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Stars and Planets
Earth Science Unit
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| constellation | a group of stars that forms a pattern shaped like an animal, a person, or an object |
| sun | center of our Milky Way universe; a large star |
| stars | burning balls of gas that give off their own heat and light |
| telescope | instrument used to view stars and planets in our solar system; to look at things far away |
| astronomer | a person who studies the planets, their moons, and the stars |
| light year | the distance light travels in one year |
| atmosphere | a thick layer of air surrounding Earth |
| black hole | a star that has died and its gravity is so strong that it has pulled everything into it, including light |
| orbit | to move in a path around an object |
| planet | a large body in space that moves around a star |
| space probe | a space craft (often unmanned) that helps scientists explore outer space |
| magnify | to make larger |
| inner planets | 4 planets closest to the sun |
| gas giant | a very large planet made up of mostly gas (outer planets) |
| moon | a small, round object that orbits around a planet |
| Mars | the red planet |
| Neptune | farthest planet from the sun; methane gas makes it blue |
| Uranus | seventh planet from the sun; spins on its side |
| Pluto | poor thing; no longer a planet just a dwarf planet |
| Jupiter | largest planet in our solar system |
| Saturn | large gas giant with rings |
| Venus | Earth's sister planet because of their sizes; thick atmosphere |
| Earth | third planet from the sun; made of mostly water; us |