air pressure |
the weight of a column of air on a unit surface area |
ALARA |
acronym for “as low as reasonably achievable”; guidelines for people who work with radiation |
altitude |
distance above Earth |
anoxia |
a deficiency of oxygen, especially hypoxia |
argon |
the element with atomic number 18 (Ar); a gas in our atmosphere |
Armstrong, Neil |
first astronaut to land on the moon |
astronaut |
title used to describe NASA personnel selected for space exploration |
astronomy |
the study of the universe and its contents beyond Earth’s atmosphere |
astrophysicist |
scientists who study the physical theories of astronomical objects |
atmosphere |
the layer of gases around a planet |
atmospheric pressure |
the weight of a column of atmospheric gases on a unit surface area |
atomic mass unit |
the unit in which masses of atoms are measured |
atomic number |
refers to the number of protons in an atom’s nucleus |
aurora australis |
see “Southern Lights” |
aurora borealis |
a glowing phenomenon that consists of streamers or arches of light appearing in the upper atmosphere of a planet's magnetic polar regions; see “Northern Lights” |
barometer |
instrument that measures air pressure |
Bohr, Neils |
(1885-1962) Danish physicist awarded Nobel Prize for his theoretical model of the atom |
bone marrow |
the soft material in the center of the bones that produces blood cells |
capillaries |
the smallest blood vessels in animals |
carbon dioxide |
a colorless gas; produced by respiration and taken up in photosynthesis; CO2 |
carbon monoxide |
a colorless gas (CO); toxic, replaces oxygen in hemoglobin in the blood |
cell nucleus |
a central, dense body within a cell surrounded by a nuclear membrane; contains human DNA; controls cell functions |
cell |
the smallest mass of self-contained living matter of an animal or plant |
cellular division |
the process that results in the division of a living cell |
Celsius |
a temperature scale in which the freezing point of water is defined as 0 degrees |
chemistry |
the science of the elements and the ways in which they interact with one another |
chromosomes |
a structure in the cell nucleus that carries the genetic material DNA |
chromosphere |
layer of sun lying just above the photosphere; seen only during eclipse |
compass |
a device that responds to Earth’s magnetic field; used to determine geographical direction and position |
condensation |
a change from vapor (gaseous state) to liquid |
convection |
the heating, rising, cooling, and sinking of matter in the states of liquid, gas, or plasma |
convection zone |
layer of sun lying just below the photosphere where plasma heats, rises, cools, and sinks |
Copernicus, Nicholas |
(1473-1543) Polish churchman and astronomer who proposed that the planets revolved around a fixed sun |
core |
center of sun |
corona |
outermost region of the solar atmosphere above the chromosphere |
Destiny |
U.S. laboratory module of International Space Station (Space Station Alpha) |
DNA |
Deoxyribonucleic acid; a complex, large molecule that contains all of the information for building and controlling a living organism |
Eagle |
first U.S. manned spacecraft to land on the moon; commanded by Neil Armstrong |
Earth’s magnetic field |
magnetic field that surrounds Earth and is most intense at the North and South magnetic poles |
Einstein, Albert |
(1879-1955) German-born physicist and Nobel Prize recipient; noted for his development of two theories of relativity and contributions to quantum theory |
electrical energy |
energy resulting from the position of an electric charge in an electric field |
electrical power grid |
the high-power lines connected to an electrical power plant |
electricity |
the nature and effects of moving or stationary electric charges; that is, electrons, plasma, etc. |
electromagnetic energy |
the energy transmitted by the formation of electric and magnetic fields in the form of waves; one of the energies of the electromagnetic spectrum |
electron |
an elementary particle of negative (electrical) charge |
electron cloud |
The arrangement of electrons surrounding the nucleus of an atom |
energy |
the ability to do work; some forms of energy are electrical, chemical, mechanical, nuclear; a system can be a machine or an atom or a living thing |
engineering |
the science of laying out, constructing, or managing as an engineer |
evaporation |
the process by which a liquid turns into a gas |
extravehicular activity (EVA) |
activity conducted outside of the space station |
fission |
the process by which an atom splits into two or more parts, releasing energy and free neutrons |
frequency |
the number of peaks in a wave in a unit period of time, usually one second |
fusion |
the process whereby nuclei fuse together to make one heavier nucleus and to release energy |
Galileo, Galilei |
(1564-1642) Italian physicist, astronomer, and mathematician; one of first to use telescope |
gamma rays |
streams of gamma radiation; highest frequency waves on electromagnetic spectrum |
gas |
the state (phase) of matter in which a substance will expand to fill its container |
gene |
the basic unit of inheritance made up of DNA; controls a particular characteristic; for example, hair color |
geomagnetic storm |
large-scale disturbance of Earth’s magnetosphere caused by the arrival of significant amounts of solar plasma |
hemoglobin |
a pigment found in red blood cells and used by the body to transport oxygen from the lungs to the body tissues |
helium |
the element with the atomic number 2 (He); a gas |
hyperventilation |
excessive breathing because of anxiety or physical distress |
hypoxia |
condition produced by a lack of oxygen in the body |
insulator |
a substance that does not readily conduct an electrical charge |
International Space Station (ISS) |
the space station managed by NASA and a team of 16 foreign nations |
ion |
a charged particle consisting of an atom or group of atoms that has either lost or gained electrons |
ionizing radiation |
radiation such that the radiation particle has enough energy to ionize substances |
ionosphere |
region in Earth’s atmosphere that extends from an altitude of about 60 to 500 kilometers; ISS orbits through ionosphere |
isotope |
two or more forms of the same element |
jet stream |
narrow belt of high-speed wind in a planet’s atmosphere |
Kelvin |
a temperature scale based on absolute 0 |
krypton |
the element with atomic number 36 (Kr); normally found in a gaseous state |
latitude |
location lines on a globe measured in degrees north or south of Earth’s equator |
Leucippus |
Greek philosopher who was teacher of Democritus |
light |
visible radiation; a form of electromagnetic radiation able to be detected by the human eye; wavelength 400nm (red) – 700 nm (violet) |
liquid |
the state (phase) of matter in which a material is able to flow freely and take up the shape of its container |
magnet |
any object that is surrounded by a magnetic field and attracts or repels other magnets |
magnetic field |
a region in which a magnetic force can be observed: surrounds a magnet or wire conducting electricity: magnetic fields around planetary objects can be 1012 times stronger than the magnetic field around the earth |
magnetic pole |
the region of a magnetic field where the forces appear strongest |
magnetite |
a mineral form of iron oxide (Fe3O4) |
mass |
a measure of the quantity of matter in an object |
matter |
a substance that occupies space and has mass |
mercury |
the element with atomic number 80 (Hg); a metal |
methane |
a colorless, odorless gas (CH4); extremely flammable when mixed with air |
microwaves |
a form of electromagnetic radiation |
millirem |
one one-thousandth of a rem |
mission patch |
a colorful emblem created to celebrate a space mission or project |
module |
a segment of the International Space Station |
molecule |
the smallest part of a chemical compound that can exist without losing its chemical identity |
moon |
Earth’s only natural satellite |
mutation |
A change in a gene caused by change in the genetic material (DNA) |
National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) |
U.S. government organization dedicated to studying a wide range of atmospheric phenomena |
navigation |
the process of finding position and desired direction of travel |
neon |
element with atomic number 10 (Ne); a gas that occurs in a small amount in air |
nerve cells |
a major cell type of the nervous system |
neutron |
an atomic particle with zero charge in the nucleus of an atom |
nitrogen |
the element with atomic number 7 (N); a gas; makes up 78 percent of the air |
non-ionizing |
Radiation such that the individual particle (photon) has insufficient energy to ionize substances |
Northern Lights |
atmospheric phenomena marked by dancing patterns of light occurring at high altitudes above Earth’s northern latitudes |
nuclear physics |
the branch of physics concerned with nuclear structure, properties, and reactions and their application (nuclear power, using radioisotopes) |
nuclear scientist |
a scientist who specializes in the study of the atom and in nuclear energies |
orbit |
path of a celestial body around other objects in space |
outer corona |
that part of the sun’s corona that reaches far out into the solar system |
oxygen |
the element with atomic number 8 (O); makes up about 21 percent of the air |
ozone |
a colorless gas with a distinctive odor (O3); produced in Earth’s upper atmosphere; shields the Earth from harmful UV radiation |
ozone layer |
a layer of Earth’s atmosphere found at an altitude of 15-40 kilometers |
P6 solar array |
the name used to designate a solar module on the International Space Station |
partial pressure (pp) |
in a mixture of gases, that part of overall pressure that can be attributed to one specified gas; the pressure that the gas would exert if it were alone |
photon |
The concept that some entities show both wave and particle (photon) properties |
photosphere |
that layer of the sun that can be seen by the naked eye; its brightness obscures all other phenomena in the outer layers of the sun |
photovoltaic arrays |
on the space station the total collection of solar cells |
Planck, Max |
(1858-1947) German physicist and pioneer in the field of quantum physics and the study of electromagnetic radiation |
plasma |
a mixture of free electrons and ions or atomic nuclei; occur in the sun |
platelet |
in vertebrates a small cell-like fragment that buds from larger cells in the bone marrow and is involved in blood clotting following injury |
polar region |
a region of Earth located at either the North Pole or the South Pole |
proton |
an atomic particle with a positive charge |
rad |
a unit of ionizing radiation |
radiation |
any particles or waves emitted by a source |
radiation shielding |
materials used to protect human beings from exposure to damaging radiation |
radio waves |
a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths greater than a few millimeters; main application is to carry information |
radioactive |
describing an element that exhibits natural radioactivity |
radioactivity |
a spontaneous breakdown of certain unstable atoms nuclides that gives off radiation; various types include alpha, beta, gamma decay, and fission |
rem |
a formal unit of dose equivalent of ionizing radiation |
respiration |
the human body’s process of releasing and taking in air |
Rutherford, Ernest |
(1871-1937) New Zealand-born British physicist who pioneered the study of the atom and radioactivity |
satellites |
natural or manmade objects that orbit a planetary body |
SOHO satellite |
Solar and Heliospheric Observatory used to help scientists observe and predict solar weather |
solar array |
another name for the photovoltaic array on the space station |
solar cell |
small devices that use silicon compounds to produce electricity with light |
solar eruption |
an eruption of the sun’s chromosphere; a result of violent motion of the sun’s magnetic fields |
solar flare |
Sudden, violent explosion on the sun lasting from a few minutes to a few hours |
solar magnetic field |
a magnetic field on the sun |
solar maximum |
event that happens every 11 years or so when changes in the sun’s magnetic field bring on a period of increased number of sunspots, solar flares, and events called coronal mass ejections |
solar minimum |
the opposite of solar maximum; the end of an 11-year solar cycle |
solar particles |
see “plasma” |
solar proton event |
an extreme solar flare or coronal mass ejection |
solar rotation |
the sun's period of rotation at the surface; varies from approximately 25 days at the equator to 36 days at the poles |
solar storm |
an eruption of the sun’s chromosphere; see “solar flare” |
solar weather |
solar activity that takes place over a period of time |
solar wind |
solar material flowing into interplanetary space; sun’s atmosphere expanding at supersonic speeds |
solid |
the state (phase) of matter in which substance retains its shape |
Southern Lights |
atmospheric phenomena marked by dancing patterns of light occurring normally above Earth’s southern latitudes |
Space Environment Center (NOAA/SEC) |
U.S. government organization that studies solar weather and other space phenomena |
space shuttle |
NASA space vehicles used to conduct experiments in space and to transport astronauts to the International Space Station |
Space Station Alpha |
space station adapted from International Space Station for e-Mission™: Space Station Alpha |
speed of light |
the speed at which electromagnetic energy travels; speed of all forms of electromagnetic energy traveling through a vacuum is 300,000 kilometers per second (186,000 miles per second) |
star |
a gaseous body that emits radiation |
storage batteries |
batteries in which electrical energy can be stored |
storm front |
the outer edges of atmospheric turbulence |
subatomic particle |
fundamental component of the atom |
sun |
the star at the center of our solar system |
sunspots |
a dark region on the sun where temperatures are lower and there is a concentration of magnetic field activity |
technician |
a person highly skilled in one or more aspects of technology |
telecommunications |
the use of high-frequency electromagnetic energies to transmit information |
Tissue Exposure Proportional Counter (TEPC) |
a device used to detect radiation; reports radiation in millirems (TEPC) |
Torricelli, Evangelista |
(1608–47) Italian physicist and mathematician; Galileo's secretary (1641–42) and his successor as professor of philosophy and mathematics at Florence |
toxin |
a poison released by plants, animals, or bacteria that can cause a disease |
ultraviolet |
a form of electromagnetic energy shorter than visible light |
Unity Node |
a connecting module on the International Space Station (Space Station Alpha) |
vacuum |
A space that contains no matter at all |
Van Allen belts |
two ring-shaped regions around Earth where there are concentrations of high-energy electrons and protons that have been trapped by Earth’s magnetic field |
vapor |
a gas at any temperature at which it may be liquefied by pressure alone |
water vapor |
see “vapor” |
watt |
the standard international unit of power |
wavelength |
the distance between the peaks of one complete cycle of a wave |
X-rays |
(X-radiation) a form of electromagnetic radiation |
Z1 Truss |
a module of the International Space Station that supports the photovoltaic arrays (Space Station Alpha) |
Zarya functional cargo block |
a module of the International Space Station used for storage and experimentation (Space Station Alpha) |
Zvezda service module |
a module of the International Space Station used for the crew’s living quarters (Space Station Alpha) |