Across
- 4. all existing matter and space considered as a whole; the cosmos. The universe is believed to be at least 10 billion light years in diameter and contains a vast number of galaxies; it has been expanding since its creation in the Big Bang about 13 billion years ago.
- 6. a star that suddenly increases greatly in brightness because of a catastrophic explosion that ejects most of its mass.
- 7. a region of space having a gravitational field so intense that no matter or radiation can escape.
- 8. a spacecraft, especially one controlled by a crew.
Down
- 1. an optical instrument designed to make distant objects appear nearer, containing an arrangement of lenses, or of curved mirrors and lenses, by which rays of light are collected and focused and the resulting image magnified.
- 2. a celestial body moving in an elliptical orbit round a star.
- 3. a system of millions or billions of stars, together with gas and dust, held together by gravitational attraction.
- 5. a small body of matter from outer space that enters the earth's atmosphere, becoming incandescent as a result of friction and appearing as a streak of light.
- 8. a fixed luminous point in the night sky which is a large, remote incandescent body like the sun.