Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Astronomy > Astronomy Notes > Flashcards

Astronomy Notes Flashcards

1
Q

Planets

A

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is Revolution?

A

When Planets revolve around the sun in a counter-clockwise direction
1 revolution = 1 year

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is Rotation?

A

Planets rotate around their axis in a counter-clockwise direction
1 rotation = 1 day

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

3 classifications of a Planet

A
  1. Orbits the Sun
  2. Nearly Round in Shape
  3. Have cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What causes earth’s seasonal change?

A

The earth’s tilted axis revolves

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Astronomical unit (AU)

A

The distance to the sun

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

AU of sun

A

The sun is 1 AU or 150,000,000 km away from the earth?

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

4 features of earth that make it unique and help support life on earth

A
  1. Atmosphere
  2. Tides
  3. Magnetic Field
  4. Tilt
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What are Light years?

A

Distances between stars are measured in light years

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

How much light travels in 1 year?

A

10 trillion km in 1 year

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Formula for light years

A

Light Year = (speed of light) x (one year)
9.5 x 10^12 km

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What are constellations?

A

A group of stars that form a recognizable shape or patterns

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is apparent magnitude?

A

The brightness of a star from earth

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is absolute magnitude?

A

The real brightness of a star when set a standard distance of 32.6 light years

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is Big Bang Theory?

A

The universe began as a single point without stars, planets, molecules, atoms, subatomic particles, or any space. Then 13.8 billion years ago in an explosion (Big Bang); the universe started expanding ever since.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

3 main pieces of evidence to support the Big Bang Theory

A
  1. Hubble’s Redshift
  2. Cosmic Microwave Background
  3. Elemental Composition of the Universe: Ratio of hydrogen to Helium
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What’s Hubble’s redshift

A

A shift in the wavelength of light from distant galaxies that makes it appear redder than it actually is.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is the Doppler effect?

A

When the spectral lines of galaxies were displaced from their normal positions.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What is the cosmic microwave background?

A

A microwave noise that was produced by the radiation left over from the Big Bang explosion that filled the Universe.

20
Q

What is red shift?

A

Objects moving AWAY from an observer; increased wavelengths towards the red end of the visible spectrum

21
Q

What is blue shift?

A

Objects moving TOWARDS an observer; decreased wavelengths towards the blue end of the visible spectrum

22
Q

What are galaxies?

A

A galaxy is a collection of stars, gas, dust, and planets held together by GRAVITY.

Our solar system is part of the Milky Way galaxy.

23
Q

3 classifications of a galaxy

A
  1. Spiral/barred spiral galaxy
  2. Elliptical Galaxies
  3. Irregular Galaxies
24
Q

How do galaxies form?

A

Galaxies form when gravity causes a large, slowly spinning cloud of gas, dust and stars to collapse / contract.

25
Q

Types of star clusters

A
  1. Open cluster (50 - 1000 stars)
  2. Globular Cluster (stars drawn together in a spherical shape)
26
Q

What is an asteroid and where is it?

A

An asteroid is a small rocky body moving in a solar system
Where: asteroid belt

27
Q

What is a meteor and where is it?

A

Small body that enters atmosphere could burn up inside
Where: Inside the Earth’s atmosphere

28
Q

What is a meteorite and where is it?

A

Small body moving in the atmosphere
Where: outside Earth’s atmosphere

29
Q

What is a comet and where is it?

A

Icy body that releases gas/ dust, travels in long orbit around sun
Where: Kuiper or belt/ Oort cloud

30
Q

What is a meteoroid and where is it?

A

Small body moving in the atmosphere
Where: outside Earth’s atmosphere

31
Q

What is a nebula?

A

When a star forms, such as the Sun, its hot core remains surrounded by GAS & DUST.

32
Q

What happens during a solar eclipse?

A

When the shadow of the moon falls on the earth and cannot be seen from everywhere.
(Sun - Moon - Earth)

33
Q

WHEN does a solar eclipse occur?

A

During a new moon

34
Q

What happens during lunar eclipse?

A

Moon passes through earth’s shadow and can be seen from everywhere
(Sun, earth, moon)

35
Q

When does a lunar eclipse occur?

A

Twice a year

36
Q

What is a lunar cycle?

A

The period of time it takes for the moon to complete one orbit around the Earth (29.5 days).

37
Q

What are the phases of the moon?

A
  1. New moon
  2. Waxing crescent
  3. First Quarter
  4. Waxing Gibbous
  5. Full moon
  6. Waning Gibbous
  7. Last quarter
  8. Waning crescent
38
Q

Why are the phases of moon caused?

A

Because moon DOESN’T emit its own light, but is lit by the sun. Phases are caused due to the changing angle of sun.

39
Q

Non-Luminous objects in the solar system

A

Moon and Planets since they absorb light but do NOT emit their own light (they reflect light from the sun)

40
Q

What does waxing mean?

A

The growth and expansion of the illumination

41
Q

What does waning mean?

A

The shrinking or decrease in the amount of illumination

42
Q

How do rocky planets form with example?

A

They formed from dense dust clouds that were closest to the sun.

Example: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars (similar composition)

43
Q

How do gas giants form with example?

A

Farther from the sun, the leftover material was mostly hydrogen gas and temperatures were much lower that formed huge gas planets.

Example: Jupiter and Saturn (no solid surface)

44
Q

How did ice giants form with example?

A

The outermost part of the ring of gas surrounding the Sun, temperatures are very cold from which the material condensed into huge balls of ice and hydrogen gas.

Example: Uranus and Neptune (no solid surface)

45
Q

Difference between the geocentric and heliocentric models of the solar system?

A
  • Geocentric focused around the earth
  • Heliocentric focused around the Sun
46
Q

Difference between the inner and outer planets

A
  1. Inner planets - mostly rocky planets
  2. Outer planets - mostly ice and gas giants
47
Q

Evidence that supports the “Solar Nebular Theory of Planet Formation”

A
  1. The sun and planets formed around the same time
  2. All planets orbit the sun in the same distance

Astronomy (3 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions