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Astronomy Part One
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Astronomy | The branch of science that deals with celestial objects, space, and the physical universe as a whole. |
| Geocentric | measured from or considered in relation to the center of the earth. |
| Heliocentric | Measured from or considered in relation to the center of the sun. |
| Retrograde Motion | The apparent motion of a planet to move in a direction opposite to that of other bodies within its system, as observed from a particular vantage point. Direct motion or prograde motion is motion in the same direction as other bodies. |
| Ellipse | Oval shape |
| Astronomical Unit (AU) | A unit of length, roughly the distance from the Earth to the Sun. |
| Rotation | The action of rotating around an axis or center |
| Revolution | An instance of revolving. |
| Precession | The slow movement of the axis of a spinning body around another axis due to a torque acting to change the direction of the first axis. |
| Preigree | Ancestry |
| Apogee | the point in the orbit of the moon or a satellite at which it is furthest from the earth. |
| Phases of the Moon | The shape of the illuminated portion of the Moon as seen by an observer on Earth |
| Solar Eclipse | An eclipse in which the sun is obscured by the moon. |
| Lunar Eclipse | An eclipse in which the moon is abscured by the sun. |
| Crater | Form a crater in (the ground or a planet). |
| Terrestrial Planet | Planet that is composed primarily of silicate rocks or metals. |
| Jovian Planet | Planet that is composed primarily of Gasses. |
| Nebula | A cloud of gas and dust in outer space, visible in the night sky either as an indistinct bright patch or as a dark silhouette against other luminous matter. |
| Planetesimal | A minute planet; a body that could or did come together with many others under gravitation to form a planet. |
| Asteroid | A small rocky body orbiting the sun |
| Coma | A state of deep unconsciousness that lasts for a prolonged or indefinite period, caused especially by severe injury or illness. |
| Comet | A celestial object consisting of a nucleus of ice and dust |
| Meteoroid | A small body moving in the solar system that would become a meteor if it entered the earth's atmosphere |
| Meteor | A small body of matter from outer space that enters the earth's atmosphere, becoming incandescent as a result of friction and appearing as a streak of light. |
| Meteorite | A meteor that survives its passage through the earth's atmosphere such that part of it strikes the ground |
| Electromagnetic Spectrum | The range of wavelengths or frequencies over which electromagnetic radiation extends. |
| Photon | A particle representing a quantum of light or other electromagnetic radiation. A photon carries energy proportional to the radiation frequency but has zero rest mass. |
| Spectroscopy | The branch of science concerned with the investigation and measurement of spectra produced when matter interacts with or emits electromagnetic radiation. |
| Doppler Effect | An increase or decrease in the frequency of sound, light, or other waves as the source and observer move toward each other |
| Refracting Telescope | A telescope that uses a converging lens to collect light. |
| Reflecting Telescope | A telescope in which a mirror is used to collect and focus light |
| Radio Telescope | An instrument used to detect radio emissions from the sky, whether from natural celestial objects or from artificial satellites. |
| Hubble Telescope | A space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990 |
| Space Shuttle | A rocket-launched spacecraft, able to land like an unpowered aircraft, used to make repeated journeys between the earth and earth orbit. |
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