Help
Options
Didn't know it?
click below
click below
Knew it?
click below
click below
Don't Know
Remaining cards (0)
Know
retry
shuffle
restart
0:00
Embed Code - If you would like this activity on your web page, copy the script below and paste it into your web page.
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Normal Size Small Size show me how
unit 3
study
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| solar system | A solar system is a group of planets and other bodies that revolve around a star. The Earth is in a solar system with seven other planets and some other orbiting objects — including Pluto (who was kicked out of the planet club in 2006). |
| heliocentric | Heliocentric means that the sun is at the center. |
| geocentric | Anything geocentric is focused on the earth. In an old-fashioned, geocentric model of the universe, the sun revolves around the earth. |
| parallax | Parallax is the apparent shift of an object's position relative to more distant background objects caused by a change in the observer's position. |
| gravity | pulls all objects "downward" toward the center of the planet. |
| orbit | An orbit is a regular, repeating path that one object in space takes around another one. |
| aphelion | The aphelion is the point in the orbit of an object where it is farthest from the Sun. The point in the orbit where an object is nearest to the sun is called the perihelion. |
| perihelion | The position of closest approach, the shortest distance between the Sun and the planet |
| centripetal force | Centripetal force is the force on an object on a circular path that keeps the object moving on the path. |
| solar nebula | The solar nebula refers to the cloud of gas and dust from which the Sun and the solar system formed |
| planetesimal | Planetesimals are rock-like formations. These are formed through the accretion of ice and dust particles. |
| nuclear fusion | Nuclear fusion is the process by which two light atomic nuclei combine to form a single heavier one while releasing massive amounts of energy |
| sunspot | Sunspots are cooler parts of the Sun's surface caused by massive changes in the Sun's magnetic field. |
| solar flare | Solar flares are large eruptions of electromagnetic radiation from the Sun lasting from minutes to hours. |
| prominence | the state of being important, well-known, or noticeable |
| terrestrial planet | In our solar system, Earth, Mars, Mercury and Venus are terrestrial, or rocky, planets. For planets outside our solar system |
| astronomical unit | An Astronomical Unit (AU) is the average distance between Earth and the Sun, which is about 93 million miles or 150 million kilometers. |
| gas giant | A gas giant is a large planet mostly composed of helium and/or hydrogen. |
| planetary ring | A planetary ring is defined as a circumplanetary disk composed of numerous small particles, which can range in size and are often found in a flattened structure orbiting a planet |
| dwarf planet | Dwarf planets like Pluto were defined as objects that orbit the Sun, and are nearly round, but have not been able to clear their orbit of debris. |
| Kuiper Belt | The Kuiper Belt is home to dozens of dwarf planets like Pluto and multitudes of planetary building blocks called planetesimals, such as Arrokoth |
| Kuiper Belt object | It's primarily made up of icy objects, dwarf planets, dust, and comets. The total mass of all the material in the Kuiper Belt today is estimated to be no more than about 10 percent of the mass of Earth |
| comet | Comets are large objects made of dust and ice that orbit the Sun. |
| Oort cloud | Scientists think the Oort Cloud is a giant spherical shell surrounding the Sun, planets and Kuiper Belt Objects. |
| asteroid | Asteroids are small, rocky objects that orbit the Sun. Although asteroids orbit the Sun like planets, they are much smaller than planets. Asteroids are small, rocky objects that orbit the sun. |
| meteoroid | Meteoroids are space rocks that range in size from dust grains to small asteroids. This term only applies when these rocks while they are still in space. |
| meteor | a small piece of matter that falls from space with great speed, producing a bright light as it enters the earth's atmosphere |
| meteorite | a meteorite is a rock that falls to Earth from space |
Created by:
spxcw btw