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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 streak of light produced when a small piece of rock or ice, known as a meteoroid, burns up as it enters Earths atmosphere. |
| Comet | A cold mixture of dust and ice that develops a long trail of light as it approaches the sun. |
| Constellation | A pattern or group of stars that people imagine represents a figure, animal, or an object. |
| Geocentric | An earth-centered model. |
| Heliocentric | A sun-centered model. |
| Ellipse | Oval shape of the plants’ orbits. |
| Axis | An imaginary line that passes from the North Pole to the South Pole. |
| Rotation | The spinning of earth on its axis. |
| Revolution | The movement of one object around another. |
| Orbit | Path planets follow when they revolve 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 | The force that attracts all objects toward each other. |
| Law of universal gravitation | Every object attracts every other and force depends on mass and distance. |
| Inertia | Force that keeps planet 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 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. |
| Sun | Largest object in our solar system. |