 Glossary of Astronomical terms.
|
annular eclipse |
a solar eclipse in which a ring, or annulus, of the Sunıs photosphere remains visible |
Apollo 11 |
the first manned spacecraft to land on the Moon |
asteroid |
one of the thousands of tiny planets orbiting the Sun mostly located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. |
| asteroid belt |
a wide gap between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter where most asteroids can be found |
| astronomer |
a scientist who studies objects in space |
| Astronomy |
the science that deals with the universe beyond Earthıs atmosphere |
| axis |
an imaginary line around which an object spins |
| Bailey's Beads |
a chain of several bright “beads” of white light, visible just before and just after a total solar eclipse |
| celestial |
pertaining to the sky; heavenly. |
| chromosphere |
a layer in the Sun and many other starts just above the photosphere |
| comet |
an object made of dust and frozen gases that orbits the Sun. |
| corona |
the faint, white light seen around the Sun during a solar eclipse. |
| craters |
bowl-shaped holes found on the Moonís surface. |
| crecent |
the figure of the Moon during its first and last quarter, resembling a segment of a ring with pointed ends. |
| cycle |
a period of time in which events repeat themselves in the same order. |
| Earth |
the third planet from the Sun. |
| eclipse, lunar |
the passing of the Moon into the Earthıs shadow. |
| eclipse, solar |
the passing of the Moonıs shadow across the Earth. |
| planets |
the main bodies in space that revolve around the Sun. |
| fireball |
a very bright meteor. |
| galaxy |
a group of stars, gas and dust. |
| Galileo |
a famous Italian astronomer (1564-1642) who was the first person to use a telescope to look at the sky. |
| gas |
a state of matter |
| gibbous |
a phase of the Moon in which more than half of the side we see is illuminated. |
| half moon |
the first-quarter or third-quarter phase, when half the visible side of the Moon is illuminated. |
| helium |
a gas that's lighter-than-air. |
| hydrogen |
a gas. |
| lunar |
having to do with the Moon . |
| lunar eclipse |
occurs when the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon. |
| maria |
smooth places on the Moonıs surface; seas. |
| meteor |
a streak of light in the sky caused by a chunk of rock burning up in Earth’s air. |
| meteorite |
a meteoroid that lands on a planet or a satellite. |
| meteoroids |
chunks of iron, nickel, and other materials that move through space.
|
| meteor shower |
the appearance of many meteors during a short period of time as the Earth passes through a comet’s orbit, |
| orbit |
the path of one object in space around another object. |
| penumbra |
the larger shadow cast by the Moon during a solar eclipse. |
| phase |
the shape the Moon appears to be as seen from Earth. |
| photosphere |
the surface of the Sun. |
| planets |
the main bodies in the solar system that revolve around the Sun. |
| revolution |
the movement of one object around another. |
| rotation |
the spinning of an object. |
| satellite |
a smaller object that revolves around a larger object. |
| shadow bands |
light and dark bands that appear to sweep across the ground before and after a total solar eclipse. |
| shooting stars
| meteors |
|
| solar eclipse |
occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun. |
| solar flares |
bright areas in the Sun’s atmosphere from which hot gases shoot out. |
| solar prominences |
light from the cooler, darker areas of the Sun. |
| solar system |
the nine planets, their moons, and the Sun. |
| sunspots |
dark spots on the Sun. |
| telescope |
an instrument that makes distant objects appear closer and larger. |
| umbra |
the darker, smaller shadow cast by the Moon during a total solar eclipse. |