Astronomy Check-in

2. Time measured by using Earth's position relative to distant stars, instead of relative to the Sun. (Also called sidreal time.)
4. The art and science of mapping celestial bodies.
7. A fuzzy-looking patch of dust, gases, and ionized matter in interstellar space.
8. A spacecraft that visited Saturn and its moons, capturing amazing images. It was also dropped into the atmosphere to prevent an unwanted impact with a moon.
10. The time it takes for the Sun to go from its highest position in the sky on one day to its highest position on the next day.
13. A group of stars that forms a pattern in the sky.
14. __________ solar time is time measured from the direct observation of the Sun.

1. A spacecraft sent to study Jupiter and its moons. It was dropped into Jupiter's atmosphere to prevent an unwanted impact (and bacterial contamination) on Europa.
3. The only known moon with a substantial atmosphere.
5. A group of stars that is smaller than a constellation and may be part of a constellation.
6. __________ solar time is the time based on the apparent solar time, averaged over the course of the year.
8. One of Jupiter's major moons. It has a heavily cratered surface.
9. A device that records the Sun's daily motion across the sky.
11. The first spacecraft to orbit two extraterrestrial objects. It had a special solar-electric engine that powered it to 25,700 mph.
12. The largest of Neptune's moons. Scientists believe that it was a Kuiper Belt object from beyond Neptune's orbit, captured by Neptune's gravity.