click below
click below
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Chapter 21 Vocab
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Asteroid | Millions of small, rocky objects called _______ orbit the Sun in the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. |
| Comet | A _______ is made of gas, dust, and ice and moves around the Sun in an oval-shaped orbit. |
| Astronomical Unit | An _______ is the average distance from Earth to the Sun--about 150 million kilometers. |
| Period of Revolution | The time it takes an object to travel once around the Sun is its _______. |
| Period of Rotation | The time it takes an object to complete one rotation is its _______. |
| Terrestrial Planet | _______ are the planets closest to the Sun, are made of rock and metal, and have solid outer layers. |
| Greenhouse Effect | The _______ occurs when a planet's atmosphere traps solar energy and causes the surface temperature to increase. |
| Galilean Moons | The four largest moons of Jupiter--Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto--are known as the _______. |
| Meteoroid | A _______ is a small, rocky particle that moves through space. |
| Meteor | A _______ is a streak of light in Earth's atmosphere made by a glowing meteoroid. |
| Meteorite | A _______ is a meteoroid that strikes a planet or a moon. |
| Impact Crater | An _______ is a round depression formed on the surface of a planet, moon, or other space object by the impact of a meteorite. |