Across
- 3. small solar system bodies that are mostly rock and ice, lies outside the orbit of Neptune, 30 to 50 AU from the Sun, most probably formed in this region.
- 4. space object built of solid particles that can form planets through collisions and mergers.
- 6. piece of interplanetary material that falls toward Earth and enters its atmosphere.
- 8. large, gaseous planet that is very cold at its surface; has ring systems, many moons, and lacks solid surfaces—Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
- 11. ratio of the distance between the foci to the length of the major axis; defines the shape of a planet's elliptical orbit.
- 12. an object that, due to its own gravity, is spherical in shape, orbits the Sun, is not a satellite, and has not cleared the area of its orbit of smaller debris.
- 13. high, cool, light-colored cloud that rises and flows rapidly in the Jovian atmosphere.
- 15. streak of light produced when a meteoroid falls toward Earth and burns up in Earth’s atmosphere.
Down
- 1. low, warm, dark-colored cloud that sinks and flows rapidly in the Jovian atmosphere.
- 2. one of the rocky-surfaced, relatively small, dense inner planets closest to the Sun—Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.
- 5. form of hydrogen with both liquid and metallic properties that exists as a layer in the Jovian atmosphere.
- 6. occurs when Earth intersects a cometary orbit and comet particles burn up as they enter Earth's upper atmosphere.
- 7. the average distance between the Sun and Earth, 1.496 X 10° km or 1 AU.
- 9. an oval that is centered on two points called foci; the shape of planets’ orbits.
- 10. a small fragment of an orbiting body that has fallen to Earth, generating heat; does not completely burn up in Earth’s atmosphere and strikes Earth's surface, sometimes causing an impact crater.
- 14. cliff on Mercury; similar to those on Earth but much higher.