6.2/6.3 Solar Systems Vocabulary

The study of the moon, stars, and other objects in space.

• Astronomy

• Heliocentric

• Solsitice

• Revolution

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

A scientist who studies the universe beyond Earth.

• Astronomer

• Meteor

• Spring Tide

• Equinox

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

The region of the solar system between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, where many asteroids are found.

• Asteroid Belt

• Orbit

• Tide

• Geocentric

Objects that revolve around the sun that are too small and too numerous to be considered planets. 

• Asteroids

• Meteor

• Meteorite

• Galaxy

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

A ball of ice and dust whose orbit is usually a long, narrow ellipse.

• Comet

• Meteorite

• Terrestrial Planets

• Neap Tide

The two days of the year on which neither hemisphere is tilted toward or away from the sun.

• Equinox

• Astronomy

• Solar Eclipse

• Retrograde Rotation

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

A system of millions or billions of stars held together by gravitational attraction

• Galaxy

• Astronomy

• Phase

• Nuclear Fusion

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

The name given to the first four outer planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

• Gas Giants

• Terrestrial Planets

• Asteroid Belt

• Revolution

A description of the solar system in which all of the planets revolve around Earth.

• Geocentric

• Heliocentric

• Rotation

• Orbit

The attractive force between two objects; its magnitude depends on their masses and the distance between them.

• Gravity

• Comet

• Tides

• Orbit

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

NGSS.MS-PS2-5