Space

1. – The angle at which a planet's axis leans, which stays constant as it travels along its orbital path.
3. – The specific period of early morning just before sunrise when Matariki is observed rising.
4. Shape** – A perfect, round ball shape achieved by massive objects due to the strength of their own gravity.
7. Belt** – A cold, icy ring of space debris and dwarf planets located beyond the orbit of Neptune.
10. – Weather and temperature patterns throughout the year caused by the changing direction a hemisphere leans relative to the Sun.
13. – The prominent star cluster whose reappearance marks the start of the Māori New Year.
15. – The line where the Earth's surface meets the sky, where stars and the Sun appear to rise.
18. – The imaginary line that runs through the middle of a planet from pole to pole, around which it spins.
19. Effect** – The process where a dense atmosphere traps solar heat on a planet's surface and keeps it from escaping.
20. Belt** – The large ring of small, rocky space debris orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter.

2. – The spinning of a planet on its imaginary axis, which takes 24 hours on Earth and causes day and night.
5. – The exact compass direction observers must look toward to find Matariki rising in the winter sky.
6. – The thick layer of gases that surrounds a planet, holding in heat or protecting its surface.
8. – The path a space object takes as it travels completely around another object, such as a planet moving around the Sun.
9. – The traditional Māori lunar calendar used to track months, planting cycles, and the New Year.
11. – One half of the Earth, usually divided by the equator into Northern and Southern halves.
12. Planet** – A round space object orbiting the Sun that has not cleared other debris from its surrounding orbital path, like Pluto.
14. Giants** – The four large planets outer planets made primarily of hydrogen and helium gas: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
16. is a vocabulary list of **20 key terms** taken directly from your Year 9 Space Test and its assessment schedule, excluding *Wellington* and *New York*:
17. – The invisible pull or force of attraction that draws massive space bodies into a round shape.
18. Dioxide** – The specific gas that makes up the bulk of Venus's heavy atmosphere.