Astronomy Moon's, Rings, and Pluto

Compare the properties of Titan's atmosphere with those of Earth's atmosphere. (Select all that apply.)

-Both have weather cycles of evaporation from surface liquid, formation of clouds, and precipitation back onto the surface. -Both atmospheres are mostly nitrogen. -Oxygen makes up 20% of Earth's atmosphere.

List at least three major differences between Pluto and the terrestrial planets.

-It is composed mostly of ice and rock. -Pluto is much smaller than the terrestrial planets. -Its orbit is highly elliptical and inclined to the plane of the ecliptic.

What is the evidence for a liquid water ocean on Europa? (Select all that apply.) Why is this interesting to scientists searching for extraterrestrial life?

-Long straight cracks in the icy crust are likely to happen over a liquid subsurface. -A weak magnetic field implies the existence of a liquid layer below the surface. -Europa has jagged blocks of ice that seem to have rotated and collided with each other which cannot happen on a solid moon. --Life, as we know it, needs liquid water and life can be found in most places on Earth where liquid water is present.

Why do you think the outer planets have such extensive systems of rings and moons, while the inner planets do not? (Select all that apply.)

-The outer plants have more space between them which allows them to accrete more material from the solar nebula to create rings. -The outer planets are larger and more massive. -The temperature is much cooler in the outer solar system which allows ice particles to form and rings are partly composed of these.

Compare the geology of Callisto, Ganymede, and Titan. (Select all that apply.)

-Titan has liquid hydrocarbons on the surface, which evaporate into the atmosphere and rain back down on the surface. -Callisto is covered in ice and is considered geologically dead. -Ganymede has a central rocky core and shows signs of tectonic activity. -All three are similar in mass, size and composition.

How are Triton and Pluto similar? (Select all that apply.)

-irregular or unusual orbits -in the outer Solar System -thin atmospheres of nitrogen -cold worlds -similar in size, density and composition

How was Pluto discovered? Why did it take so long to find it? (Select all that apply.)

-used photographs taken days apart to show relative motion against the stars -difficult to find due to small size -discovered at Lowell Observatory

Explain the energy source that powers the volcanoes of Io.

Io's proximity to Jupiter is such that it experiences tidal heating which is enough to power volcanoes.

What are the moons of the outer planets made of, and how is their composition different from that of our Moon?

The moons of the outer planets consist of a mixture of ice and rock, whereas our Moon is just rock.

The Hubble Space Telescope images of Pluto in 2002 showed a bright spot and some darker areas around it. Now that we have the close-up New Horizons images, what did the large bright region on Pluto turn out to be?

a bowl or sea of frozen or perhaps liquid nitrogen