Astronomy Exam Chapter 7 & 8
How many rings does Jupiter have?
4
What is Jupiter's Great Red spot?
A giant hurricane/vortex
How far from the Sun is the snow line?
About 3.5 au
What is the principal component of Venus's atmosphere?
CO2
Which is the least geologically active of Jupiter's Galilean moons?
Calisto
When were the iron cores of terrestrial planets formed?
During the earliest phase of formation (differentiation)
What is the only planet with plate tectonics?
Earth
What is the only terrestrial planet with a significant magnetic field?
Earth
What's the largest moon in the solar system?
Ganymede
What are the light-colored bands on Jupiter?
High pressure zones
Of what are Saturn's rings composed?
Ice particles
Which is the most geologically active of Jupiter's Galilean moons?
Io
Nearly half of mercury's volume is composed of what element?
Iron
Why does mercury have a thin layer of hydrogen and helium as an atmosphere?
It catches a bit of solar wind
What is unique about Neptune's moon Triton?
It has a retrograde orbit
What is unique about Saturn's moon Titan?
It is the only moon with a substantial atmosphere
What is the most likely reason Venus's magnetic field is so weak?
It rotates so slowly
What happened to Venus about one billion years ago?
It was resurfaced with lava from its interior
List the outer planets in order from largest to smallest (Uranus, Neptune, Jupiter, Saturn)
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune (all of these planets have rings)
Martian "blueberries" provide strong evidence for what?
Liquid water at some point in the past
Other than Earth, which world has the most evidence for surface features affected by winds?
Mars
Of all the terrestrial planets, which has the longest solar day?
Mercury
Which planet has the highest density?
Mercury
Which terrestrial world has the least evidence for volcanism?
Mercury
What causes the blue appearance of the planets Uranus and Neptune?
Methane in atmosphere
How did Mars get its moons?
No one knows
How did Jupiter's rings form?
Particles ejected off of its moons
Which planet has giant storms at its poles? (this will be a picture on the exam)
Saturn
Which planet has the lowest density?
Saturn
Of what are the polar caps of Mars primarily composed of?
Solid CO2; dry ice
What properties do all four gas giant planets share?
Strong magnetic fields, quick rotation, rings, moons, thick atmospheres, rocky cores
What is the Roche limit?
The distance from a planet within tides destroy an orbiting object
Which terrestrial world is most similar to Mercury?
The moon
Which planet has the most extreme seasons?
Uranus
Which planet rotates perpendicular to its orbit?
Uranus
In its composition, Mars's atmosphere most closely resembles which other planet?
Venus
Of all the terrestrial planets, which has the longest sidereal day?
Venus
What planet has the hottest surface temperature in our solar system?
Venus
Which planet rotates backwards?
Venus
Which terrestrial world experiences the strongest greenhouse effect?
Venus
Which terrestrial world has been most affected by volcanism?
Venus
List Jupiter's moons from most active to least active
io, europa, Ganymede, Callisto
Of what do the clouds of Venus consist?
sulfuric acid
Two planets orbit a distant star. If the planets have identical compositions, which cools fastest?
the smaller one
What powers the geological activity on Jupiter's moon?
tides