- Industry: Astronomy
- Number of terms: 6727
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Planetary Science Research Discoveries (PSRD) is an educational site sharing the latest research by NASA-sponsored scientists on meteorites, asteroids, planets, moons, and other materials in our Solar System. The website is supported by the Cosmochemistry Program of NASA's Science Mission ...
The visible light in the sky produced when a meteoroid passes through Earth's atmosphere (can also refer to the glowing meteoroid itself).
Industry:Astronomy
A small, mostly rocky body orbiting the Sun. Asteroids range in size from 1000 kilometers in diameter to tiny objects you could hold in your hand. Most asteroids orbit the Sun between Mars and Jupiter (the Asteroid belt), and are the source of most meteorites. Principal asteroids are: 1 Ceres (a dwarf planet), 2 Pallas, 3 Juno, and 4 Vesta. The majority of asteroids fall into three types: C-type (carbonaceous), S-type (silicate or stony), and M-type (metallic).
Industry:Astronomy
Scientist who studies Earth, its structure, its materials, the physical and chemical processes and changes that occur on the surface and in the interior, and the history of the planet and its life forms. Planetary geologists extend their studies to the Moon, planets, and other solid bodies in the Solar System.
Industry:Astronomy
A compound formed by combining one carbon atom with two oxygen atoms, making the molecule CO<sub>2</sub>. Carbon dioxide is an important part of the atmospheres of Venus and Mars. Carbon dioxide gas condenses to a solid below -78° C. This solid is commonly known as dry ice. The polar ice caps on Mars are made of frozen water and carbon dioxide.
Industry:Astronomy
Naturally occurring inorganic solid with a definite chemical composition and crystal structure.
Industry:Astronomy
The time when the Sun is 12-18 degrees below the horizon. When the Sun moves from 19 to 18 degrees below the horizon, astronomers can begin to detect an increase in the brightness of the sky, although to the naked eye the sky still looks dark.
Industry:Astronomy
Mixture of gases that surround and are gravitationally attached to a planet.
Industry:Astronomy
Fluid magma that flows onto the surface of a planet or moon; erupted from a volcano or fissure. Also, the rock formed by solidification of this material.
Industry:Astronomy
