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tidally locked | Space and Astronomy | 1 | When a celestial body, such as a planet or moon, always has one side facing the body it orbits, such as a star or planet. A tidally-locked planet has a day side facing the heat of its star, and a colder night side facing away. Tidal forces and the star’s gravity “lock” the planet, so that its orbital period is equal to its rotation period. |
red dwarf star | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A class of small, relatively cool stars, emitting dim, red light. They are the most common type of star, comprising about 75 percent of all stars in the galaxy. |
m dwarf star | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A class of small, relatively cool stars, emitting dim, red light. They are the most common type of star, comprising about 75 percent of all stars in the galaxy. |
light-year | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The distance light travels in one year, about 5.88 trillion miles (about 9.5 trillion kilometers). |
super-earth | Space and Astronomy | 1 | One of the most common types of exoplanets discovered so far, with a mass between that of Earth and Neptune. The properties of such planets are largely unknown. |
infrared | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths longer than the red end of the visible light spectrum, but shorter than microwaves. |
transit | Space and Astronomy | 1 | When an exoplanet crosses the face of its star from the perspective of Earthbound observers. The change in brightness of the star due to the exoplanet can be measured and used to calculate the diameter of the exoplanet. |
james webb space telescope | Space and Astronomy | 1 | This NASA space telescope, which launched in 2021, is a large infrared telescope with a 6.5-meter primary mirror. It is the most powerful and complex space science telescope ever built. It is sometimes called JWST or Webb. |
spitzer space telescope | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A NASA space telescope launched in August 2003 and retired in January 2020. Spitzer observed infrared (heat) radiation from exoplanets, stars, stellar nurseries, the centers of galaxies and the early stages of planetary system formation. |
light curve | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Graphical representation of changes in the brightness of space objects over time, including those of variable stars, supernovae and transiting exoplanets that sometimes pass in front of their stars. |
hot jupiter | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A giant, gas planet in extremely close orbit around its star. Some complete a single orbit—their “year”—in as little as a few Earth days. |
water world | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Hypothesized extrasolar planets with surfaces completely covered by deep oceans of water. |
radial velocity | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The amount of “wobble” induced in a star by the gravity of an orbiting planet, or planets. By measuring the stretching and compressing of light wavelengths from the star, as it is pulled in one direction, then another, Earthbound observers can detect extrasolar planets. |
brown dwarf | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A star-like object that is not quite massive enough to burn like a star, but bigger than a planet. |
ultra-cool dwarf | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Star-like objects with effective temperatures of less than 2,700 Kelvin are referred to as 'ultracool dwarfs.' This group includes stars with extremely low mass and brown dwarfs, or objects that are not quite massive enough to burn like a star. “Dwarf” is the term for an average adult star, used to distinguish stars like the sun from the giant stars that exist in the universe. |
spectroscopy | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A method of analyzing light by separating it into distinct wavelengths, which allows one to identify its chemical components (by their unique wavelength signatures) to determine the atmospheric components of alien worlds. |
white dwarf | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A dim, dense, compact star; the remnant core that remains after intermediate-mass stars (similar to the Sun) exhaust their nuclear fuel and blow off their outer layers. They are dominated by oxygen and carbon, but often have thin layers of hydrogen and helium. |
f-type star | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A main sequence star that is somewhat hotter, more massive, and more luminous than our Sun. |
altitude | Space and Astronomy | 1 | 1. The height of something, usually height above sea level. 2. In astronomy, the angular distance of a natural or artificial satellite above the horizon. |
astrophysicist | Space and Astronomy | 1 | An astronomer who studies the physics of the universe and things in it. |
aurora | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Also known as the northern or southern lights, auroras are an atmospheric phenomenon that results in multi-coloured light shows in the night sky near the polar regions. |
celsius | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A temperature scale defined by the freezing point (0 °C) and boiling point (100 °C) of pure water. Named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius (1701–1744). |
contraction | Space and Astronomy | 1 | 1. The reduction of the spacematteroccupies – by becoming smaller or shorter. 2. When muscles become shorter and pull. |
cosmogenic nuclides | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Rare isotopes that form in surface rocks due to high-energy cosmic (solar) rays. |
cosmologist | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A scientist who studies the origins and structure of the universe. |
dispenser | Space and Astronomy | 1 | In space-related industries, a dispenser is attached to the launch vehicle (normally a rocket). It protects satellites during launch and releases them into space at the right time. |
distal | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Located away from the point of origin. Distant from the mainmassof the body. |
downlink | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A link used to transmit a data signal from a remote source to a local receiver. For satellites, this is the radio connection that carries electromagnetic signals from a satellite down to a ground station. |
flight feathers | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Long, stiff, asymmetrically shaped but symmetrically paired feathers on the wings or tail of a bird. Those on the wings are called remiges while those on the tail are called rectrices. |
footprint | Space and Astronomy | 1 | 1. The area of land a building or facility occupies.2. An impact that humans have on the environment.3. In aerospace, an area in which a spacecraft or space debris may land. |
form factor | Space and Astronomy | 1 | This describes the size, shape and component arrangement of a device such as a CubeSat. |
gravity assist | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A technique that uses the energy of a gravitational field and the orbital velocity of a planet to change the speed and trajectory of a spacecraft. |
hst | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A 2.4 m reflecting telescope in orbit approximately 590 km above the surface of the Earth. |
itokawa | Space and Astronomy | 1 | An Apollo asteroid shaped like a dirt-encrusted potato, over 600 m long and 250 m wide, that crosses the orbit path of Mars and just crosses that of Earth’s. Apollo asteroids are a group that come close to the Earth. |
main sequence star | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Stars that fuse hydrogen into helium. Gravity acting inwards balances gas pressure acting outwards – 90% of stars, including the Sun, are at this stage in their lives. |
maser | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Acronym for microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. In astronomy, masers are found when water or other substances are excited by radiation from a star or by the energy of a collision. In physics, a maser is a device that amplifies or generates electromagnetic waves, especially microwaves. |
mercury | Space and Astronomy | 1 | 1. A transition metal in Group 12 of the periodic table – symbol Hg, atomic number 80. 2. Mercury is also the smallest and innermost planet in our Solar System. |
microlensing | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A distant object in space can be magnified when a massive object, such as a galaxy or star, passes in front of it. The gravity of the ‘lens’ object in front bends light from the object behind. |
nose cone | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The front end of a rocket or other vehicle that comes into contact with the air first. It is shaped to reduce aerodynamic drag. |
nozzle | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The part of a rocket engine consisting of a narrow throat and an exit cone through which high-speed gases escape from the combustion chamber. |
orrery | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A mechanical device for representing the relative positions, motions and phases of the Sun, planets and their satellites in the solar system. |
proxima centauri | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The nearest star to the Sun, 4.2 light years from Earth. It is the faintest of three stars that make up the star system called Alpha Centauri. |
radar | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A method of detecting distant objects and determining their position, speed, or other characteristics by using very high frequency radio waves reflected from the objects’ surfaces. |
radio waves | Space and Astronomy | 1 | An electromagnetic wave having a wavelength between 1 millimetre and 30,000 metres. Radio waves are used for transmitting radio and television signals. Many celestial objects, such as pulsars, emit radio waves. |
red giant | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A star of great size and brightness that has a relatively low surface temperature. A stage in the life of a star. |
rocket-propelled aircraft | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A rocket-powered aircraft or rocket plane is an aircraft that uses a rocket engine for propulsion, sometimes in addition to airbreathing jet engines. |
satellite | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Any object that orbits around another object. |
sdo | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) is a satellite launched by NASA in 2010. Its main aim is to understand the mechanisms responsible for solar variations that influence life on Earth. |
singularity | Space and Astronomy | 1 | In astronomy, the mathematical representation of a black hole. A point of infinite density. |
soho | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) is a satellite launched by NASA in 1995 to study the Sun from its core to the outer atmosphere as well as the solar wind. |
solar collector | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A device that absorbs and accumulates solar radiation for use as a source of energy. |
solar maximum | Space and Astronomy | 1 | During a sunspot cycle, the solar maximum is when solar activity is at its highest and sunspots are most abundant. Solar minimum is when sunspots are least abundant and solar activity is at its lowest. |
solar radiation | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Radiant energy emitted by the Sun as a result of nuclear fusion reactions. |
space shuttle | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A reusable NASA spacecraft that carries astronauts, space station material and satellites into a low orbit around Earth. |
tsunami | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A seriesof massive waves generated in the ocean usually by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions or submarine and coastal landslides, but they can also be caused by the impact of meteorites from outer space. |
uplink | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A link used to transmit a data signal from a local source to a remote receiver. For satellites, this is the radio connection that carries electromagnetic signals from a ground station up to a satellite. |
vacuum | Space and Astronomy | 1 | An absence of matter. In practice, a space that contains a very low density of matter (very low pressure) is often referred to as a vacuum. |
validate | Space and Astronomy | 1 | To prove something is accurate. With remote sensing, it is a comparison of data obtained via satellite or other imaging with data collected by conventional means. |
voyager 1 | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A space probe launched in 1977 to explore the outer Solar System. In September 2011, it was over 17 billion kilometres from the Sun. |
yaw | Space and Astronomy | 1 | In flight, yaw is movement about the vertical axis. If you imagine a standing human body, yaw is when you rotate one shoulder forward horizontally and the other back. |
apollo | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The name of the NASA program that took astronauts to the Moon in the 1960s and 1970s, named after a god from Greek mythology. |
artemis | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The mission, named after the goddess in Greek mythology, that will take a crew with the first woman and the next man to the Moon. |
astronaut | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A person trained to travel and work in space. |
astronomer | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Someone who studies the planets, stars and space. |
astronomy | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The study of stars, planets and space. |
atmosphere | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The layer of gases surrounding a planet. |
boosters | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Engines or motors that give extra power to a rocket. |
capsule | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A part of a spacecraft that can hold a crew and instruments. |
chandra x-ray observatory | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A powerful telescope in space. Chandra can see X-rays that human eyescannot see. |
constellation | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A group of stars that forms a particular shape in the sky and has been givena name. |
cosmonaut | Space and Astronomy | 1 | An astronaut from Russia. |
dock | Space and Astronomy | 1 | To join with another vehicle in space. |
docking port | Space and Astronomy | 1 | An area where one space vehicle joins with another. |
exhaust | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Hot gases released from a rocket motor or engine. |
exploration | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The act of looking into or studying something unknown. |
extravehicular mobility unit | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Another name for an airtight spacesuit worn by astronauts while workingoutside of the spacecraft in space. |
glovebox | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A sealed container with built-in gloves. Astronauts do small experiments andtest hardware inside it. |
impact crater | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A hole made when a rock from space hits a planet or moon. |
international space station | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A laboratory that orbits Earth, where people live and work. |
longitude | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A measurement of distance, given in degrees east or west of the primemeridian. The prime meridian is a line that runs through the GreenwichObservatory in London, England. On a map or globe, lines of longitudeare drawn from the North Pole to the South Pole. |
meteoroid | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A small chunk of rock or iron that travels through space. |
module | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A self-contained unit of a spacecraft. |
orbiter | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The part of the space shuttle that looked like an airplane. It flew into spaceand back down. The orbiter carried people and equipment. |
orion | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A new NASA spacecraft that will take astronauts farther into space than they have ever been. |
payload bay | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The area inside the space shuttle orbiter where cargo was packed. |
planets | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Large round objects that revolve around a star. |
quesst | Space and Astronomy | 1 | NASA’s mission to fly the X-59 airplane faster than the speed of sound without making a sonic boom. |
remote sensing | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Studying an object without coming into direct contact with it. |
revolve | Space and Astronomy | 1 | To circle around something or move in anorbit. |
rocket | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A vehicle used to launch people and objects into space. |
rover | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A vehicle for exploring the surface of a planet or moon. |
satellite | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A natural moon or man-made object thatorbitsa planet or other object. |
solar | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Having to do with the sun. |
solar flares | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Storms on the sun that send out both rays and particles. |
soyuz | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A Russian spacecraft that carries people into space. |
space | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The region beyond Earth’s atmosphere. |
space launch system | Space and Astronomy | 1 | NASA’s new rocket, also called the SLS. |
spacesuit | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A suit that protects astronauts from the dangers of space. |
spacewalk | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Any activity done outside the spacecraft while in space. |
stage | Space and Astronomy | 1 | One of two or more sections of a rocket, each section having its own fueland engine. |
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