The Solar System
This is the biggest planet in our solar system.
Jupiter
Our own star, which gives us light and heat.
Sun
A person who travels into space.
astronaut
Earth's only natural satellite.
The Moon
The force that pulls everything down to Earth and keeps us from floating away.
gravity
First American woman in space
Sally Ride
Planet closet to the sun
Mercury
This red planet is sometimes called the "Red Planet" because of its color.
Mars
A huge group of stars, dust, and gas held together by gravity. Our solar system is in one!
galaxy
This vehicle is used to launch astronauts and satellites into space
rocket
The changing shapes of the Moon we see from Earth are called these.
phases
This is what we call the path a planet or satellite takes around another object in space.
orbit
firsa black American woman in space
Mae Jemison
The largest planet in our soar system
Jupiter
This planet has beautiful rings made of ice and rock.
Saturn
When a star is about to die, it can explode in a very bright flash called this.
supernova
The first human to walk on the Moon.
Neil Armstrong
A large, round pit on the surface of the Moon, often caused by impacts from space rocks
crater
The imaginary line that Earth spins around, causing day and night.
axis
NASA mission to Pluto
New Horizons
A gas planet with big rings made of mostly ice
Saturn
This is the closest planet to the Sun and the smallest planet.
Mercury
The North Star, which helps us find our way, is also known by this specific name.
Polaris
The special suit astronauts wear in space to protect them.
spacesuit
A small, rocky object that orbits the Sun, usually found in a "belt" between Mars and Jupiter.
asteroid
The name of the big event thought to have started our universe
Big Bang
This space craft launched in 1977 and is still going today
Voyager 1
This was the 9th planet, but astronomers demoted it to a dwarf planet
Pluto
Our home planet, known for its blue oceans and green land.
Earth
A very dense object in space where gravity is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape.
a black hole
This space agency is in charge of most of America's space missions
NASA
A "dirty snowball" made of ice, dust, and rock that orbits the Sun and grows a tail when it gets close.
comet
When the Moon passes directly between the Sun and Earth, blocking the Sun's light, it's called this.
eclipse
NASA inventions
Velcro
Memory Foam
Invisible Braces
Water Filters
Infrared Thermometers
Cochlear Implants
Foil Blankets
Smoke Detector
Solar Cells:
Cordless Tools
Better Tires
Computer Mouse
Digital Imaging
Heart pump technology
Sometimes called the red planet
Mars