Space Crossword

3. The average distance between Earth and the Sun (approx. 93 million miles).
4. An event in which the shadow of one celestial body falls on another.
7. The cloud of gas and dust from which our solar system formed.
9. The angle between an object's rotational axis and its orbital axis (causes seasons on Earth).
11. The shape of the directly sunlit portion of the Moon as viewed from Earth.
14. The region of interplanetary space between Mars and Jupiter where most asteroids are found.
15. The spinning of a planet on its axis (defines a "day").

1. The leading explanation for how the universe began.
2. A region of space having a gravitational field so intense that no matter or radiation can escape.
5. The distance light travels in one year (approx. 9.46 trillion km).
6. A system of millions or billions of stars, together with gas and dust, held together by gravitational attraction.
8. The curved path of a celestial object around a star, planet, or moon.
10. The rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and the Sun.
12. A celestial object consisting of a nucleus of ice and dust that leaves a "tail" when near the sun.
13. One complete orbit of a planet around the sun (defines a "year").