Planetary science

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

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Planetary science

biosphere

Astronomy; Planetary science

The part of Earth's crust, water, and atmosphere where living organisms can survive.

A point on the surface of a sphere that is located diametrically opposite another point. For example, on the Earth the antipode of Hawaii is Botswana. The term is used commonly in lunar geology to ...

rare earth elements (REE)

Astronomy; Planetary science

Seventeen closely related elements, the lanthanoid series, from atomic numbers 57 through 71 on the Periodic Table (some people define the series from atomic numbers 58 through 71). These elements ...

density

Astronomy; Planetary science

Mass per unit volume; a measure of how much material is in a given space.

luna

Astronomy; Planetary science

One of two successful series of Soviet unpiloted lunar missions. There were 24 missions to the Moon in the Luna series launched from 1959 to 1976. (The other series, Zond, had 5 lunar missions ...

tectonics

Astronomy; Planetary science

General term referring to the large-scale change of rock in response to forces causing faulting and folding. The forces acting upon a rock mass are generally termed compressional (squeezing ...

petrology

Astronomy; Planetary science

The scientific study of rocks. This is the field within geology that focuses on the origin, occurrence, formation, structure, and composition of mineral assemblages, and classification of rocks.