Stars and the Solar System Vocabulary

Space - the region beyond the Earth's atmosphere in which there are stars and planets

Universe - all of space and everything in it including stars, planets, galaxies, etc.

Solar System - our sun and the planets that move around it

Sun - the star that the Earth moves around and that gives the Earth heat and light; center of our Solar System

Moon - the large round object that circles the Earth and that shines at night by reflecting light from the sun

Planet - a large, round object in space (such as the Earth) that travels around a star (such as the sun)

Mercury - the planet that is closest to the sun; the smallest planet in the Solar System

Venus - the planet that is second in order from the sun

Earth - the third planet from the Sun and it is the only planet known to have life on it

Mars - the planet that is fourth in order from the sun

Jupiter - the planet that is fifth in order from the sun and that is the largest of the planets

Saturn - the planet that is sixth in order from the sun and that is surrounded by large rings

Uranus - the planet that is seventh in order from the sun

Neptune - the planet that is eighth in order from the sun

Dwarf Planet - name used to classify some objects in the solar system.

Asteroid - small object in the Solar System that travels around the Sun

Comet - an object in outer space that develops a long, bright tail when it passes near the sun

Gas Giant - a large planet that has a solid core, but a very thick atmosphere; most of the planet is made up of gas

Rocky Planet

Telescope - a device shaped like a long tube that you look through in order to see things that are far away; important tool for astronomy

Astrolabe - tool using the positions of the stars or sun; it was formerly used in navigation to help explorers and sailors figure out where they were

Compass - a device that is used to find direction by means of a needle that always points north

Sextant - an tool used for navigation which measures angles; the user is able to measure the angle between the horizon and an object in the sky, such as the sun, a star, or a planet

Navigation

Exploration

Constellation

Orion

Ursa Major

Ursa Minor

Circumpolar Constellations

Day

Night

Rotation

Revolution

Phases of the Moon

New Moon

Full Moon

Quarter Moon

Crescent Moon

Gibbous Moon

Waxing

Waning

Axis

Polaris/North Star

Equator