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planet
(Encyclopedia)planet [Gr.,=wanderer], a large nonluminous body of rock, gas, or ice that orbits the sun or another star, has a rounded shape due to gravity, and has cleared its orbit of smaller objects. The term, o...minor planet
(Encyclopedia)minor planet: see asteroid.inferior planet
(Encyclopedia)inferior planet, planet whose orbit lies inside that of the earth. There are two inferior planets, Mercury and Venus. They always seem to be close to the sun in the sky; the greatest elongation of Mer...dwarf planet
(Encyclopedia)dwarf planet, a nonluminous body of rock or gas that orbits the sun and has a rounded shape due to its gravity. Unlike a planet, a dwarf planet is not capable of clearing its orbit of smaller objects ...terrestrial planet
(Encyclopedia)terrestrial planet, the earth or a planet that resembles the earth in its physical characteristics. The terrestrial planets in the solar system are the earth, Mercury, Venus, and Mars. These planets a...superior planet
(Encyclopedia)superior planet, planet whose orbit lies outside that of the earth. The superior planets are Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. ...exoplanet
(Encyclopedia)exoplanet or extrasolar planet, a planet located outside the solar system. See planet; planetary system. ...orbit
(Encyclopedia)CE5 Important points in a planet's orbit as seen from the earth orbit, in astronomy, path in space described by a body revolving about a second body where the motion of the orbiting bodies is domi...Kepler's laws
(Encyclopedia)CE5 Schematic representation of Kepler's second law: The areas ABF and A′B′F′ are equal and are swept out in equal intervals of time by a planet orbiting around the sun (at F). Kepler's laws...Attenborough, Sir David Frederick
(Encyclopedia)Attenborough, Sir David Frederick, 1926–, British naturalist and television personality. After serving in the Royal Navy (1947–49), he worked as an editor, then joined the BBC (1952) as a producer...Browse by Subject
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