cloud: A plume of molecules or particles, such as water droplets, that move under the action of an outside force, such as wind, radiation or water currents. (in atmospheric science) A mass of airborne water droplets and ice crystals that travel as a plume, usually high in Earth’s atmosphere. Its movement is driven by winds.
data: Facts and/or statistics collected together for analysis but not necessarily organized in a way that gives them meaning. For digital information (the type stored by computers), those data typically are numbers stored in a binary code, portrayed as strings of zeros and ones.
electricity: (adj. electric) A flow of charge, usually from the movement of negatively charged particles, called electrons.
geostationary orbit: Also known as a geosynchronous orbit. This is a term for the path certain satellites take around the Earth. They move in the same direction as Earth’s rotation. Earth turns on its axis once a day. These orbit around Earth at about the same rate, usually around 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds. Their longitude (East-to-West location) seems unchanging although their path may seem to vary a bit from North to South). The end result: The satellite appears at the same point in the sky at all times (as seen from someplace on the ground).
infuse: (n. infusion) To cause something to enter or mix with another thing (which could be an emotion, a flavor or a liquid).
lightning: A flash of light triggered by the discharge of electricity that occurs between clouds or between a cloud and something on Earth’s surface. The electrical current can cause a flash heating of the air, which can create a sharp crack of thunder.
millisecond: A thousandth of a second.
online: (n.) On the internet. (adj.) A term for what can be found or accessed on the internet.
orbit: The curved path of a celestial object or spacecraft around a galaxy, star, planet or moon. One complete circuit around a celestial body.
particle: A minute amount of something.
physicist: A scientist who studies the nature and properties of matter and energy.
satellite: A moon orbiting a planet or a vehicle or other manufactured object that orbits some celestial body in space.
system: A network of parts that together work to achieve some function. For instance, the blood, vessels and heart are primary components of the human body’s circulatory system. Similarly, trains, platforms, tracks, roadway signals and overpasses are among the potential components of a nation’s railway system. System can even be applied to the processes or ideas that are part of some method or ordered set of procedures for getting a task done.
troposphere: The lowest level of Earth’s atmosphere. It runs from the planet’s surface to a height of 8 to 14 kilometers (5 to 9 miles), depending on the latitude. It’s the region where the air is thickest and where most weather occurs. Air currents moving through this region often flow not only horizontally, but often vertically (up and down).
updraft: A strong mass of air that rises quickly.