Astronomy Quiz

Glossary of Terms related to Astronomy & Space Science

absolute zero The temperature limit at which no further cooling of a substance can occur, and at which the motion of the
molecules is at a minimum (or, more accurately, at the minimum allowed by Quantum Mechanics). The
energy associated with this minimum motion is called "zero point energy" by physicists.

absorption lines Dark lines in a spectrum, produced when light or other electromagnetic radiation coming from a distant
source passes through a gas or similar object closer to the observer.

absorption spectrum A graph or display relating how a substance absorbs electromagnetic radiation as a function of
wavelength.

accelerator A machine for speeding subatomic particles to a high velocity, then colliding them with a stationary target
or with another beam of particles moving in the opposite direction, producing exotic particles.

accretion The process in which small rocks, dust particles or gases accumulate under the influence of gravity.

Andromeda galaxy A major spiral galaxy, 2.2 million light-years from the Earth, which is gravitationally bound to the Milky
Way galaxy.

alkali metals A group of soft very reactive elements including lithium, sodium and potassium.

alkaline Non-acidic; basic, having a pH greater than 7.

alkaline earth metals A group of metallic elements including calcium, strontium and barium.

alloy A solid solution of two or more metals.

amu An acronym for atomic mass unit.

anemopause The boundary where the pressure of the solar wind equals the pressure of a planet's upper atmosphere;
also known as ionopause.

angstrom A unit of distance measure that equals 10-10 meters.

anion A negatively charged chemical substance.

anomaly A departure from the expected; an abnormality.

anti-matter Material composed of antiparticles, which are just like ordinary protons, electrons, and neutrons except
they have opposite electrical charges and magnetic moments. When antimatter and matter collide, both
are annihilated with the production of other elementary particles, such as photons.

antiquarks Particles that have the same mass as ordinary quarks but have opposite charge.

array A group of individual pieces arranged in a repeating order to form a complete unit.
asteroid A small solar system body ranging in size from a few hundred kilometers to less than one kilometer in
size.

asteroid belt The region between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter where most of the Solar System asteroids are found.

astronomers Scientists that study the natural world beyond the Earth.

astronomical unit (AU) The average distance between the Earth and the sun, 1.5 x 1011 meters.

astronomy The science that studies the natural world beyond the Earth.

atom The smallest unit of an element.

atomic mass unit A unit of mass equal to 1/12 the mass of an atom of the carbon isotope with mass number 12;
approximately 1.66 x 10-27 kilogram.

atomic number The number of protons in an atom’s nucleus, used to identify the element.

atomic radius A measure of the size of an atom, assuming the atom has the shape of a sphere.

atomic spectroscopy The study of the absorption and emission of light by atoms.

average (see mean)

average atomic mass A value for an element's atomic mass based on the relative abundances of different isotopic masses.

avionics The development and production of electrical or electronic devices for use in aviation, missiles, or
astronautics.

axion A theoretical elementary particle with a mass less than one millionth or an electron that has never been
detected. If axions exist, dark matter could consist of large collections of axions.

background radiation (see cosmic background radiation)

baryons Elementary particles with a large mass that are influenced by the strong nuclear force and are held
together by a combination of three quarks. Protons and neutrons are baryons. Baryons have half-integral
spins.

baryonic matter (see MACHOs and baryons)

Big Bang A theory of cosmology that the universe originated billions of years ago as a violent eruption of a single
point.

binary compounds Chemical compounds made of only two elements.

bipolar jets Material emitted in streams from opposites sides of an object.

blackbody A body that absorbs and reemits all radiation falling on it.

blackbody spectrum The spectrum of energy level against wavelength for electromagnetic radiation emitted by an object
capable of absorbing all the energy that strikes it.

black hole The highly compressed remains of a star, which has mass but takes up no space.

Bohr atomic model A view of the atom as consisting of a central nucleus with electrons orbiting around the nucleus.
bosons Force-carrying particles including photons, the quanta of electromagnetic force and gluons, quanta that
carry the strong nuclear force.

bow shock (see shock wave)

brown dwarf stars Low-mass stellar objects too small and too cool for hydrogen fusion to occur.

bright matter (see luminous matter)

bubbles (see voids)

c-field The source of matter being created in order to maintain a steady state universe. See also steady state.

CERN The Center for European Nuclear Research, Geneva, Switzerland.

calorie The unit of heat defined as the amount of heat required to cause a one-degree temperature centigrade
increase in one gram of water.

cation A positively charged chemical substance.

CG or center of gravity The (imaginary) single point at which the mass of an object may be considered to be concentrated; used
for calculations.

Cepheid variables A group of variable stars with exceptionally regular periods of pulsation.

charge-coupled devices Technological instruments that contain light-sensitive silicon chips with an arrangement of light-sensitive
(CCDs) spots called pixels.

chemical families Groups of elements sharing similar physical and chemical characteristics.

chromosphere An incandescent, transparent layer of gas lying above and surrounding the photosphere of a star, but
clearly separated from the corona; the outermost layer of the solar atmosphere.

closed universe A universe that will continue to expand slowly enough that the gravitational attraction between the different
galaxies will cause the expansion to slow down until the universe collapses; one in which the ratio of
actual density to the critical density is less than 1.

clusters (see star clusters or galactic clusters)

color A property of quarks that expresses their behavior in the presence of the strong nuclear force; analogous
to electrical charge, but there are three color charges-red, green, and blue.

condensation temperature The temperature at which a gaseous substance becomes a liquid.

conduction The transfer of heat (or electricity) through a substance, resulting from a difference in temperature (or
electrical potential) between parts.

contingency An event that may possibly occur, but its occurrence is uncertain.

continuum spectrum An electromagnetic spectrum containing all wavelengths of the visible region.

convection Heat transfer in a gas or liquid by the circulation of currents from one region to another.

convection zone or layer A layer of the sun's structure that exists external to the radiative zone and below the photosphere.
Convection currents circulate the sun's energy within the convection zone.
corona A faintly colored luminous ring that appears to surround celestial bodies.

coronal streamer Large-scale magnetic structure observed in the sun's corona.

cosmic background Microwave radio emission coming from all directions and corresponding to a blackbody curve.
radiation

cosmic microwave (see cosmic background radiation)

background radiation

cosmic rays A stream of ionizing radiation of extraterrestrial origin.

cosmic structures Large structures such as stars, planets, galaxies, and clusters of galaxies formed late in the present
epoch.

cosmogonists Scientists concerned with the origin of the universe.

cosmogony The study of the origin of the universe.

cosmological constant A term used to express a force of "cosmic repulsion," the force that counteracts gravity.

cosmologists Scientists who study the structure and changes in the present universe in order to predict the future of the
universe.

cosmology An astrophysical study of the structure and dynamics of the universe.

crater A depression on the surface of a planet (or a moon) usually caused by the impact of a meteoroid.

critical density The cosmic density of matter required “close” the universe and eventually halt cosmic expansion.

curation Careful storage of samples in unadulterated form for later scientific analysis.

Dalton An atomic mass unit. A unit of mass that equals 1/12 the mass of the most abundant isotope of carbon
(12C), which is assigned a mass of 12.

dark line The absence of a given wavelength or set of wavelengths in a continuum spectrum.

dark matter Material that is believed to make up more than 90% of the mass of the universe, but is not readily visible
because it neither emits nor reflects electromagnetic radiation, such as light or radio signals. Its
composition is unknown.

deceleration parameter The quantity that defines the rate at which the expansion of the universe is slowing down; the braking
effect of the galactical gravitational force; a function of cosmic matter density.

density The ratio of an object's mass to its volume.

derived data Values calculated from collected data.

deuteron The nucleus of a deuterium atom, consisting of a proton and a neutron. It is regarded as a subatomic
particle with a unit positive charge.

deuterium The isotope of hydrogen whose nucleus is one neutron and one proton.

diversity Differences or unlikeness.

Doppler effect An apparent change in the frequency of waves (such as sound or light) that occurs when the source and
observer are in motion relative to each other. The frequency increases when the source and observer
approach each other, while the frequency decreases when they move apart.
Doppler shifts Usually regards spectral lines. (see Doppler effect)

down quarks One of six flavors of quarks that has a charge of -1/3 in units of elementary electric charge.

dwarf galaxies Galaxies having only 1 million to 10 million stars. They have low mass and low escape velocities.

dwarf stars Stars with masses less than 5 times the mass of the sun. (The sun is a dwarf star.)

dynamic Pertaining to change or process over time resulting from physical forces of energy.

eclipsing binary star A pair of stars in which the dimmer one regularly passes in front of and then behind the brighter one,
decreasing and increasing the visible light from the pair in a sequential pattern.

ecliptic The apparent annual path of the sun on the celestial sphere.

ecliptic plane The plane of the Earth’s orbit around the sun.

EDU or engineering A model that serves as a mechanical prototype for proof of concept; matches form, fit, and function of the
development unit final product.

ejecta Material expelled from the impact site during a crater formation.

electromagnetic radiation Carries energy through a medium, including empty space, where it travels at the speed of light in the form
of a wave of tiny packets of energy (see Photons).

electromagnetic spectrum The entire range of electromagnetic radiation.

electron A subatomic (elementary) particle carrying a unit negative charge.

electronegativity A measure of the tendency to attract electrons in order to form a chemical bond.

element Matter composed of atoms with identical numbers of protons in their nuclei.

elliptical galaxies One of the three major classifications of galaxies. They are spherical or cigar-shaped and contain no disks
or spiral arms.

emission lines Bright spectral lines produced in a spectrum by a luminous source.

emission nebula A cloud of interstellar gas lit by nearby stars.

emission spectrum The spectrum of bright lines, bands, or continuous radiation that is provided by a specific emitting
substance as it loses energy and returns to its ground state.

entropy A measure of the amount of disorder in a system.

equatorial diameter The diameter of a planet measured at its equator, which is greater than the pole to pole diameter if the
planets is not spherical.

escape velocity The speed needed by an object to escape from the gravitational field of a body.

Euclidean geometry Geometry is the mathematics of lines drawn through space. In Euclidean geometry, space is postulated to
be "flat," similar to a three-dimensional analog of a plane.

exotic elements Elements not existing in nature; manmade elements.

extrapolation Inferring or estimating a value by projecting or extending known values.

extraterrestrial Anything that originates, is located, or occurs outside Earth or its atmosphere.

filament A prominence that appears dark against the bright solar disk.

finite Having definable limits; circumscribed or restricted, measurable.

first ionization potential A measure of the energy required to remove the outermost electron from an atom.
(fip)

First Law of Heat is a form of energy. When this is taken into account, energy for a closed system (one that doesn't
Thermodynamics ineract in any way with anything else) is always conserved.

fission The splitting of a large nucleus into smaller pieces.

flat universe A universe that will continue to expand very slowly, just fast enough to avoid recollapse; one in which the
ratio of actual density to the critical density is 1.

flavor Designation of one of six quark types-up, down, strange, charm, top and bottom-that determines how they
are influenced by the weak nuclear force.

fluence The total number of particles delivered to an area; time-integrated flux; similar to a dosage.

frequency The number of wave crests that pass a stationary observer in one second.

fundamental forces Agents that cause a change in a system. There are four known fundamental forces-strong nuclear force,
weak nuclear force, gravity, and electromagnetic.

fundamental particles Particles that cannot be divided into smaller particles. (see also particles)

fusion (see nuclear fusion)

fusion reaction (see nuclear fusion)

galactic clusters Cosmic structures in which many galaxies are found in close proximity to each other.

galactic disk The plate-shaped component of a spiral galaxy that constitutes the plane of the galaxy.

galactic dynamics The orbital motion or rotation of stars and galaxies under the influence of gravitational force.

galactic halo A spherical aggregation of stars, globular star clusters and thin gas clouds centered on the nucleus of a
galaxy and extending beyond the known extremities of the galactic disk.

galaxy A large aggregation of stars, bound together by gravity. There are three major classifications of galaxies-
spiral, elliptical, and irregular.

gamma rays Highly energetic electromagnetic radiation emitted by radioactive decay.

gaseous planets (see Jovian planets)

gauss Unit of intensity of a magnetic field equal to a field of one line of force per cm2.

general relativity (see relativity)

giant planets (see Jovian planets)

giant stars Stars with masses from 5 to 100 solar masses.

globular cluster A roughly spherical group of stars, smaller than a galaxy. A cluster of 105 stars, mostly very old, red, low
 mass stars.

gravitational constant A constant, G, in the mathematical formula of Newton's definition of gravitational force, F=Gm1m2/r2.
When the mass of objects is expressed in kilograms and r is in meters, then G = 6.6 x 10-11 N m2/kg2 and
the force unit, F, is Newtons.

gravitational lensing A technique that takes advantage of the fact that matter distorts the space surrounding it, warping the light
from background stars and galaxies, used to detect the presence of dark matter.

gravitationally bound Pertaining to galaxies being held together by gravity and not drawn apart by the expansion of the
universe.

gravitational energy The capacity to do work by objects moving under the influence of the attraction between their masses.

gravitons The quanta thought to convey gravitational force, analogous to photons, gluons, and bosons.

gravity In Newtonian physics, the universal, mutual attraction of all massive objects for one another. Its force is
directly proportional to the mass of each object, and decreases by the square of the distance separating
the objects. In Einstein's general relativity, gravity is viewed as a consequence of the curvature of space
induced by the presence of a massive object.

greenhouse effect The warming effect caused by the Earth's atmosphere allowing easy entry of visible light, but difficult
escape of infrared radiation (heat).

groups The levels of cosmic structures having densities and orbital velocities between galaxies and clusters. Most
galaxies belong to small groups

hadrons Elementary particles with large mass that are influenced by the strong nuclear force. There are two types
of hadrons-mesons, which have zero spin, and baryons, which have half-integral spins.

halides Binary compounds that contain halogen atoms—fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and iodine.

halo (see galactic halo)

halogens A group of five nonmetallic elements, including fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, and astatine.

heat Energy that can move or transfer from one object to another because of a difference in temperature,
resulting in a gain or loss of internal energy of particle motion.

helioseismology The study of oscillations of the sun's photosphere that result from seismic events within the interior.

helium nucleus Two bare bound protons, with one or two neutrons.

hertz A unit of frequency equal to one cycle (or wave) per second.

Heterogeneous Consisting of dissimilar constituents (mixed).

histogram A "bar graph".

Homogeneous The quality of consisting of similar parts or elements.

Hubble constant The rate at which the universe expands, equal to 20 kilometers per second per 106 light years of distance.

Hubble law The law that correlates the velocities at which distant galaxies are receding from one another to the
distances between them.

Hubble's bubbles (see voids)

hydrogen nucleus A bare proton.

ices The solid state of substances (such as ammonia, carbon dioxide, and methane) that are found in the
gaseous state at standard atmospheric conditions.

implode Violent compression; opposite of explode.

infinite Being without limits of any kind; without end or indefinitely large; unmeasurable.

infrared radiation Electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength longer than the longest visible wavelength but shorter than
those in the microwave and radio ranges.

inhomogeneous Not homogenous. (see homogenous)

insulator A material that is a poor conductor of heat, therefore delaying the transfer of heat (also can be used to
describe electrical conduction).

interpolation Determining or estimating a value between known values.

interstellar Between the stars.

interstellar dust grains Clumps of atoms and molecules in the interstellar medium.

interstellar gases Molecules of gas in the interstellar medium.

interstellar medium Material occupying the space between stars.

ion An atom or molecule that has a net electrical charge from gaining or losing electrons.

ionize Turn into an ion or charged particle.

ionization potential A measure of the energy required to remove an electron from an atom or ion.

ionizing radiation Electromagnetic radiation that has sufficient energy to cause the loss of one or more electrons from atoms
or molecules, thereby ionizing them.

ionopause (see anemopause)

IR or infrared Invisible radiation, sensed as heat, which has wavelengths longer than red visible light and shorter than
microwaves.

isotopes One of two or more atoms having the same atomic number but differing in atomic weight and mass
number.

isotropy The state of having the same properties in all directions.

Jovian planets The four larger planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune) which, if they have solid surfaces, are
covered by a deep gaseous atmosphere.

Kelvin A unit of absolute temperature.

launch window The dates or times during which a rocket may be launched and safely sent into its trajectory.

leptons Elementary particles that have very small or no measurable mass and are not influenced by the strong
nuclear force. Electrons, meson, and neutrinos are leptons.

libration An oscillation in the apparent aspect of a secondary body (such as a satellite) as seen from the primary
object around which it revolves.
Light year The distance that light travels in one year, 5.8 x 1012 miles or 9.3 x 1015 meters.

line spectrum A spectrum that appears as distinct lines of particular wavelengths that are characteristic for the various
elements.

L1 Lagrangian point; the point of stability between two celestial bodies; for Genesis, the L1 point is on the sun
side of the Earth.

luminosity The radiant energy output from an object.

luminous matter Matter that emits or reflects electromagnetic radiation. Also called bright matter, it is made primarily of
baryonic material

MACHOs Dark matter jargon for Massive Compact Halo Objects referring to objects in galactic halos made of
protons and neutrons; also called baryonic matter.

magnetic field The region of space near a magnetized body, in which magnetic forces are exerted.

magnetopause The outer boundary of a planet's magnetosphere where the magnetosphere encounters the solar wind.

magnetosheath The turbulent region between the bow shock and the magnetosphere of a planet.

magnetosphere The region surrounding a planet where the behavior of electrically charged particles is determined by the
planet's magnetic field.

magnetotail An elongated "wake" of plasma found on the side of a planet opposite the sun.

mass A measure of an object's resistance to acceleration; different from but proportional to the object's weight.

mass number The total number of neutrons and protons in the nucleus of an atom.

mass spectrometry The experimental determination of the mass of an atom or molecule by observing its behavior as it is
accelerated in a magnetic field.

mass spectrum A graph obtained from a mass spectrophotometer that shows the atomic or molecular mass of the sample
vs. the number of atoms or molecules having that mass.

mean A number that typifies a set of numbers of which it is a function. The value obtained by dividing the sum of
a set of quantities by the number of quantities in the set.

mega parsec One million parsecs.

metals A group of solid lustrous elements, often ductile and malleable, that form compounds easily with
nonmetals and form alloys with other metals.

metalloids A group of elements that either have a mixture of metallic and nonmetallic characteristics (like arsenic) or
are generally nonmetallic but can form alloys with metals (like carbon).

meteorite That portion of a meteoroid that survives passage through the atmosphere.

meteoroid A meteoritic body in space.

microlensing (see gravitational lensing)

micron A unit of length equal to 1/1000 of a millimeter.

microwaves Electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths of about 10-4 to 1 m.

MIPS or million A measure of computer information processing speed.
instructions per second

Milky Way galaxy The spiral galaxy of which our sun is a part.

molecular cloud A collection of chemical molecules in the interstellar medium mutually attracted by gravity.

momentum The quantity of motion in a body. For linear momentum, it is the mass of the body multiplied by its velocity.

nanometer A unit of distance measurement that equals 10-9 meters.

neutrino Mysterious and poorly understood sub-atomic particles that have no charge and little, if any, mass.

neutron An uncharged, subatomic particle of approximately the same mass as the proton.

noble gases A group of elements that, except for helium, combine to form compounds only under extreme conditions.
Helium does not form compounds, even under these conditions.

nonmetals A group of elements that gain or share electrons to form compounds with metals or other nonmetals. They
are poor conductors of heat and electricity, even in the solid state.

nova Literally a "new" star; an exploding star which suddenly becomes visible from Earth.

nuclear fusion The process of two atomic nuclei fusing to produce a new nucleus, the mass of which is less than the sum
of the masses of the two fusing atoms.

nuclear reaction A chemical reaction which, unlike most, occurs between the nuclei of atoms rather than between their
exterior electrons.

nuclei Plural of nucleus.

nucleon Protons and neutrons, those particles that make up the nucleus of an atom.

nucleus The protons and neutrons, found at the center of an atom, that contribute most of the atom's mass.

nuclide An atomic nucleus specified by its atomic number and atomic mass.

omega An index of matter density of the universe, defined as the ratio of actual density to the critical density.

open universe A universe that will continue to expand forever; one in which the ratio of actual density to the critical
density is greater than 1

parsec A unit of length in astronomy; 3.258 light years.

particles Fundamental units of matter and energy.

periodic Having a repeating pattern.

photons Tiny, discrete packets (or units) of electromagnetic energy

photosphere The visible surface of the sun; the zone that occurs at the top of the convection zone, where atoms no
longer block radiative flow. As the hot atoms cool, they release their excess energy as photons of radiant
energy, some of which fall into the visible light portion of the spectrum.

pitch That property of sound which is determined by the frequency of vibration of sound waves which strike the
ear.
planet A cosmic object that is more massive than an asteroid but less massive than a star and shines by
reflected light.

planetesimal Accretions of solar nebula material having a mass of 10+18 g, which combine to form more massive
bodies.

plasma An electrically neutral yet highly ionized gas comprised of ions, electrons, and neutral particles; often
considered to be the fourth state of matter.

plasma universe A theory of the universe that asserts that parts of the universe expand while others contract.

positron A positively charged electron.

potential energy The energy of a particle or system of particles derived from position, or condition, rather than from motion.

preconception Aconcept formed in advance of further instruction; if inaccurate, may make learning difficult.

primordial nebula (see solar nebula)

prism An object, usually a triangular-based polyhedron of glass, that causes a mixture of wavelengths of light to
be separated or dispersed. Isaac Newton produced a spectrum with a prism in 1672.

probability Branch of mathematics that deals with the predicted outcomes of random chance events.

probability cloud Description of the most likely region where an electron may be found.

prominence A structure in the corona consisting of cool plasma supported by magnetic fields.

protium The isotope of hydrogen whose nucleus is one proton (no neutrons).

proton A subatomic particle having a single positive charge and constituting the nucleus of the ordinary hydrogen
atom.

proton-proton fusion A nuclear fusion process in which both reacting atoms are ionized hydrogen atoms that lack electrons.

protostars Young stars.

quanta Fundamental units of energy.

quarks Fundamental particles of which protons and neutrons are made; held together by strong nuclear force.
Quarks have color, flavor, and fractional electric charges.

quasar A quasi-stellar object; objects far from Earth, moving extremely swiftly away from Earth, and emitting
visible light and radio frequency radiation.

radiant energy (see electromagnetic radiation)

radiation The emission or transmission of energy in the form of waves through space or another medium.

radiative zone or layer About 70% of the sun; the section where energy travels outward by radiation.

radio emissions Radiation in the radiowave portion of the electromagnetic radiation emanating from an object.

radiotelescopes Sensitive radio antennae used to detect radio energy emitted by nebulae, galaxies, and pulsars.

rare earth metals Elements with atomic numbers from 57 through 71.

ratio A comparison of two quantities, expressed as a fraction.

rays A system of bright, elongated streaks, sometimes associated with a crater.

reciprocal centimeter (cm- The quotient of unity divided by a measurement in centimeters,

1) or 1/cm

red giant stars Later evolutionary stages of low-mass stars, which collapse then expand.

red shift An apparent increase in wavelength (becoming more red) of the radiation from an object moving away
from the observer.

redundancy Planning in an identical copy of a functional component to serve as backup in case of failure of the
primary component.

relative abundance (of The proportion in a sample of the masses of all naturally occurring isotopes of an element to the mass of
isotopes) the most abundant isotope of that element.

relativity Einstein's general theory of relativity was his theory of gravitational force. His special theory of relativity
was his theory of the electrodynamics of moving systems.

rotational period The time necessary for a body to make one turn about its axis.

Rydberg equation An equation that predicts the positions of the lines in an emission spectrum of the hydrogen atom

salt A chemical compound formed by combining the anion of an acid with the cation of a base.

Second Law of Some forms of transformations of one kind of energy to another are not observed to occur in natural
Thermodynamics processes. The observed transformations in a closed system are always characterized by a
nondecreasing entropy. In open systems where the entropy may be kept constant, the allowed
transformations are always characterized by a decrease in the amount of (free) energy available to do
useful work.

shock wave A region of abrupt change in pressure and density caused by supersonic flow around a body.

Si or silicon A nonmetallic chemical element, number 14, which is a major component of many types of rocks and
minerals on Earth; used to make glass, concrete, and semiconductors.

solar core The central region of the sun's structure that consists of protons, neutrons, nuclei, and free electrons and
is the site of proton-proton fusion reactions.

solar nebula A diffuse mass of interstellar dust and/or gas that is thought to be the remnants of the material out of
which the sun formed.

solar wind The components of the sun that are spewed into the void of outer space.

space-time The four-dimensional description of events as depicted in the theory of relativity.

spectra Plural of spectrum.

spectrograph A device used to spread-out radiation into its component wavelengths.

spectroscope A tool which produces, observes, and records the spectra of elements.

spectroscopy The study of spectra.

spectrum The distribution of energy from a radiant source, arranged in order of wavelengths.

spin Angular momentum.

spiral galaxy One of the three major classifications of galaxies; their characteristics include a plate-shaped disk
containing spiral arms.

stagnation point The point at which the solar wind plasma comes closest to the center of a planet.

star A cosmic structure that generates energy by means of nuclear fusion at its core.

star clusters Aggregations of stars that are gravitationally bound, but are smaller and less massive than galaxies.

static Pertaining to bodies at rest, without motion, at equilibrium; not being acted upon by physical forces of
energy.

steady state A condition that exists when the value of some parameter remains constant over time because the rate of
accumulation of this parameter equals the rate of its loss.

stellar wind A flow of charged particles out of a star.

stochastic process A process or event that involves the occurrence of random chance events.

strong nuclear force Fundamental force of nature that binds quarks together; holds protons and neutrons together to form the
nucleus of an atom. A gluon is a quanta of strong nuclear force.

structure (see cosmic structure)

sunspot A temporary, disturbed area of the solar photosphere that appears dark because it is cooler than the
surrounding areas; concentration of strong magnetic flux on the sun's surface.

supercluster A cluster of tens of thousands of galaxies, typically about one hundred million light-years in diameter.

supergiant stars Stars with masses over 100 solar masses.

terrestrial Belonging to the Earth.

terrestrial planets Those planets - Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars (and Pluto?) - having a hard, rocky surface.

thermal equilibrium A condition that exists between two objects when they have reached the same temperature and heat
energy no longer flows between them.

thermodynamics The study of heat and its transformation into mechanical energy.

thermostat A practical device used to open and close an electrical circuit through the bending of a bimetallic strip, due
to a difference in the rate of contraction and expansion of the different types of metal on each side of the
strip.

Third Law of There is an absolute zero to temperature (0 Kelvin) where all forms of matter become perfectly ordered
Thermodynamics (usually to perfect crystals).

thought experiment An experiment that cannot be or is not carried out in practice; it is reasoned through by thought and
intuition.

tidal force A gravitational force that causes a changing effect on the shape of an object.

tired light A theory of the universe that maintains that light, as it travels vast distances, loses energy, creating a
redshift distance relationship that is not due to cosmic expansion.

trajectory A path, usually curved, of an object moving through space.

tritium The isotope of hydrogen whose nucleus is one proton and two neutrons.
ultraviolet radiation Radiation of wavelengths between that of violet visible light and x-rays.

up quarks One of six flavors of quarks that has a charge of +2/3 in units of elementary electric charge.

valence electron An outer electron which can participate in forming a bond.

visible spectrum Electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths from about 400 nm to around 750 nm.

voids Spaces between superclusters that are relatively free of luminous matter. Also called bubbles.

volume The space occupied by an object.

wavelength The distance between adjacent wave crests of electromagnetic radiation.

waves Propagation of energy by means of coherent vibration.

weak nuclear force Fundamental force of nature that governs the process of nuclear radioactive decay.

weighted average A mean or average that is adjusted to reflect value or proportion.

WIMPs Dark matter jargon for Weakly Interacting Massive Particles; includes electrons, which have very little
mass, and neutrinos, which may have zero mass. Also called nonbaryonic matter.

worm holes Tunnels through space-time linking one black hole to another.

x particles Theoretical particles that may have decayed into quarks and antiquarks as the temperature significantly
decreased after the Big Bang.

x-rays A relatively high-energy photon with wavelengths in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers.

x-ray emissions Radiation in the x-ray portion of the electromagnetic radiation emanating from an object.

yagi antenna Antennae used for detecting radio-waves

zenith The imaginary point exactly above an observer’s head

zodiac A group of 12 constellations through which the Sun is seen to pass through.