Overview of Space and The Solar System

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms and concepts related to space, the solar system, and astronomical phenomena.

Exosphere

The outermost layer of Earth's atmosphere, where the atmosphere thins out into space.

Telescopes

Devices that allow us to observe distant celestial objects through visual and non-visible wavelengths.

Extraterrestrial

Anything originating from outside Earth, including meteorites and moon rocks.

Big Bang Theory

The leading explanation about how the universe began, approximately 13.6 billion years ago, involving a rapid expansion.

Nebulae

Clouds of dust and gas in space that can form new stars and systems.

Gravity

The force that attracts two bodies toward each other, significantly influencing planetary orbits.

Doppler Shift

The change in frequency or wavelength of light from an object because it is moving closer or further away.

Solar Nebula Theory

A model explaining the formation of the solar system from a giant rotating cloud of gas and dust.

Terrestrial Planets

The inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars) that are rocky and have solid surfaces.

Jovian Planets

The gas giants (Jupiter, Saturn) and ice giants (Uranus, Neptune) that have thick atmospheres and lack solid surfaces.

Ecliptic Plane

The plane of Earth's orbit around the Sun, where most planets in the solar system orbit.

Comets

Small celestial bodies consisting of ice and dust that develop tails when passing near the Sun.

Meteorite

A piece of space rock that survives its passage through the Earth's atmosphere and lands on Earth.

Planetesimals

Small planetary bodies formed from the aggregation of dust and ice in the protoplanetary disk.

Kuiper Belt

A region beyond Neptune filled with icy bodies and dwarf planets, believed to be a source of short-period comets.

Oort Cloud

A theoretical cloud of icy objects that exists in the farthest reaches of our solar system, thought to be the source of long-period comets.

Lunar Cycle

The cycle of phases of the Moon as it orbits the Earth, which includes new, crescent, quarter, gibbous, and full phases.

Supermassive Black Hole

A black hole with a mass millions to billions times that of our Sun, located at the center of most galaxies.

Gravity of Stars

The force exerted by stars that keeps celestial bodies within their orbit.

Dwarf Planet

A celestial body that orbits the Sun and is large enough to be rounded by its own gravity but has not cleared its orbital path.

Tidal Locking

A situation where a moon's rotation period matches its orbital period, causing the same side to face the planet.

Pillars of Creation

A famous region in the Eagle Nebula where stars are being formed, visible in both the Hubble and Webb telescopes.