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Astronomy 9 > 180s Quiz: Probes, Planets, Moons, and Minor Bodies > Flashcards

180s Quiz: Probes, Planets, Moons, and Minor Bodies Flashcards

(100 cards)

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1
Q

T/F: Triton is one of Neptune’s moons

A

T

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2
Q

Name three of Saturn’s moons

A

Victoria, Hyperion, Titan, Rhea, Phoebe…

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3
Q

T/F: Jupiter has the most moons in our solar system

A

F: Saturn does

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4
Q

Where does the word ‘Planet’ originate and what did it mean?

A

Greek for wanderer

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5
Q

What is and how much is an AU?

A

Astronomical Unit: distance bw the Earth and Sun

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6
Q

How do you think Pluto was created? Consider: its orbital path, plane of rotation, and its moon Charon

A

2 like sized minor bodies collided (probably in the Kuiper belt) to form a binary system (Pluto + Charon). This knocked Pluto onto its side and close enough to be pulled occasionally into Neptune’s orbit

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7
Q

Used to be a planet

A

Pluto, Ceres, Eris…

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8
Q

Farthest planet from the Sun

A

Neptune

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9
Q

Third most massive

A

Neptune

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10
Q

Has a surface temp ranging from -180C to 400C

A

Mercury: bc it has no atmosphere to disperse heat and is in the proximity of the Sun

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11
Q

Has over 100 rings

A

Saturn (over 100 ringlets, 6 main ones)

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12
Q

Planet w atmosphere that contains oxygen

A

Earth

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13
Q

Planet w greenhouse gas effect causing thick atmosphere

A

Venus

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14
Q

Why is Venus so hot? 😉(2)

A

No oceans to regulate temp and absorb gases

Greenhouse gas effect (thick CO2)

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15
Q

Why does Mars appear red?

A

It’s earth is reddish, due to rust

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16
Q

Which of Jupiter’s moons is cracking?

A

Europa: its salty ocean beneath the thin layer of ice is cracking due to its proximity to Jupiter, whose massive magnetic field is affecting it

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17
Q

Which of Jupiter’s moons has the greatest gravitational gradient?

A

Io: closest to Jupiter and is being pulled on in some parts by the gas giant = heat

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18
Q

Which of Jupiter’s moons takes the shortest time to orbit?

A

Io: the closest

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19
Q

Which of Jupiter’s moons takes the longest to orbit?

A

Callisto: farthest

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20
Q

Which of Mars’ moons will crash into the planet?

A

Phobos: it orbits Mars faster than Mars rotates, affecting tidal force

It may or may not crash; instead, it could be pulled apart by Mars’ gravity when close enough (?)

The bread is crashing

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21
Q

Name of Earth’s moon?

A

Luna

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22
Q

Name 3 dwarf planets

A

Pluto, Ceres, Eris, Makemake (Easter Bunny), Haumea (Santa Claus)

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23
Q

Which planet’s moons are named after Alexander Pope and Shakespearean characters?

A

Uranus

Miranda, Puck, Titania, Oberon, etc.

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24
Q

T/F: Saturn has a 9h 50m day

A

F: Jupiter does

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25
T/F: Uranus has a 17h day
T
26
T/F: Neptune has a 16h day
T
27
Which planet has the shortest year?
Mercury
28
Which planet has the longest year?
Neptune
29
Which planet has the shortest day?:
Jupiter
30
Which planet has the longest day?
Venus
31
Will a terrestrial or gas planet have a longer year?
A gas giant
32
Will a terrestrial or gas planet have a longer day?
Terrestrial
33
Which planet rotates on its side?
Uranus
34
Which LARGE space probe was the last to leave Earth? Why?
Cassini: large space probes contain much more equipment. They were more expensive and instruments on-board frequently broke
35
Where do we crash space probes that have completed their missions?
On their planets: to not terraform or affect potential life on moons
36
Path Finder
Mars
37
Vikings
Mars, 1970s, tasked w finding life Red beard
38
Galileo space probe
Jupiter, 1980s/90s. Orbited and crashed three space probes within to observe conditions
39
Why don’t space probes land on Venus?
They’ll melt
40
Voyagers
Have left the heliosphere, where there is no solar wind. I and II are periodically turned off to conserve their dying batteries
41
What do the Voyagers use as energy?
Nuclear reactors
42
What do the voyagers carry on board that Stephen Hawking warned against?
The Golden Record Contains the Vitruvian man, music, life, etc. from earth
43
SOHO
Studies the structure of the sun and its weather Stands for Solar and Heliospheric Observatory
44
What is solar wind?
Constant gas flow of charges charged particles; plasma from the Sun Protects the objects from galactic radiation Makes up the hemisphere
45
Arrange the planets in order from the Sun
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
46
Arrange the planets largest to smallest
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Earth, Venus, Mars, Mercury
47
What is the shape of the planets’ orbit?
Ellipse
48
Name Mars’ two moons
Phobos and Deimos
49
Name three of Pluto’s moons
Charon, Styx, Nix, Hydra, Kerberos...
50
How many moons does Pluto have?
6
51
How many moons does Jupiter have?
Over 60
52
How many moons does Saturn have?
Over 100 moons, but not all are known/confirmed(?)
53
2nd smallest planet
Mars
54
2nd largest planet
Saturn
55
Smallest planet
Mercury
56
5th smallest planet
Uranus
57
Oort Belt
In the Outer Solar System Asteroids, most comets, and other minor bodies. Very large
58
Asteroid Belt
Between Mars and Jupiter Asteroids here did not form planets here because once they were large enough, Jupiter’s gravity pulled them into itself.
59
Kuiper Belt
Between Neptune and including Pluto
60
SOHO
Solar and Heliospheric Observatory Sent to study the structure of the Sun, monitor its weather, and to discover comets
61
James Webb
A “replacement” of the Hubble. Looks into deep space
62
Hubble
Has eye glasses Looks at deep space
63
Which spacecraft/space probe looks for earth-sized exoplanets in their Goldilocks zone? Why?
Kepler To see if our solar system is ubiquitous
64
Kepler Space Probe
Trails Earth, back towards the Sun
65
Name a space probe which has orbited Pluto
New Horizons
66
Why don’t Venus and Mercury have any moons?
Any captured objects would not enter a steady orbit because of the Sun’s gravitational pull
67
Name a moon with retrograde motion
Triton
68
What is the composition of an asteroid?
Rocky and metallic
69
T/F: Water can never be present in a meteor
F
70
T/F: Meteors will NOT rust in outer space
T
71
Why do meteors explode?
The water present boils while entering the atmosphere; gas enclosed within will be forced out, “blowing it’s top off”
72
Alternate name of: Venus
Morning/Evening star | Earth’s sister planet
73
Alt. Name of: Meteor
Shooting star
74
Name three meteor showers
Quadrantids, Eta Aquirids, Lyrids, Draconids, Taurids...
75
Give an eg of a meteorite
The Allende meteorite
76
Orbital path of a comet
Around the sun
77
Temperature range of Mercury
-180C to 400C
78
Why is Mercury’s rotation so slow?
Because of its size
79
Why does Mercury and Mars barely have an atmosphere?
Because of their small gravities and size
80
T/F: there is life on Mars
We put it there...
81
Atmosphere of the gas giants generally contain:
Hydrogen, helium, nitrogen and methane
82
Which planet(s) have an atmosphere containing oxygen?
Earth
83
Space Probes to Venus
Cassini (ish), Mariner 10, Pioneers, Magellan
84
Avg. Temperature of Venus
~450C
85
Why does Jupiter bulge at the equator?
It’s massive size causes it to rotate exceptionally quickly. It rotates faster at the poles than at the equator
86
T/F: the Great Red Spot is growing every day
F: it’s diminishing in size
87
Which Planet contains the Great Dark Spot?
Neptune
88
Number of Neptune’s moons
13
89
T/F: Uranus has 13 moons
T??
90
What determines the brightness of a planet?
Size, percent of light reflected (atmosphere) distance from the Sun
91
T/F: Saturn was visited by Cassini, Voyagers, and the Path Finders
F: the Path Finder went to Mars
92
Why does a comet’s tail always point away from the Sun?
The comet’s ion (smaller) tail is lit up by a reaction between ions (coming from the melting, charged particles of gas from the nucleus) and solar wind. It is also pushed in whichever direction by solar wind
93
A comet’s dust tail
Dust, from a melting comet’s nucleus, which reflects yellow or white light from the Sun. Broader than an ion tail, therefore less accurate in its turning away from the Sun
94
How many d/a does Neptune take to orbit the Sun?
164a
95
T/F: Uranus takes 84d to orbit the Sun
F: 84a
96
T/F: a gas planet has a longer year than a terrestrial planet
T
97
What determines the time it takes for a planet to rotate?
SiZe
98
What is a planet?
A body orbiting the Sun, which has cleared other objects of its orbital path and has a great enough gravity to be round.
99
Moon?
A satellite orbiting a planet
100
Solar system?
All objects that orbit the Sun and the Sun’s objects

Astronomy 9 (2 decks)

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