Astronomy

1. A meteoroid that has entered the Earth's atmosphere is called a meteor.
2. An instrument used to view objects in outer space.
4. A system consisting of a large number of stars bound together by gravity.
8. A grouping of stars that form a pattern in the sky when viewed from Earth.
10. A dark area on the Sun caused by cooling from electromagnetic activity within the Sun.
12. A person who is specially trained to travel into outer space.
13. A large celestial object that has become rounded due to its gravity and has cleared is nearby region of other smaller objects. Planets in the solar system include Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
14. A giant ball of hot gas and plasma that generates huge amounts of energy through nuclear fusion.
15. An asteroid is a celestial body made of rock and metal that orbits the Sun. Asteroids can vary in size from a few feet across to hundreds of miles.

1. Way The galaxy that contains the Solar System.
3. A celestial body made of ice and rock that orbits the Sun. When a comet nears the Sun a coma and tail of gases and dust can be seen.
5. An envelope of gases that surround a planet.
6. When one celestial body blocks the light of the Sun from another. In a solar eclipse, the Moon blocks the light of the Sun from the Earth. In a lunar eclipse, the Earth blocks the light of the Sun from the Moon.
7. The branch of science that studies outer space, celestial bodies, and the universe.
9. A huge explosion caused when a star collapses on itself.
10. A natural or artificial object that is in orbit around a planet.
11. The path a celestial object takes around a star or planet.