Solar System Overview

These flashcards include key vocabulary terms and definitions related to the solar system, solar activity, and planet classifications.

Solar System

The system of our sun and the surrounding planets.

Hydrogen

The lightest gas in the periodic table and a principal component of stars.

Helium

The second lightest gas in the periodic table and a principal component of stars.

Sunspots

Dark spots on the surface of the sun that are cooler than the surrounding areas.

Solar Flares

Giant explosions of solar material from the sun's surface.

Solar Wind

Charged particles emitted from the sun that travel through the solar system.

Magnetosphere

The magnetic force field around Earth that protects it from solar wind.

Aurora Borealis

Northern lights caused by the interaction of solar wind with the Earth's atmosphere.

Aurora Australis

Southern lights caused by the interaction of solar wind with the Earth's atmosphere.

Terrestrial Planets

Rocky planets that are Earth-like, including Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.

Jovian Planets

Gas giants that include Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

Dwarf Planet

A celestial body that does not meet the criteria to be classified as a planet, such as Pluto.

Solar Maximum

Period in the sunspot cycle when there is a high number of sunspots and solar activity.

Solar Minimum

Period in the sunspot cycle when there is a low number of sunspots and solar activity.

Hubble Space Telescope

A telescope that has improved our ability to observe distant celestial objects, including Pluto-sized bodies.