Copy of `Kids Know It - Astronomy terms`

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Kids Know It - Astronomy terms Category: Sciences > Astronomy Date & country: 15/02/2017, USA Words: 140

Day
Amount of time it takes the Earth to spin once on its axis.

Density
The compactness of matter.

Direct motion
Objects moving around the Sun in the same direction as the Earth are moving in direct motion, objects moving in the opposite direction are moving in retrograde motion.

Constellation
A grouping of stars which have been given names by ancient astronomers because of the way they look.

Corona
The outermost part of the Sun's atmosphere.

Conjunction
When a planet appears to come close to another planet or star. It only appears to come close because it moves in between the other object and the Earth.

Comet
A small, frozen mass of dust and gas revolving around the sun.

Coma
The hazy-looking patch surrounding the nucleus of a comet.

Color index
A measure of a star's color, which tells scientists how hot the star's surface is.

Clusters
A group or stars or galaxies which are held together by their common gravity.

Cepheid
A variable star that scientists can use to determine how distant a galaxy or star cluster is.

Charge-Coupled Device
(CCD) A sensitive imaging device which is replacing photography in most branches of Astronomy.

Chromosphere
Part of the Sun's atmosphere, it is visible during a total solar eclipse.

Circumpolar star
A star which never sets, but can be viewed year round.

Celestial sphere
An imaginary sphere surrounding the Earth. It is used to help astronomers explain where objects are found in the sky.

Binary star
A star which is actually made up of two stars orbiting each other.

Black Hole
A region of space around a very small and extremely massive object within which the gravitational field is so strong that not even light can escape.

Bolide
A brilliant meteor, which may explode during its descent through the Earth's atmosphere.

Bolometer
A sensitive radiation detector.

Axis
An imaginary straight line on which an object rotates.

Background radiation
Weak microwave radiation coming from space in all directions. It is believed to be the remnant of the Big Bang.

Barycentre
The center of gravity of the Earth and moon.

Astrology
A belief that links the positions of the stars and planets to human destinies. It has no scientific background.

Astronomical Unit
The distance from the Earth to the Sun. Usually written AU.

Astrophysics
The use of physics and chemistry in the study of Astronomy.

Atmosphere
The gaseous area surrounding a planet or other body.

Atom
The smallest particle of any element.

Aurora
Beautiful lights seen over the polar regions which are caused when energized particles from the Sun react with the Earth's magnetic field.

Apastron
When two stars that orbit each other are as far away from each other as they can get.

Aphelion
The point in an object's orbit around the Sun when it is furthest from the Sun.

Apogee
The point in an object's orbit around the earth when it is furthest from the Earth.

Asteroid
rock, or Minor Planet orbiting the Sun.

Aerolite
A meteorite which is stoney.

Airglow
The natural glow of the night sky due to reactions that take place in the Earth's upper atmosphere.

Albedo
The albedo of an object is how much light it reflects. A perfect reflector such as a mirror would have an albedo of 100, the moon has an albedo of 7, and the Earth has an albedo of 36.

Angstrom unit
Unit used to measure the wavelength of light, and other electromagnetic radiation.

Annular
Shaped like or forming a ring.

Acceleration
Change in velocity (speed, or direction).

Absolute zero
The lowest possible temperature, -273.16 degrees C.

Absolute magnitude
How bright a star would look if it were 32.6 light years away from the Earth.