Science Vocab Space Unit

Front 1

universe

Back 1

the whole body of things and phenomena observed or postulated

Front 2

galaxy

Back 2

any of the very large groups of stars and associated matter that are found throughout the universe

Front 3

milkyway

Back 3

galaxy in which we live in

Front 4

lightyear

Back 4

a unit of length in astronomy equal to the distance that light travels in one year in a vacuum or about 5.88 trillion miles (9.46 trillion kilometers)

Front 5

Edwin Hubble

Back 5

man who discovered that the universe is expanding

Front 6

red shift

Back 6

colour shift in which stars grow further apart

Front 7

nebula

Back 7

any of numerous clouds of gas or dust in interstellar space

Front 8

supernova

Back 8

the explosion of a very large star in which the star may reach a maximum intrinsic luminosity one billion times that of the sun

Front 9

electromagnetic spectrum

Back 9

the entire range of wavelengths or frequencies of electromagnetic radiation extending from gamma rays to the longest radio waves and including visible light

Front 10

equinox

Back 10

either of the two times each year (as about March 21 and September 23) when the sun crosses the equator and day and night are everywhere of equal length

Front 11

waning

Back 11

to diminish in phase or intensity -- used chiefly of the moon

Front 12

waxing

Back 12

to increase in phase or intensity -- used chiefly of the moon, other satellites, and inferior planets

Front 13

rotation

Back 13

act of making one complete turn

Front 14

revolution

Back 14

the time taken by a celestial body to make a complete round in its orbit

Front 15

meteor

Back 15

any of the small particles of matter in the solar system that are directly observable only by their incandescence from frictional heating on entry into the atmosphere

Front 16

Asteroid belt

Back 16

the region of interplanetary space between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter in which most asteroids are found

Front 17

Tide

Back 17

the alternate rising and falling of the surface of the ocean and of water bodies (as gulfs and bays) connected with the ocean that occurs usually twice a day and is caused by the gravitational attraction of the sun and moon occurring unequally on different parts of the earth

Front 18

Eclipse

Back 18

the passing into the shadow of a celestial body

Front 19

Solstice

Back 19

either of the two points on the ecliptic at which its distance from the celestial equator is greatest and which is reached by the sun each year about June 22d and December 22d

Front 20

Comet

Back 20

a celestial body that consists of a fuzzy head usually surrounding a bright nucleus, that has a usually highly eccentric orbit, and that often when in the part of its orbit near the sun develops a long tail which points away from the sun