The Solar System and the Earth Vocabulary

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering the key celestial bodies, planets, atmospheric layers, and astronomical terminology from the lecture notes.

Solar System

The sun-family comprising the sun and its planets, minor planets, asteroids, comets, and aeroliths, with the sun at its center.

Sunspot (Solar infamy)

The black spot that is sometimes seen in the sun, which has less heat than that of its other parts.

Planets

Luminaries influenced by gravitation that revolve around the sun in space through certain orbits maintaining a particular duration, having no light or heat of their own.

Mercury

The closest planet to the sun and smallest planet in the solar system, with a diameter of $4,850\,\text{km}$ and no natural satellites.

Venus

The second planet from the sun and closest to the Earth, known as the evening star in the western sky and vesper at dawn in the eastern sky.

The Earth

The third closest planet to the sun and the only planet ideal for living creatures and plants, possessing one natural satellite, the moon.

Mars

The red planet standing close to the Sun after Earth, possessing an atmosphere with $3\%$ nitrogen and $2\%$ argon gas, and soil containing iron oxide (rust).

Deimos and Phobos

The two tiny natural satellites orbiting the planet Mars.

Asteroid

A luminary with a diameter less than $1.6\,\text{km}$ to $805\,\text{km}$ orbiting in a body between Mars and Jupiter.

Jupiter

The largest planet in the solar system, standing fifth from the sun by distance, with $97$ satellites including Ganymede, Callisto, Lo, and Europa.

Saturn

The second largest planet of the solar system, surrounded by three bright belts and possessing $62$ satellites.

Uranus

The third largest planet, possessing a vast amount of methane gas, $27$ satellites (including Miranda, Ariel, Oberon, Unbriel, and Titania), and belts similar to Saturn.

Neptune

A cold, largely bluish planet located $450\text{ crore}\,\text{km}$ away from the sun, orbiting it once in $165$ years with $14$ satellites.

Neptune Trojans

A number of minor planets that accompany Neptune in its orbit.

Atmosphere of Earth

The invisible gaseous covering surrounding all sides of Earth, held by gravity and rotated along with the Earth.

Troposphere

The lowest level of the atmosphere adjacent to the earth-surface with an average depth of about $13\,\text{km}$, where weather and climate processes occur.

Tropopause

The narrow atmospheric boundary between the Troposphere and the Stratosphere where air remains standstill and spacecraft pass through cleanly.

Ozone level

A level in the atmosphere with an approximate depth of $12-16\,\text{km}$ that absorbs the ultra-violet rays of the sun.