click below
click below
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Astronomy Big 20
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Big Bang | The initial explosion that resulted in the formation and expansion of the universe |
| Meteor | A streak of light in the sky produced by the burning of a meteoroid in Earth's atmosphere |
| Ellipse | An elongated circle, or oval shape, the shape of the planet's orbits |
| Heliocentric | A description of the solar system in which all of the planets revolve around the sun |
| Lunar Eclipse | The blocking of sunlight to the moon that occurs when Earth is directly between the sun and moon |
| Asteroid Belt | The region of hte solar system between the orbits of Mars and Juptier where many asteroids are found |
| Waxing | The moon is growing |
| Comet | A ball of ice and dust whose orbit is a long, narrow ellipse |
| Autumnal Equinox | The day of the year that marks the beginning of fall in the Northern Hemisphere |
| Rotation | The spinning motion of a planet about its axis |
| Meteorite | A meteoroid that has hit Earth's surface |
| Solstice | The two days of the year on which the noon sun is directly overhead at either 23.5 S or 23.5 N |
| Meteoroid | A chunk of rock or dust in space |
| Waning | The moon is shrinking |
| Geocentric | A description of the solar system in which all of the planets revolve around Earth |
| Vernal Equinox | The day of the year that marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere |
| Inertia | The tendency of a moving object to continue in a straight line or a stationary object to remain in place |
| Revolution | The movement of an object around another object |
| Solar Eclipse | The blocking of sunlight to Earth that occurs when the moon is between the sun and Earth |
| Asteroids | Objects revolving around the sun that are too small and too numerous to be considered planets. |