13, 14. Space Glossary and Space Vocabulay Part1

Astronomy is the study of everything that lies beyond the Earth's atmosphere.

The gases held by gravity around Earth and around other planets. 'Atmosphere' can also be used to talk about gases around stars.

The basic building block of matter, made of protons, neutrons, and electrons. Different kinds of atoms exist, such as hydrogen and carbon.

Natural light displays in the Earth’s sky, typically seen in high-latitude regions.

Bright glows and bands of light that appear in the skies at night near the South Pole, also known as the southern lights.

Bright glows and bands of light that appear in the skies at night near the North Pole, also known as the northern lights.

A vehicle whose blades rotate in a horizontal plane due to aerodynamic forces alone, creating lift.

The study of objects moving through the air that have been given a short-lived acceleration.

An instrument for measuring atmospheric pressure.

A region of space having a gravitational field so intense that no matter or radiation can escape.

An event thought to mark the beginning of our Universe, postulating that all matter exploded from an infinitely compressed state 10 to 20 billion years ago.

The study of the chemical processes and substances that occur in biological and geological contexts.

A celestial object that is too large to be a planet but too small to sustain hydrogen fusion reactions in its core, which is the defining characteristic of stars.

The process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide.

A type of star that pulsates radially, varying in both diameter and temperature, producing changes in brightness with a well-defined stable period and amplitude.

A detachable self-contained unit of a spacecraft.

A type of instability that occurs when there is a velocity difference across the interface between two fluids.

The smallest unit of a substance that still acts like the main substance, which can be a single atom or a group of atoms.

A synthetic fibre of high tensile strength used especially as a reinforcing agent in the manufacture of tyres and other rubber products.

A rotorcraft that uses a single rotating blade.

A region of the Solar System beyond the orbit of Neptune, believed to contain many small icy bodies.

A seasonal prevailing wind that brings heavy rains.

The opposite of El Niño, occurring due to unusually cold sea surface temperatures across the east-central Equatorial Pacific, affecting winter temperatures in the Southeast and Northwest United States.

A natural object that travels around a bigger natural object, such as a planet or dwarf planet.

A position in space where the gravitational forces of a two-body system, like Earth and the Moon, produce enhanced regions of attraction and repulsion.

A unit of distance equal to exactly 1.852 kilometers or about 6076.1 feet.

Taking place along constant streamlines, without turbulence.

A tide just after the first or third quarters of the moon when there is least difference between high and low water.

A family of compounds of chlorine, fluorine, and carbon, entirely of industrial origin. CFC's are responsible for Ozone layer deprivation.

A nocturnal coastal breeze that blows from land to sea, caused by pressure differences due to temperature variations.

A giant cloud of dust and gas in space, some of which are regions where new stars are being born.

The short dimension (front-to-rear) of a glider's wing.

The distance north or south of the equator, measured in degrees.

An extremely light (possibly massless) particle that is affected only by the weak force and gravity.

The second of the three main layers in the Sun’s atmosphere, situated above the photosphere and below the corona.

The force that directly opposes the weight of an airplane and holds the airplane in the air.

A wall or partition designed to inhibit or prevent the spread of fire.

A type of stellar remnant that can result from the gravitational collapse of a massive star after a supernova, made mostly of neutrons.

The branch of geology that focuses on the age and time sequence of rock layers.

The distance light travels in one year, approximately 9.46 trillion kilometers.

A sudden and severe flood, typically caused by heavy rain.

A star showing a sudden large increase in brightness and then slowly returning to its original state over a few months.

Intermittent burning of a rocket motor, accompanied by the sound of a steam engine starting.

A sudden electrostatic discharge during a thunderstorm, accompanied by a vivid flash of light.

An area of low-lying ground adjacent to a river, formed mainly of river sediments and subject to flooding.

A device designed to control the direction or characteristics of a fluid flow as it exits or enters an enclosed chamber.

High-altitude clouds made of ice crystals, appearing thin and wispy.

A process that generates a liquid from a solid or gas, or generates a non-liquid phase that behaves according to fluid dynamics.

Fine dry or wet particles of dust, salt, or other impurities that can concentrate in a layer next to the Earth when air is stable.

Production of light when electricity flows through a tube that is filled with a type of gas.

When a celestial body passes in front of a more distant star or object, obscuring it from sight.

The region between Earth and the Moon.

The part of the Earth consisting of the crust and mantle.

A prolonged period of excessively hot weather.

The amount of energy that passes through a unit area per unit time in a specified direction.

A spherical shell around our solar system that may contain more than a trillion icy bodies.

The circular orbit at approximately 35,800 km above the equator, where satellites travel at the same speed as the Earth's rotation, appearing stationary to an observer on Earth.

The angular distance from the Greenwich meridian (0 degrees), along the equator.

A descent during air travel is any portion where an aircraft decreases altitude, and is the opposite of an ascent or climb.

A type of aircraft which derives both lift and propulsion from one or more sets of horizontally revolving overhead rotors, capable of moving vertically and horizontally.

A dry, warm, down-slope wind that occurs in the lee of a mountain range.

The gravitationally curved trajectory of an object around a point in space.

The weather in some location averaged over a period of time.

The inability to receive a satellite signal because the satellite's orbital path has taken it below the antenna's horizon.

The atmospheric temperature (varying according to pressure and humidity) below which water droplets begin to condense and dew can form.

A model of the solar system where the Sun is at the center, as opposed to the Earth.

A thick cloud of tiny water droplets suspended in the atmosphere near the Earth’s surface.

An imaginary gigantic flat plate containing an Earth satellite's orbit.

Long-term changes in temperature, precipitation, wind patterns, and other aspects of the Earth’s climate system.

A diffuser is a device for reducing the velocity and increasing the static pressure of a fluid passing through a system.

Related to the Moon.

The gradual boundary between the heliosphere and the interstellar gas outside our solar system.

Free drift mode refers to a state of motion engaged by an object in orbit, whereby constant attitude is not maintained.

The lifting of an air mass as it flows over a mountain range.

The study of climate, its variations, and impacts over long periods.

The bubble-like region of space dominated by the solar wind, a stream of charged particles released from the upper atmosphere of the Sun.

Number of cycles and parts of cycles completed per second. F = 1/T, where T is the length of one cycle in seconds.

An event that occurs when the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, causing the Earth’s shadow to fall on the Moon.

Inclination of an aircraft's wing from the horizontal, especially upwards away from the fuselage.

Precipitation that occurs when moist air is lifted over a mountain range.

A galaxy cluster, or cluster of galaxies, is a structure that consists of anywhere from hundreds to thousands of galaxies that are bound together by gravity.

A half of the earth, usually divided into northern and southern halves by the equator, or into western and eastern halves by an imaginary line passing through the poles.

The instantaneous variation of the frequency of a carrier wave in response to changes in the amplitude of a modulating signal.

The space around a magnet where the magnetic force is active, helping protect Earth from space weather.

The pattern of temperature change over the course of a day.

One component of fuel used to support the combustion of a rocket propellant.

The leading edge of a cooler mass of air, replacing a warmer mass of air.

A disturbance in the magnetosphere due to solar activity.

The boundary between two different air masses.

The international unit of frequency equal to one cycle per second.

The change in frequency or wavelength of a wave in relation to an observer moving relative to the wave source.

An almost colorless, gaseous form of oxygen with an odor similar to weak chlorine.

An instance of one moving object or person striking violently against another.

The observation that the farther away a galaxy is, the faster it is moving away from us.

The study of the magnetic properties and behavior of electrically conducting fluids.

Water condensation occurring on surfaces below freezing. Condensing water turns to ice.

A layer in the Earth’s stratosphere that absorbs most of the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation.

A radar tracking system that measures the velocity of objects.

The process of burning something.

The region surrounding a celestial body where its magnetic field controls the motions of charged particles.

The main body of an aircraft.

The amount of water vapor in the air.

The study of the history of the oceans in the geological past.

In observational astronomy, a double star or visual double is a pair of stars that appear close to each other in the sky as seen from Earth when viewed through an optical telescope.

A celestial object consisting of a nucleus of ice and dust, and when near the sun, a 'tail' of gas and dust particles pointing away from the sun.

A movement or series of moves requiring skill and care.

The increase in signal power produced by an amplifier.

The erosive process that reduces the size of glaciers.

A tropical cyclone with sustained winds of at least 74 mph, particularly a storm in the Caribbean.

For a solid object moving through a fluid or gas, drag is the sum of all the aerodynamic or hydrodynamic forces in the direction of the external fluid flow. It acts to oppose the motion of the object.

The study of past climates using evidence from tree rings, ice cores, and other sources.

An artificial satellite used to relay radio, television, and telephone signals around the earth, usually in geostationary orbit.

A massive, gravitationally bound system consisting of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas, dust, and dark matter.

The measure of a celestial object’s intrinsic brightness as it would appear at a standard distance of 10 parsecs.

The study of the interactions between the hydrological cycle and climate.

The region of the Earth's interior between the crust and the core, consisting of hot, dense silicate rocks.

A prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall.

A cloth canopy which fills with air and allows a person or heavy object to descend slowly when dropped from an aircraft.

A material in which two or more distinct, structurally complementary materials are combined to produce structural or functional properties not present in any individual component.

Part of the electromagnetic spectrum, also called gamma radiation. These waves have lots of energy and come from big events like solar flares and exploding stars.

Relating to or found in the sea.

The pathways through which water is cycled in the terrestrial biosphere.

Objects that are round and orbit the sun, but unlike planets, dwarf planets are not able to clear their path around the sun.

The lowest possible temperature, at which substances contain no heat energy.

The apparent shift in position of a nearby star against the background of distant objects due to Earth’s orbit around the Sun.

Any reciprocating or rotating device that compresses a gas.

A highly energetic explosion observed in distant galaxies, thought to be associated with the collapse of massive stars or the merger of neutron stars.

All the waters on the Earth’s surface, such as lakes and seas.

The amount of matter something is made of.

The process by which one substance takes in or absorbs another.

The third planet of the solar system which is the only known life habitable planet in the universe.

A tiny amount or small piece of something.

Change of a substance to a denser form, such as gas to a liquid.

The balance between the gravitational force and the pressure gradient force in a fluid.

A loose collection of atoms moving around each other.

The stuff that everything is made of, including atoms and larger structures like planets.

A structure formed by diffused material in orbital motion around a massive central body.

Any communications link between an earth station and a satellite.

The instruments that are accommodated on a spacecraft.

A group of stars in the sky, often named after an animal, object, or person, forming certain patterns based on the observer's location.

An instrument that measures water vapor content in the air and communicates changes in humidity visibly and immediately through a graph or a dial.

Having or representing the earth as the centre, as in former astronomical systems.

A condition in which natural precipitation becomes acidic after reacting with air pollutants.

A measure of how an orbit deviates from being circular, describing the shape of an orbit.

A vortex of air within a convective storm.

The shadow cast by the earth or moon over an area experiencing a partial eclipse.

The vertical transfer of heat or other atmospheric properties.

The upper boundary of the mesosphere where the temperature of the atmosphere reaches its lowest point.

A hypergolic propellant combination used in a rocket engine is one whose components spontaneously ignite when they come into contact with each other.

A surface of constant gravitational potential around the Earth - an averaged surface perpendicular to the force of gravity.

The phenomenon when one celestial body obscures another.

The point in an orbit where an object is closest to the Earth.

The deflection of moving objects when they are viewed in a rotating reference frame.

A compact region at the center of a galaxy that has a much higher than normal luminosity.

The atmospheric layer above the stratosphere, extending from about 50 to 85 kilometers altitude.

Relating to speeds of more than five times the speed of sound (Mach 5).

The plane of Earth’s orbit around the Sun, which is used as the primary reference plane for celestial coordinates.

The point in the orbit of a planet, asteroid, or comet at which it is closest to the sun.

The outer atmosphere of a star.

A magnetic storm on Earth.

A mechanical device for moving or controlling something.

A glacial period characterized by lower global temperatures and ice sheet expansion.

Rock that has undergone transformation by heat, pressure, or other natural agencies.

Organisms interacting with their physical environment.

Time required for a satellite to make one complete orbit.

Relating to the universe or cosmos, especially as distinct from the earth.

Geophysics is a subject of natural science concerned with the physical processes and physical properties of the Earth and its surrounding space environment, and the use of quantitative methods for their analysis.

Technology used to improve the performance of optical systems by reducing the effect of wavefront distortions.

A weather condition that sometimes occurs in the Pacific Ocean, affecting weather all over the world, starting with unusually warm water in the Pacific Ocean near the equator.

The luminous flux per unit area on an intercepting surface at any given point.

A small body of matter from outer space that enters the Earth’s atmosphere, becoming incandescent due to friction.

The physical elements of the Earth's surface, crust, and interior.

A quantity measuring the influence of a substance on the magnetic flux in the region it occupies.

The thermal radiation left over from the time of recombination in Big Bang cosmology.

An adhesive is a substance added to two components in order to bond them together.

The name for all the different kinds of light and energy in the universe, including radio waves, microwaves, infrared radiation, visible light, ultraviolet light, X-rays, and gamma rays.

A satellite instrument that measures and maps the Earth and its atmosphere, converting data into pictures.

A meteoroid that lands on the surface of a planet.

A satellite orbiting the Earth at the same rotational speed, appearing stationary relative to the surface.

Minor corrections to the Keplerian model of a satellite orbit as an ellipse of constant shape and orientation.

High-energy radiation, mainly originating outside the Solar System and even from distant galaxies.

The rate at which the temperature of an air parcel changes as it moves vertically.

The branch of physics that deals with the interaction between electric charges and currents, and magnetic fields.

A crater on a planet or satellite caused by the impact of a meteorite or other object.

An orbit where a satellite moves at the same rate as the Earth’s rotation, staying over the same spot.

A little chunk of rock in space smaller than a pickup truck.

The science of the origin and development of the universe, dominated by the Big Bang theory.

The breaking down of a chemical compound by photons.

A process in which no heat is transferred to or from the system by its surroundings.

The force that can alter the motion of electricity, measured in terms of the energy per unit charge imparted to electricity passing through the source of this force.

A force acting briefly on a body and producing a finite change of momentum.

A wind that results from a balance between the Coriolis force and the pressure gradient force.

The universe seen as an orderly, harmonious whole.

The scientific study of the atmosphere and weather patterns.

The measurement of light intensity, often used in the study of stars and other celestial objects.

The horizontal transfer of heat or other atmospheric properties.

Specific information used to define and locate a particular satellite.

A geosynchronous orbit (sometimes abbreviated GSO) is an orbit around Earth of a satellite with an orbital period that matches Earth's rotation on its axis, which takes one sidereal day.

Impulsive flares accelerate mostly electrons, with some protons.

The climate of a very small or restricted area, especially when it differs from the surrounding climate.