earth and space science ch 28
where did the sun form
from the interstellar cloud
what elements does Jupiter's atmosphere remain in?
gas and liquid
what causes the ringlets and open gaps in Saturn's rings?
gravitational effects of Saturn's moons
universal gravitation
the force of gravity acts between all objects in the universe
pluto resembles
the gas giants moons
Uranus's core
very small
Saturn's average density is lower than that of
water
center of mass
where each planet orbits a point between itself and the sun
what are asteroids thought to be?
planetesimals that never formed planets.
Jupiter spins once on its axis in less then
10 hours
Neptune had a storm similar to Jupiter's until
1994
one day on Venus is equal to how many days on earth?
243
how many moons does Uranus have?
27
how long are seasons on Uranus in earth years
42
how many moons does Pluto have
5 moons
what percentage of all planetary matter in the solar system is in Jupiter's mass?
70%
periodic comet
A comet that keeps returning because of an elliptical orbit
meteor
A streak of light in the sky produced by the burning of a meteoroid in Earth's atmosphere.
meteor shower
An event where a large number of meteors enter the Earth's atmosphere from the same direction in space at nearly the same time. Most meteor showers take place when the Earth passes through the debris left behind by a comet.
Heliocentric
Based on the belief that the sun is the center of the universe
Why is Mars called the red planet?
Because its surface is reddish in color because of its high iron content
interstellar cloud
Gas and dust from which stars and planets form
Astromical unit
the average distance between the earth and the sun
where are most asteroids located?
In the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter
which of Jupiter's largest moons is completely molten inside
Io
The first large planet to develop
Jupiter
Closest planet to the sun
Mercury
retrograde
Motion of a planet moving in the opposite direction of the normal direction of planetary motion as observed from Earth
planetesimal
Objects that collided and merged to form other various objects in the solar system
ellipse
Oval shape centered on two points instead of one point
terrestrial planets
The name often given to the four inner planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.
Saturn's largest moon
Titan
planet discovered accidently in 1781
Uranus
the brightest planet in earths nighttime sky
Venus
liquid metallic hydrogen
a form of hydrogen that has properties of both a liquid and a metal
What is Jupiter's Great Red Spot?
an atmospheric storm
semimajor axis
average distance of a planet to the sun
meteoroid
broken fragment of an asteroid or other interplanetary material.
what des Venus's atmosphere mostly consist of?
carbon dioxide and nitrogen
Neptune's atmosphere is similar to Jupiter's in the way that it is
cloud streaked
What Saturn's rings are made of
debris leftover from collisions of asteroids and other objects
Eccentricy
defines a planets elliptical orbit as the ratio of the distance between the foci and the length of the major axis
Observations of Mercury suggest that it was originally much larger, with a mantle and crust similar to that of
earth
planets with greenhouse effect
earth and Venus
what are Jupiter's for moons composed of?
ice and rock
meteorites cause
impact craters
the surface of venus
is very hot and rotation slowly
who developed an understanding of gravity by observing motions of the moon
issac newton
what happens when a comet comes within 3 AU of the sun?
it begins to evaporate and become much brighter
Why isn't Pluto a planet?
it has low density and small size
what allows water to exist on earth in all three forms?
its distance from the sun and its nearly circular orbit
what part of Jupiter did Galileo discover?
its rings
inner planets
lacking in satellites because of proximity to the sun
belts
low, warm, dark-colored clouds that sink
Hydrogen
main element in early interstellar clouds
what is the composition of Neptune's six rings?
microscopic dust particles
earths atmosphere
moderately dense and is 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen
acronym for order of the planets
my very elegant mother just served us nachos
Is Saturn the only planet with rings?
no
Pluto's orbit is
not a perfect circle
the rotational axis of Uranus is tipped over so far that
the north pole almost lies in its orbital plane
which moon has nitrogen geysers and a thin atmosphere
triton
