- Branche: Astronomy
- Number of terms: 6727
- Number of blossaries: 0
- Company Profile:
Planetary Science Research Discoveries (PSRD) is an educational site sharing the latest research by NASA-sponsored scientists on meteorites, asteroids, planets, moons, and other materials in our Solar System. The website is supported by the Cosmochemistry Program of NASA's Science Mission ...
Oldest exposed areas on the surface of the Moon; extensively cratered, and chemically distinct from the maria.
Industry:Astronomy
Term applied to molten rock in the interior of a planet or moon. When it reaches the surface, magma is called lava.
Industry:Astronomy
Elements that are not incorporated into common rock-forming minerals during magma crystallization, hence they become enriched in the residual magma and in the rocks finally formed from it. Examples are: potassium, rubidium, strontium, hafnium, thorium, uranium, and lanthanum, samarium, europium, and the rest of the rare earth elements (REE).
Industry:Astronomy
The region of space between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, from 2. 1 to 3. 3 AU, where most asteroids are found.
Industry:Astronomy
The description of the physical characteristics of rocks including color, mineral compositions, grain sizes, grain shapes, texture or fabric (relationship between grains).
Industry:Astronomy
U. S. Mission consisting of two spacecraft launched in 1977 to explore Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and their moons, rings, and magnetic environments. It took 2 years for the crafts to reach Jupiter. The last image was taken in 1989 and now both crafts are headed for the outer Solar System.
Industry:Astronomy
The angle between the lines of sight to the Sun and to the celestial body in question.
Industry:Astronomy
An element with atomic number 1; symbol: H. It is the most abundant element in the Solar System, making up 90 percent of the Sun. Hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen are essential for life.
Industry:Astronomy
Movements of mantle material, laterally or in upward-downward directions, due to heat variations.
Industry:Astronomy
