Astronomy Vocabulary: Space Objects and Orbits

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms related to space objects, gravity, and orbits.

asteroid belt

Region between Mars and Jupiter where many asteroids are found.

asteroids

Rocky objects larger than a few hundred meters that orbit the Sun.

comet

A small, icy, dusty object with a bright tail in orbit around the Sun.

gravity

The natural force of attraction between all masses or energy in the universe; causes objects to pull toward one another.

inertia

The tendency of an object to resist changes in its state of motion; an object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion unless acted on by an external force.

Kuiper Belt

A region beyond Neptune that contains millions of frozen objects.

mass

Mass is a measure of how much matter is in an object.

meteor

Material from space that burns up as it enters Earth's atmosphere.

meteorite

A fragment of a meteoroid (planetary or celestial bodies such as moons, planets, asteroids, and comets) that reaches Earth's surface after surviving passage through the atmosphere.

meteoroid

A small rock in space that has not yet entered Earth's atmosphere.

Oort Cloud

A vast region far beyond the planets, home to billions of icy objects called comets.

orbit

To travel in a circular or elliptical path around another object.

weight

The force with which a body is pulled toward Earth or another celestial body due to gravity.