Space Crossword

3. the average distance from an orbiting object to the object it is orbiting around.
8. the path of one body around another body, such as the path of Earth around the Sun.
9. any of the four planets closest to the Sun (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars).
10. a planet having a rocky surface like Earth’s. Also called “terrestrial planet.”
13. ____ astronomical unit is the distance between the Earth and the Sun.
15. the degree by which the shape of an orbit differs from a circle.
18. the force of attraction between all objects in the universe.
19. an object that is orbiting a star and is large enough to be rounded by its own gravity but not large enough to have cleared its neighborhood of other objects.

1. a star and the objects that orbit it.
2. The symbol for astronomical unit.
4. a distance unit equal to the average Earth-Sun distance.
5. a large planet composed mainly of gas.
6. the period of time that it takes a planet to complete one revolution around its star.
7. the amount of time it takes for an object to complete one full orbit.
11. an object orbiting a star that is round, not itself a star, and large enough to have cleared the area around it of small objects.
12. planet a planet having a rocky surface like Earth’s. Also called “rocky planet.”
14. the layers of gases surrounding a planet, moon, or sun.
16. a flattened circle.
17. any of the four planets farthest from the Sun (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune).