UNIVERSE AND SOLAR SYSTEM

Big Bang Theory

This theory suggests that all matter was crammed into a singularity.

Creation Myth

The creation myth can be found in the book of Genesis in the Bible.

Age of the Universe

The universe is about 13.8 billion years old.

Andromeda Galaxy

The nearest independent galaxy to the Milky Way.

Age of the Solar System

The Solar System is about 4.6 billion years old.

Days of Creation (Genesis)

1. God created light and darkness 2. God creates the sky to separate the waters 3. God creates dry land and vegetation 4. God creates the sun, moon, and stars plus seasons, days, and years 5. God creates sea creatures and birds 6. God creates land animals and humans 7. God blessed the seventh day and rested.

Big Crunch

A theory where the universe reverses the Big Bang, compressing all energy and matter, leading to the collision of stars and galaxies.

Big Rip

A theory where everything is 'ripped' apart due to overwhelming expansion of space.

Big Freeze

Also known as heat death, where continuous expansion leads to thinning gases in space.

Galactic Center

The center of the Milky Way galaxy, also known as Sagittarius A.

Spiral Galaxy

The shape of the Milky Way galaxy.

Kuiper Belt

A doughnut-shaped region of icy debris and dwarf planets in the outer solar system.

Light Years

A unit of distance where one light year consists of one Julian year (365.25 days).

Doppler Shift

A change in wavelength observed due to movement; redshift indicates moving away, blueshift indicates moving towards.

Optical Telescope

The instrument used to discover the Milky Way.

Heliopause

The solar system’s boundary that emits a stream of particles called solar wind.

Voyager 1

Crossed the heliopause on August 25, 2012, becoming the first in history to do so.

Black Hole

Regions of space with strong gravity, from which not even light can escape.

Asteroid

A chunk of rock that orbits the Sun.

Comet

A small icy object that orbits the Sun and forms a glowing coma and tail when close to the Sun.

Meteoroid

Small rocks and dust in space.

Meteor

A shooting star that occurs in a planet’s atmosphere.

Meteorite

Rocks that hit the ground.

The Sun

A 4.5 billion-year-old yellow dwarf star that is a G type star and made of plasma.

Mercury

Discovered by Galileo Galilei and Thomas Harriot; has no moons and lacks plate tectonics.

Venus

The hottest planet, discovered by Galileo Galilei, and named after a female god.

Earth

The only planet that harbours life, features an oblate spheroid shape, and has a 23.44 degree axial tilt.

Mars

Known as the Red Planet, it has two moons and is home to the strongest sandstorms.

Jupiter

The gas giant with a liquid core, known for the Great Red Spot.

Saturn

Known for its rings visible to the naked eye, Saturn is also made up of gases and ammonia.

Uranus

The coldest planet with a tilted axis and the ability to rain diamonds.

Neptune

Characterized by its blue color due to methane and having five rings.

Pluto

Once classified as a planet, it is located in the Kuiper Belt and is known for mutual tidal locking with its largest moon, Charon.