-Average sized star
-Millions of km away
-300,000 more massive then
Earth, 99% of all mass in our
solar system
What is the Sun
100
Something that orbits 1 or more stars, is large enough so its gravity holds it in place and is the only body in its orbital
path.
What is a planet
100
- “dirty snowballs” composed
of ice, rock and gas
- Originate from the Kuiper
Belt and Oort Cloud
- They travel in long elliptical orbits around the
sun which are affected by the gravitational
pulls of other planets
What are comets
100
a meteoroid that does not burn up fully
in the Earths atmosphere and hits the Earths surface
What is a meteorite
200
Energy emitted from the sun in the form of
Electromagnetic Radiation
What is solar radiation
200
A unit used to measure distances in space
What is astronomical units (AU)
200
The amount of time it takes an object in orbit to return to its starting location.
What is period
200
A place where a relatively small object (meteorite) has
collided with a larger object (planet). It produces a fairly circular depression in the surface of
the larger object referred to as an impact crater
What is a deep impact site
300
The Earth is located in the ________________,
not too hot, not too cold, just right!
What is the Goldilocks Zone
300
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars are all _____________ planets.
What is terrestrial
300
Small bodies believed to be the leftover remains of the
formation of the Solar System
Mostly found in a belt between Mars and
Jupiter
What are asteroids.
300
Collection of stars, planets, gas and dust held together by gravity
What is a galaxy
400
Dark patches of slightly
cooler (3500°C) surface areas on the
sun, they increase and decrease in
number on an 11-yr cycle. They may be
related to changes in the Earth’s climate
What is sunspots
400
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are called the ____________ planets.
What is Jovian
400
a rocky chunk broken off an asteroid or
planet, which floats through space
What is a meteoroid
400
distance light will travel in 1 year
What is a light year
500
Eruptions of
gas on the suns surface – can
last a few hours, temperatures
increase up to 11,000,000°C
What is solar flares
500
A celestial body orbiting the Sun that is generally smaller than a planet but massive enough for its own gravity to give it a round shape. (hint: Pluto)
What is a dwarf planet
500
a meteoroid that burns up as it passes
through Earths atmosphere, seen as a
shooting star
What is a meteor
500
The proposal that: The Universe is expanding, galaxies are
moving away from each other. The further away the galaxy, the faster it is moving.