12: Rings, Moons, and Pluto

Question 1

an orbital condition in which one object is subject to periodic gravitational perturbations by another, most commonly arising when two objects orbiting a third have periods of revolution that are simple multiples or fractions of each other

Answer 1

resonance

Question 2

the heating of a planet or moon’s interior caused by changing gravitational pull from a nearby planet or moon

Answer 2

tidal heating

Question 3

Galilean moon with highest level of volcanic activity in the Solar System due to tidal heating

Answer 3

Io

Question 4

Galilean moon with icy and geologically active surface, lines in its crust - potentially an ocean underneath

Answer 4

Europa

Question 5

Galilean moon that is the largest moon in the Solar System - differentiated and heavily cratered but with geological activity

Answer 5

Ganymede

Question 6

Galilean moon with a largely icy interior - hasn’t fully differentiated, heavily cratered

Answer 6

Callisto

Question 7

Saturn’s moon with salt water geysers, appearing as “tiger stripes” on surface

Answer 7

Enceladus

Question 8

Saturn’s moon with hydrocarbon lakes, rivers, and rain - only planetary body with surface liquids besides Earth

Answer 8

Titan

Question 9

Neptune’s moon with extremely cold temperature and volcanic plumes of nitrogen gas

Answer 9

Triton

Question 10

dwarf planet discovered by Clyde Tombaugh with areas of active geology - smaller than our Moon

Answer 10

Pluto

Question 11

Pluto’s moon that is roughly half its size

Answer 11

Charon

Question 12

Jupiter’s moons, of which there are currently 79 known - named for astronomer who discovered them

Answer 12

Galilean moons