Chapter 10 The Outer Planets

Which of the following statements comparing Uranus and Neptune is correct? A. Uranus has larger diameter and Neptune has more mass. B. Uranus has larger diameter and more mass. C. Neptune has larger diameter and smaller mass. D. Neptune has larger diameter and more mass.

A. Uranus has larger diameter and Neptune has more mass

The Great Red Spot on Jupiter is _____.

A giant vortex that has persisted for over 300 years

________ is the largest of the Galilean moons.

Ganymede

Which is the largest planet?

Jupiter

Which planet has the largest satellite in the Solar System?

Jupiter

Which planet has the lowest density

Saturn

______ has the lowest density of all the planets in the solar system.

Saturn

Although Saturn and Jupiter have similar compositions their outer appearances are different because

Saturn's cooler temperatures allow for the formation of a hazy layer of ammonia clouds that surrounds the planet

Which satellite has lakes of liquid methane near its poles?

Titan

True/False All four of the gas giant planets have ring systems.

True

True/False Astronomers can determine the mass of Jupiter by the gravitational pull Jupiter exerts on its moons.

True

True/False Astronomers expect that due to friction and collisions, the particles in Jupiter's ring are slowing down and will eventually spiral into the planet.

True

True/False Astronomers knew for some time that the rings of Saturn are thin, because they could see stars through the rings.

True

True/False Hydrogen is the most abundant element in Jupiter's atmosphere

True

True/False Jupiter is more massive than all the other planets put together.

True

True/False Jupiter's core is hotter than the Earth's core.

True

True/False Saturn's larger satellites have lower average density than the Galilean satellites of Jupiter, therefore, we can conclude that Saturn's satellites contain less rock and more ice than the Galilean satellites.

True

True/False The Cassini division seen in Saturn's rings is the result of a gravitational interaction from one of its moons on Saturn's rings.

True

True/False The geography of Uranus' moon Miranda suggests it may have been broken apart into pieces by an impact and then drawn back together out of order by gravity.

True

True/False The highly inclined and backwards rotation of Triton supports the hypothesis that Triton is a Kuiper belt object captured by Neptune.

True

True/False The temperature of Jupiter's core is higher than the surface temperature of the Sun.

True

Which planet has the most extreme seasons?

Uranus

Which planet's rotation axis is closest to its orbital plane?

Uranus

Compared the Galilean satellites, the larger satellites of Saturn have ____ average density.

lower

Spectral analysis of Titan's atmosphere indicates that it consists mainly of _____.

nitrogen

Why do astronomers believe that the Jovian planets must contain rocky material in their cores?

Because silicates and irons were part of the overall composition of the solar nebula

Why do astronomers believe that the Jovian planets are composed mainly of hydrogen and helium?

Because the Jovian planets have low densities

Which of the following accurately describes the properties of Saturn's rings? A. The rings are a single, solid object. B. The rings are very wide but very thin and composed of large planetesimals a few kilometers in size. C. The rings are very wide but very thin and composed of small particles typically a few centimeters or meters in size. D.The rings are very wide but very thin veil of gas that surrounds the planet.

D. The rings are very wide but very thin veil of gas that surrounds the planet

Together the Cassini spacecraft and its probe Huygens discovered which of the following features on Titan? A. Oceans. B. Lakes near the polar regions. C. Dunes of ice crystals. D. An ice volcano. E.B,C and D.

E

Uranus completes an orbit around the Sun every 84 years and spins once every 17 hours, approximately. Which of the following could be observed from the planet Uranus? A. Season cycle of 84 years near the poles. B. One sunrise every 17 hours on the equator. C. Days lasting several years near the pole tipped toward the Sun. D. Nights lasting several years near the pole tipped away from the Sun. E.All of the above.

E. All of the above

Of all the Jovian planets ______ shows signs of tectonic plate motion. A. Jupiter B. Saturn C. Uranus D. Neptune E.None of the above

E. None of the above

Which of the following is a common characteristic of the Jovian planets? A. Mostly composed of hydrogen and helium. B. Thick atmosphere. C. Lack of solid surface. D. Ring systems and satellites. E.All of the above.

E. all of the above

Which of the out planets has rings? A. Jupiter. B. Saturn. C. Uranus. D. Neptune. E. All of the outer planets have a ring system.

E. all of the above

Scientists believe a liquid water ocean might exist on the moon...

Europa

True/False All of the Galilean moons are heavily cratered.

False

True/False Earth is probably the only Solar System object with a liquid ocean.

False

True/False Neptune's blue color comes from water vapor in its upper atmosphere.

False

True/False The existence of auroral activity and lightning on Jupiter proves that Jupiter's atmosphere has the same chemical composition as the Earth's atmosphere.

False

The surface structure of Saturn's largest satellite, Titan, is completely unknown because no spacecraft so far could take pictures through Titan's thick clouds.

False, Recently in 2005, Cassini parachuted a probe into Titan's atmosphere and took the pictures of its surface

How does the mass of Jupiter compare to the rest of the planets in the Solar System?

Jupiter's mass is greater than all the other planet masses combined

What is the largest satellite (moon) in the Solar System?

Jupiter's moon, Ganymede

What chemical compound is responsible for Uranus and Neptune's color?

Methane

Of the outer planets, _________ has the smallest diameter.

Neptune

Which is the smallest of the outer planets?

Neptune

Compared to Uranus, Neptune has a smaller diameter and more mass. What can we conclude from this comparison?

Neptune has higher average density than Uranus

The colors of Jupiter's clouds suggest the presence of ______.

Organic Molecules

The iron and rocky cores found inside Jupiter and Saturn are most closely in size to

The Earth

The energy that stirs the circulation in Jupiter's atmosphere comes from _____.

The planets interior

What prompted astronomers to search for Neptune?

Uranus was not following the precise orbit predicted by Newtonian physics.

What causes the blue appearance of the planet Uranus?

Uranus' atmosphere contains methane that strongly absorbs red colors from the sunlight.

What observational evidence suggests that Uranus was struck by a large planetesimal early in its formation?

Uranus' rotational axis is tipped over

List the outer planets in order of increasing mass

Uranus, Neptune, Saturn, Jupiter

The rings of Saturn consist primarily of _____.

Water ice

The average density of the Galilean satellites of Jupiter _____ with increasing distance from the planet.

decreases

The Roche limit refers to a _____.

distance

Astronomers believe that the interior of Saturn's satellites is mostly ____.

ice

What type of dunes exists on Titan?

ice crystal dunes

The rings of Jupiter consist primarily of ______.

small particles

The appearance of an aurora indicates that...

the planet has a magnetic field

The powerful _____ Jupiter is a result of the ______ and ______ in the interior of the planet

wind on; Coriolis effect; heat generated