SOL Study Guide - ES.3 The Solar System

Axial Tilt

The angle at which a planet's axis tilts. Earth's is 23 1/2 degrees and is responsible for our seasons.

Maria

Dark, flat areas on the moon's surface formed from huge ancient lava flows.

Revolution

Earth's year-long elliptical orbit around the sun. It takes 365 days to complete.

Asteroids

Rocky metallic objects that orbit the sun but are too small to be considered planets. They are thought to be leftover debris of the formation of the solar system or creations of the collisions of other asteroids.

Sunspots

Areas on the sun's surface that are cooler and less bright than surrounding areas and are caused by the sun's magnetic field.

Venus

Second planet from the Sun, but is the hottest because it has a thick atmosphere which traps heat. It is similar to Earth in mass and size but rotates backwards (retrograde rotation).

Crater

A bowl-shaped depression formed by the impact of a meteorite. Craters are common on the moon as well as Mercury because of their lack of atmosphere.

Dwarf Planet

A celestial body similar to a planet but orbiting in a zone that has many other objects. (Ceres, Pluto)

Prominence

A huge, reddish loop of gas that protrudes from the sun's surface.

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. Pluto and comets exist here.

Solar Wind

A stream of electrically charged particles flowing at high speeds from the sun. Causes the tails of comets to blow away from the sun. Also causes auroras (northern lights).

Moon

Any natural satellite of a planet. Earth has one, Mars has two, and the gas giants have many.

Satellite

Any object orbiting around a planet or star. May be natural or man-made.

Meteoroid

Any of the small solid debris located outside Earth's atmosphere.

Meteor

Any of the small, solid debris that enters the Earth's atmosphere

Moon phases

Phases are differences in the way the moon is seen as it revolves around the Earth. During the waxing phase the light is on the right side. During the waning phase the light is on the left side.

Mercury

Planet closest to the sun. It is now the smallest planet and revolves around the sun in the least amount of time. Has large craters like the moon due to objects such as asteroids smashing into it.

Jovian Planets

The Jupiter-like planets - also known as gas giants: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

Solstice

The two days of the year on which the sun reaches its greatest distance north or south of the equator. Winter Solstice - December 21. Summer Solstice - June 22.

Photosphere

The visible surface of the sun.

Solar System

Sun, planets, and all the other objects that revolve around the sun.

Comet

A ball of frozen dust and rock that orbits the sun and has a glowing tail that always points away from the sun due to the solar wind.

Earth

3rd planet from the sun and is located between the sun and the asteroid belt. It has one natural satellite, the moon. Water occurs as a solid, liquid, or a gas due to Earth's position in the solar system.

What lies between the inner and outer planets?

Asteroid belt

Auroras

Bright displays in the sky in polar regions of Earth when charged particles from solar flares contact Earths magnetic field.

Lunar Eclipse

Earth blocks sunlight from reaching the moon's surface when the Earth is directly between the sun and moon.

Solar Flares

Gases that are shot out of the sun at high speeds which can interact with radio signals on Earth.

Mars

Known as the "Red Planet", it is the fourth planet from the Sun. It appears reddish because of iron oxide in weathered rocks; has polar ice caps, a thin atmosphere of mostly carbon dioxide, and two moons.

Solar Eclipse

Occurs when the Moon passes directly between the Sun and Earth and blocks the sunlight from Earth's surface.

Saturn

Second-largest and sixth planet from the Sun; has a complex ring system, at least 31 moons, and a thick atmosphere made mostly of hydrogen and helium. It is less dense than the other planets and could float on water.

Uranus

Seventh planet from the Sun; is large and gaseous with thin, dark rings and rotates tilted on its side.

Water occurs on Earth in what states due to Earth's position in the solar system?

Solid (ice), liquid, and gas (water vapor)

What is the difference between Spring tides and Neap tides?

Spring tides (bottom picture) occur when the Earth, Sun, and moon are in alignment and are the highest. Neap tides (top picture) are lower tides.

Meteorite

Stony or metallic object that is the remains of a meteor that has reached the earth's surface.

Neptune

The eighth planet from the Sun; is large and gaseous, has rings that vary in thickness, and is bluish-green in color

Explain the energy of the sun.

The energy is in the form of heat and light caused by the fusion of hydrogen into helium.

Jupiter

The first of the gas giants and fifth planet from the Sun. Largest planet in the solar system. Has great red spot which is a storm.

Chromosphere

The inner layer of the sun's atmosphere that is visible as a red glowing gas at the beginning and end of total eclipses.

Tides

The periodic rise and fall of the oceans caused by the gravitational pull of the sun and moon. The moon is the primary force because it's closer to Earth.

Coma

The luminous cloud of particles surrounding the frozen nucleus of a comet.

Luna

The name of Earth's moon - a natural satellite that revolves around the Earth.

Corona

The outermost region of the sun's atmosphere that can only be seen during a total eclipse.

Terrestrial Planets

The small, dense, rocky planets of the inner solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.

Rotation

The spinning of Earth on its imaginary axis. It takes about 24 hours to complete and causes day and night to occur.

Sun

The star that is the center of our solar system. It is a medium, yellow star.

Impact Theory

The theory that a huge comet/meteor/astroid hit earth and caused debris to fly off, which then orbited around earth and formed the moon.

Equinox

Two days a year where the length of days and nights are equal. Vernal Equinox - March 21. Autumnal Equinox -- September 22.

Why are there so few craters on Earth?

Weathering and erosion causes them to disappear over time.