Across
- 2. The unit of measurement used in astronomy to measure the distance light travels in a year.
- 6. The majority of the star’s life is spent in this stage, generating light and heat through the fusion of hydrogen into helium.
- 7. A collection of dust, gas, stars and their solar systems held together by a gravitational force.
- 9. The fourth largest planet in our solar system, ______ is a gas giant made up of methane, helium and hydrogen. It is the second farthest planet from the sun.
- 10. The theory used by astronomers to explain how the universe began as a single point and expanded into what it is today.
- 13. When the moon moves between the sun and the Earth, it casts a shadow onto the Earth. This event is called a _____ _______.
- 14. A meteoroid that survives its passage through the Earth’s atmosphere and lands on the Earth’s surface is called a _________.
Down
- 1. The sun and its many orbiting bodies are all a part of the _____ ______.
- 3. A super-hot star that is formed after a star has exhausted its nuclear fuel and loses its outer layers.
- 4. Tails of gas and dust may form once this celestial object, made up of ice and dust, is near the sun.
- 5. Composed mainly of hydrogen with some helium, ______ is the planet with the lowest density and is encircled by a prominent system of rings made up of ice.
- 8. _______ ________, widely known as the northern lights, are bright glows and bands of light that appear naturally in the sky through small particles and energy emitted from the sun.
- 11. ____ is often referred to as the Red Planet due to its red appearance caused by the iron in its surface.
- 12. The stage in a star’s life where its outer layer expands due to its rising temperatures caused by helium sinking towards its core.