Science Vocab Words- Parker

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NEBULA

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a cloud of dust and gas in interstellar space where stars are born

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GALAXY

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a large grouping of stars- three kinds
spiral (milky way)
elliptical (oval)
irregular

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SOLAR SYSTEM

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the system composed of the sun (a star) and the other bodies that travel around it

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ORBIT

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the elliptical path a body takes as it travels around another body in space

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CORONA

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the sun's outer atmosphere, may extend 10-12 times the diameter of the sun

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CHROMOSPHERE

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a thin region of the sun's atmosphere that is next to the photosphere

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PHOTOSPHERE

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the layer of the sun that we can see (It is dangerous to look at the sun-only at sunset)

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CONVECTIVE ZONE

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a region in the sun where gases circulate in the convection currents brining the sun's energy (heat and light) to the surface

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RADIATIVE ZONE

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a very dense region of the sun next to the core

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CORE

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the center of the sun where the energy is produced by nuclear fusions

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NUCLEAR FUSION

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the process by which two or more nuclei fuse to form a larger nucleus and create a new element

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SUNSPOT

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an area on the photosphere that is cooler and up as a dark sport

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SOLAR FLARE

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a large burst of gases off the surface of the sun, a prominence forms a loop back to the photosphere, gives off radiation (solar wind) that may disrupt communications on earth

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COMET

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a mass of rock particles and cosmic dust mixed with frozen water, methane, and ammonia, it gives off gas and dust in the form of a tail as it passes close to the sun in its orbit

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ASTEROID

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a piece of metallic rock that revolves around the sun and is similar to the material found in planets; they are usually found in the asteroid belt

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ASTEROID BELT

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a region in the solar system where the majority of asteriods orbit the sun; located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter

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METEOROID

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a small fragment of a comet, planet, moon, or asteroid that has broken off

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METEOR

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a meteoroid that burns up in the Earth's atmosphere before it reaches the ground

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METEORITE

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a meteor that does not completely burn up in the atmosphere and actually strikes the surface of another celestial body such as a planet or moon

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PLANETESIMAL

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the tiny building blocks of the planets that formed as dust particles stuck together and grew in size following the Big Bang

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REVOLUTION

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the elliptical movement of a body as it orbits around another body in space; for Earth-contributes to the change of seasons; one revolution takes 365.5 earth days or one earth year

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TERRESTRIAL PLANETS

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small dense rocky planets-inner solar system

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GAS GIANTS

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large gaseous planets-outer solar system

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ASTRONOMICAL UNITS

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(AU) the average distances between the earth and the sun, or approximately 150,000,000km or 93 million miles

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LIGHT YEAR

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the unit of length equal to the distance light travels in one year

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PROGRADE ROTATION

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when viewed from the north pole, earth appears to rotate counterclockwise

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RETROGRADE ROTATION

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when viewed form the north pole, a planet appears to rotate clockwise, such as Venus (opposite of Earth)

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SUMMER SOLSTICE

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On June 21, the north pole points directly at the sun. This day is called the summer solstice and daylight lasts for 24 hours; at the south pole it is the winter solstice and is 24 hours of darkness

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WINTER SOLSTICE

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On December 21, the north pole points away from the sun; called the winter solstice and the darkness lasts for 24 hours; at the south pole called summer solstice and there is 24 hours of daylight

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EQUINOXES

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The time when the sun in its apparent annual movement along the eliptic crosses the celestial equator. Makes night and day equal on all parts of Earth; Occurs March 21 (Spring) and September 21 (Autumn)

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LUNAR

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referring to the moon

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PHASES

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the different appearances of the moon due to varying amounts of sunlight on the side of the moon that faces the Earth; results from the changing relative positions of the moon, Earth, and the sun

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ECLIPSE

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an event which the shadow of one celestial body falls on another

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WAXING

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sunlit fraction of the moon gets larger

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WANING

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sunlit fraction of the moon gets smaller

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GIBBOUS

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a phase of the moon; a small fraction is not lit

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CRESCENT

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a phase of the moon; sunlit fraction is smaller than rest of moon

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SPRING TIDE

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a tide that is unsually high or low and only occurs when the moon, sun, and Earth are aligned; Occurs twice a month on full and new moons

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NEAP TIDE

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tides that are moderate; high tides are lower and low tides are higher; occurs on quarter moons, twice a month