Space Science (Astronomy) - Middle School

(astronomy) the magnitude that a star would have if it were viewed from a distance of 10 parsecs (32.62 light years) from the earth

physicist born in Germany who formulated the special theory of relativity and the general theory of relativity; Einstein also proposed that light consists of discrete quantized bundles of energy (later called photons) (1879-1955)

the region of interplanetary space between Mars and Jupiter where most asteroids are found

(cosmology) the theory that the universe originated sometime between 10 billion and 20 billion years ago from the cataclysmic explosion of a small volume of matter at extremely high density and temperature

a group of seven bright stars in the constellation Ursa Major

a W-shaped constellation in the northern hemisphere near Polaris

a chain of connected objects, passages, or ideas

a natural object visible in the sky

a temperature scale that defines the freezing point of water as 0 degrees and the boiling point of water as 100 degrees

Austrian physicist famous for his discovery of the Doppler effect (1803-1853)

a gaseous layer of the sun's atmosphere (extending from the photosphere to the corona) that is visible during a total eclipse of the sun

(cosmology) a universe that is spatially closed and in which there is sufficient matter to halt the expansion that began with the big bang; the visible matter is only 10 percent of the matter required for closure but there may be large amounts of dark matter

(cosmology) the cooled remnant of the hot big bang that fills the entire universe and can be observed today with an average temperature of about 2.725 kelvin

a hypothetical invisible form of matter making up most of the universe

United States astronomer who discovered that (as the universe expands) the speed with which nebulae recede increases with their distance from the observer (1889-1953)

the entire frequency range of electromagnetic waves

a physical force produced from the interaction of charged particles

of or relating to a temperature scale proposed by the inventor of the mercury thermometer

a temperature scale that defines the freezing point of water as 32 degrees and the boiling point of water a 212 degrees

a point of convergence of light (or other radiation) or a point from which it diverges

an English astrophysicist and advocate of the steady state theory of cosmology; described processes of nucleosynthesis inside stars (1915-2001)

the time when the Moon is fully illuminated

Italian astronomer and mathematician who was the first to use a telescope to study the stars; demonstrated that different weights descend at the same rate; perfected the refracting telescope that enabled him to make many discoveries (1564-1642)

any of the four outermost planets in the solar system

the force of attraction between all masses in the universe

the full moon nearest the September equinox

the tide when the water is highest

Greek philosopher and astronomer; she invented the astrolabe

English mathematician and physicist

German astronomer who first stated laws of planetary motion

any of the four outermost planets in the solar system

the largest planet and the 5th from the sun

a temperature scale that defines absolute zero as 0 degrees

(physics) the law that states any two bodies attract each other with a force that is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them

a year with 366 days that occurs every four years

a zodiacal constellation in northern hemisphere between Cancer and Virgo

electromagnetic radiation that can produce visual sensation

the distance that light travels in a vacuum in 1 year

a cluster of seven stars in Ursa Minor

the lowest (farthest) ebb of the tide

when the earth interrupts light shining on the moon

a spacecraft that carries astronauts from the command module to the surface of the moon and back

the period between successive new moons (29.531 days)

the lines of force surrounding a permanent magnet or a moving charged particle

a dark region of considerable extent on the surface of the moon

a small reddish planet that is the 4th from the sun and is periodically visible to the naked eye; minerals rich in iron cover its surface and are responsible for its characteristic color

the smallest planet and the nearest to the sun

a transient shower of meteors when a meteor swarm enters the earth's atmosphere

a relatively short electromagnetic wave used for cooking food

the galaxy containing the solar system

one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year

the natural satellite of the Earth

an independent agency of the United States government responsible for aviation and spaceflight

a less than average tide occurring at the first and third quarters of the moon

a giant planet with a ring of ice particles

a star that has collapsed under its own gravity

the phase in which the moon is in conjunction with sun and is invisible or appears as a narrow waxing crescent

Polish astronomer who produced a workable model of the solar system with the sun in the center (1473-1543)

a common nonmetallic element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless inert diatomic gas; constitutes 78 percent of the atmosphere by volume; a constituent of all living tissues

the northernmost point of the Earth's axis

the brightest star in Ursa Minor

a star that ejects some of its material in the form of a cloud and become more luminous in the process

a nuclear reaction in which nuclei combine to form more massive nuclei with the simultaneous release of energy

the lens or system of lenses in a telescope or microscope that is nearest the object being viewed

(astronomy) a hypothetical huge collection of comets orbiting the sun far beyond the orbit of Pluto; perturbations (as by other stars) can upset a comet's orbit and may send it tumbling toward the sun

a constellation on the equator to the east of Taurus

a major planet whose orbit is outside the asteroid belt

a constellation in the northern hemisphere near Andromeda and Pisces

the intensely luminous surface of a star

one of many small solid celestial bodies thought to have existed at an early stage in the development of the solar system

a dwarf planet with an elliptical orbit

Alexandrian astronomer (of the 2nd century) who proposed a geocentric system of astronomy that was undisputed until the late Renaissance

energy that is transmitted in the form of radiation

astronomical telescope that picks up electromagnetic radiations in the radio-frequency range from extraterrestrial sources

a large, old, luminous star

optical telescope consisting of a large concave mirror that produces an image that is magnified by the eyepiece

a toroidal shape

a giant planet that is surrounded by three planar concentric rings of ice particles; the 6th planet from the sun

one of the natural periods into which the year is divided by the equinoxes and solstices or atmospheric conditions

when the moon interrupts light from the sun

a sudden eruption of intense high-energy radiation from the sun's surface; associated with sunspots and radio interference

a stream of protons moving radially from the sun

a rocket-propelled guided missile that can escape the earth's atmosphere; makes observations of the solar system that cannot be made by terrestrial observation

a reusable spacecraft with wings for a controlled descent through the Earth's atmosphere

a manned artificial satellite in a fixed orbit designed for scientific research

the four-dimensional coordinate system (3 dimensions of space and 1 of time) in which physical events are located

the use of spectroscopes to analyze spectra

the speed at which light travels in a vacuum

a greater than average tide occurring during the new and full moons

a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy

a chart showing the relative positions of the stars in a particular part of the sky

English theoretical physicist (born in 1942)

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

a cooler darker spot appearing periodically on the sun's photosphere; associated with a strong magnetic field

an extremely bright star of very large diameter and low density

a planet having a compact rocky surface like the Earth's

the continuum of experience in which events pass to the past

a giant planet with a ring of ice particles

a constellation outside the zodiac that rotates around the North Star

a constellation outside the zodiac that rotates around the North Star

the second nearest planet to the sun

(physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation

a faint star of enormous density

the period of time that it takes for a planet (as, e.g., Earth or Mars) to make a complete revolution around the sun