Across
- 4. A failed star that never reached the mass needed for fusion.
- 5. The early stage of a star forming from a collapsing cloud of gas.
- 6. The Sun and all objects gravitationally bound to it.
- 9. Known as the Red Planet.
- 12. A cloud of gas and dust in space, often a stellar nursery.
- 13. Hole A region of space with gravity so strong not even light can escape.
- 15. Bright lines in a spectrum caused by excited atoms emitting light.
- 20. A massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity.
- 22. The spiral galaxy that includes our solar system.
- 24. The apparent shift of an object’s position due to a change in viewpoint.
- 26. The farthest planet, deep blue and very windy.
- 27. A cooler, darker spot on the Sun caused by magnetic activity.
- 28. A small celestial body resembling a planet but lacking certain criteria.
- 29. Famous for its bright and beautiful rings.
- 32. The North Star, used for navigation due to its fixed position.
- 34. The path one object takes around another due to gravity.
- 36. Uses mirrors to gather and focus light.
- 40. Dwarf A small, hot, dense star that is the remnant of a red giant.
- 42. A small rocky body orbiting the Sun, mostly in the asteroid belt.
- 45. A small rock or particle in space.
- 46. The only planet known to support life.
- 47. A band of constellations through which the Sun appears to move.
- 49. A classification of a star based on its temperature and color.
- 50. The process of combining nuclei to release energy, powers stars.
- 51. The smallest planet and closest to the Sun.
- 52. An oval-shaped path that most celestial bodies follow.
- 54. The range of light wavelengths emitted by stars.
- 55. When light is compressed, indicating an object is moving toward us.
- 56. A time when day and night are of equal length.
- 57. Uses lenses to gather and focus light.
Down
- 1. This planet spins on its side and has a bluish color.
- 2. A group of stars forming a recognizable pattern.
- 3. The largest planet with a Great Red Spot.
- 7. Two stars orbiting around a common center of mass.
- 8. A celestial body orbiting a star, massive enough to be spherical.
- 10. A massive, luminous star with a short lifespan.
- 11. Sequence The stable phase in a star’s life when it fuses hydrogen into helium.
- 14. A massive explosion marking the death of a massive star.
- 16. A sudden eruption of energy on the Sun’s surface.
- 17. A measure of the heat energy of a star, affecting its color.
- 18. A meteor that survives its journey through the atmosphere and hits Earth.
- 19. The longest or shortest day of the year, depending on the hemisphere.
- 21. When light from a star or galaxy is stretched, indicating it’s moving away.
- 23. A meteoroid that enters Earth’s atmosphere and burns up.
- 25. Dark lines in a spectrum where light has been absorbed.
- 30. An instrument used to observe distant objects by collecting light.
- 31. The distance light travels in one year (about 5.88 trillion miles).
- 33. How bright a star appears from Earth.
- 35. Giant A large, cool star formed when a star exhausts its hydrogen fuel.
- 37. Once the ninth planet, now a famous dwarf.
- 38. Star An extremely dense core left after a supernova from a massive star.
- 39. A large system of stars, gas, and dust bound together by gravity.
- 41. A graph showing the relationship between a star’s luminosity and temperature.
- 43. An icy body that releases gas and dust, often forming a tail.
- 44. The actual brightness of a star from a standard distance.
- 45. A natural satellite orbiting a planet.
- 48. The hottest planet, often called Earth’s twin.
- 53. The total amount of energy a star emits per second.