Astronomy Terms

3. A small, rocky object that orbits the Sun, mainly located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
6. A celestial body that orbits a star and is not a star or a moon.
7. A cloud of gas and dust in space, often the birthplace of stars.
11. The branch of astronomy that studies the physical properties of stars, galaxies, and other objects.
13. A collection of celestial bodies, including a star and its planets, held together by gravity.
15. The scientific study of celestial objects and phenomena.
16. A group of stars that form a recognizable pattern in the night sky.
18. A natural light display in the sky, caused by charged particles interacting with the atmosphere.
19. A natural satellite that orbits a planet.
20. A region beyond Neptune's orbit containing many icy objects, including dwarf planets.

1. The distance light travels in one year, used to measure vast distances in space.
2. An imaginary sphere surrounding the Earth on which stars and other celestial objects are mapped.
4. A vast collection of stars, gas, and dust held together by gravity.
5. A luminous sphere of gas, primarily hydrogen and helium, that generates energy through nuclear fusion.
8. An object with such strong gravity that nothing, not even light, can escape it.
9. A very luminous and distant object with a bright, active galactic nucleus, according to NASA.
10. The explosive death of a massive star.
12. The stretching of light waves from a distant object, indicating it is moving away from us.
14. The universe considered as an orderly, harmonious whole.
17. A small, icy body that orbits the Sun and develops a tail as it approaches the Sun.