Details

Title: Astronomy Book Vocabulary

Description: Chapter 3/Sections 3-5

Total Flash Cards: 14

Created: 06/26/2005 12:38:40

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Additional Astronomy Flashcards

Cards in this set:

Term
terrestrial planets
 Definition
the name often given to the four inner planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars
Term
greenhouse effect
 Definition
the trapping of heat by a planet's atmosphere
Term
gas giant
 Definition
the name often given to the first four outer planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune
Term
comet
 Definition
a loose collection of ice, dust, and small rocky particles, typically with a long, narrow orbit
Term
asteroids
 Definition
rocky objects revolving around the sun that are too small and numerous to be considered planets
Term
asteroid belt
 Definition
the region of the solar system between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, where many asteroids are found
Term
meteoroid
 Definition
a chunk of rock or dust in space
Term
meteor
 Definition
a streak of light in the sky produced by the burning of a meteoroid in Earth's atmosphere
Term
meteorite
 Definition
a meteoroid that passes through the atmosphere and hits Earth's surface
Term
ring
 Definition
a thin disk of small ice and rock particles surrounding a planet
Term
Oort cloud
 Definition
a spherical region of comets that surrounds the solar system
Term
coma
 Definition
the fuzzy outer layer of a comet
Term
nucleus
 Definition
the solid inner core of a comet
Term
Kuiper belt
 Definition
a doughnut-shaped region that stretches from around Pluto's orbit to about 100 times Earth's distance from the sun