Final Exam Flashcards
(29 cards)
What is a Solar System?
A star and its surrounding
planets, comets, asteroids, etc… that exists inside a galaxy.
What is a Planet?
A moderately large object that orbits a star; it shines by reflected light. Planets may be rocky, icy, or gaseous in composition.
What is a moon or satellite?
An object that orbits a planet.
What is an Asteroid?
A relatively small and rocky object that orbits a star.
What is a comet?
A relatively small and icy object that orbits a star.
What is a Galaxy?
A massive system of stars (and other stuff) that exists inside the universe.
What is a light year?
The distance light can travel in one year (9.5 trillion kilometers or 6 trillion miles)
What are circumpolar stars? Where would you see these?
Circumpolar stars do not rise or set. You would see these near the celestial poles.
The Sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Which way is Earth rotating? A. Toward the west B. Toward the north C. Toward the east D. Toward the south
C. Toward the east
Define Earth’s Rotation, Earth’s revolution, and Earth’s axial tilt.
Rotation: 24 hours
Revolution: 365 days
Axial tilt: 23.5 degrees
When is the Summer Solstice?
When is the Winter Solstice?
Summer: June 21st
Winter December 21st
When is the vernal equinox?
When is the autumnal equinox?
Vernal: March 20th
Autumnal: September 22nd
What is Kepler’s First Law?
Planetary orbits are ellipses.
What is Kepler’s Second Law?
As the planet moves around its orbit it sweeps out equal areas and equal times.
What is Kepler’s third law?
More distant planets orbit the sun at slower average speeds obeying the relationship.
How are the orbital period and average distance related?
P2=A3
P=Orbital Period in years
A= average distance from the Sun in AU
What is Perihelion?
What is Aphelion?
What is Eccentricity?
P= The point in the orbit of a planet, asteroid, or comet at which it is closest to the sun.
A=The point in the orbit of a planet, asteroid, or comet at which it is furthest from the sun.
E=The deviation of a curve from being a circle.
How many planets orbit the Sun? List them in order.
Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune
How are Jupiter and Saturn more alike than Uranus and Neptune?
Due to their composition:
Jupiter and Saturn are gas giants
Uranus and Neptune are ice giants
Which types of planets have ring systems? Jovian or Terrestrial?
All the Jovian planets have ring systems.
Comet vs. Asteroid
Comet is mostly ice, made of frozen gases such as water, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide.
An asteroid is made of dust particles.
Describe the differences between Terrestrial planets and Jovian planets
Terrestrial planets are relatively small worlds, composed of primarily of rock and metal.
Jovian planets are much larger and are composed primarily of lighter ices, liquids, and gases.
What and where is the Kuiper Belt?
A region of the solar system beyond Neptune believed to contain many comets, asteroids, and other small bodies made largely of ice.
What is the Greenhouse Effect? How is it beneficial? How is it harmful?
Carbon dioxide content of the retains heat from the sun through a process called the greenhouse effect.
Without it: Earth’s oceans would be frozen
With it: The Earth is 40 degrees C hotter
