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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, burns up as it enters Earth’s atmosphere |
| Comet | A cold mixture of dust and ice that develops a long trail of light |
| Geocentric | Earth-centered model |
| Heliocentric | Sun-centered model |
| Astronomy | The study of space |
| Ellipse | Orbit of each planet |
| Axis | Imaginary line that passes from the North Pole to the South Pole |
| Rotation | Spinning of earth on its axis |
| Revolution | The movement of one object around another |
| Orbit | Earths path around the sun |
| Solstice | Earth is most tilted toward the sun or away from the sun |
| Equinox | Earth is not tilted toward the sun which causes equal day and night |
| Gravity | Force that attracts all objects toward each other |
| Law of universal gravitation | Every object in the universe attracts every other object |
| Phase | Different shape of the moon you see |
| Solar eclipses | 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 tides | 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 |
| Constellations | A pattern or group of stars that people imagine represents a figure, animal, or object |