The study of celestial objects such as moons, planets, stars, nebulas, and galaxies
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Universe
The totality of space, time, matter, and energy
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Order of magnitude
Basic scale of physical quantities in terms of powers of 10
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Scientific notation
a way to write very large or very small numbers using the from a x 10^b where the coefficient is any real number & the exponent is an integer
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planet
A body that orbits a star and is massive enough for self-gravity to have it into spherical shape and to have cleared smaller objects from the neighborhood of its orbit
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satellite
any object that orbits a larger object
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star
a sphere of gas, such as the sun, that produces energy via nuclear fusion in its core
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planetary system
a star and its orbiting planets
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Galaxies
Millions to billions of gravitationally bound stars. Galaxies also include gas, dust, and dark matter
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Galaxy cluster
a collection of hundreds or thousands of galaxies bound together by gravity
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Super cluster
a collection of galaxy clusters; the largest type of object in the universe
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Astronomical unit (AU)
the average distance from the sun to the earth
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Light year (ly)
the distance that light travels in a year
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Parsec (pc)
a unit often used for very large distances
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Dust
the smallest bits of solid matter in the universe, composed of atoms such as carbon and silicon
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Atom
The fundamental building block of matter, consisting of a dense central nucleus, surrounded by cloud of negatively charged particles
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Subatomic particle
any particle smaller than an atom. subatomic particles include protons, neutrons, and electrons.
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Scientific method
a body of techniques for acquiring new knowledge that includes systematic observation, experimentation, and theorizing
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Hypothesis
a proposed explanation for a phenomenon that must be rigorously tested by experiments
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Theory
the explanation for a phenomenon that has undergone extensive testing and is generally accepted to be accurate
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pseudoscience
a claim, belief, or practice that is presented as a scientific but does not adhere to a valid scientific method, lacks supporting evidence or plausibility, and/or cant be reliably tested
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Astrology
the belief that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world
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Climate change
a significant, long-term change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns
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