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Solar System
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| comets | a celestial object consisting of a nucleus of ice and dust and, when near the sun, a “tail” of gas and dust particles pointing away from the sun. |
| meteoroids | a small body moving in the solar system that would become a meteor if it entered the earth's atmosphere. |
| meteors | a small body of matter from outer space that enters the earth's atmosphere, becoming incandescent as a result of friction and appearing as a streak of light. |
| meteorites | a meteor that survives its passage through the earth's atmosphere such that part of it strikes the ground |
| asteroids | a small rocky body orbiting the sun |
| planet | a celestial body moving in an elliptical orbit around a star. |
| satellite | a celestial body orbiting the earth or another planet |
| protoplanets | a large body of matter in orbit around the sun or a star and thought to be developing into a planet |