ASTR 1010K: Astronomy of the Solar System Midterm 2 Study Guide

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts in Astronomy, focusing on telescopes, the Sun, and the Solar System.

CCDs

Charge-Coupled Devices that are more sensitive to light and can detect faint objects better than film.

Refracting Telescope

A telescope that uses lenses to bend light, providing clear images but prone to chromatic aberration.

Reflecting Telescope

A telescope that uses mirrors to gather light.

Hydrostatic Equilibrium

The balance between gravity pulling inward and pressure pushing outward in the Sun.

Photons

Particles of light that transfer energy in the Radiation Zone of the Sun.

Core of the Sun

The area where nuclear fusion of hydrogen into helium occurs at about 15 million °C.

Sunspots

Cooler, dark regions on the Sun's surface, caused by intense magnetic activity.

Proton-Proton Chain

A nuclear fusion process where 4 hydrogen nuclei combine to form 1 helium nucleus and energy.

Adaptive Optics

Technology used to correct distorted starlight caused by Earth's atmosphere.

Oort Cloud

A hypothetical distant sphere of icy objects that is the source of long-period comets.

Asteroid Belt

The region of rocky debris located between Mars and Jupiter.

Kuiper Belt

The zone of icy bodies in the solar system, located beyond Neptune.

Convection Zone

Layer in the Sun where hot plasma rises, cools, and sinks.

Chromosphere

The reddish glow of the Sun that emits UV radiation.

Planetary Cooling

The process by which larger planets cool slower, whereas smaller planets lose heat faster.

Earth's Interior

The structure of Earth comprising the solid inner core, liquid outer core, mantle, and crust.

Solar Wind

A stream of charged particles released from the Sun's corona.

X-ray Telescope

A type of telescope designed to detect X-rays emitted from celestial bodies in space.

Gamma-ray Telescope

A space-based telescope that detects gamma rays emitted from astronomical events.

Surface Ages of Planets

Determined by the number of craters; more craters indicate an older surface.