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Astronomy
Vocab words
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Astronomy | the branch of science that deals with celestial objects, space, and the physical universe as a whole. |
| Geocentric | having or representing the earth as the center, as in former astronomical systems. |
| Heliocentric | having or representing the sun as the center, as in the accepted astronomical model of the solar system. |
| Ellipse | a regular oval shape, traced by a point moving in a plane so that the sum of its distances from two other points (the foci) is constant, or resulting when a cone is cut by an oblique plane that does not intersect the base. |
| Astronomical unit | a unit of length used for distances within the solar system; equal to the mean distance between the Earth and the Sun |
| Rotation | the act of rotating as if on an axis |
| Revolution | a single complete turn |
| Perihelion | periapsis in solar orbit; the point in the orbit of a planet or comet where it is nearest to the sun |
| Aphelion | apoapsis in solar orbit; the point in the orbit of a planet or comet that is at the greatest distance from the sun |
| Phases of the moon | a time when the Moon presents a particular recurring appearance |
| Solar eclipse | the moon interrupts light from the sun |
| Lunar eclispe | the earth interrupts light shining on the moon |
| Terrestrial planet | a planet having a compact rocky surface like the Earth's; the four innermost planets in the solar system |
| Javian planet | any of the four outermost planets in the solar system; much larger than Earth and gaseous in nature (like Jupiter) |
| Asteriod | any of numerous small celestial bodies composed of rock and metal that move around the sun (mainly between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter) |
| Comet | a relatively small extraterrestrial body consisting of a frozen mass that travels around the sun in a highly elliptical orbit |
| Meteoroid | any of the small solid extraterrestrial bodies that hits the earth's atmosphere |
| Meteor | any of the small solid extraterrestrial bodies that hits the earth's atmosphere |
| Meteorite | stony or metallic object that is the remains of a meteoroid that has reached the earth's surface |
| Electromagnetic spectrum | the entire frequency range of electromagnetic waves |
| Photon | a quantum of electromagnetic radiation; an elementary particle that is its own antiparticle |
| Doppler effect | change in the apparent frequency of a wave as observer and source move toward or away from each other |
| Refracting telescope | optical telescope that has a large convex lens that produces an image that is viewed through the eyepiece |
| Radio telescope | astronomical telescope that picks up electromagnetic radiations in the radio-frequency range from extraterrestrial sources |
| Hubble telescope | a type of refracting telescope that is no longer used in astronomy |
| space shuttle | a reusable spacecraft with wings for a controlled descent through the Earth's atmosphere |
Created by:
Pierce25
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