You might have come across the word heavenly body in your science textbook sometime or the other. Have you ever wondered what are heavenly bodies? Celestial bodies or heavenly bodies are objects in space such as the sun, moon, planets, and stars. They form a part of the vast universe we live in and are usually very far from us. The glorious night sky is dotted with such objects and when we observe them using a telescope, they reveal fascinating worlds of their own.
Hence, we can define heavenly bodies as,
A planet, moon, star or other natural objects in the space
In this article, let us discuss various heavenly body names and their meaning.
Table of Contents
Classification of Celestial Bodies
Stars
Planets
Satellites
Comets
Asteroids
Meteors and Meteorites
Galaxies
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs
Classification of Celestial Bodies
Stars
Stars are giant balls of hot gases that can produce their own light. Stars give out energy by converting Hydrogen gas into Helium in their cores. Stars are gigantic in size and have an immense gravitational attraction. The sun is a medium-sized star that gives us energy and makes life possible on earth.
Planets
Planets are large (almost) spherical objects that revolve around the sun. Planets move in fixed orbits around the sun. There are 8 planets in our solar system. Planets may be made of rocks, metals and gases like hydrogen, nitrogen and methane. The earth is also a planet and is the only known place in the universe which supports life. Planets that revolve around other stars are called exoplanets.
Satellites
Satellites are objects that revolve around planets. They form the essential part of the celestial bodies. These may be of natural origin or sent by humans. The moon is a natural satellite of the earth and revolves around it because it is bound by the Earth’s gravitational pull. Man has also placed artificial or man-made satellites around the earth and other planets to study them and for communication purposes.
Comets
These are small chunks of ice and rock that come from the outer edge of the solar system. When its orbit brings it closer to the sun, the ice on them vaporizes, creating a beautiful tail behind them.
Asteroids
These are small irregularly shaped rocks made up of metal or minerals that orbit the sun. Most of them are found between Mars and Jupiter in an area known as the asteroid belt.
Meteors and meteorites
These are objects from space that enter our atmosphere as they are pulled by the earth’s gravity. Meteors usually are small and burn up in the atmosphere as they enter the earth. This creates streaks in the sky as though a star has fallen. They are commonly called shooting stars. If a meteor is large enough it can reach the ground and create a crater. Such objects are called meteorites.
Galaxies
Galaxies are large groups of stars held together by gravity. The sun and the solar system are a part of a galaxy known as the Milky Way. Other galaxies are usually so far away that they look like stars in the night sky. The Andromeda galaxy and the Large Magellanic Cloud are galaxies that can be seen with the naked eye on a clear night.
The next time you go out to wonder at the night sky, try to identify these objects. If you can get a star chart, use it to find the different celestial objects mentioned in the night sky.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs
Q1
What do we mean by celestial bodies?
Celestial bodies or heavenly bodies refer to the planets, stars, moons and all the other natural objects present in space.
Most of the asteroids are found in the asteroid belt which is a region between Mars and Jupiter.
Q4
What are comets?
Comets are small chunks of ice and rock that come from the outer edge of the solar system. When its orbit brings it closer to the sun, the ice on them vaporizes, creating a beautiful tail behind them. Halley’s comet is one of the most well-known comets which is visible to the naked eye from the earth every 75-76 years.
Q5
Which galaxy are we a part of?
The sun and our solar system are a part of the Milkyway galaxy.
Q6
What is the one major difference between planets and stars?
Unlike planets, stars produce their own source of light. Planets just reflect the light coming from another star like the sun.
To know more about solarsystem, stay tuned with BYJU’S – The learning app!
Put your understanding of this concept to test by answering a few MCQs. Click ‘Start Quiz’ to begin!
Select the correct answer and click on the “Finish” button Check your score and answers at the end of the quiz
Congrats!
Visit BYJU’S for all Physics related queries and study materials
Your result is as below
0 out of 0 arewrong
0 out of 0 are correct
0 out of 0 are Unattempted
Login To View Results
Did not receive OTP?
Request OTP on
Login To View Results
PHYSICS Related Links
Centripetal Force And Centrifugal Force
Advantages Of Amplitude Modulation
How To Find Average Speed
Latent Heat Of Fusion
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Energy Sources
Temperature Definition Physics
Working Of Electric Bell For Class 7
Characteristics Of Magnet
Difference Between Gravity And Gravitational Force
Drift Velocity Derivation
Comments
Leave a Comment
JOSHUA AGUNDU November 2, 2020 at 11:59 pm
Astronomically certain events on earth,seem to synchronise with certain celestial event.for example,the annual flooding of the nile follows closely the appearance of sirius,the tides ebbed & flows in phase with the moon,the change of the seasons follows closely the movement of the sun.
",r+=" ",r+=" Communications regarding lectures & crash courses will be shared with you soon.",r+="
",i.after(r)}"register-popup-form-widget"==i.attr("id")&&MAIN_UTILITIES.setCookie("pagebformypopupj",1,15),GA_FLAG&&ga("send","event",INSTANCE_NAME+" "+s+" Data Form Successful","Form Submission Data Stored","URL: "+C_URL)}else i.find('button[type="submit"]').attr("disabled",!1).html(d),CS_UTILITIES.addToastMessage("page-form-popup-and-widget-0",e.message),GA_FLAG&&ga("send","event",INSTANCE_NAME+" "+s+" Data Form Failed","Form Submission Data Failed","URL: "+C_URL);else i.find('button[type="submit"]').attr("disabled",!1).html(d),CS_UTILITIES.addToastMessage("page-form-popup-and-widget-0","Please try after sometime!")})}}else e.preventDefault(),a.each(function(e,t){jQuery(t).blur()});GA_FLAG&&ga("send","event","Form Data "+s+" Button Click: "+FORM_NAME,"On Submitting Form","Form Values: "+jQuery(t).serialize())}};
Introduction: My name is Frankie Dare, I am a funny, beautiful, proud, fair, pleasant, cheerful, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
