Solar System
About this set
Created by:
pantherskid on December 19, 2011
Subjects:
Log in to favorite or report as inappropriate.
Order by
16 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 terrestrial planets | a planet having a compact rocky surface like the Earth's and four inner planets in the solar system |
| gas giants | any of the four outermost planets in the solar system |
| kuiper belt | a region of the solar system that is just beyond the orbit of neptune and that contains small bodies made mostly of ice |
| oort cloud | a spherical region of comets that surrounds the solar system |
| comet | A ball of frozen dust and rock that orbits the sun and has a tail that glows |
| astronomical unit | A unit of length used for distances within the solar system |
| meteor | a streak of light in the sky at night that results when a meteoroid hits the earth's atmosphere and causes it to explode |
| meteorite | stony or metallic object that is the remains of a meteoroid that has reached the earth's surface |
| meteroid | chunk of rock or dust in space |
| geocentric | having the earth as the center |
| heliocentric | Theory that sun is center of the universe |
| solstice | twice-yearly point at which the Sun reaches its greatest distance north or south of the equator |
| equinox | either of two times of the year when the sun crosses the plane of the earth's equator and day and night are of equal length |
| eclipse | an event in which the shadow of one celestial body falls on another |
| spring tide | the tide with the greatest difference between consecutive low and high tides |
| neap tide | the tide with the least difference between consecutive low and high tides |
First Time Here?
Welcome to Quizlet, a fun, free place to study. Try these flashcards, find others to study, or make your own.