Astronomy and Celestial Mechanics Vocabulary

A set of vocabulary flashcards defining fundamental astronomy and planetary science terms.

Gravitational Force

The invisible pull that Earth has on everything, pulling everything towards the center of Earth.

Apparent Brightness

How bright a star (like our Sun) appears from Earth, which can change based on how far away the star is.

Relative Distances

The distances between things compared to each other.

Rotation

The spinning movement of Earth around its own axis, which causes day and night.

Revolution

The movement of one object around another, such as Earth's journey around the Sun, which takes a whole year and causes the seasons.

Solar System

The Sun and everything that orbits around it, including planets like Earth, asteroids, comets, and more.

Celestial Body

Any natural object in space, like stars, planets, moons, or asteroids.

Orbit

The path that a celestial body follows as it moves around another body, like the Earth's path around the Sun.

Astronomy

The science that studies stars, planets, and other things in outer space.

Constellations

Groups of stars in the sky that form a pattern or picture, which can change position with the seasons because Earth is moving around the Sun.