Across
- 5. First satellite in space, launched by the Soviet Union.
- 6. The point in the sky which is directly overhead, relative to a particular location on Earth.
- 7. Unit of length used to measure distance in space. Referenced in Star Wars by Han Solo, who bragged about his ship, the Millennium Falcon, completing the "Kessel Run" in 12 of these.
- 8. A large body of stars (sometimes billions) which all rotate around a gravitational center.
- 9. Aries, Aquarius, The Big Dipper.
- 11. The smallest, least luminous kind of star.
- 12. A massive, luminous sphere of plasma which (at least for a time in it's life) radiates energy into space.
- 13. Pluto's largest moon, named after the ferryman of the underworld in Greek mythology.
Down
- 1. The closest star to our Sun. It's name is Latin, and it roughly translates to "closest star of the Centaurus", because of it's position in the Centaurus constellation.
- 2. The gravitationally curved trajectory of an object around another astronomical body (such as a planet).
- 3. Measurement of distance based on how quickly an object moving at the speed of light would travel in one year.
- 4. An extremely bright explosion which occurs during a stars final evolutionary transition.
- 7. A highly magnetized rotating neutron star or white dwarf that emits a beam of electromagnetic radiation. This beam is observed only when it is pointing toward Earth, making the object appear to pulse.
- 10. As this icy object travels close to the Sun, it heats up and gains a tail.