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

Stratigraphy

Astronomy; Planetary science

Study of layered rock to understand the sequence of geological events. Normally, older layers are on the bottom unless the sequence has been overturned or disrupted.

A natural solid object (metallic or stony/silicate) larger than 10 µm (microns) that has travelled through space, by natural means from the celestial body on which it formed, and has landed on Earth ...

Landslide

Astronomy; Planetary science

General term to describe the process of mass movement (or avalanche) of material downslope by falling, sliding, or flowing, under the force of gravity. It also describes the landform (pile of debris) ...

Helium

Astronomy; Planetary science

An element with atomic number 2; symbol: He. It is the second most common element in the Sun and outer planets, but rare on the rocky planets.

Chondrite

Astronomy; Planetary science

An abundant class of stony meteorites with chemical compositions similar to that of the Sun and characterised by the presence of chondrules. Chondrites come from asteroids that did not melt when ...

Ascending node

Astronomy; Planetary science

The plane of a planet's orbit (or other Solar System object) is usually tilted with respect to the plane defined by the Solar System (the ecliptic). These 2 great circles intersect at 2 points. As ...