Space and Celestial Bodies

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Asteroid

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A big chunk of rock that orbits the Sun, like a planet but much smaller. Most are found in a belt between Mars and Jupiter.

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Atmosphere

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The layer of gases that surrounds a planet or other celestial body. Earth's atmosphere is what we breathe and what protects us from the Sun's harmful rays.

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Axis

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An imaginary line that a planet spins around. Earth's axis is tilted, which is why we have seasons.

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Celestial bodies

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Any natural object outside of Earth's atmosphere.

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Comet

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A "dirty snowball" made of ice, dust, and rock that orbits the Sun in a long, oval-shaped path. When it gets close to the Sun, it forms a tail.

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Craters

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Bowl-shaped dents on the surface of a planet or moon, usually caused by impacts from asteroids or meteoroids.

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Earth

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Our home planet! The third planet from the Sun.

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Elliptical

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An oval or egg shape. Planets orbit the Sun in elliptical paths, not perfect circles.

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Equator

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An imaginary line that circles Earth halfway between the North and South Poles. It's the hottest part of the planet because it gets the most direct sunlight.

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Gravity

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The force that pulls objects towards each other. It's what keeps us on the ground and what keeps the planets in orbit.