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ch 20 science
Question | Answer |
---|---|
A description of the solar system in which all of the planets revolve around Earth. | geocentric |
A description of the solar system in which all of the planets revolve around the sun | heliocentric |
An elongated circle, or oval shape; the shape of the planets' orbits. | ellipse |
The tendency of a moving object to continue in a straight line or a stationary object to remain in place. | inertia |
The name given to the four inner planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars | terrestrial planets |
The spinning motion of a planet from east to west, opposite to the direction of rotation of most planets and moons. | retrograde rotation |
The process by which heat is trapped in the atmosphere by water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and other gases that form a “blanket” around Earth. | greenhouse effect |
The name given to the first four outer planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. | gas giant |
A ball of ice and dust whose orbit is a long, narrow ellipse. | comet |
Objects revolving around the sun that are too small and too numerous to be considered planets. | asteroid |
The region of the solar system between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, where many asteroids are found. | asteroid belt |
A chunk of rock or dust in space | meteoroid |
A streak of light in the sky produced by the burning of a meteoroid in Earth's atmosphere. | meteor |
A meteoroid that has hit Earth's surface | meteorite |
A galaxy shaped like a flattened ball, containing only old stars. | elliptical galaxy |
A galaxy that does not have a regular shape. | irregular galaxy |
A galaxy whose arms curve outward in a pinwheel pattern. | spiral galaxy |
The initial explosion that resulted in the formation and expansion of the universe | Big Bang |