| eclipse |
the blocking from view of the sun, a moon, or a planet by another heavenly body. In an eclipse of the sun, the sun is hidden from earth's view by the moon passing between the sun and the earth. [1/3 definitions] |
| extraterrestrial |
existing or coming from a place outside planet Earth. |
| galaxy |
a collection of billions of stars and other matter held together by gravity. Our planet Earth and the sun belong to the Milky Way galaxy. They are only tiny parts of this galaxy. |
| geology |
the land forms and rocks of a particular place on the earth or other planet. [1/2 definitions] |
| globe |
the world; planet Earth. [1/2 definitions] |
| Jupiter |
the largest planet in the solar system and fifth in distance from the sun. Jupiter has sixteen moons and is more than one thousand times larger than Earth. [1/2 definitions] |
| mantle |
the layer of the earth that lies between the crust and the core. The crust is the top layer of the earth--the layer we live on. The core is the center of our earth. The mantle is very thick and makes up most of the entire planet. [1/2 definitions] |
| Mars |
the seventh largest planet in the solar system and fourth in distance from the sun. Mars is known as "the red planet" because of its unusual color. [1/2 definitions] |
| mercury |
(capitalized) the planet of the solar system that is nearest to the sun. Mercury is the second smallest planet. [1/3 definitions] |
| Neptune |
the fourth largest planet in the solar system and eighth in distance from the sun. [1/2 definitions] |
| orbit |
the curved path in which a planet, satellite, or spacecraft moves in a circle around another body. [1/3 definitions] |
| plate |
a tectonic plate, one of the parts of the outer layer of planet Earth. Tectonic plates cover the whole planet and make up both the land that humans and animals live on and the land under the oceans. Tectonic plates move very, very slowly and they touch each other as they move. Sometimes this contact between the tectonic plates causes things like volcanoes, earthquakes, and the building up of mountains. [1/7 definitions] |
| Pluto |
a dwarf planet in the Earth's solar system, formerly considered a planet and the one that was smallest and farthest from the sun. [1/2 definitions] |
| satellite |
a heavenly body that moves around a planet or another larger body. [2/3 definitions] |
| Saturn |
the second largest planet in the solar system and sixth in distance from the sun. Saturn is known for the icy rings that circle its middle. [1/2 definitions] |
| tectonic plate |
one of the plate-like segments of the Earth's crust and upper mantle. The plates form the outer shell of the planet, and they are actually moving very slowly. Where the plates come into contact with each other, their movement can cause or play a part in the eruption of volcanoes, the building of mountains, and the occurrence of earthquakes. |
| tectonics |
the study of the crust of a planet and how it is constructed. |
| terrestrial |
of or relating to the planet Earth. [1/2 definitions] |
| Uranus |
the third largest planet in the solar system and seventh in distance from the sun. [1/2 definitions] |
| Venus |
the sixth largest planet in the solar system and second in distance from the sun. Venus has a dense, cloudy atmosphere. The clouds that cover Venus reflect light and make it the brightest planet. [1/2 definitions] |
| world |
a planet or star thought of as being like the earth. [1/6 definitions] |