ASTR-1010 Lecture 3: Astronomy Notes for Midterm 1
6 Oct 2016
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Document Summary
Earth solar system milky way galaxy the local group the local supercluster. Star: a large, glowing ball of gas that generates heat and light through nuclear fusion. Planet: a moderately large object which orbits a star; it shines by reflected light. Planets may be rocky, icy, or gaseous in composition. Moon: an object which orbits a planet. Asteroid: a relatively small and rocky object which orbits a star: it often isn"t even a spherical shape because it isn"t massive enough, left over chunks of rock from the solar systems formation. Comet: a relatively small and rocky object which orbits a star. Solar (star) system: a star and all the material which orbits it, including its planets and moons. Constellations are not real: they are patterns that people throughout time have thought they saw. Nebula: an interstellar cloud of gas and dust. Within a galaxy are solar systems and nebula.
