Astronomy Test 4
What is the length of Mercury's solar day?
176 days
What is the rotation rate of Mars?
24.6 hours
What is the rotation period (sidereal day) of Venus?
243 days
What is the length of Mercury's sidereal day?
59 days
What is the length of Mercury's year?
88 days
What is the Great Red Spot of Jupiter?
A large rotating storm in the atmosphere
Do any of the Jovian planets have strong magnetic fields?
All
Which Jovian planets have rings?
All
Describe the banded structure of Jupiter's atmosphere.
Alternating Light and Dark Bands Light Bands- warm material rises and cools Dark Bands- cool material sinks and warms
What is the name of Mercury's most prominent geological feature?
Calaris Basin
Which planet has an atmosphere of mostly nitrogen and oxygen, and has oceans of water?
Earth
Which planet of the terrestrial group is the largest?
Earth
Which of Jupiter's moons is thought to be covered with a layer of ice over an ocean of liquid water?
Europa
What are the polar caps on Mars composed of?
Frozen water and frozen carbon dioxide
Which of Jupiter's moons is the largest moon in the solar system?
Ganymede
Describe the Martian geological feature known as Valles MArineris.
Huge fracture in the crust, almost 3000 miles across
The two main gases in the atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn are...
Hydrogen and Helium
What moon is the most gologically active object in our solar system?
Io
What are the names of the four moons of Jupiter discovered by Galileo?
Io, Europa, Ganymede, Calliste
Venus has two continent-sized features. What are their names?
Ishtar Terra and Aphrodite Terra
Which planet in the solar system is the largest?
Jupiter
Which planet is known as the red planet, and has the following features: mostly carbon dioxide in its atmosphere, polar caps, cold temperatures, rocky terrain, and has the larget known volcano in the solar system?
Mars
Which planet has the largest known volcano and what is the volcano's name?
Mars, Olympus Mons
Identify the planet that has the following characteristics: no permanent atmosphere, the greatest daily temperature range, large iron core, and no moon.
Mercury
Which planet in the solar system is the smallest?
Mercury
Which planet most closely resembles the Moon?
Mercury
Which planet of the terrestrial group is the smallest?
Mercury
Which two planets have no moons?
Mercury and Venus
Which of Saturn's moons has an enormous impact crater named Herschel?
Mimas
Uranus has a moon with a most unusual appearance. What is the moon's name?
Miranda
Describe the difference between the Northern Hemisphere surface and the Southern Hemisphere surface of Mars.
N.H.-volcanic plains little cratering S.H.-heavily cratered highlands
Which Jovian planet is the smallest?
Neptune
Which planet has a dark blue spot in its atmosphere due to a large rotating storm?
Neptune
Do any of the Jovian planets have solid surfaces?
No
Is this dark blue spot in the planet's atmosphere a permanent feature?
No
Is the Great Red Spot the only spot in Jupiter's atmosphere? Explain.
No. There are many smaller spots that are circulating storms.
What the the names of the two moons that orbit Mars?
Phobos and Deimos
Which Jovian planet has an average density less than water?
Saturn
Which planet is best known for its extensive and beautiful ring system?
Saturn
Why are Saturn's rings so bright?
Saturn's rings are composed of ice and particles covered by ice
Which hemisphere is older?
Southern
Why does Venus appear yellowish in color?
Sulfur compounds in the clouds
What is the name and size of Mars's major geological feature (not the volcano) in the northern hemisphere?
Tharsis Bulge
Why does Mars appear red in color?
The soil has oxidized or reacted with oxygen to form rust (iron oxide)
Which of Saturn's moons has an atmosphere more substantial than any other known moon?
Titan
One of Neptune's moons exhibits geyser-like eruptions. Which moon is it?
Triton
Which Jovian planet has a retrograde rotation because its axis is tilted 98 degrees?
Uranus
What two planets have enough methane in their atmosphere to give them a blue-green appearance?
Uranus and Neptune
Which planet was the first to be discovered with a telescope, and who discovered it?
Uranus, William Herschel
Identify the planet that has the following characteristics: atmospheric pressure of about 90 times the Earth's air pressure, appears yellowish in color, mostly CO2 in its atmosphere, a surface temperature of about 900F, and no moon.
Venus
Which planet is the third brightest object in the sky?
Venus
Which terrestrial planet has a retrograde rotation?
Venus
Do astronomers think that water once flowed across the Martian surface?
Yes
Does Mars have seasons?
Yes
Does Saturn also have bands in its atmosphere?
Yes but paler than Jupiter
How have astronomers been able to learn about the surface of Venus even though it is shrouded by thick clouds?
from images sent to Earth by Venera spacecraft and by radar imaging
