Universe Vocab

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What is a light year?

Back

A unit of astronomical distance equivalent to the distance that light travels in one year, approximately 9.4607 × 10^12 km (nearly 6 trillion miles).

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What is an irregular galaxy?

Back

A galaxy that does not have a distinct regular shape.

Front

What is a globular cluster?

Back

A large compact spherical star cluster, typically of old stars in the outer regions of a galaxy.

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What is a star?

Back

A fixed luminous point in the night sky which is a large, remote incandescent body.

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What is a nebula?

Back

A giant cloud of dust and gas in space.

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What is a spiral galaxy?

Back

A type of galaxy characterized by its spiral structure, with arms that wind outward from the center.

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What is a barred-spiral galaxy?

Back

A type of spiral galaxy that has a central bar-shaped structure made of stars.

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What is a lenticular galaxy?

Back

A type of galaxy that has a lens-like shape and features of both spiral and elliptical galaxies.

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What is dark matter?

Back

A form of matter that does not emit light or energy, making it invisible and detectable only through its gravitational effects.

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.