Transcript Astronomy Vocabulary

Astronomy Vocabulary
Tim Burroughs
Period 1
4/7/10
Terms
Asteroids
Comet
Meteor
Lunar Eclipse
Solar Eclipse
Seasons
Revolution
Rotation
Tides
Solar System
Asteroids
Rocky objects that revolve around the sun but are to small to
be considered planets.
Comet
A loose collection of ice, duct and small rocky particles.
Meteor
Asteroid that passes through the Earth’s atmosphere.
Lunar Eclipse
The blocking of sunlight to the Moon that occurs when the
Earth is directly between the Sun and the Moon.
Solar Eclipse
The blocking of sunlight to the Earth that occurs when the
Moon is directly between the Sun and the Earth.
Seasons
Caused by the tilt in the Earth’s axis as it revolves around
the Sun.
Revolution
Circling around a center point.
Rotation
An object that is spinning around on an axis.
Tides
Caused by differences in how much the moons gravity pulls
on different parts of the Earth.
Solar System
The Sun together with the eight planets and all other
celestial bodies that orbit the Sun.