Solar System Vocabulary

Front

Rotation

Back

The action of rotating around an axis or center.

Front

Axis

Back

An imaginary line about which a body rotates.

Front

Meteorite

Back

A small rock or rocky grain that strikes Earth's surface.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

Front

Galaxy

Back

A very large group of stars and planets surrounded by dust and gas.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

Front

Meteoroids

Back

While in space a meteorite is called this.

Front

Orbit

Back

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

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

Front

Asteroid

Back

A rocky metallic object that travels around the Sun.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

Front

Comet

Back

A ball of ice and rock with a tail of light that moves around the sun.

Front

Gravity

Back

The force that attracts a body towards the center of the earth, or towards any other physical body having mass.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

NGSS.MS-PS2-5

Front

Planet

Back

A celestial body that orbits a star and is large enough to be rounded by its own gravity.