Space: English Vocabulary List

all that exists in the physical world, such as space, planets, galaxies, etc.

"The universe is very big."

"Scientists believe the universe is constantly expanding and contains billions of galaxies that we have not yet discovered."

the universe, particularly when it is thought of as a systematic whole

"The cosmos is very mysterious."

"Looking at the stars at night reminds us how small we are compared to the vast and beautiful cosmos around us."

a large number of star systems bound together by gravitational force

"Our sun belongs to the Milky Way galaxy."

"The Andromeda Galaxy is on a collision course with our own"

a branch of science that studies space, planets, etc.

"He developed a keen interest in astronomy early on."

"Radio astronomy allows scientists to observe celestial phenomena otherwise invisible."

a pale band of light seen in the sky at night that contains the solar system and billions of other stars

"Our solar system is in the Milky Way."

"The Milky Way appears as a hazy band of light arching across a dark night sky."

the sun and the group of planets orbiting around it, including the earth

"Our solar system includes eight planets."

"The Voyager probes are now traveling beyond the boundaries of our solar system into interstellar space."

(physics) the universal force of attraction between any pair of objects with mass

"Gravity pulls things down."

"Gravity is the invisible force that keeps our feet on the ground and holds planets in orbit around the sun."

a scientist who studies or observes planets, stars, and other happenings in the universe

"The astronomer discovered a new comet."

"The astronomer spent every clear night looking through the telescope hoping to discover a new comet or asteroid."

related to the sun

"This is a solar panel."

"The solar panels on the roof generate enough electricity to power the entire house every day."

relating to the moon

"The lunar surface is gray."

"The lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes directly behind the earth and into its shadow."

the explosion that, according to most scientists, caused the existence of the universe

"The big bang started everything."

"According to the big bang theory, the universe began from an extremely hot and dense point billions of years ago."

an object in space that is a mass of ice and dust and when it nears the sun it starts illuminating in the shape of a tail

"A comet appeared in the sky."

"Astronomers observed a bright comet with a long, glowing tail streaking across the night sky."

related to the universe and the vast space outside the earth

"The cosmic dust settled."

"The cosmic radiation from outer space is constantly bombarding the earth but our atmosphere protects us from most of its harmful effects."

a piece of rock coming from outer space that passes through the Earth's atmosphere, producing light

"A meteor burned up brightly."

"We watched a brilliant meteor streak across the darkness, a fleeting visitor from outer space."

a piece of rock or metal from space that has hit the surface of the earth

"A meteorite fell from sky."

"The meteorite crashed into the desert leaving a large crater visible from space."

a period during which the sun or moon is temporarily obscured by the shadow of another celestial body

"The eclipse was amazing."

"People watched the eclipse with special glasses."

an object sent into space to travel around the earth and send or receive information

"The satellite sends data daily."

"A communication satellite was launched into orbit to improve television and internet signals across the entire country."

to move around a star, planet, or a large object in space

"Satellites orbit the Earth at high speed."

"The International Space Station orbits the Earth at an altitude of approximately two hundred fifty miles."

someone who is trained to travel and work in space

"She wants to be an astronaut."

"The astronaut spent six months living and conducting scientific experiments aboard the International Space Station in orbit."

a vehicle designed to travel in space

"The spacecraft docked with the space station."

"An uncrewed spacecraft was launched to explore the methane lakes of a distant moon."

the act of counting numbers backwards to zero before the launch of a missile or spacecraft

"Final countdown started."

"The final countdown started and everyone waited excitedly for the rocket launch into space yesterday morning."

a mysterious object that some people claim to have seen flying around in the sky and assume that it is a spaceship from another world

"They saw an UFO."

"The pilot reported an unidentified flying object moving silently across the night sky."

a long journey taken on a ship or spacecraft

"The voyage lasted three months."

"A voyage is a long journey involving travel by sea or through outer space"

a US government agency responsible for space travel and the study of space

"NASA sends rockets into space."

"NASA's Perseverance rover is currently exploring the surface of Mars for signs of ancient life."

the distance that a beam of light travels in a year, equal to 9.46 trillion kilometers

"One light year distance."

"One light year is the distance that light travels in one year through empty space in the universe."

the earth's atmosphere and the space beyond it

"Space is in aerospace."

"The development of advanced technology is crucial for future exploration in the aerospace industry."

a specific group of stars that form a pattern and have a name related to their shape

"Orion is a constellation."

"Ancient cultures often named constellations based on mythological figures or animals they resembled."

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."

a creature that is believed to exist in other worlds or planets

"The alien appeared."

"People saw an alien in the story."

a single complete circular movement around an axis or along an orbit

"The Earth's rotation is constant."

"Earth's rotation on its axis causes the sun to appear to rise in the east."

a propulsion device with its own fuel that produces thrust through reaction forces

"The rocket flew fast."

"The powerful rocket propelled the spacecraft into orbit with immense force."

an operation carried out in space

"The space mission was successful."

"The ambitious space mission aims to explore the outer reaches of our solar system and search for extraterrestrial life."

to send an object, such as a satellite, missile, etc., into space

"They will launch the rocket."

"Scientists are preparing to launch the new satellite into the Earth's orbit next week."

a column of light, such as that emitted from a beacon or focused source

"A ray of light shone."

"A single ray of sunlight pierced through the dense forest canopy."