answer 24

Cosmos

Question 25

The portion of the entire universe that, at least in principle, can be seen from Earth

Answer 25

Observable Universe

Question 26

The sum total of all matter and energy

Answer 26

Universe

Question 27

An asteroid, comet, or other object that orbits a star, but is too small to qualify as a planet or dwarf planet

Answer 27

Small Solar System Body

Question 28

A graph that plots rotational (or orbital) velocity against distance from the center for any object or set of objects

Answer 28

Rotation Curve

Question 29

Another name for an elliptical galaxy

Answer 29

Spheroidal Galaxy

Question 29

M31, the Great Galaxy in Andromeda, the nearest large spiral galaxy to the Milky Way

Answer 29

Andromeda Galaxy

Question 30

A relatively small and rocky object that orbits a star

Answer 30

Asteroids