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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 |
| Planet | Spherical ,orbits the Sun ,with a larger mass than nearby objects |
| Meteor | A steak of light produced when a small piece of rock or ice burns |
| Comet | A cold mixture of dust and ice that develops a long trail of light |
| Constellation | A pattern or group of stars that people imagine represents a figure, animal, or object |
| Geocentric | Earth-centered model |
| Heliocentric | Sun-centered model |
| Ellipse | an oval shape of the planets’ orbits |
| Sun | Largest object in our solar system |
| Axis | An imaginary line that passes from the North Pole to the South Pole. |
| Rotation | The spinning of Earth |
| Revolution | The moment of one object around another |
| Orbit | Earth’s path around the sun |
| Solstice | Two days per year when the sun appears highest in the sky |
| Equinox | Night and day are both 12 hours long |
| Gravity | This force attracts all objects toward each other |
| Law of universal gravitation | Pull of gravity depends on mass and distance |
| Inertia | The tendency of an object to resist a change in motion. |
| 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 the earth is directly between the moon and the sun. |
| Umbra | Darkest part of a shadow where light is completely blocked |
| Penumbra | Area of shadow where light is partially blocked |
| Tide | The 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 moon. |
| Maria | Dark smooth lava covered areas on the moon. |
| Weight | Force of gravity on an object. |