Exoplanets: Glossary

A

analyze

study or investigate

astronomers

a scientist who studies planets, comets and other space bodies

atmosphere

the air or gases that surround a planet

B

bacteria

a one celled living organism

C

carbon dioxide

a gas given off by animals and taken in by plant

compressed

to squeeze together

D

Doppler shift

change in the frequency of a wave

decompression

to separate out from a compressed version - spread apart

demoted

to categorize something on a lower level

detected

to find or see

determine

to find or see or understand

dwarf planets

a space body too small to be called a planet

E

enhance

make better

exoplanets

planets that exist orbiting stars other than our own sun

extrasolar planets

planets that exist orbiting stars other than our own sun

G

galaxy

a large system of stars

gaseous

to contain or be made of gas

gravitational

related to gravity

H

habitable zone

the distance from a star most likely to have conditions right for life on a planet

I

inaccurate

not quite true

L

light-year

distance light travels in one Earth year or 9,500,000,000,000 kilometers (about 93 million miles)

O

orbiting

the curved path of a planet around its sun

P

phenomenon

unusual wonders of space

R

radial velocity

the speed of an object as it moves toward or away from an observer

repurpose

use for a different purpose than originally intended

rogue

a lonely, nonconforming planet

S

satellite

a body that orbits another body

spectroscopy

the study of light passing through matter

T

technology

the science of useful tools

transiting

the passage of a planet across its sun

U

universe

all of time, space and its contents

V

venture

project