Space Vocab

Front

Gravity

Back

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

Front

Habitable zone

Back

The distance from a star at which liquid water could exist on orbiting planets' surfaces.

Front

Kuiper belt

Back

A region of space located past Neptune.

Front

Meteor

Back

A small piece of matter from outer space that becomes a streak of light when it falls through Earth’s atmosphere and burns up.

Front

Oort cloud

Back

The most distant region of our solar system.

Front

Revolution

Back

One complete trip of a planet around the Sun.

Front

Rotation

Back

The spinning of a planet or moon on its axis.

Front

Atmosphere

Back

Made of the layers of gases surrounding a planet or other celestial body.

Front

Debris

Back

Defunct human-made objects in space – principally in Earth orbit – which no longer serve a useful function.

Front

Earth

Back

A rocky, terrestrial planet. It has a solid and active surface with mountains, valleys, canyons, plains and so much more. 70% of the surface is covered in water.