unit 6 vocab

Front

Nebula

Back

A cloud of gas and dust in space, often a region where new stars are born.

Front

Solar Nebular Theory

Back

A model that describes the formation of the solar system from a rotating disk of gas and dust.

Front

Orbit

Back

The curved path of a celestial object or spacecraft around a star, planet, or moon.

Front

Meteoroid

Back

A small rocky or metallic body in outer space, smaller than an asteroid.

Front

Comet

Back

A celestial object consisting of a nucleus of ice and dust, and when near the sun, a "tail" of gas and dust particles pointing away from the sun.

Front

Asteroid Belt

Back

The region of space between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter where most asteroids are found.

Front

Gravity

Back

The force by which a planet or other body draws objects toward its center.

Front

Terrestrial Planets

Back

The planets that are composed primarily of silicate rocks or metals, including Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.

Front

Jovian Planets

Back

The gas giant planets of the solar system, including Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

Front

Solar System

Back

The collection of eight planets and their moons in orbit around the sun, together with smaller bodies such as asteroids, meteoroids, and comets.