Space Crossword

3. The angle between an object's rotational axis and its orbital axis (causes seasons on Earth).
5. A system of millions or billions of stars, together with gas and dust, held together by gravitational attraction.
7. One complete orbit of a planet around the sun (defines a "year").
8. The cloud of gas and dust from which our solar system formed.
10. The average distance between Earth and the Sun (approx. 93 million miles).
12. The shape of the directly sunlit portion of the Moon as viewed from Earth.
13. An event in which the shadow of one celestial body falls on another.
14. A celestial object consisting of a nucleus of ice and dust that leaves a "tail" when near the sun.

1. The leading explanation for how the universe began.
2. A region of space having a gravitational field so intense that no matter or radiation can escape.
4. The curved path of a celestial object around a star, planet, or moon.
6. The region of interplanetary space between Mars and Jupiter where most asteroids are found.
7. The spinning of a planet on its axis (defines a "day").
9. The distance light travels in one year (approx. 9.46 trillion km).
11. The rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and the Sun.