Science ch. 24 Quest

Earth

- third planet from the sun; has an atmosphere that protects life and surface temperatures that allow water to exist as a solid, liquid, and gas.

what is one astronomical unit equal to? (in kilometers)

149,598,000 kilometers

one astronomical until equals

150 million km

what is the diameter of Pluto(km)? how does it compare to earth's moon?

2400km. The moon is 3500km, so moon is bigger than Pluto.

what two planets are called a double planet?

Charon and Pluto

what is the largest satellite in the solar system?

Ganymede

MARS APPEARS RED BECAUSE OF ______ IN ITS ROCKS

IRON OXIDE

Jupiter

Largest and fifth planet from the sun; contains more mass than all the other planet combined, has continuous storms of high pressure gas, and has atmosphere mostly of hydrogen and helium. At least 63 moons. Small ring system, with rocks, dust, ice particles. Four large moons on Jupiter:

at the XXVIth General Assembly of the international astronomical union do about Eris, Ceres, and Pluto

Make Eris, Ceres, and Pluto a planet Add Eris + Ceres Pluto becomes a dwarf planet

what space probe focused on Mercury?

Mariner

Saturn

Second largest and sixth planet from the sun; has the most complex ring system, at least 42 moons, and a thick atmosphere made mostly of hydrogen and helium. Least dense planet (because so gaseous) largest moon- Titan

Uranus

Seventh planet from the sun; is large and gaseous, methane gives it a distinct bluish-green color, and rotates on an axis nearly parallel to the plane of its orbit. Axis is horizontal, not perpendicular to its orbit. At lease 21 moons

what is a solar system?

System of nine planets, including earth, and many smaller objects that orbit the sun.

the ______ space probes made many discoveries about Mars.

Viking

what is the Kuiper Belt?

a collection of objects in space; region from Neptune out 55 astronomical units. 70,000 rocky, icy objects.

why did the discovery of Eris change the idea that our solar system has nine planets?

because Eris was bigger, so we started asking if Pluto gets to be a planet.

why is Neptune sometimes the second farthest and sometimes farthest from the sun?

because Pluto's orbit goes right through Neptune's orbit, so sometimes, it gets on the closer side to the sun.

why isn't Pluto a planet anymore?

because its not the largest object in the Kuiper Belt

______ is the third planet outward from the sun

earth

one astronomical unit is equal to the avenge distance between the sun and ______.

earth

water exists as a solid, liquid, and gas on

earth

mars is the _____ planet outward from the sun

fourth

Mars

fourth planet form the sun; has polar ice caps a thin atmosphere, and a reddish appearance caused by iron oxide in weathered rocks and soil.

is titan larger or smaller than mercury?

larger

the _______space probe mapped the surface of Venus

magellan

polar ice caps are a visible feature of ______

mars

______ has great extremes in temperature 450 degrees during the day and -170 degrees at night

mercury

the blue-green color of Uranus and Neptune is caused by _______ in their atmospheres.

methane

the largest volcano in the solar system is ______ on Mars

olympus mons

______ is the larger of Mars' two moons.

phobos

Venus is the ____ planet outward from the sun

second

Venus

second planet from the sun; similar to earth in mass and size; has a thick atmosphere and a surface with craters, fault-like cracks, and volcanoes

Mercury

smallest planet, closest to the sun; does not have a true atmosphere; has a surface with many craters and high cliffs.

The Great Red Spot

the large swirling storm on Jupiter

What is the largest saturn moon?

titan

Neptune

usually the eighth planet from the sun; is large and gaseous, has rings that vary in thickness, and is bluish green in color. Dark colored storms. At least 11 moons.

because of similar size and mass, ____ is called earth's twin

venus

the atmosphere of _____ is mostly carbon dioxide.

venus

what space probe learned most about outer planets?

voyager

Could PLuto ever become a planet? How?

yes, if it consumes another planet, or slings it away

what are the criteria to be considered a planet?

you have to orbit the sun it needs to have enough gravity to pull itself into a spherical shape it needs to have "cleared the neighborhood" of its orbit.