orbit
/ˈɔrbət/The curved path one object in space follows as it travels around another.
Example: The station completes an orbit of Earth every ninety minutes.
B216 words · Upper-intermediate
Space & Astronomy vocabulary — B2
Space vocabulary such as orbit, eclipse and galaxy, plus constellation, atmosphere and light-year. Words for describing astronomy and space missions.
16 questions
Words in this set
16eclipse
/ɪˈklɪps/The short time when one object in space blocks the light from another.
Example:
Crowds watched the eclipse through special dark glasses.
galaxy
/ˈɡæləksi/A very large group of millions of stars, gas and dust held together in space.
Example:
Our Sun is just one star in a huge galaxy.
nebula
/ˈnɛbjələ/A huge cloud of gas and dust in space, often where new stars are formed.
Example:
The telescope captured a colourful image of a distant nebula.
supernova
/ˌsupərˈnoʊvə/A massive explosion that happens when a large star reaches the end of its life.
Example:
The bright light in the sky was actually a distant supernova.
constellation
/ˌkɑnstəˈleɪʃən/A group of stars that forms a recognisable pattern in the sky.
Example:
You can find the North Star using this constellation.
axis
/ˈæksəs/An imaginary line through the centre of a planet, around which it spins.
Example:
The Earth's axis is slightly tilted.
rotation
/roʊˈteɪʃən/One complete turn of a planet or object around its own axis.
Example:
A full rotation of the Earth takes twenty-four hours.
atmosphere
/ˈætməˌsfɪr/The layer of gases that surrounds a planet.
Example:
Earth's atmosphere protects us from harmful radiation.
light-year
/ˈlaɪˌtjɪr/A unit used to measure huge distances in space, equal to the distance light travels in one year.
Example:
The nearest star is more than four light-years away.
payload
/ˈpeɪˌloʊd/The equipment or cargo a rocket carries.
Example:
The payload was two satellites and a small telescope.
docking
/ˈdɑkɪŋ/The joining of one spacecraft to another.
Example:
The docking took four attempts over two days.
weightlessness
/ˈweɪtləsnəs/The condition of having no apparent weight.
Example:
Six months of weightlessness costs a crew a great deal of bone.
solar flare
A sudden burst of energy from the surface of the sun.
Example:
A solar flare knocked out radio across half the planet.
re-entry
The return of a spacecraft into the atmosphere.
Example:
Re-entry is the part of the flight nobody enjoys.
light pollution
Brightness from towns that makes the night sky hard to see.
Example:
Light pollution has taken the Milky Way from most of Europe.
