Astronomy Chapter 11
Based on Jupiter's rotation period, approximately how many times does it spin on its axis for one Earth day?
2 and a half times
Astronomers believe that Jupiter's strong magnetic field is caused by
A huge layer of metallic hydrogen inside Jupiter
The cores of Jovian planets are mainly composed of
A solid mixture of rock 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
What do magnetic fields of Saturn, Uranus and Neptune have in common?
All were discovered by spacecraft that flew by the planets
Which of these spacecraft was an orbiter mission?
Cassini
The primary clouds in the atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn are composed of
Frozen ammonia crystals
The element that can act like a metal when it is under tremendous pressure and is probably responsible for Jupiter and Saturn's magnetism is
Hydrogen
The gas giant planets are mainly composed of
Hydrogen and helium
Which of the following statements about Jupiter's magnetosphere is True?
It completely covers the inner satellites of Jupiter and is one of the largest structures in the solar system
Which of the following statements about the Galileo probe that dropped into Jupiter is FALSE?
It detected a lot of water vapor and water vapor clouds on its way down
How much energy does Jupiter emit compared with how much it receives from the sun?
It emits twice as much
Why is Neptune denser than Saturn?
It has a different composition than Saturn, including a higher proportion of hydrogen compounds and rocks.
The largest planet in our solar system
Jupiter
What giant planet does not experience seasons?
Jupiter
What giant planet rotates the fastest on its axis?
Jupiter
A fundamental way to measure the rotation of Jupiter is to
Measure the changes in the planet's radio waves which are controlled by its magnetic field
The upper clouds in the atmosphere of Neptune are composed of
Methane
The Jovian planet that has the longest period of revolution is
Neptune
Which previously unknown planet's location was predicted from mathematical calculations of orbital motions?
Neptune
Ices in the outer solar system refer to which compounds?
Oxygen and carbon and nitrogen
Which of the following does the composition of Jupiter mostly resemble?
The Sun
What allowed the Voyager 2 spacecraft to make a tour of all four of the Jovian planets in the late 1970's and the 1980's?
The four planets were approximately aligned on one side of the Sun and we used the gravity of each planet to speed up the spacecraft to get to the next one in its path
One reason that we have such a complex system of belts/zones/storms in Jupiter's atmosphere is that
The planet rotates very rapidly
Why do jovian planets bulge around the equator, that is, have a "squashed" appearance?
Their rapid rotation flings the mass near the equator outward.
The planet that orbits on its side is
Uranus
Which giant planet experiences the strangest seasons?
Uranus
The amount of time required to send a spacecraft to orbit around one of the outer giant planets typically takes
Years to decades
Which of the jovian planets have rings?
all of the above
The belts and zones of Jupiter are
alternating bands of rising and falling air at different latitudes.
How do astronomers think Jupiter generates its internal heat?
by contracting, changing gravitational potential energy into thermal energy
How do astronomers think Saturn generates its internal heat?
by raining dense helium droplets from higher to lower altitudes, resembling the process of differentiation
The bluish color that makes the atmosphere of Neptune so beautiful to the human eye is caused by interaction of sunlight with what gas?
methane
