20 Terms
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Planetary science
The scientific study of planets including Earth, moons, and planetary systems of the Solar System in particular and the processes that form them.
Industry: Astronomy
Add a new termContributors in Planetary science
Planetary science
solar wind
Astronomy; Planetary science
Streams of plasma--charged particles (mainly ionized hydrogen and some helium but actually a mixture of all electrons and protons in the Sun)-- ejected from the outer atmosphere (corona) of the Sun ...
solubility
Astronomy; Planetary science
The ability or tendency of one substance to dissolve into another at a given temperature and pressure.
mineralogy
Astronomy; Planetary science
The scientific study of minerals. This is the field within geology that focuses on the chemistry, structure, properties, and classification of minerals.
radiometric dating
Astronomy; Planetary science
Technique to determine the age of a rock by measuring the last time the rock being dated was either melted or disturbed sufficiently to rehomogenize its naturally-occurring radioactive elements. This ...
oort cloud
Astronomy; Planetary science
Vast spherical swarm of comets orbiting our Solar System from roughly 2,000 to 100,000 AU. The Oort cloud, while roughly spherical at the largest radius, is wedge-shaped where it merges with the ...
accretion
Astronomy; Planetary science
The growth of planets from smaller objects by impact, one impact at a time. After formation, planets are said to have "accreted" from small objects.
anomaly
Astronomy; Planetary science
A deviation from the common rule, type, or form; something abnormal or inconsistent.
