Solar System

Front 1

Solar System

Back 1

System of nine planets, and numerous other objects (moons, asteroids, comets) that orbit the sun, all held in place by the suns gravity.

Front 2

Astronomical Unit (A.U.)

Back 2

Unit of measurement that equals 150 million km, which is the mean distance from earth to the sun. astronomical units are used because of the great distances in space for example, 2 A.U. = 300 million kilometers

Front 3

Comet

Back 3

large body of frozen ice and rock that travels toward the center of the solar system, and develops a bright , glowing tail as it approaches the sun

Front 4

Meteor

Back 4

"Shooting stars" or metors are bits of material falling through Earth's atmosphere - usually burn up before reaching the Earth's surface.

Front 5

Meteorite

Back 5

Large pieces that do not vaporize completely and reach the surface of the Earth.

Front 6

Meteoroid

Back 6

Meteors or chunks as they are hurtling through space before they reach the atmosphere.

Front 7

Asteroid

Back 7

Rocky fragments left over from the formation of the solare system about 4.6 billion years ago

Front 8

Atmosphere

Back 8

The gases that surround a planet. Atmospheres help hold in some heat, so day and night temperatures are not radically different.

Front 9

Rotation

Back 9

Spinning of Earth on its axis, which occurs once every 24 hours, produces day and night, and causes the planets and stars to appear to rise and set.

Front 10

Revolution

Back 10

Movement of the earth around the Sun, which takes a year to complete 365.25 earth days.

Front 11

Eclipse

Back 11

Event that occurs wehn the Moon moves between the Sun and Earth (solar eclips), or when Earth moves between the Sun and the Moon (lunar eclipse), and casts a shadow

Front 12

Orbit

Back 12

Regular curved path followed by Earth as it moves around the Sun