Vocabulary

Revolution: one complete trip of one object around another object. Rotation: a complete spin on an axis. Planet: a large object that orbits a star and does not produce its own light. Moon: a natural object that orbits a planet. Asteroid: rocky objects orbiting the sun, usually found between Mars and Jupiter. Star: an object in space that produces its own energy, including heat and light. Solar System: made up of a star and the objects that orbit around it. Galilean Moons: Jupiter's largest moons- Ganymede, Calliston, Io, and Europa. Named after Galileo who discovered them with his telescope in 1610. Comet: mixture of frozen gases, ice, dust, and rock that move in an orbit around the sun. Dwarf planet: object that is spherical in shape, orbits the sun, and does not clear its orbit of smaller debris. Star: object that produces its own energy, including heat and light. Nebula: huge cloud of gases and dust. White Dwarf: small and very dense star that shines with a cooler white light. Supernova: exploding star. Constellations: patterns of stars. Star Charts: Maps of the night sky that help you locate a star or constellation.