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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. |