AST 115 Exam 2 HW
what would you see if you looked at Saturn's rings?
countless icy particles, ranging in size from dust grains to large boulders
How many planets in the solar system have rings
four
What name do we give to an object orbiting a larger object that orbits the sun?
moon
Indirect detection of an extrasolar planet means
observing the planets effect on its host star
Name on way Pluto is different than the other planets
orbital period of 248 years
Orbital inclination of Plutos orbit?
orbits at 17 degrees
According to our theory of solar system formation, which law best explains why the solar nebula spun faster as it shrank in size?
the law of conservation of angular momentum
What is a magnetosphere?
the region surrounding the earth or another astronomical body in which its magnetic field is the predominant effective magnetic field.
How many planets don't have moons
2
What percentage of the solar nebula's mass consisted of elements besides Hydrogen and Helium gasses?
2%
How many moons do the four inner planets (combined) have?
3
How many moons does Pluto have?
5
How many planets in the Solar System have moons?
6
What is a hot Jupiter?
A planet with Jupiter's mass orbiting very close to central star so it is hot
Why do Asteroids and comets differ in composition?
Ask formed inside the frost line, while comets formed outside
why is it difficult to make a direct image of a planet around another star?
Brightness
Furthest from the sun?
Comet in the Oort Cloud
From center to surface, which of the following correctly lists the interior layers of a terrestrial world?
Core, mantel, crust
Name one of the three methods of indirect planet detection
Doppler Method
Which inner planet atmosphere contains the most nitrogen?
Earth
Which moon probably has an ocean of water beneath its surface
Europa
T/F A spacecraft traveling through the asteroid belt has a high risk of being destroyed through a collision
False
T/F AT greater distances from the sun, planetary surface temperatures increase
False
T/F All comets orbit the Sun in the same direction as the planets
False
T/F Jupiter is the only Jovian planet with large storms
False
T/F No spacecraft has ever visited an asteroid or comet
False
T/F We think Jupiter and other gas giants formed close to the sun and migrated outward
False
T/F Within the frost line, planetesimals were composed entirely of rock, and outside the frost line, planetesimals were composed entirely of ice.
False
T/F when compared to Mars, Venus has a short day
False
Largest moon?
Ganymede
most volcanically active object in our solar system?
IO
Gaymede is not classified as a planet even tho it is bigger than Mercury. Why?
It orbits Jupiter not the sun
What is the fastest spinning planet in our solar system?
Jupiter
Which planet has the most moons in orbit around it
Jupiter
The Jovian planets in our solar system are
Jupiter, saturn, uranus, and neptune
How does the strength of Jupiter's magnetic field compare to that of Earth's magnetic field?
Jupiters is 20,000times as strong as Earths
Two largest gas giants are made up of what?
Liquid
Which inner planet has the lowest density
Mars
which inner planet is the coldest at nighttime
Mercury
Which of the following lists the planets of our solar system in the correct order from closet to farthest
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
A rock flying through Earth's atmosphere is called
Meteor
What chemical found on Uranus and Neptune makes them appear blue?
Methane
Rank five terrestrial worlds in order of size from smallest to largest
Moon, Mercury, Mars, Venus, Earth
if we could put all the asteroids together, their total mass would be
Much less than the mass of any terrestrial planet
How many planets beyond the frost line in the solar system have a solid surface
NONE
Which Jovian planet has the highest density?
Neptune
Name one thing that makes Earth unique?
Our atmosphere
Name one TNO in the solar system
Pluto
What is the largest known Kuiper belt Object?
Pluto
What color is the red Planet
Red
Which of the following is the underlying reason why Venus has so little wind erosion?
Slow rotation
From what does Earth's magnetosphere protect us?
Space Radiation
Venus is the third brightest object in our sky. what are the 1st and 2nd?
Sun & moon
Nebular theory of the solar system predicts all but one of the following. What does it not predict?
The equal number of terrestrial and Jovian planets
Observations v explanations. Which of the following statements is an explanation?
The orderly orbits of planets arose from their formation in a rotating cloud of gas
A planet orbiting the sun, an average distance of 1 AU but highly eccentric. which statement is not true?
The period is longer than a year
What is the only moon to have a thick atmosphere?
Titan
Why do astronomers believe that Triton is a captured moon
Troton orbits Neptune in a direction opposite that of Neptunes rotation
T/F Astronomers have discovered more planets around other starts than in our own solar system
True
T/F Mars has a thinner atmosphere than Earth
True
T/F When viewed from the North Celestial Pole, all planets orbit the sun in a counterclockwise direction
True
T/F impacts were extremely common in the young solar system but are less common today
True
T/F the discovery of Charon allowed astronomers to determine Pluto's mass
True
T/F the mass of Saturn can be determined by applying Kepler's 3rd law to the motion of a single ice particle in its rings
True
T/F the smallest planet has the largest iron core
True
T/F without the greenhouse effect, Earth's surface would be frozen
True
Which Jovian planet has the most extreme seasonal changes?
Uranus
Which inner planet atmosphere contains the most carbon dioxide?
Venus
Which one gives the primary reason why the surface of Venus today is 450 hotter than Earth
Venus has a much stronger greenhouse effect than Earth
The concretion theory of the formation of Earth's Moon cannot explain the difference in _________ b/w the Earth and Moon
Volume
Suppose you start with 1 kilogram of a radioactive substance that has a half-life of 10 years. Which of the following statements will be true after 20 years pass?
You'll have .25 kilogram of the radioactive substance remaining
A rock from outer space, after landing on your head, is called
a meteorite
Most of the planets discovered around other stars using the Doppler Technique
are more massive than Earth and orbit very close to the star
Where are most of the known asteroids found?
between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter
Which is furthest from the sun?
comet in the Oort Cloud