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unit 3
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| solar system | The solar system is the sun and all of the bodies that orbit the sun. Our current model of the solar system is the sun-centered or heliocentric model. |
| heliocentric | In the heliocentric model, Earth and the other planets orbit the sun. |
| geocentric | These models, which used Earth as the center, are called Earth-centered or geocentric models. |
| parallax | This apparent shift in the position of an object when viewed from different locations are known as parallax. |
| gravity | Gravity is a force of attraction between objects that is due to their masses and the distances between them. |
| orbit | An orbit is the path that a body follows as it travels around another body in space. |
| aphelion | When an object follows an elliptical orbit around the sun, there is one point, called aphelion, were the object is farthest from the sun. |
| perihelion | There is also a point, called perihelion, where the object is closest to the sun. |
| centripetal force | The inward force that causes an object to move in a circular path is called centripetal force. |
| solar nebula | This cloud, from which the solar system formed, is called the solar nebula. |
| planetesimal | These larger bodies, from which planets formed, are called planetesimals. |
| nuclear fusion | Nuclear fusion is the process by which two or more low-mass atomic nuclei fuse to form another, heavier nucleus. |
| sunspot | Dark areas that form on the surface of the sun are called sunspots. |
| solar flare | A solar flare is an explosive release of energy that can extend outward as far as the sun’s outer atmosphere. |
| prominence | Huge loops of relatively cool gas that extend outward from the photosphere thousands of kilometers into the outer atmosphere are called prominences. |
| terrestrial planet | The terrestrial planets are the four small, dense, rocky planets that orbit closest to the sun. |
| astronomical unit | One astronomical unit equals the average distance between the sun and Earth, or approximately 150 million km. |
| Gas Giants | Gas giants have deep, massive gas atmospheres, which are made up mostly of hydrogen and helium. |
| Planetary Ring | A planetary ring is a disk of material that circles a planet and consists of orbiting particles. |
| dwarf planet | Like planets, a dwarf planet is a celestial body that orbits the sun and is round because of its own gravity. |
| Kuiper Belt | The Kuiper Belt is a region of the solar system that begins just beyond the orbit of Neptune and contains small bodies made mostly of ice. |
| Kuiper Belt object | A Kuiper Belt object (KBO) is any of the minor bodies in the Kuiper Belt outside the orbit of Neptune. |
| comet | A comet is a small body of ice, rock, and dust that follows a highly elliptical orbit around the sun. |
| Oort cloud | The Oort cloud is a spherical region that surrounds the solar system and extends almost halfway to the nearest star. |
| asteroid | An asteroid is a small, irregularly shaped, rocky object that orbits the sun. |
| meteoroid | A sand grain- to boulder-sized, rocky body that travels through space is a meteoroid. |
| meteor | A bright streak of light that results when a meteoroid burns up in Earth’s atmosphere is called a meteor. |
| meteorite | A meteorite is a meteoroid that reaches Earth’s surface without burning up. |
Created by:
jorge kahwati