Across
- 5. Type of telescope that uses mirrors instead of lenses to collect light
- 6. The minimum speed a body must reach to break free from a planet's gravitational field
- 9. The outermost layer of the Sun's atmosphere, visible during a solar eclipse
- 15. The length from lens or mirror to the point where light converges to a sharp image
- 16. Visible surface layer of the Sun from which light is emitted into space
- 19. Thermodynamic measure of disorder; the universe continuously moves toward higher entropy
- 21. Nearest major galaxy to the Milky Way, also the name of a constellation
- 22. Scale used to measure the brightness of stars, where lower numbers mean brighter objects
- 25. Phenomenon where light from receding galaxies shifts toward longer wavelengths
- 27. Rapid exponential expansion of the universe in its first fraction of a second
- 29. Space telescope launched in 1990, named after an astronomer
- 32. Orbit at ∼36,000 km where a satellite matches Earth's rotation and appears stationary
- 33. Zodiacal constellation of the bull, containing the Pleiades and the Crab Nebula
- 37. Rapidly rotating neutron star that emits regular radio pulses
- 38. Type of telescope that detects long-wavelength electromagnetic radiation from space
- 39. The diameter of a telescope's main lens or mirror, determining light-gathering ability
- 42. Rocket design using sequential sections that drop away as fuel is consumed
- 43. Theoretical tunnel through spacetime connecting two distant regions of the universe
- 44. Theory proposing that fundamental particles are one-dimensional vibrating filaments
- 45. Optics system in modern telescopes that corrects for atmospheric distortion in real time
- 46. Chemical reaction between fuel and oxidizer that releases the energy powering a rocket
- 47. Ultra-dense collapsed stellar remnant composed almost entirely of neutrons
- 48. Mysterious force causing the accelerating expansion of the universe
Down
- 1. Band on the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram where stable hydrogen-burning stars reside
- 2. The cargo or satellite a rocket carries into space
- 3. The force produced by a rocket engine pushing it forward
- 4. Combined term for the fuel and oxidizer mixture that a rocket engine burns
- 7. Massive stellar explosion marking the death of a large star
- 8. The theoretical origin event of the universe (∼14 billion years ago)
- 9. Variable star used as a 'standard candle' to measure cosmic distances
- 10. Famous hunter constellation containing the bright stars Betelgeuse and Rigel
- 11. Type of telescope that uses lenses to bend and focus light
- 12. Technique of splitting light into its spectrum to identify elements in stars
- 13. The point in the sky directly overhead, often the optimal direction for telescope observation
- 14. Microwave background radiation: the 'afterglow' of the Big Bang permeating all of space
- 17. Phase when a spacecraft returns through the atmosphere, generating intense heat
- 18. Apparent shift of a nearby star's position used to measure stellar distances
- 20. Chemical that provides oxygen to combust rocket fuel in the vacuum of space
- 23. Extremely luminous active galactic nucleus powered by a supermassive black hole
- 24. Prefix of the Great and Little Bear constellations containing Polaris
- 26. Point of infinite density at the centre of a black hole where known physics breaks down
- 28. Small northern constellation containing Vega, one of the brightest stars in the sky
- 29. Large constellation in the northern sky representing the mythological hero
- 30. Unit of astronomical distance equal to about 3.26 light-years, derived from parallax
- 31. W-shaped constellation in the northern sky named after a queen of Ethiopian mythology
- 34. The point in an orbit closest to the Sun
- 35. Optical aberration causing stars near the edge of a telescope's field to appear comet-like
- 36. Invisible mass-bearing substance that does not emit or absorb light, detected only by gravity
- 40. Shaped exhaust outlet that accelerates hot gases to maximise rocket thrust
- 41. Southern constellation of the sail, part of the ancient ship Argo grouping