Final Exam Flashcards
What is our solar system and its components?
our solar system is composed of several objects in space: moons, asteroids, our sun and Pluto
How have Radar and Infrared technology helped us understand other planets in our solar system?
- Radar observations: Venus is a solid covered with thick clouds, Jupiter does not have a solid central portion
- Infrared methods: temperatures of planet surfaces, chemical composition, presence of water
What were the goals of the following space probes:
Apollo, Voyager, Magellan, Pathfinder
A: mission to land man on the moon, bring back rocks for analysis and mapping of surface
V: to look at Jupiter in detail
M: mission to Venus, had to use radar map surface
P: landed on Mars for first surface investigation studied atmosphere and soils
What do the inner terrestrial planets have in common?
solid surface, core of iron, nickel, sulfur
Why does Mercury have such a great temperature change in one day?
it is close to the sun and has no atmosphere, meaning heat dissipates into space at night quickly
Why is Venus so hot?
thick atmosphere of clouds trap heat and it is mostly carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid
What kind of evidence do we have that Mars once had abundant water?
- large erosional cavities
- volcanoes present but not active
- plenty of sedimentary rocks
Which of the outer planets is largest?
Jupiter
Describe the atmospheres of Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune.
J - atmosphere of hydrogen and helium, giant red spot
U - atmosphere of hydrogen and helium, no developed storm systems, rings present but faint, in several bands
N - atmosphere with much methane, has faint ring system, giant storm system
Describe the rings of Saturn.
- three major rings, numerous smaller ones
- some very small, other quite large
- composition mostly of ice
Why are Uranus and Neptune so blue?
U - rocky core with liquid component of water, methane and ammonia
N - Atmosphere with much methane
How long does it take for Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune to orbit the sun (in Earth years)?
S - 29.5 earth years
U - 84 earth years
N - 165 earth years
What two outer planets are known for large storm systems?
Neptune and Jupiter
What is unusual of Pluto’s orbit around the sun?
it is very elliptical and sometimes closer to the sun than Neptune
Describe our moon’s orbit and revolution.
- revolution around Earth every 28 days
- rotation once each rotation; thus, same side faces us at all times
How does the geology of the Moon compare to Earth?
- rocks very similar to Earths igneous
- also discovered that water is present, but below the surfce
Why are there changes in the phases of the moon (new, quarter, full)?
when sun and moon on same side we have a new moon, when sun and moon are on opposite sides we have a full moon
What are the two types of eclipses?
Lunar and solar
Describe a solar and lunar eclipse.
L - when Earth between sun and moon, moon is in shadow of Earth
S - when moon is between sun and Earth, Moon shadow is on Earth
What is the cause of the ocean tides?
tides are the result of moon’s gravitational influence on Earth along with that of the sun, highest tides when earth moon and the sun are in a row
What is the link between the moon phases and intensity of tides?
- water pulled toward moon when it is over head, high tide
- pulled toward when opposite
Contrast Spring and Neap tides.
S - when the sun and moon are on the same side of Earth, the tides will be a little higher
N - when the sun and moon are not aligned high tides will be a little lower
Describe the celestial terms Light Year, Parsec, and Astronomical Unit.
LY - distance light moves in one year
P - 3.26 light years
A - earth to sun distance
What is the value of studying parallax?
measuring objects in space mostly to tell distance away
