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5th Grade Space
Earth and Space Science Vocabulary - CA #12
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Solar System | Made up of a star and the planets and other space objects that revolve around it. |
Elliptical | Oval shaped. "The orbits of the planets in our solar system are not perfect circles, they are elliptical." |
Planet | A large round body that revolves around a single star in it's own orbit. *All of these space objects in our galaxy orbit the sun. |
Comet | A chunk of frozen gases, rock, ice and dust orbiting the sun. *This space object's TAIL points away from the sun. |
Asteroid | A chunk of rock or iron less than 1,000 k (621 mi) in diameter that orbits the sun. *This space object does NOT have a tail. |
Dwarf Planet | A nearly round body, slightly smaller than a planet, whose orbit crosses another body. *This space object does NOT have it's own orbit. (Example: Pluto) |
Galaxy | Made up of dust, gases and many stars. Held together by gravity. |
Sun | A star. |
Milky Way | The galaxy earth in which earth is found. |
Diameter | A type of measurement for spheres, This form of measurement distinguishes how large or small a circle or round object is. |
Moons | Orbit other planets. *NOT considered planets because they do not orbit, or revolve, around stars (or the sun). |
Jovian Planets | Another name for "outer planets" or "gas giants" |
Mercury | Smallest planet in our solar system. *inner planet |
Jupiter | Largest planet in our solar system. *outer planet |
Revolution | When an object circles an external axis (like the Earth circles, or orbits, the sun) |
Rotation | When an object turns around an internal axis (like the Earth turns around its axis) |
Axis | An imaginary line about which a body, or planet, rotates. *Earth completes a rotation it's ___ every 24 hours. |