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

Globular clusters

Astronomy; Planetary science

Groups of thousands to millions of old stars held together in orbits about their own centre of mass and arranged in almost symmetrical (spherical) clusters.

Ray

Astronomy; Planetary science

Streak of material blasted out and away from an impact crater.

Ultramafic

Astronomy; Planetary science

Term describing the chemical composition of an igneous rock composed almost entirely of magnesium-rich and iron-rich minerals (e.g., olivine, pyroxenes) and minimal silica.

Magma

Astronomy; Planetary science

Term applied to molten rock in the interior of a planet or moon. When it reaches the surface, magma is called lava.

Asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars

Astronomy; Planetary science

Cool, luminous, and pulsating red giant stars. Most stars in the Universe that have left the main sequence will reach their final evolutionary stage as stars on the asymptotic giant branch.

Electromagnet spectrum

Astronomy; Planetary science

The full range of frequencies, from radio waves to gamma rays, that characterises light. The electromagnetic spectrum can be expressed in terms of energy, wavelength, or frequency (where the ...