Descriptive Astronomy 11 and 12
What is the minimum number of moons that must be orbiting a planet for the moons to have an orbital resonance?
2
most distant from Jupiter of these four moons
Callisto
Spacecraft images show fountains of ice spraying into space from Saturn's moon
Enceladus
Jupiter has three moons for which there is evidence of a global, subsurface ocean of liquid water, with the strongest evidence favoring an ocean on
Europa
ice covered surface with few impact crater s and subsurface ocean
Europa
The biggest moon in the solar system is
Ganymede
The two moons that are larger than the planet Mercury are Titan and _______________which is also the largest of Jupiter's moons (and largest moon in the solar system)._____
Ganymede
largest moon in the solar system
Ganymede
The moon that experiences the most tidal heating from Jupiter is
Io
is the most volcanically active world in the solar system
Io
volcanoes currently erupting on its surface
Io
Why is Io more volcanically active than our moon?
Io has a different internal heat source.
What is unusual about Triton?
It orbits its planet backward.
Why is Jupiter denser than Saturn?
Its higher mass and gravity compress its interior
The largest planet in the solar system (by mass) is -------
Jupiter
The tidal force that acts on Io is due primarily to the gravity of
Jupiter
Which of the jovian planets has the shortest period of rotation (the shortest day)?
Jupiter
Which of the following statements about the seasons on Jupiter is correct?
Jupiter's axis is hardly tilted so it has no real seasonal variations
Order the Jovian Planets based on their distance from the sun
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Which lists the jovian planets in order of increasing distance from the Sun?
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
The reason that Jupiter and Saturn have a strong magnetic field is
Metallic cores
Why does Neptune appear blue?
Methane in Neptune's atmosphere absorbs red light and reflect blue light
Scientists have detected lakes of liquid methane and ethane on the surface of
Titan
Which moon shows evidence of rainfall and erosion by some liquid substance?
Titan
Which moon orbits its planet backward
Triton
An orbital resonance occurs when one moon's orbital period is a simple fraction of the other's, such as 1/2 or 1/3 or 1/4.
True
In our solar system, the jovian planets are all farther from the Sun than are the terrestrial planets.
True
The planet that orbits "on its side" (i.e. has its rotation axis perpendicular to the plane of its orbit) is:
Uranus
The two jovian planets that contain the highest proportions of hydrogen compounds are
Uranus and Neptune
Which of the following statements best describes the general pattern of composition among the four jovian planets?
Uranus and Neptune contain relatively more rock and hydrogen compounds than Jupiter and Saturn
Astronomers believe that Jupiter's strong magnetic field is caused by
a huge layer of metallic hydrogen inside Jupiter
At their centers, all the jovian planets have cores made of
a solid mixture of rocky and icy materials under great pressure
Which of the following is NOT a correct statement about the ways the jovian planets differ from the terrestrial planets?
all the jovians have satellites around them and none of the terrestrials do
Saturn's rings
are continually supplied by impacts with small moons
By far the most abundant element in the giant (jovian) planets is:
hydrogen
Which of the following characteristics distinguishes Uranus from every other planet in our solar system?
it rotates on an axis tilted almost 90 degrees to the circle of its orbit
Which of the following is NOT a way that Jupiter differs from terrestrial planets?
its surface has many more craters from early collisions
Which of the following does the composition of a planet like Jupiter resemble
the Sun
