Science glossary · Ireland
Orbit
The curved path of one object around another in space.
Planets orbit the Sun, and moons orbit planets. Gravity holds an object in orbit.
Example: The Moon orbits Earth about once every 27 days.
Lessons, worksheets, practice and tools on this: Space and the solar system.
Related words
- Phases of the Moon: The changing shape of the lit part of the Moon we see from Earth.
- Rotation: The spinning of an object around its own axis.
- Revolution: One full trip of an object around another, such as Earth around the Sun.