6.E.1.2 Why Earth Sustains Life Vocabulary Words

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Natural satellite

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is any celestial body in space that orbits around a larger body.

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Asteroid

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a rocky object that orbits the Sun, found mostly in the region between Mars and Jupiter.

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Solar System

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the Sun and the planets and other objects that orbit the Sun.

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Sun

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Our Solar System's star that is made of hydrogen and helium gases, and supplies the heat and light that sustains life on Earth.

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Atmosphere

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is the layer of gases, commonly known as air, that surrounds the Earth and is retained by Earth's gravity.

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Comet

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a celestial object made of ice and dust that, when close to the Sun, displays a visible atmosphere or coma and sometimes a tail.

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Meteorite

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a solid fragment of a meteoroid that survives its passage through the Earth's atmosphere and lands on the surface.

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Gravity

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the force that attracts a body toward the center of the Earth, or toward any other physical body having mass.

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Planet

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a celestial body that orbits a star, is spherical in shape, and has cleared its orbit of other debris.

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Moon

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a natural satellite that orbits a planet.