Earth Science - Chapter 27

Why is Pluto, one of the outer planets, not considered a Jovian planet?

1. Jovian planets are very large and Pluto is very small. 2. Jovian planets do not have solid surfaces, Pluto consists of rock with a very thick coating of ice.

What are the three types of meteorites?

94% are stony, resemble Earth's dark igneous rock made mostly of silicates. 5% are iron meteorites. 1% are called stony-iron meteorites.

What separates the inner planets from the outer planets?

A belt of small bodies called "asteroids" they are beyond the orbit of Mars.

What is called a shooting star?

A meteor, and it is the light made when a meteoroid passes through the Earth's atmosphere. The light is caused by the friction between the rapidly moving meteoroid and the atmosphere.

These are described as dirty snowballs?

Comets.

In what year will Pluto (normally the 9th planet) become the eighth planet from the Sun?

Pluto crossed back over Neptune's orbit again on February 11, 1999 to resume its place as the 9th planet from the Sun for the next 228 years. It will become the eighth planet again in in the year 2227.

Bodies that revolve around planets are called?

Satellites.

What is unusual about Uranus's axis of rotation?

Its axis rotation is unusual because it is tipped almost completely over, so Uranus orbits the sun on its side.

The "outer planets" are?

Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.

Which is not a terrestrial planet? (a) Mars (b) Mercury (c) Saturn (d) Venus.

Saturn.

"Inner planets" are also called what?

Terrestrial planets.

Planets that have earthlike characteristics are called?

Terrestrial planets. They are the inner planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.

"Outer planets" are also called?

Jovian, or Jupiter-like planets.

Why do Jupiter and Saturn give off more heat than they receive from the Sun?

Jupiter radiates more energy than it receives because of its great size, while Saturn's atmosphere causes it to radiate more heat than it gets.

In our solar system, what planet has the largest moon?

Jupiter, has the largest moon called Ganymede.

What are the characteristic of "Inner Planets" also called "Terrestrial Planets?"

Planets that have rocky crusts, dense mantle layers and very dense cores.

When a comet moves close enough to the sun, energy from the sun heats the comet's icy surface. What happens next?

A coma forms, a cloud of gas and dust that expands into space - this is the "tale" of the comet that we see (along with its nucleus) moving across the night sky.

Sometimes, large numbers of meteors streak across the night sky, what is this called?

A meteor shower.

What are the main characteristic of the "Inner Planets" and the "Outer Planets?"

"Inner Planets" that have rocky crusts, dense mantle layers and very dense cores. "Outer Planets" are 1. they are much larger. 2. they do not have solid surfaces. 3. their surfaces consist of a uppermost gas layer. 4. all have three-layered structure. 5. all have ring systems. 6. the temperature and density of planets' interiors increase with depth.

The Jovian planets do not have: (a) rocky surfaces (b) moons (c) rings (d) magnetic fields

(a) rocky surfaces. Jovian planets do not have solid surfaces, their surfaces consist mostly of a uppermost gas atmosphere.

How do comets, meteoroids and asteroids differ?

1. A comet is a relatively small solar system body that orbits the Sun 2. A meteoroid is a small rock or particle of debris in our solar system. 3. Asteroids are small solar system bodies that orbit the Sun. Asteroids are similar to comets but do not have a visible coma (fuzzy outline and tail) like comets do.

What happens to comets as they approach the Sun?

1. Energy from the sun heats the comet's icy surface. 2. A coma forms, a cloud of gas and dust that expands into space - this is the "tale" of the comet that we see (along with its nucleus) moving across the night sky.

Jupiter, the fifth planet closest to the Sun, what are its characteristics?

1. Jupiter is the fifth closest planet to the Sun. 2. it rotates faster than any other planet. 3. it has the strongest magnetic field of any planet in the solar system. 4. it radiates twice as much heat back to space that it receives from the Sun. 4. it has the most striking surface features of any planet, dark belts of sinking gas, bright zones of rising gas and a "Great Red Spot" is its most string feature.

Mars, the fourth closest planet to the Sun, what are its characteristics?

1. Mars is the fourth closest planet to the Sun. 2. is the first planet outside Earth's orbit. 3. it orbits the Sun every 687 days. 4. gravity of Mars is two-fifths of Earth's. 5. has a very weak magnetic field. 6. its axis tilt is almost same angle of Earths which gives it four seasons similar to Earth. 7. Mars is colder than Earth, because it is further from Sun. 8. during summer day it is 27 degrees. 9. at night it is -133 degrees. 10. it has ice caps that are frozen CO2.

Why does neither Mercury nor Venus appear in the night sky on Earth?

1. Mercury is the closest to the Sun so it is usually lost in the Sun's glare. 2. Venus has thick, pale yellow clouds in it's atmosphere making it difficult to see.

Neptune, the most distant planet from the Sun, what are its characteristics?

1. Neptune is the most distant planet from the Sun. 2. it was discovered in 1846. 3. it rotates on its axis every 16.1 hours. 4. it takes 165 years to orbit the Sun. 5. its average temperature is -225 degrees. 6. it has extreme harsh winds. 7. its atmosphere is mostly hydrogen (74 percent), 25 percent is helium, and 1 percent methane.

Pluto the most distant from the Sun, what are its characteristics?

1. Pluto usually the most distant planet from the Sun. 2. it is the smallest planet. 3. it was discovered in 1930. 4. its average temperature is -235 to -210 degrees 5. consists of 70 percent rock and 30 percent water.

Saturn, the sixth planet from the Sun, what are its characteristics?

1. Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun. 2. it takes nearly 30 years to complete one orbit. 3. it turns on its axis every 10 hours. 4. it has colored zones and belts which are areas of rising and sinking gases. 5. it has the lowest density of any planet. 6. it radiates more energy that it receives from the Sun. 7. its magnetic field is weaker than Jupiter's, but stronger than Earth's. 8. it has the most visible ring of all the Jovian planets.

Uranus, the seventh planet from the Sun, what are its characteristics?

1. Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun. 2. it takes 84 Earth years to complete one orbit. 3. discovered in 1781 by telescope. 4. it average temperature is 200 degrees. 5. it turns on its axis every 17.2 hours. 6. its axis rotation is unusual because it is tipped almost completely over, so Uranus orbits the sun on its side. 7. has a turquoise color due to the methane gas in its atmosphere.

What planet is called Earth's sister and why?

1. Venus because it is near Earth and they are similar in diameter, mass, and gravity.

Venus, second closest planet to the Sun, what are its characteristics?

1. Venus is the second closest planet to the Sun. 2. unlike Earth, has a very weak or nonexistent magnetic field. 3. unlike other planets Venues rotates east to west. 4. turns on its axis every 243 days. 5. it orbits the Sun every 225 days. 6. its landscape dominated by volcanic features, faulting and impact craters. 7. 80 percent of surface is covered with lava. 8. surface temperature 475 degrees. 9. visible to Earth.

Pluto is the odd planet in our solar system, why?

1. it is not dense enough to be considered a terrestrial planet. 2. it is too small to be a Jovian planet.

Characteristic of the "outer planets" are:

1. larger than Earth. 2. more gaseous, with a outer layer of hydrogen. 3. less dense than Earth. 4. all have ring systems.

Mercury, closest planet to the Sun, what are its characteristics?

1. nearest planet to the Sun. 2. smallest of the "terrrestrial planets." 3. its surface is heavily cratered. 4. turns on its axis every 59 days. 5. it orbits the Sun every 88 days. 6. daytime temperatures reaches 400 degrees. 7. has weak gravity. 8. no atmosphere. 9. not visible to Earth.

The Jovian planets - Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are different from the terrestrial planets how?

1. they are much larger. 2. they do not have solid surfaces. 3. instead their surfaces consist of uppermost gas layer. 4. all have three-layered structure. 5. all have ring systems. 6. the temperature and density of planets' interiors increase with depth.

What are the three common properties of the Jovian planets ring systems?

1. they consist of many particles in independent orbit around the planet. 2. the rings are closer to the planet that its major moon. 3. rings orbit over the planet's equator.

Jupiters has at least _____ moons?

63.

Many scientists believe that either an ______ or _____ struck Earth 65 millions years ago leading to the extinction of the dinosaurs?

Asteroid or comet.

These are solid, rock like masses, with irregular shapes and their brightness changes as they rotate. There are thousands of them in the solar system. What are they?

Asteroids.

Neptune has how many moons?

At least 13 moons.

Uranus has how many moons?

At least 27 moons.

Saturn has how many moons that orbit outside of or within its rings?

At least 31, the largest called Titan.

These planets are called "outer planets" because they are?

Beyond the orbit of Mars.

Comets are made up of?

Dust particles trapped in a mixture of frozen water, carbon dioxide, methane and ammonia.

Of the inner planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars which have moons?

Earth and Mars.

What are the moons of the inner planets (terrestrial planets)?

Earth has one and Mars has its two small moons. Neither Mercury nor Venus have any moons.

What is the third closest planet to the Sun?

Earth.

Which Galilean moon (Jupiter's moons) is most likely to support life?

Europa, it has an atmosphere and a liquid ocean beneath it's surface that make it possible that life forms may have developed there.

These are bowl-shaped depressions that remain after a meteor or other object strikes Earth.

Impact craters. There are about 150 known to exists. Most meteorites burn up before they strike the Earth.

The largest source of meteorites are found where?

In the Antarctic ice cap.

Into what two groups are the planets divided?

Inner Planets (also called Terrestrial Planets) and Outer Planets (also called Jovian Planets).

Planets that have rocky crusts, dense mantle layers and very dense cores are called "__________ planets"

Inner planets. Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.

Why is it more likely that life existed on Mars billions of years ago rather than it does now?

Liquid water probably existed on Mar's surface in the past (doesn't now) then primitive life may have existed. Because the atmosphere on Mars thinned and surface water froze, it would be difficult to support life.

Every planet, except ______ and _____ have at least one natural satellite?

Mercury and Venus.

A planet that has no atmosphere because of its high temperature and low gravity is? (a) Mars (b) Pluto (c) Venus (d) Mercury

Mercury has low gravity that prevents it from retaining an atmosphere and has a high temperature of 400 degrees.

What are the names of the planets called "inner planets" because they are near the sun?

Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.

Name the order of the planets, nearest to furthest from the Sun.

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, "asteroid belt", Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.

A large meteoroid that survives its trip through Earth's atmosphere and strikes the Earth's surface is called?

Meteorite.

This is a rock or an icy fragment traveling in space. It smaller than an asteroid. What is it called?

Meteoroid or meteor.

What is Earth's natural satellite called?

Moon.

Where are most asteroids found?

Most asteroids revolve around the sun between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.

Is Neptune always the 8th planet from the Sun?

No, every 248 year's Pluto's peculiar orbit brings it closer to the Sun than Neptune. Neptune becomes the 9th planet. This last for about 20 years.

Name a planet that does not have a moon?

Only Mercury and Venus do not have any moons.

Scientists have observed areas of light and dark on Pluto's surface. What might these areas be?

The bright areas of the surface seem to be covered with ices of nitrogen with smaller amounts of (solid) methane and carbon monoxide. The composition of the darker areas of Pluto's surface is unknown.

The last time we saw Halley's Comet was 1986. When will we see Halley's Comet again?

The famous Halley's Comet return to the inner solar system about every 76 years. We saw it last in 1986. We will see it again in mid year 2061.

Which planet has polar caps of frozen carbon dioxide? (a) Pluto (b) Mars (c) Venus (d) Jupiter

The planet Mars also has polar ice caps. They consist of primarily water-ice with a few percent dust.

This is at the center of the solar system.

The sun.

What makes Titan (one of Saturn's moons) an interesting moon?

Titan is the only moon in our solar system that has clouds and a dense atmosphere, mostly nitrogen and methane. It is also the only other place in the solar system known to have an earthlike cycle of liquids flowing across its surface.

How many moon's does Mars have and what are they called?

Two. Deimos and Phobos.

What three planets were discovered after the development of the telescope?

Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.

Explain the difference between, meteoroid, meteor and meteorite.

meteoride is a rocky or icy fragment that travels through space. meteor is the light made by a meteoroid as it passes through Earth's atmosphere. meteorite is the part of a large meteoroid that survives its trip through the atmosphere and strikes Earth's surface.

The famous Halley's Comet return to the inner solar system every 76 years. We saw it last in 1986. when will we see it again?

mid year 2061.

All outer planets (Jovian planets) have _____?

moons.