Lesson Quiz's AST 109
What is the typical spacing of 1-km sized asteroids in the belt
10,000,000 km
What is the closest temperature where you are sitting today
300 K
Why is Mars' atmosphere (2x) more dense in Spring/Fall than in Winter/Summer?
Carbon dioxide freezes into a polar cap in winter
Saturn radiates ~3 times energy received. What is the source of Saturn's excess heat?
Contraction (in the form of helium rain)
Which direction has the sun moved most on the sky (relative to the stars), since this time yesterday
East
Why are so few meteor craters on Earth
Erosion removes them rather quickly
Why is Saturn most oblate Planet
Fast spinning pushes the equator outward, low density
What could have parts of pluto reflect 98% of sunlight
Fresh snow
Why are much different fractions of types of meteorites found
Iron/stony-iron ones look unusual
Why is mars red
Its surface rocks were rusted by oxygen. (iron oxide)
The planet with more mass than the 7 other combined
Jupiter
Why is Mars so cold
Mars is 50% farther than Earth from the sun
Which is not a reason humans could live on mars
Mars' native plants could serve as food
Why are craters so sparse on Mercury?
Mercury cooled more slowly than Moon, and liquid/soft surface did not preserve craters
Standing on the moon, how often do you see 'earth-rise"?
Never
When do astronomical high tides happen
New Moon
Neptune emits 2.5 times the solar energy that comes in. WHy?
Radioactivity (fission) in the core
The moons of Jupiter are
Rocks
Why is Venus' albedo so high?
Sunlight is bouncing off light clouds
Why are the maria smooth compared to the highlands?
They formed long ago but after cratering was largely done
Why are craters so sparse on Venus
Thick atmosphere burned up many meteors
Why are Jupiter's inner Galilean moons more dense
Tides heat Io most, Callisto least
Which object has atmosphere most similar to Earths
Titan
What should you remember about Titania
Uranus' largest moon
Why are craters so rare on Io
Volcanoes paved over almost all craters
The moons of Saturn are largely
Water and ice