Astronomy

How many Asteriod belts are in are solar system?

1. The Main Asteroid Belt and 2. The Kuiper Belt

Venus's atmosphere

98 percent carbon dioxide, clouds partially made of sulfuric acid, atmospheric pressure is 90 times grater than earth- would crush a human; extreme example of what climate change is doing to our atmosphere.

protoplanet

A body that grows by the accumulation of planetesimals but has not yet become big enough to be called a planet.

Main Asteroid belt

A doughnut-shaped ring of asteroids that lies between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter; contains the dwarf planet Ceres

nebular theory

A model for the origin of the solar system that supposes a rotating nebula of dust and gases that contracted to form the Sun and planets.

Kuiper Belt

A region of the solar system that is just beyond the orbit of Neptune and that contains small bodies made mostly of ice; The Kuiper Belt contains Pluto (a dwarf planet), Haumea, Makemake, and other small icy bodies. The belt is also home to many comets and is the source of short-period comets (those that orbit the Sun in less than 200 years).

How does the giant impact hypothesis explain the similarities between the Earth's and the Moon's composition?

According to the giant impact hypothesis, the collision between Earth and Theia caused material from Earth's mantle and Theia's core to be ejected into space, where it eventually coalesced to form the Moon. This explains why the Moon's composition is similar to Earth's outer layers, especially in terms of oxygen isotopes.

What is the largest asteroid in the asteroid belt?

Ceres is the largest object in the asteroid belt and is classified as both an asteroid and a dwarf planet.

What was the surprising find about Jupiter's moon Europa in 2024 that could increase the likelihood of life there?

Data from NASA's Juno mission in 2024 confirmed that Europa's subsurface ocean is more active than thought, with plumes of water vapor possibly reaching high into space, suggesting a more dynamic environment that could potentially support microbial life.

What is the Kuiper Belt, and where is it located?

Disk-shaped region of ice, gas, dust and rock past the orbit of Neptune; contains dwarf planets such as Pluto.

What is the name of Earth's only natural satellite?

Earth's only natural satellite is the Moon.

Which moon of Jupiter is believed to have a subsurface ocean beneath its icy crust, making it a potential site for life?

Europa, one of Jupiter's moons, is believed to have a subsurface ocean beneath its icy crust.

What evidence supports the giant impact hypothesis for the formation of the Moon?

Evidence supporting the giant impact hypothesis includes the Moon's lack of a significant iron core (since the impact likely stripped away the material), the similarities in isotopic composition between Earth and the Moon, and the Moon's orbital dynamics, which suggest it was once much closer to Earth.

protoplanetary disk

Formed when a large cloud of interstellar gas and dust, possibly triggered by a shockwave from a nearby supernova, begins to collapse under its own gravity. As the cloud rotates it flattens into a rotating disk.

What is the name of Jupiter's largest moon?

Ganymede is the largest moon of Jupiter and also the largest moon in the Solar System.

What is the name of the most famous comet in our Solar System, visible from Earth every 75-76 years?

Halley's Comet is the most famous periodic comet in our Solar System.

What recent discovery was made about Mars' atmosphere in 2023 by NASA's Perseverance rover?

In 2023, NASA's Perseverance rover discovered signs of ancient dust storms that could have played a role in the planet's atmospheric loss, helping to explain how Mars went from a potentially habitable world to the cold, dry desert it is today.

What did NASA's Perseverance rover discover in 2023 that suggests ancient life could have existed on Mars?

In 2023, Perseverance rover found organic molecules and signs of ancient lake beds in the Jezero Crater, which may have supported microbial life billions of years ago, bolstering the idea that Mars was once a habitable world.

What 2023 discovery about Venus' atmosphere challenges previous ideas about the planet's habitability?

In 2023, scientists analyzing data from the Akatsuki spacecraft discovered unexpected atmospheric waves on Venus, suggesting more dynamic weather patterns than previously understood, possibly hinting at a more complex climate history and new possibilities for habitability.

Which planet has a storm known as the "Great Red Spot"?

Jupiter

Which two planets are often called the "gas giants"?

Jupiter and Saturn are often called the "gas giants" due to their large, gaseous atmospheres.

Which planet has the most moons?

Jupiter has the most moons, with over 90 known moons.

What is the largest planet in our Solar System?

Jupiter is the largest planet in our Solar System.

Gas Giants/Outer Planets

Jupiter, Saturn - They are large and gaseous (hydrogen and helium) deep atmospheres with solid cores, rings, and many moons

Outer Solar System

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune; Large planets composed mostly of gas and ice, with moons, rings, and thick atmospheres; also called the Jovian Region or Gas Giant and Ice Giant Region)

What 2023 discovery about Saturn's moon Titan was made by the Cassini spacecraft's legacy data?

Legacy data from Cassini in 2023 revealed that Titan's methane lakes might have seasonal variations, indicating a dynamic climate system on Titan and suggesting that methane could play a role in Titan's weather and surface processes, similar to how water works on Earth.

Which planet is known as the "Red Planet"?

Mars is known as the "Red Planet" due to its iron oxide-rich surface.

Which planet is closest to the Sun?

Mercury

Which planet is known for having extreme temperatures and no atmosphere to retain heat?

Mercury is known for extreme temperature fluctuations due to its lack of atmosphere.

Planetary alignment

Most planets in our solar system orbit the Sun in nearly the same plane, which aligns with the idea of a flat disk formation which is key to the nebular theory.

Saturn's Rings in 100 Million Years

NASA predicts that Saturn's ring will completely disappear. The rings are being pulled into Saturn by gravity as a dusty rain of ice particles under the influence of Saturn's magnetic field.

In 2024, what important milestone did NASA's Artemis I mission achieve regarding the Moon?

NASA's Artemis I mission successfully tested the Orion spacecraft, orbiting the Moon and proving the spacecraft's ability to safely transport astronauts, marking a key step towards returning humans to the Moon under the Artemis program.

What new evidence of water ice was discovered on Mercury in 2023, and by which mission?

NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft confirmed the presence of water ice at Mercury's poles, trapped in permanently shadowed craters, offering a new perspective on the planet's potential to hold water in some regions despite its extreme temperatures.

What recent mission sent back the first close-up images of Asteroid 16 Psyche in 2023?

NASA's Psyche spacecraft launched in 2022 and is on its way to Asteroid 16 Psyche, a metal-rich asteroid. The spacecraft will arrive in 2026, but initial images of the asteroid were sent back in 2023, revealing more about its potential as a remnant of a planetesimal's core.

Which planet has the strongest winds in the Solar System?

Neptune has the strongest winds in the Solar System, with wind speeds reaching over 2,100 km/h.

What is the name of the largest volcano in the Solar System, located on Mars?

Olympus Mons is the largest volcano in the Solar System, located on Mars.

Uranus' and Neptune's orbits

Orbits cannot be fully explained by the gravitational influences of the known planets. These unexplained deviations have led to the hypothesis of the existence of an undiscovered planet in the outer reaches of the Solar System, often referred to as "Planet Nine" or "Planet X".

Largest known dwarf Planet

Pluto

Titan belongs to what planet?

Saturn

Which planet has the most extensive ring system in the Solar System?

Saturn has the most extensive and prominent ring system.

What is the main composition of Saturn's rings?

Saturn's rings are mainly composed of ice particles, dust, and small rocks. NASA's Cassini-Huygens mission determined that the rings likely formed about 100 million years ago

Saturn in 2025

Saturn's rings will appear to disappear because they will be edge-on to Earth, making them appear as a thin line or nearly invisible. This is called a ring plane crossing

Planetesimals are

Small planets that can eventually merge together to form larger planets; 10 km to 100 km in diameter

Inner Solar System

Terrestrial Planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars Rocky, metal-rich planets with solid surfaces.

What is Jupiter's red spot?

The Great Red Spot is the largest, longest lasting storm in the solar system, with a diameter of 15,400 miles, which is almost twice the size of Earth. Winds: can reach speeds of up to 400 miles per hour. Rotation: counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere, which is opposite to hurricanes on Earth. Age: The Great Red Spot is at least 150 years old, but it could be much older. Color: Origin unknown. Shape: The Great Red Spot's shape, size, and color change over time. Location: The Great Red Spot is trapped between two jet streams.

What groundbreaking data did NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) reveal about Neptune's rings in 2023?

The JWST captured the clearest images of Neptune's rings in decades, revealing details of their structure and how the planet's atmosphere interacts with the rings, offering new insights into Neptune's dynamic system.

What is the significance of the Oort Cloud in our Solar System?

The Oort Cloud is a hypothetical, distant region of icy bodies surrounding the Solar System, believed to be the source of long-period comets.

Scattered Disk

The disk-shaped region beyond the Kuiper Belt that contains many small bodies made of ice and rock. Their highly elliptical orbits may reach perihelion as low as 30 AU and aphelion as high as 100 AU.

What is the name of the largest known comet in the Solar System?

The largest known comet in the Solar System is C/2014 UN271 (also known as Bernardinelli-Bernstein).

What is the leading theory for the formation of the Moon?

The leading theory is the giant impact hypothesis, which suggests that the Moon formed from debris after a Mars-sized body, often called Theia, collided with the early Earth.

What is the name of the comet this Fall 2024?

The name of the latest comet is C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS which appears every 80,000 years.

Which moon of Saturn is known for its thick atmosphere and lakes of liquid methane?

Titan, Saturn's largest moon, has a thick atmosphere and lakes of liquid methane.

What is the largest moon of Neptune called?

Triton

Which planet appears to be on it's side?

Uranus - Has an axial tilt of 97.77°, which means its axis of rotation is nearly parallel to the plane of the solar system. The reason for Uranus's unusual tilt is unknown, but it's thought to be the result of a collision with a protoplanet during the formation of the solar system.

Ice Giants

Uranus, Neptune (frozen water, ammonia, methane)

Which planet has retrograde rotation?

Venus - Rotates clockwise, which is opposite to the direction of most planets and Earth. Venus's slow rotation takes 243 days, and if you were standing on Venus, the sun would rise in the west and set in the east.

Which planet has the longest day in our Solar System?

Venus has the longest day, taking about 243 Earth days to complete one rotation.

What is the name of the planet that is often called Earth's "twin" due to its similar size and mass?

Venus is often called Earth's "twin."

Perhelion

When the planet or other objects are closest to the sun.

Planet Nine (Planet X)

hypothetical planet speculated to be about 5 to 10 times the mass of Earth and could be located in a distant orbit far beyond Neptune, possibly in the Kuiper Belt or even farther in the Oort Cloud. The planet would be far enough to have an effect on the orbits of objects in the outer Solar System, but not necessarily detectable through direct observation yet.

What is Titan's atmosphere mainly composed of?

nitrogen gas

astronomical unit (AU)

the average distance between Earth and the sun, about 150 million km