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CPO ESS Chapter 17
Earth Space Science Chapter 17 Terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Asteroid | an object that orbits the Sun but is too small to be considered a planet. |
| Astronomical Unit | equal to 150 million km |
| Axis | the imaginary line that passes through the center of a planet from pole to pole. |
| Comet | an object in space made mostly of ice and dust. |
| Gas planets | made mostly of hydrogen and helium; include Jupiter |
| Gravitational force | the force of attraction between all objects. |
| Law of universal gravitation | states that the strength of the gravitational force depends on the mass of the objects and the distance between them. |
| Meteor | a chunk of burning rock traveling through Earth's atmosphere. |
| Meteorite | a chunk of burning rock that passes through Earth's atmosphere and strikes the surface. |
| Orbit | regular repeating path that an object in space follows around another object. |
| Planet | a massive object orbiting a star like the Sun. |
| Satellite | an object in orbit around another object. |
| Solar system | the Sun and all objects that are bound by gravitational force to the Sun. |
| Terrestrial planets | made mostly from rock and metal. |