Earth's Neighbourhood
The group of planets, moons, and other objects that orbit around our Sun.
What is the Solar System?
A small, rocky object that orbits the Sun; most are found between Mars and Jupiter.
What is an Asteroid?
The collective name for the rocky, solid-surfaced inner planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.
What are Terrestrial Planets?
The force that pulls objects toward each other.
What is Gravity?
The amount of matter in an object.
What is mass?
A natural satellite that orbits a planet
What is a Moon?
A ball of ice, rock, and dust that develops a bright tail when it gets close to the Sun.
What is a Comet?
The large outer planets made mostly of gas and liquid, including Jupiter and Saturn
What are Jovian Planets?
A giant ball of burning gas that gives off light and heat.
What is a Star?
A huge group of stars, dust, gas, and other objects held together by gravity.
What is a galaxy?
The galaxy that contains our solar system
What is the Milky Way?
A small piece of space rock burning up as it enters Earth’s atmosphere, often called a shooting star.
What is a Meteor?
The outermost, thin, solid layer of a planet where we live.
What is the Crust?
This occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, blocking the Sun's light
What is a Solar Eclipse?
This occurs when Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, casting a shadow on the Moon and making it look dark.
What is a lunar eclipse?
A huge group of stars, dust, gas, and other objects held together by gravity.
What is a Galaxy?
A piece of space rock that survives its trip through the atmosphere and lands on Earth.
What is a Meteorite?
The thick layer of hot rock between a planet’s core and its crust.
What is the Mantle?
The regular rise and fall of sea levels caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun.
What is a Tide?
A large object that orbits a star and does not produce its own light.
What is a planet?
To be classified as a "planet" by the IAU, a celestial body must orbit the Sun, be round, and fulfill this third requirement involving its flight path.
What is clearing its orbit of other objects?
A region beyond Neptune's orbit containing many small, icy objects, including Pluto.
What is the Kuiper Belt?
While terrestrial planets are rocky, Jovian planets are massive and primarily composed of these two states of matter.
What are gas and liquid
A group of stars that forms a pattern in the sky, often named after mythological figures.
What is a Constellation?
This is the theoretical final stage of a star like our Sun; it occurs after the white dwarf has cooled down so much that it no longer emits significant heat or light.
What is a Black Dwarf?