8.4 Earth in Space Vocab

Front

Yearly (or Annually)

Back

Happening once a year.

Front

Refract

Back

Bending light.

Front

Elevation

Back

The angle of an object above the horizon.

Front

Universe

Back

All of the matter and all of the energy in space.

Front

Galaxy

Back

A large collection of stars held together by gravity.

Front

Orbit

Back

The path an object takes as it revolves around another object in space.

Front

Solar System

Back

The sun and all the objects that orbit it, including planets, moons, and asteroids.

Front

Asteroid

Back

A small rocky body that orbits the sun, primarily found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

Front

Comet

Back

A small icy body that, when passing close to the sun, heats up and begins to release gases, forming a glowing coma and tail.

Front

Light Year

Back

The distance that light travels in one year, approximately 5.88 trillion miles.