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Chapter 5
planet- a large body in space that
revolves around a star
asteroid- a small rocky object that
orbits the Sun
Many scientists believe that the dinosaurs were killed from the effects of
an asteroid that hit the Earth 65 million years ago.
Meteorites, Meteors, and Meteoroids
They all start off in space. They are like
asteroids, but smaller. They all start as
meteoroids. They are chunks of rock in
space. When they enter our atmosphere,
they burn. Those burning are called
meteors. Most burn until there is nothing
left. If there is something left and it makes
it to the Earth’s surface, it is called a
meteorite.
light-year- unit of measurement for
distances in space; it equals the
distance light travels in a year
(it’s about 5.8 trillion miles)
Distances are so large in the universe that we can’t really use miles.
Light years are just easier. It’s also interesting to think about the light we
are seeing. For instance, when we look at things in the sky, we don’t
actually see how they look right now; we see what they looked like. When
we see the:
Moon- we see it as it was 1 second ago
Sun- 8 minutes ago
Saturn- 80 minutes ago
Sirius (the brightest star)- 8.5 years ago
Andromeda galaxy- 2.2 million years ago
comet- a small, orbiting body
made of dust, ice, and frozen gases
Here is a picture of Halley’s comet and two images of it’s odd orbit.
inner planets- the four planets of
our solar system that are closest to
the sun
Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars
magnitude- the brightness of a star
as perceived from Earth
In this picture of stars it seems that some are bigger or closer than
others. That may or may not be true; it also has to do with their
magnitude. For instance, Betelgeuse looks brighter than Alnilam, but it is
not. Alnilam is much farther from us.
outer planets- the four planets of
our solar system farthest from the
Sun
solar system- a Sun (star) and all
the bodies in space that revolve
around it
The Kepler-30 solar system has a parent
planet with three planets in orbital
alignment circling it.
star- a giant sphere of glowing
Many people think our
gases
Sun is the biggest star.
It’s not. There are many
stars that are bigger than
our Sun. Keep in mind
that you can fit one
million Earths in our Sun.
Then notice the picture
to the left. Our Sun is a
tiny dot compared to the
star known as VY Canis
Majoris. Try to imagine
how many planet Earths
could fit inside it!
Quiz Time!
asteroid, comet, inner planets, lightyear, magnitude, meteor, meteorite,
meteoroid, outer planets, planet, solar
system, star
Which word means the four planets farthest
from the Sun?
outer planets
Quiz Time!
asteroid, comet, inner planets, lightyear, magnitude, meteor, meteorite,
meteoroid, outer planets, planet, solar
system, star
Which word means matter that made it to
Earth’s surface from space?
meteorite
Quiz Time!
asteroid, comet, inner planets, lightyear, magnitude, meteor, meteorite,
meteoroid, outer planets, planet, solar
system, star
Which word means a large body that
revolves around a star?
planet
Quiz Time!
asteroid, comet, inner planets, lightyear, magnitude, meteor, meteorite,
meteoroid, outer planets, planet, solar
system, star
Which word means a chunk of matter
smaller than an asteroid orbiting the sun?
meteoroid
Quiz Time!
asteroid, comet, inner planets, lightyear, magnitude, meteor, meteorite,
meteoroid, outer planets, planet, solar
system, star
Which word means the four planets closest
to the Sun?
inner planets
Quiz Time!
asteroid, comet, inner planets, lightyear, magnitude, meteor, meteorite,
meteoroid, outer planets, planet, solar
system, star
Which word means a chunk of matter that
burns up in our sky (atmosphere)?
meteor
Quiz Time!
asteroid, comet, inner planets, lightyear, magnitude, meteor, meteorite,
meteoroid, outer planets, planet, solar
system, star
Which word means the brightness of a star?
magnitude
Quiz Time!
asteroid, comet, inner planets, lightyear, magnitude, meteor, meteorite,
meteoroid, outer planets, planet, solar
system, star
Which word means a small, orbiting body
made of dust, ice, and frozen gases?
comet
Quiz Time!
asteroid, comet, inner planets, lightyear, magnitude, meteor, meteorite,
meteoroid, outer planets, planet, solar
system, star
Which word means unit for measuring
distances in space?
light-year
Quiz Time!
asteroid, comet, inner planets, lightyear, magnitude, meteor, meteorite,
meteoroid, outer planets, planet, solar
system, star
Which word means a giant sphere of
glowing gases?
star
Quiz Time!
asteroid, comet, inner planets, lightyear, magnitude, meteor, meteorite,
meteoroid, outer planets, planet, solar
system, star
Which word means a star and all the bodies
in space that revolve around it?
solar system
Quiz Time!
asteroid, comet, inner planets, lightyear, magnitude, meteor, meteorite,
meteoroid, outer planets, planet, solar
system, star
Which word means a small, rocky object
that orbits the Sun?
asteroid