Introduction to Space Science Vocabulary

Front

What is a crater?

Back

A crater is a large, bowl-shaped cavity in the ground or on a celestial object, typically caused by meteorite impact.

Front

What is a planet?

Back

A planet is a celestial body that orbits a star, is spherical in shape, and has cleared its orbit.

Front

What is mass?

Back

Mass is the amount of matter in an object.

Front

What is relative distance?

Back

Relative distance is a measure of the social, cultural, and economic relatedness or connectivity between two places, regardless of their absolute distance.

Front

What is weight?

Back

Weight is the force acting on an object due to gravity.

Front

What causes a crater on a celestial object?

Back

A crater is typically caused by meteorite impact.

Front

What defines a celestial body as a planet?

Back

A celestial body must orbit a star, be spherical in shape, and have cleared its orbit to be defined as a planet.

Front

How is mass different from weight?

Back

Mass is the amount of matter in an object, while weight is the force acting on that object due to gravity.

Front

What is the difference between absolute distance and relative distance?

Back

Absolute distance is the physical distance between two points, while relative distance considers the social, cultural, and economic connections between them.

Front

What is the role of gravity in determining weight?

Back

Gravity exerts a force on an object, which is what we measure as weight.