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.