The Beginnings our of Solar System
A cloud of gas and dust from which the Sun and planets formed.
Solar Nebula
The force that pulls objects toward each other
Gravity
Planets with icy compositions (Uranus, Neptune).
Ice Giants
Stationary star at the center of our Solar System
Sun
A sudden burst of energy from the Sun.
Solar Flare
Approximately, how old is our Solar System?
4.6 billion years old
How scientists determine the chemical makeup of a star
Spectroscopy
Large planets made mostly of gas (Jupiter, Saturn)
Gas Giants
The spinning of Earth on its axis.
Rotation
Cooler, darker regions on the Sun indicating solar activity.
Sunspots
A developing star before nuclear fusion begins
Protostar
Approximately, how old is the Universe?
13.8 billion years old
Shape of Earth's orbit around the Sun
Almost perfectly circular
Term to describe the movement of Earth around the Sun.
Revolution
A stream of charged particles from the Sun.
Solar Wind
An early form of a planet created by accretion.
Protoplanet
Low energy radiation leftover after the Big Bang
Cosmic Background Radiation
The galaxy that contains our solar system.
Milky Way
Approximately what angle does Earth tilt as it rotates the Sun?
23.5
A large release of charged particles from the Sun.
Coronal Mass Ejection (CME)
The process of particles sticking together to form larger bodies.
Accretion
Redshift
The distance light travels in one year.
Light-Year
The way celestial objects appear to move in the sky due to Earth’s motion.
Apparent Motion
What causes the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights)?
Collision of charged particles from the sun and gases in Earth's atmosphere cause Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights)