The Solar System

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary terms and definitions related to the solar system, planets, and small celestial bodies.

Solar System

The collection of planets, moons, asteroids, comets, and other objects that orbit around the Sun.

Terrestrial Planets

The four inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars) that are primarily composed of rock and metal.

Gas Giants

Large planets (Jupiter, Saturn) mainly composed of gases, with small rocky cores.

Ice Giants

Planets (Uranus, Neptune) that have a significant amount of ices such as water and methane.

Dwarf Planets

Celestial bodies that satisfy the first two characteristics of a planet but have not cleared their orbit.

Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs)

Objects located in the solar system beyond the orbit of Neptune.

Asteroid Belt

A region located between Mars and Jupiter where the majority of asteroids reside.

Eccentricity

A measure of how an orbit deviates from being a perfect circle.

Inclination

The tilt of a planet's rotational axis relative to its orbital plane.

Albedo

The measure of how much light a celestial object reflects.

Differentiation

The process by which a planetary body separates into distinct layers based on density.

C-type Asteroids

Carbon-rich asteroids that are very dark and reflect little sunlight.

S-type Asteroids

Silicate-rich asteroids that are more reflective and located in the inner asteroid belt.

Chicxulub Crater

A crater in Mexico formed by an asteroid impact that contributed to the extinction of the dinosaurs.

NASA's DART Mission

An initiative to test planetary defense techniques by impacting an asteroid.