Unit Vocabulary
Our solar system.
a collection of 8 planets orbiting around a stable and healthy sun. it also contains asteroids, moons, and comets.
Characteristics of a terrestrial planet.
composition - composed mostly of rock or metal and have a solid surface.
size - they are smaller than gas giants and have higher density.
geology - varied geology like mountains, valleys, canyons, and other landforms
different atmospheres depending on specific planets
strong magnetic fields - protect from harmful solar radiation
different colours and patterns
closer to the sun
life - only life on earth so far, scientists are constantly searching for life on other planets.
The habitable zone.
distance a planet is from the sun where the temperature allows for water to exist.
A meteor.
and asteroid or other object that burns or vaporizes when it enters earths atmosphere.
Number of moons scientists believe Jupiter has.
79
A light year.
the distance light travels in the vacuum of space (1light year = 9.5 trillion km, 300000 km/second)
characteristics of a gas giant.
composition - made up of hydrogen and helium, along with small amounts of other gases.
they are much larger than terrestrial planets
no solid surface - have thick atmospheres that become more dense as you go deeper into the planet.
intense weather patterns driven by internal heat sources that create powerful storms and winds.
strong magnetic fields
have rings and multiple moons
high density
different colours and patterns depending on atmospheres and weather patterns
unlikely that like could exist.
characteristics for potential life.
stable climate, presence of liquid water, and right atmospheric conditions.
A meteorite.
A piece of an asteroid that survives the earths atmosphere and lands on earth's surface.
Most accepted theory of how earths moon was formed.
earth collided with another small planet and the debris from the collision began to orbit earth and over time collected to form the moon.
A planet.
a celestial body that orbits the sun in a predictable pattern, it is round due to gravity and has cleared its orbital path of other objects.
Why gas giants aren't likely to support life.
no solid surface to stand on and intense atmospheric pressure.
Kepler 186f.
A potentially habitable exoplanet discovered in 2014.
A comet.
a celestial body made of dust, ice and small rocky particles that orbits the sun at the edge of our solar system. When they get close to the sun we can see the coma, or tail, of gas and dust.
When our solar system was formed.
4.6 billion years ago
A moon.
a natural satellite that orbits a larger body, usually a planet. Non-luminous but reflects sunlight.
most likely planets in our solar system to be potentially habitiable (beside earth).
Mars and Europa (one of Jupiter's moons)
The difference between a meteor and a meteoroid.
A meteor burns up in the earths atmosphere and a meteoroid hasn't entered earths atmosphere.
Diameter of our solar system.
287.46 billion km
A galaxy.
a massive system of stars, gas, dust, and dark matter. All bound by gravity.
Why Kepler 186f likely wouldn't support life as we know it.
it orbits a red dwarf star that is much cooler than our sun. It would have to be much closer to the sun to be in the habitable zone which would make it tidally locked - always light on one side and always dark on the other. The red dwarf may also emit flares and high radiation that would erode a planets atmosphere.
Halley's comet.
Most well known comet because it can be seen by the naked eye on earth ever 75-76 years. Discovered by Edmond Halley in 1531. Will next be visible from earth in 2061.
Number of years it takes Neptune to orbit the sun.
165 earth years.