science - earth and beyond

The Big Bang Theory

The Big Bang Theory

was first proposed by Georges Lemaitre in 1931, it is the currently accepted theory describing the beginning, evolution, and fate of the universe

The Solar System

is the gravitationally bound system of the Sun and the objects that orbit it.

Sun

is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is a massive, hot ball of plasma

Terrestrial planets

They have a compact, rocky surface.

Mercury

is the first planet from the Sun and the smallest in the Solar System.

Venus

is the second planet from the Sun. It is a rocky planet with the densest atmosphere of all the rocky bodies in the Solar System.

Earth

is the only planet known to harbor life. is known as the water world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water.

Mars

is the fourth planet. The reddish color of its surface is due to finely grained iron oxide dust in the soil, giving it the nickname "the Red Planet".

Asteroid Belt

is a torus-shaped region in the Solar System, centered on the Sun and roughly spanning the space between the orbits of the planets Jupiter and Mars.

Jovian Planet

They are composed of Gas Giants and Ice Giants

Jupiter

is the largest planet in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass more than two and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined.

Saturn

is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest in the Solar System. It is known for its rings. Titan is its largest moon

Uranus

is the seventh planet from the Sun and is a gaseous cyan ice giant. It is tilted so far that it essentially orbits the sun on its side

Neptune

is the eighth planet from the Sun and the farthest recognized planet in the Solar System.

The Milky Way

is the galaxy that includes the Solar System, with the name describing the galaxy's appearance from Earth.

The Andromeda Galaxy

is a barred spiral galaxy and is the nearest major galaxy to the Milky Way.

Spiral galaxies

are flat, disk shaped ranging from 20,000 to 125,000 light years in diameter

Barred Spiral galaxy

Is a variation of the spiral galaxy. It has a bar-shaped band of stars extending from the central bulge

Elliptical galaxies

are nearly spherical or elongated galaxies lacking the distinct arms present in spiral galaxies

Irregular galaxies

have no distinct symmetry to spiral and elliptical galaxies

Galaxies also form gravitationally bound clusters called galactic clusters. Some even having hundreds or thousands of galaxies

Globular clusters

Refers to rich, compact, nearly spherical groups of almost millions of stars that are scattered above the galactic disk

Superclusters

Refers to a group of galaxies typically consisting of 3-10 clusters. These are the largest structures in the universe

Edwin Hubble

He played a crucial role in establishing the fields of extragalactic astronomy and observational cosmology.

The Hubble Space Telescope

is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990 and remains in operation.

Coronagraph

An instrument used to study the sun. It operates like an eclipse,it blocks the light of the sun

Planetary alignment

When planets gather on one side of the sun and aligns at the same time

Moon

is Earth's only natural satellite. It always faces Earth with its near side, being tidally locked to Earth.

eclipse

occurs when the sun’s light is either blocked by the earth or the moon.

Solar eclipse

Occurs when the moon blocks the sun’s rays from reaching earth. Only happens in a new moon

Lunar eclipse

Occurs when the earth blocks the sun’s rays from reaching the moon. Only happens in a full moon

Total lunar eclipse

Also called a blood moon because of the reddish tinge the moon takes on when fully eclipsed

Blue moon

refers to the second full moon in a month. The coloration comes from the dust or smoke particles in the sky.

supermoon

is a full moon or a new moon that nearly coincides with perigee, the closest that the Moon comes to the Earth in its elliptical orbit

Asteroids

Are minor planets that circle the sun in the asteroid belt

Carbonaceous

Are the most common type of asteroids which appear dark because they are made of carbon

Silicaceous

are fairly bright composed of rocky metals

Metallic asteroid

Appears fairly bright and made of metals like iron

Meteors

Are glowing fragments of rock matter in space that burn up upon entering the atmosphere.

Stony Meteorite

Most common type of meteorite that is made of rocks

Chondrites

Are composed of small round spheres called chondrules and they are magnetic

Achondrite

Are composed of the same minerals but lacking chondrules

Iron meteorites

Are composed of alloy and nickel and have much lighter density than normal crustal rocks

Stony iron meteorites

Are composed of a mixture of stony silicate material and iron

comet

is an icy, small Solar System body that warms and begins to release gasses when passing close to the Sun

Halley’s comet

Is the only known short-period comet that is regularly visible to the naked eye from Earth

Exoplanets

Is a planet located outside our solar system

Poltergeist and Phobetor

The first exoplanet was discovered in 1992. were found orbiting a pulsar called PSR B1257+12.

Methuselah / Genesis

is the oldest exoplanet and is about 13 billion years old

Osiris

also called “the shrinking exoplanet”, it is the first exoplanet to be observed directly from earth

Stars

is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma held together by self-gravity.

Black Hole

Is a region of spacetime where gravity is so strong that nothing, including light and other electromagnetic waves, has enough energy to escape it.

The universe

is all of space and time and their contents, including planets, stars, galaxies, and all other forms of matter and energy.

Constellations

in astronomy, any of certain groupings of stars that were imagined to form conspicuous configurations of objects or creatures in the sky.

Orion

one of the most recognized constellations, is visible high in the night sky during winter. It represents a giant hunter of Greek mythology.

singularity

 the universe originally began as an incredibly hot, infinitely dense state

Jovian system

 Jupiter's moons form a satellite system

Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto

4 galilean moons

galactic clusters

Galaxies also form gravitationally bound clusters

hubbles law

provided evidence that the recessional velocity of a galaxy increases with its distance from Earth, a property now known as _______

perigee

the closest that the Moon comes to the Earth in its elliptical orbit

meteoroid

 before it hits the surface of the earth

meteorite

after it lands on the earth

Georges lemaitre

Proposed the big bang theory

titan

Saturns biggest moon

Ursa major

Is a constellation in the northern sky, its name means greater bear. It is the third largest constellation

Asterism

A pattern of stars that is not a constellation. It can be part of a constellation

Big dipper

Is a larger asterism consisting of seven bright stars of the constellation

Betelgeuse

the red giant star in the orion constellation

rigel

the blue giant star in the orion constellation