Astronomoy: English Vocabulary List

(astronomy) a shining point found in large numbers in the night sky

"The sun is a star."

"The North Star has guided sailors and travelers across the oceans for centuries without fail."

A spacecraft designed to transport people or equipment between Earth and a space station or other celestial destination, typically capable of multiple trips

"The airport shuttle."

"The retired space shuttle fleet represents a pivotal era in American spaceflight history."

a spacecraft that moves up by the force of the gases produced when the fuel burns

"The rocket launched successfully into orbit."

"A multi-stage rocket is required to achieve the velocity needed to escape Earth's gravity."

a place in the space with such high gravity that pulls in everything, even light

"A black hole pulls everything."

"Scientists recently captured the first image of a black hole, which confirmed many theories about how gravity works in space."

the layer of gases surrounding a planet, held in place by gravity

"Earth has a thick atmosphere."

"The atmosphere protects life on Earth by absorbing harmful radiation from the sun and keeping the planet warm."