The Solar System Vocab

Meteoroid

• A small rocky or metallic body in outer space, smaller than an asteroid.

• A large celestial body that orbits the sun.

• A fragment of a comet that has entered the Earth's atmosphere.

• A type of star that has exploded in a supernova.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

Gravity

• A force that repels two bodies away from each other.

• A force that attracts two bodies towards each other, typically noticeable as the force that gives weight to objects with mass.

• A type of energy that allows objects to move freely in space.

• A phenomenon that occurs only on Earth.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

NGSS.MS-PS2-5

Gases

• Substances in a state of matter with no fixed shape or volume, often making up planetary atmospheres.

• Solid substances that maintain a fixed shape and volume.

• Liquids that take the shape of their container but have a fixed volume.

• Plasma states that are ionized and conduct electricity.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

NGSS.MS-PS1-4

Atmosphere

• The layer of gases surrounding a planet or moon, held in place by gravity.

• A solid layer of minerals beneath the Earth's surface.

• A type of weather phenomenon that occurs in the sky.

• The region of space beyond the Earth's atmosphere.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Weight

• The force exerted on an object due to gravity, calculated as mass times the gravitational acceleration.

• The total mass of an object regardless of its location.

• The measure of how much matter is in an object, independent of gravity.

• The resistance an object offers to being accelerated by a force.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

Light Year

• A unit of time used to measure the speed of light.

• A unit of astronomical distance equivalent to the distance that light travels in one year, approximately 9.46 trillion kilometers.

• A measure of the brightness of stars.

• A unit used to measure the temperature of stars.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

Meteorite

• A celestial body that burns up upon entering the Earth's atmosphere.

• A fragment of a meteoroid that survives its passage through the atmosphere and lands on Earth's surface.

• A type of rock found only on the Moon.

• A meteor that is visible from Earth but does not reach the surface.

Force

• An influence that can change the motion of an object, often described by its magnitude and direction.

• A type of energy that is stored in an object.

• A measure of the amount of matter in an object.

• A push or pull that does not affect the object's motion.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-1

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

Asteroid

• A small icy body orbiting the Sun, primarily found in the Kuiper Belt.

• A small rocky body orbiting the Sun, mostly found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

• A large planet that orbits the Sun between Mars and Jupiter.

• A celestial object that emits light and is often visible at night.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

Black Hole

• A region of space with no gravitational pull.

• A region of space having a gravitational field so intense that no matter or radiation can escape.

• A celestial body that emits light.

• A type of star that is larger than the sun.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

NGSS.MS-PS2-4