UNIT 2 THE SOLAR SYSTEM Vocabulary Review
Dec 23, 2015
UNIT 2
THE SOLAR SYSTEM
Vocabulary Review
IN THE ORBIT OF A PLANET OR ANOTHER BODY IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM, THE POINT
THAT IS FARTHEST FROM THE SUN
aphelion
THE FORCE OF ATTRACTION BETWEEN OBJECTS THAT IS DUE TO THEIR MASSES
gravity
THE PATH THAT A BODY FOLLOWS AS IT TRAVELS AROUND ANOTHER
BODY IN SPACE
orbit
IN THE ORBIT OF A PLANET OR ANOTHER BODY IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM, THE POINT
THAT IS CLOSEST TO THE SUN
perihelion
A ROTATING CLOUD OF GAS AND DUST FROM WHICH THE SUN AND PLANETS
FORMED
solar nebula
THE INWARD FORCE REQUIRED TO KEEP A PARTICLE OR AN OBJECT MOVING IN A
CIRCULAR PATH
centripetal force
A SMALL BODY FROM WHICH A PLANET ORIGINATED IN THE EARLY STAGES OF THE
SOLAR SYSTEM
planetesimal
THE PROCESS BY WHICH THE NUCLEI OF SMALL ATOMS COMBINE TO FORM A NEW, MORE MASSIVE
NUCLEUS; THE PROCESS RELEASES ENERGY
nuclear fusion
A LOOP OF RELATIVELY COOL INCANDESCENT GAS THAT EXTENDS ABOVE THE PHOTOSPHERE AND ABOVE THE SUN’S EDGE AS SEEN FROM EARTH
prominence
A DARK AREA OF THE PHOTOSPHERE OF THE SUN THAT IS COOLER THAN THE SURROUNDING AREAS
AND THAT HAS A STRONG MAGNETIC FIELD
sunspot
AN EXPLOSIVE RELEASE OF ENERGY THAT COMES FROM THE SUN AND THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH
MAGNETIC DISTURBANCES ON THE SUN’S SURFACE
solar flare
A UNIT OF MEASURE EQUAL TO THE AVERAGE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE EARTH
AND THE SUN; APPROXIMATELY 150 MILLION KM
astronomical unit
A PLANET THAT HAS A DEEP, MASSIVE ATMOSPHERE, SUCH AS JUPITER, SATURN,
URANUS, AND NEPTUNE
gas giant
ONE OF THE HIGHLY DENSE PLANETS NEAREST TO THE SUN
terrestrial planet
A REGION OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM THAT STARTS JUST BEYOND THE ORBIT OF NEPTUNE AND THAT
CONTAINS DWARF PLANETS AND OTHER SMALL BODIES MADE MOSTLY OF ICE
Kuiper Belt
A DISK OF MATTER THAT ENCIRCLES A PLANET AND THAT CONSISTS OF NUMEROUS PARTICLES IN ORBIT,
WHICH RANGE IN SIZE FROM DUST GRAINS TO OBJECTS TENS OF METERS ACROSS
planetary ring
A CELESTIAL BODY THAT ORBITS THE SUN, IS ROUND BECAUSE OF ITS OWN GRAVITY, BUT HAS NOT CLEARED ITS ORBITAL PATH
dwarf planet
ONE OF THE HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS OF SMALL BODIES THAT ORBIT THE SUN IN A FLAT BELT BEYOND NEPTUNE’S ORBIT; ALSO INCLUDES DWARF PLANETS
LOCATED THERE
Kuiper Belt object
A SMALL, ROCKY OBJECT THAT ORBITS THE SUN; MOST ARE LOCATED IN A BAND
BETWEEN THE ORBITS OF MARS AND JUPITER
asteroid
A METEOROID THAT REACHES EARTH’S SURFACE WITHOUT BURNING UP
COMPLETELY
meteorite
A SMALL BODY THAT GIVES OFF GAS AND DUST AS IT PASSES CLOSE TO THE SUN; IT MOVES IN AN
ELLIPTICAL ORBIT AROUND THE SUN AND IS MADE OF DUST AND FROZEN GASES
comet
A SPHERICAL REGION THAT SURROUNDS THE SOLAR SYSTEM THAT EXTENDS FROM THE KUIPER BELT TO
ALMOST HALFWAY TO THE NEAREST STAR, AND THAT CONTAINS BILLIONS OF COMETS
Oort cloud
A RELATIVELY SMALL, ROCKY BODY THAT TRAVELS THROUGH SPACE
meteoroid
A BRIGHT STREAK THAT RESULTS WHEN A METEOROID BURNS UP IN EARTH’S
ATMOSPHERE
meteor
Well done!