Small Bodies
The _____ ______ is a spherical region that surrounds the solar system and extends almost halfway to the nearest star.
Oort Cloud
Small bodies from which planets formed are called ____________.
Planetesimals
The process by which two or more low-mass atomic nuclei fuse to form another, heavier nucleus is called __________.
nuclear fusion
An ____ _____ is equal to the distance between the sun and the Earth.
Astronomical Unit
Saturn
A region of the solar system that extends from the orbit of Neptune to about twice the orbit of Neptune is the _____ ______.
Kuiper Belt
The path that a body follows as it travels around another body in space.
Orbit
A _________ is a dark area on the surface of the sun that is cooler than the surrounding areas.
Sunspot
Which planet has the highest surface gravity of the terrestrial planets?
Earth
Which planet has the strongest winds in the solar system?
Neptune
Most _________ are located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
Asteroids
The ______ _______ is the cloud of gas and dust from which our solar system formed.
Solar Nebula
A _________ is a loop of relatively cool gas that extends above the photosphere.
prominence
Which planet is most heavily cratered of the terrestrial planets?
Mercury
Which planet is tilted on its side as it orbits the sun?
Uranus
A meteoroid that reaches Earth's surface without burning up.
meteorite
Best known for his work on universal gravitation (gravity), this astronomer developed the three laws of motion which form the basic principles of modern physics. His discovery of calculus led the way to more powerful methods of solving mathematical problems.
Netwon
What is the layer of the sun from which energy escapes into space?
photosphere
Which planet has very large dust storms?
Mars
Which planet is the largest planet in the solar system?
Jupiter
What is a small body that follows a highly elliptical orbit around the sun?
comet
An astronomer and mathematician. He believed that the Earth was the center of the Universe. The word for earth in Greek is geo, so we call this idea a "geocentric" theory. Also known for his book titled, “Almagest”
Ptolemy
What is the layer of the sun in which energy is produced?
AND: What is the composition of the sun?
core
Hydrogen 74%, helium 25%, other elements 1%
Which planet has the highest surface temperature in the solar system?
Venus
How does the composition of Earth's atmosphere differ from the composition of the atmospheres of the gas giant planets?
Earth: Nitrogen & oxygen
G.G. Hydrogen & helium