Universe & Formation of the Solar System

Front

What is the Universe?

Back

Space and all the matter and energy in it.

Front

What is a Light Year?

Back

The distance that light travels in one year; about 9.46 trillion kilometers.

Front

What is Nuclear Fusion?

Back

The process that takes place inside a star to generate energy.

Front

What is a Solar Nebula?

Back

A cloud of gas and dust that can form stars and planets.

Front

What does Kepler's 3rd Law of Planetary Motion state?

Back

The farther the planets are from the sun, the longer they take to orbit the sun.

Front

What is the Solar System?

Back

The collection of planets, moons, asteroids, comets, and the sun that are bound by gravity.

Front

What is a Planet?

Back

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

Front

What is a Star?

Back

A massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity, undergoing nuclear fusion.

Front

What is Gravity?

Back

The force that attracts two bodies towards each other, proportional to their masses.

Front

What is an Asteroid?

Back

A small rocky body that orbits the sun, primarily found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.