Astronomy Final Chapter 11&12
What could explain how Saturn's rings were created or are replenished?
-Meteoritic impacts chip off debris from the moons just outside the Roche limit. -A large comet collides with a moon near the Roche limit, breaking apart the moon. -A collision occurs between two moons near the Roche limit, shattering both. -Medium sized moons are torn apart as they pass into Saturn's Roche limit.
At what distance would a satellite orbit Jupiter in the time taken for Jupiter to rotate exactly once, so that the satellite would appear stationary about the planet?
1.59*10^5 km
The wind speeds found in the bands and zones of Saturn, compared to those on Jupiter, are about:
3 times faster.
Which of the Jovian moons is the largest and also the largest moon in the solar system, even bigger than Mercury?
Ganymede
Why does Saturn radiate even more excess energy than Jupiter?
Helium rain gives off heat as it differentiates toward Saturn's center.
What would happen if a large moon passed inside of the Roche limit and what does happen to small clumps of material inside Saturn's rings?
Material inside the Roche limit will be restricted by tidal forces from forming into larger clumps or moons. If a large moon passed inside of the Roche limit it would be torn apart by Saturn's large tidal forces.
Shepherd satellites are defined as:
Moons that confine a narrow ring.
In terms of composition, the Jovian planets are:
More like the Sun than are the terrestrials.
What would Jupiter have needed to have become a star?
More mass.
The largest moon in the solar system is:
Ganymede
Essentially, the Great Red Spot is:
A large cyclonic storm (hurricane)
What is thought to lie at the center of Jupiter?
A massive core of rocky materials with some iron mixed in.
Terrestrial Planets:
Accreted from Planetesimals of rock and metal Surfaces dramatically altered during the heavy bombardment
Jovian Planets:
Accreted from icy planetesimals Formed in a region of the solar system with lower orbital speeds Large moons formed in surrounding disks of material Formed in regions cold enough for water to freeze Ejected icy planetesimals that are now Oort cloud comets
____ is the most distant of Jupiter's four Galilean moons.
Callisto
Which of the Galilean moons is the densest and most geologically active?
Lo
Strong evidence both from surface features and magnetic field data support the existence of a subsurface ocean on:
Europa
The surface of which jovian moon most resembles the pack ice of the arctic ocean?
Europa?
The Jovian moon with the most geologically active surface is:
Io
Titan is an interesting moon because:
It has a rich atmosphere that may resemble that of the early Earth.
How does the mass of Jupiter compare with that of the other planets?
It is twice as massive as all other planets combined.
Saturn's rings are composed of:
Lots of individual particles of ice and rock.
How does the density of Jupiter compare to the terrestrial planets?
Its density is less than any terrestrial.
Ganymede
Largest moon in the solar system Heavily cratered terrain adjacent to much younger terrain
Saturn's rings look bright because:
Light from the Sun reflects off the material of the rings.
Jupiter's differential rotation and complex atmospheric structure induce turbulent storms, such as the Great Red Spot. Identify the statements that correctly describe the characteristics of storm systems on Jupiter.
On Jupiter, the larger the storm, the longer it can last. Individual storm systems can interact, resulting in the storm growing or fading out. Storms are localized features, confined and powered by zonal flow.
The fact that Europa orbits Jupiter trice for every one orbit of Ganymede is an example of an:
Orbital Resonance
What correctly describes the motion of the particles in Saturn's rings?
Particles in the inner rings orbit Saturn at a faster speed than particles in the outer rings.
Europa
Surface features provide evidence of a subsurface liquid ocean Ice covered surface with few impact craters
Saturn's cloud surface appears more uniform than Jupiter's because:
The cloud layers are thicker, allowing fewer holes to see the colorful layers.
What is the origin of the Jovian Moons?
The four Galilean moons formed with Jupiter, most others were later captured.
How does the gravitational and tidal force change with distance of planet from the Moon?
The gravitation forces on a moon is greater the closer it is to the planet. As the gravitational force increases, so does the tidal force exerted on a moon by the planets gravity.
The reason the rings of Saturn exist is because:
The ring material lies withing the Roche limit of Saturn.
Jupiter gives back into space twice the energy it gets from the distant Sun. Where is this energy coming from, for the most part?
The slow escape of gravitational energy left from its formation.
Which statement about Jupiter's rings is false?
They are made of ice, like saturns.
____ is responsible for the tremendous volcanic activity on Io
Tidal Heating
What is thought to be the cause of Lo's Volcano's?
Tidal stresses from both Jupiter and Europa
Lo
Volcanoes currently erupting Hot, glowing lava visible in some photos Source of ionized gas in the donut-shaped charges particle belt around Jupiter.