CHAPTER 20

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.

THE SOLAR SYSTEM

16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27.

GEOCENTRIC a model of the universe in which Earth is at the center of the revolving planets and stars HELIOCENTRIC a model of the solar system in which Earth and the other planets revolve around the sun ELLIPSE an oval shape, which may be elongated or nearly circular CORE the central region of the sun, where nuclear fusion take place NUCLEAR FUSION the combining of two atomic nuclei to produce a single large nucleus and much energy, the process by which hydrogen atoms join together in the suns core to form helium RADIATION ZONE a region of very tightly packed gas in the suns interior where energy is transferred mainly in the form of light CONVECTION ZONE the outermost layer of the suns interior PHOTOSPHERE the inner layer of the suns atmosphere that gives off its visible light, the suns surface CORONA the outer layer of the suns atmosphere SOLAR WIND a stream of electrically charged particles that emanates from the suns corona SUNSPOT a dark area of gas beneath the topsoil that contains mostly clay and other minerals PROMINENCE a huge , reddish loop of gas that protrudes from the suns surface , linking part of sunspot regions SOLAR FLARE an eruption of gas from the suns surface that occurs when the loops in sunspot regions suddenly connect TERRESTRIAL PLANETS the name often given to the four inner planets; Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars GREENHOUSE EFFECT the process by which heat is trapped in the atmosphere by water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane and other gases that form a blanket around Earth, THE TRAPPING OF HEAT BY A PLANETS ATMOSHPERE GAS GIANT the name often given to the first four outer planets Jupiter, Saturn , Neptune RING a thin disk of small ice and rock particles surrounding a planet COMET a loose collection of ice, dust and small rocky particles, typically with a long, narrow orbit of the sun COMA the fuzzy outer of a comet NUCLEUS the central core of an atom that contains the protons and neutrons , the solid inner core of a comet KUIPER BELT a doughnut-shaped region that stretches from around Plutos orbit to about 100 times Earths distance from the sun OORT CLOUD a spherical region of comets that surrounds the solar system ASTEROID BELT the region of the solar system between the orbits of mars and Jupiter where many asteroids are found METEOROID a chunk of rock or dust in space METEOR a streak of light in the sky produced by the burning of a meteoroid in Earths atmosphere METEORITE a meteoroid that passes through the atmosphere and hits Earths surface EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE life that exists other than that on Earth