This lesson teaches useful space words and astronomy terms in English. These words help you talk about the universe, planets, stars, gravity, orbits, meteors, eclipses, and other space concepts. By learning the meanings of these key terms, you can better understand science lessons, documentaries, news stories, and conversations about outer space.
Space Words and Astronomy Terms
The words below are common terms used to describe objects, events, movement, distance, and forces in space.
List of Common Space Words
- Asteroid
- Atmosphere
- Celestial
- Comet
- Cosmos
- Eclipse
- Galaxy
- Gravity
- Light-year
- Meteor
- Meteorite
- Meteoroid
- Moon
- Orbit
- Planet
- Satellite
- Star
- Universe
Space Words with Meanings and Facts
Objects in Space
Asteroid
An asteroid is a rocky object that moves around the Sun. Asteroids are usually smaller than planets but larger than meteoroids.
Comet
A comet is a mass of ice, rock, dust, and gas that orbits a star. When a comet gets close to the Sun, some of its ice turns into gas and forms a bright tail.
Galaxy
A galaxy is a huge group of stars, planets, gas, dust, and dark matter held together by gravity. Our galaxy is called the Milky Way.
Meteor
A meteor is the streak of light we see when a meteoroid enters Earthβs atmosphere and burns up.
Meteorite
A meteorite is a piece of rock or metal from space that reaches the surface of Earth.
Meteoroid
A meteoroid is a small rocky or metallic object in space. When it enters Earthβs atmosphere, it may become a meteor.
Moon
A moon is a natural satellite that orbits a planet. Earth has one moon, but some planets have many moons.
Planet
A planet is a large celestial body that orbits a star and is massive enough to have a nearly round shape.
Satellite
A satellite is an object that orbits a planet or another larger body. Satellites can be natural, like moons, or human-made, like communication satellites.
Star
A star is a huge ball of hot gas that produces light and heat. The Sun is the closest star to Earth.
Space Concepts and Forces
Atmosphere
An atmosphere is the layer of gases around a planet or other celestial body. Earthβs atmosphere contains the air we breathe.
Celestial
Celestial means related to the sky or outer space. Stars, planets, moons, and comets are examples of celestial bodies.
Cosmos
The cosmos means the universe as an ordered whole. It includes space, time, matter, energy, stars, planets, and galaxies.
Gravity
Gravity is the force that pulls objects with mass toward one another. On Earth, gravity pulls objects toward the ground; in space, gravity keeps planets in orbit around stars.
Light-year
A light-year is a unit of distance in space. It is the distance that light travels in one year, about 9.46 trillion kilometers.
Orbit
An orbit is the curved path that one object follows around another object in space. For example, Earth orbits the Sun.
Universe
The universe is everything that exists, including all space, time, matter, energy, stars, planets, moons, galaxies, and cosmic objects.
Events in Space
Eclipse
An eclipse happens when one celestial body blocks the light from another. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun.
Space Words vs. Solar System Vocabulary
This page focuses on general space words and astronomy terms, such as gravity, orbit, light-year, eclipse, and cosmos. If you want to learn the names of planets, moon phases, and common space objects with pictures, see Solar System and Space Objects Vocabulary.
Learn more with nature words in English and Space Worksheets.
Space Words Visual Vocabulary Practice (A2-B1)
Question 1: Look at the image. Type the correct English word.
Question 2: Listen to the word and choose the correct image.
Question 3: Which image matches the word "Gibbous moon"?
Question 4: Is this "Meteor"?
