info on planets Flashcards
(53 cards)
1
Q
why is Uranus tilted on its axis at such an angle?
A
- got hit by an earth sized object after it grew to nearly full size.
- ## Uranus got grazed and the atmosphere stayed mostly intact.
2
Q
seasons on Uranus
A
- orbit is 84 years long
- seasons last 21 years
- northern hemisphere has continuous sunlight for 21 years (summer) in the winter all darkness
3
Q
Neptune info
A
- axial tilt 29 degrees
- one day takes 16 hours
4
Q
How was Neptune predicted to exist?
A
- orbit of Uranus was not how it should have been
5
Q
atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune
A
- layers of hydrocarbon clouds obscure lower atmosphere.
- both quite active due to internal heat.
6
Q
what is Uranus blue in color?
A
- methane gas absorbs red light and transmits blue light.
- then the methane gas reflects blue light back into space.
7
Q
Neptunes atmosphere specifically
A
- Voyager saw white clouds stretched by wind
- Winds very fast
8
Q
storms on neptune
A
- Occasional storms are present in the atmosphere.
- These tend to be short lived.
- Produce dark and white spots in the atmosphere
9
Q
neptunes great dark spot
A
- created by convecting gas rising from interior
10
Q
Neptune interior
A
- primarily various ices with a rocky core
- inner core (rock), a slushy warm ice layer above, and outer layer of molecular hydrogen.
11
Q
How are diamonds theorized to form on Uranus and Neptune?
A
- pressure under atmosphere is high enough to generate
- created as ammonia and methane break down
- diamonds fall (rain)
12
Q
magnetic field (both)
A
- fairly weak
- off center fields suggesting more localized sources in the mantles of these planets.
- NOT a single dipole
13
Q
ring systems (both)
A
- all very faint
- Uranus : the brightest known is epsilon ring
- Neptune : one of the rings appears twisted.
14
Q
composition of rings
A
- particles are very dark
- albedo only 4%
- composed of frozen methane-rich mix of ices and dust
- break down of methane by radiation equals dark
15
Q
what is occultation?
A
- the passage of one body in front of another. Temporarily blocking its light.
16
Q
moons for Uranus
A
- Uranus has 27 moons
- 11 very dark and small
- 5 larger ones
- 11 newly discovered small ones.
- NEAR circular orbits
17
Q
moons for Neptune
A
- has 14 named moons
- most likely captured Kuiper belt objects.
18
Q
Triton info
A
- retrograde orbit around Neptune
- the only large moon to orbit backwards
19
Q
How did triton form and end up as a moon of Neptune?
A
- must have been formed elsewhere and captured by Neptune.
20
Q
Triton Surface
A
- active ice volcanoes
- prominent polar caps (all of southern hemisphere).
- 25% water ice rest rocky materials
21
Q
Cantaloupe terrain
A
- Odd pitted surface
22
Q
triton atmosphere
A
- very thin atmosphere composed mostly of Nitrogen with a small amount of methane
23
Q
triton temp
A
- cold as Pluto due to high albedo.
- methane, Nitrogen, and carbon dioxide all freeze solid.
24
Q
Triton Ice volcanoes
A
- eruptive material most likely liquid nitrogen
- eruptions driven by seasonal heating from the SUN
25
Kuiper belt
- holds objects such as Pluto, Charon, and other TNO's.
- lies beyond Neptune
26
Trans Neptunian Objects
- Any minor or dwarf planet that orbits the sun at a greater average distance than Neptune.
27
What theory exists for the formation of the Kuiper Belt?
- UNKNOWN
- formation of Saturn / Jupiter may have forced this material out from the inner solar system.
- Neptune's creation then may have pushed this material out further to create the Kuiper Belt.
28
Pluto
- diameter smaller than our moon
- composition of surface mostly ice
29
pluto rotation period
- about 6.4 earth days.
30
what is unusual about Pluto's orbit?
- elliptical orbit
- closer to the sun than Neptune at some times
- axial tilt of 118 degrees
31
Pluto Atmosphere
- little to no Atmosphere
- haze layer of gases seems to be composed of nitrogen and some methane
- new Horizons saw haze layers when looking back at Pluto.
32
gases on Pluto
- mostly locked up with in the surface
33
interior of Pluto
- three layers
- outer ice layer of varying composition
- interior ice water mantle
- solid rocky core
34
pluto magnetic field
- no magnetic field due to a possible solid core.
35
pluto surface features
- dominated by nitrogen ice, with methane and carbon monoxide ices also present.
36
age range
- high crater counts = 4 billion years
- smooth icy plains, less than 10 mil years
37
Tombaugh Region
- the "heart" region
- 1590 km in diameter
38
Sputnik Planitia
- smoother western lobe
- still geologically active
39
Eastern lobe
- more mountainous terrain
- made of nitrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide
40
describe the cycling of nitrogen through the Tombaugh Regio?
- nitrogen sublimates and it is transported away deposited everywhere.
- region is RESPONSIBLE for the transport of nitrogen across the planet.
41
Macula
- dark regions intersected by topographic highs
- assumed to be a complex micture of tholins.
42
Cthulhu Macula
- Canyon
- has hundred of craters, so must be older than Tombaugh Regio.
43
montes
- mountains of ice
- must be made of water ice -- other ices would sublimate periodically and be constantly reforming.
44
pluto moons (general info)
- 5 known moons
- LARGEST Charon
- others are Styx, Nix, Kerberos, and hydra.
45
Charon
- largest satellite relative to its parent body
46
What is unusual about Charon's orbit around pluto?
- same side is always facing pluto
47
Bary center
- the point around which two objects orbit each other
48
Charon surface features
- has red regions similar to pluto CAUSED by Tholins
- more dominated by water ice though.
49
Chasma
- kanyon systems of which serenity chasma is the largest
50
mons
most bizarre is Kubrick Mons, which sits in a "moat"
- thought to be a cryovolcano
51
Arrokoth
- new horizons discovered
- two lobes attached by a narrow neck
- red caused by tholins.
52
How did Arrokoth form itself and what does that mean for theories on planetary formation?
- two small objects having a gentle collision and coming together.
- small collisions play a role in creating objects in the kuiper belt.
53
Eris
- dwarf planet comparable to Pluto
- has one moon called Dysomnia.
- infrared spectra suggests their is methane and water ices present.
