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Sun- Earth- Moon
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Satellite | A body that orbits a planet |
| Star | A giant ball of superheated gas, or plasma, composed of hydrogen and helium |
| Meteor | A small piece of rock or ice that burns up as it enters Earth’s atmosphere |
| Comet | A cold mixture of dust and ice that develops a long trail of light |
| Sun | Largest object in our solar system |
| Geocentric | Earth’s-centered model |
| Heliocentric | Sun-centered model |
| Astronomy | The study of space |
| Planet | Spherical, orbits the sun, with a larger mass then nearby objects |
| Ellipse | Oval shape of the planets’ orbits |
| Axis | An imaginary line that passes from the North Pole to the South Pole. |
| Revolution | The movement of one object around another |
| Orbit | Planets path around the sun |
| Solstice | Earth is most tilted toward or away from the sun which causes the longest or shortest daylight of the year |
| Equinox | Earth is not tilted toward the sun which causes equal day and night |
| Gravity | This force that attracts all objects towards each other |
| Law of universal gravitation | Every object attracts every other and its force depends on mass and distance |
| Inertia | Force that keeps resisting a change in motion |
| Rotation | The spinning of Earth on its axis |
| Phase | Different shape of the moon you see |
| Solar eclipse | When the moon passes directly between the Earth and sun during a new moon |
| Lunar eclipse | Occurs during a full moon when Earth is directly between the moon and sun |
| Umbra | Darkest part of a shadow where light is completely blocked |
| Penumbra | Area of a shadow where light is partially blocked |
| Tide | Daily rise and fall of ocean water |
| Spring tide | Higher high tides during full and new moons |
| Neap tide | Lower high tides during the first and third quarter moons |
| Maria | Dark, smooth, lava covered areas on the moon |
| Highlands | Higher lighter areas on the moon covered with craters |
| Weight | Force of gravity on an object |