Chapter 23 Touring our Solar System

What surface features does Mars have that are also common on Earth?

Volcanoes, sand dunes, and large canyons.

Meteoroids originate from what three sources?

1. Debris that was not swept up by the planets gravitation. 2. Material from the asteroid belt. 3. The solid remains of comets.

Is the following sentence true or false? Jupiter's surface is thought to be a giant ocean of liquid water.

False

Is the following sentence true or false? Mars's atmosphere is 90 times the density of Earth's.

False

Is the following sentence true or false? Meteorites are now the only extraterrestrial materials scientists have to examine directly.

False

Is the following sentence true or false? The Jovian Planets are Huge rocky giants.

False

Is the following sentence true or false? The farther a planet is from the Sun, the shorter its period of revolution.

False

Is the following sentence true or false? The nucleus of Halley's comet is spherical.

False

What is the smallest Planet?

Mercury

Which inner planet is the smallest?

Mercury

Identify one distinguishing characteristic of each inner Planet.

Mercury as the greatest temperature extremes of any Planet. Venus is covered in thick clouds that hide it's surface from view. Mars has polar caps made of water and ice.

Which Planets are Terrestrial?

Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars

Where are most asteroids located?

Most asteroids lie in the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.

A cloud of dust and gas in Space

Nebula

Is the following sentence true or false? Asteroids are small, rocky bodies in space.

True

Is the following sentence true or false? Like our moon, Mercury absorbs most of the sunlight that strikes it, has cratered highlands, and has vast smooth areas similar to Maria.

True

Is the following sentence true or false? Mercury has the greatest temperature extremes of any Planet.

True

Is the following sentence true or false? Most of Venus's surface consists of plains covered by lava flows.

True

Is the following sentence true or false? Neptune has winds exceeding 1000 km per hour.

True

Is the following sentence true or false? Pluto is small, dense, and has a solid surface that is a mixture of ice and rock.

True

Is the following sentence true or false? Saturn has large cyclonic "Storms" similar to Jupiter's Great Red Spot.

True

Is the following sentence true or false? The finding of evidence of liquid water on Mars is important because water is essential for life.

True

Is the following sentence true or false? The inner planets formed mainly from metals and silicate minerals because of the high temperatures near the sun.

True

Is the following sentence true or false? The largest Volcano on Mars is over 2 1/2 times higher than mount Everest.

True

Is the following sentence true or false? The surface of Venus was shaped by basaltic volcanism a and tectonic activity.

True

Is the following sentence true or false? Uranus's rings were discovered when Uranus passed in front of a distant star and blocked it's view.

True

Which is not one of the differences between Terrestrial and Jovian Planets?

Shape.

What is a Nebula?

A cloud of dust and gas in space.

Describe The structure of a comet.

A comet is made up of frozen gases and pieces of rocky and metallic materials. As the comet approaches the sun, vaporizing gases produce a glowing head.

What is Jupiter's Great Red Spot?

A cyclonic storm.

How did distance from the sun affect the size and composition of the Planets?

In the inner Solar System, close to the Sun, temperatures were so high that only metals and silicate minerals could from solid grains.

How does Venus compare to Earth?

It is similar in size, density, mass, and location in the Solar System.

Saturn's most prominent feature

It's ring system.

What is the largest Planet?

Jupiter

Identify one distinguishing characteristic of each outer Planet and Pluto.

Jupiter is the largest Planet. Saturn has an amazing ring system. Uranus's axis of rotation is nearly parallel with the plane of it's orbit. Neptune is one of the windiest places in the Solar System. Pluto is small and cold with a very eccentric orbit.

Which Planets are Jovian?

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune

Where do short-period comets come from? What about long-period comets?

Short period comets orbit beyond Neptune in a region called the Kuiper Belt. Long period comets appear in all directions from the sun, forming a shell called the Oort cloud.

What is a nickname for the planet Mars?

The Red Planet

How do the Terrestrial Planets differ from the Jovian Planets?

The Terrestrial Planets are small and rocky. The Jovian Planets are gas giants.

What is Mercury's position in the Solar System?

The innermost Terrestrial Planet.