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Chp 17
Solar System
Term | Definition |
---|---|
satellite | Any natural or artificial object that orbits another object. |
rotate | Spin on an axis |
revolve | To travel in a closed path around another object. |
orbit | The path one object takes as it revolves around another object. |
axis | An imaginary line that passes through Earth's center and its North and South Poles |
eclipse | Occurs when Earth or the moon passes into the other's shadow |
planet | A large, round body that revolves around a star |
asteroids | Chuncks of rock that look like giant potatoes in space |
comets | Balls of ice and dust in space |
solstice | Point when daylight hours are at their greatest or fewest |
equinox | Point when daylight and darkness are equal. |
24 hours (one day) | Length of time it takes for the Earth to complete one rotation. |
365 1/4 days (1 year) | Length of time it takes for the Earth to complete one revolution around the sun. |
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars | Inner Planets - Smaller and rocky |
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune | Outer Planets - Gas Giants |
space probe | A robot vehicle used to explore deep space |
orbit | The path one body in space takes as it revolves around another body; like Earth's path around the sun |
The tilt of the Earth's axis and the Earth revolving around the sun. | What causes the pattern of the 4 different seasons? |
The rotation of Earth on its axis – Facing sun = day; Facing away from sun = night. | What causes day and night? |
elliptical | The shape of Earth's orbit around the sun |
The moon rotates and revolves at the same rate. | Why do we only see one side of the moon? |
Meteoroid | A small particle from an asteroid or comet orbiting the Sun. |
Meteor | A meteoroid that is observed as it burns up in the Earth's atmosphere - a shooting star. |
Meteorite | A meteoroid that survives its passage through the Earth's atmosphere and impacts the Earth's surface. |