2019 Practice Exam Prep Flashcards
What is one degree Celsius in Kelvin?
273.15 Kelvin
Atmospheric composition of mercury
Oxygen 42%
Sodium 29%
Hydrogen 22%
Helium 6%
Potassium 0.5%
With trace amounts of the following: Argon, Carbon dioxide, Water, Nitrogen, Xenon, Krypton, Neon, Calcium, Magnesium
Atmospheric composition of Venus
Venus’ atmosphere is made up of 96% carbon dioxide, 3% nitrogen and 1% other gases.
Atmospheric composition of Earth
Nitrogen (N₂): Makes up approximately 78.08% of dry air.
Oxygen (O₂): Constitutes about 20.95% of the atmosphere.
Argon (Ar): Comprises 0.93% of the air.
Carbon Dioxide (CO₂): Present at a level of 0.04%.
Atmospheric composition of Mars
carbon dioxide (95%), molecular nitrogen (2.85%), and argon (2%)
Atmospheric composition of Jupiter
Molecular hydrogen and helium
Atmospheric composition of Saturn
Molecular hydrogen and helium
Atmospheric composition of Uranus
Molecular hydrogen and helium (doesn’t dominate the inner part of the planet like in Jupiter or Saturn, though).
Atmospheric composition of Neptune
Molecular hydrogen, helium, and methane
Atmospheric composition of Pluto
nitrogen (N2), with minor amounts of methane (CH4) and carbon monoxide (CO)
Does Mercury have moons?
No
Does Venus have moons?
No
Moons of Mars
Phobos and Deimos
Moons of Jupiter
Europa, Ganymede, Io, Callisto
Moons of Uranus
Oberon, Titania, Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel
Moons of Neptune
Triton
On which planet is the Great Red Spot located?
Jupiter
Angle the Earth is tilted at
23.4 degrees
Most prominent star clusters
Pleiades, hyades, and taurus
Key facts about Pleiades
The Pleiades are an asterism and an open star cluster located in the constellation Taurus.
They are about 410 light-years from Earth.
The cluster contains more than 1,000 stars.
In Greek mythology, the Pleiades were seven sisters.
The Pleiades are visible to the naked eye and best observed in the fall and winter seasons
Key facts about Hyades
Constellation: V-shaped cluster in Taurus.
Mythology: Daughters of Aethra and Atlas; associated with rain.
Visibility: 15 stars visible to naked eye; 130+ visible with binoculars.
Notable Stars: Brightest is Theta-2 Tauri (+3.4 mag); pairs with Theta-1 Tauri (+3.8 mag).
Observation: Best with binoculars (8°-10° view).
Distance: 151 light-years.
Astronomy: Share common motion; used to calibrate distances in the universe.
Key facts about Taurus
In addition to its stars and open clusters, the constellation of Taurus is populated with a wealth of galaxies. The brightest galaxy in Taurus, with a magnitude of 11.7, is the elliptical galaxy NGC 1587, according to In the Sky, which is located around 165 million light-years from Earth.
Also notable in Taurus are the colliding galaxies NGC 1409 and NGC 1410, which together are also known as UGC 2821 and are located around 300 million light-years from Earth. Mutual centers of these galaxies are tightly bound together by gravity and are just 23,000 light years apart.
As the galaxies which clashed around 100 million years ago whip around each other at a speed of around 670,000 miles per hour, around 450 times as fast as a jet fighter’s top speed, a “pipeline” stretches the 20,000 plus light-years between the galaxies funneling material from NGC 1410 to NGC 1409.
The nearest visible stars from the Sun
Alpha Centauri A and B, Sirius, Epsilon Eridani, Procyon, 61 Cygni A and B, Epsilon Indi, Tau Ceti, Omicron 2 Eridani, 70 Ophiuchi, and Altair
What type of light has a wavelength from 100-400 nm?
Ultraviolet Light
What type of light has a wavelength from 400-500 nm?
Blue light
What type of light has a wavelength from 500-600 nm?
Green and yellow light
What type of light has a wavelength from 600-700 nm?
Orange to red light
Apparent Luminosity
Also known as Apparent Magnitude.
The amount of light received from a celestial object as seen from Earth.
It depends on both the intrinsic luminosity of the object and its distance from Earth.
Absolute Luminosity
Also known as Absolute Magnitude.
The intrinsic brightness of a celestial object, defined as the apparent magnitude it would have if it were placed at a standard distance of 10 parsecs (32.6 light-years) from Earth.
Bolometric Luminosity
The total luminosity of an object, integrated over all wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum.
This includes visible light, ultraviolet light, infrared light, and all other types of electromagnetic radiation.
Visual Luminosity
The luminosity of a celestial object integrated over the visible wavelengths only.
This is the brightness as seen by the human eye and does not account for other wavelengths outside the visible spectrum.
X-ray Luminosity
The luminosity of a celestial object in the X-ray part of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Often used in the study of objects like black holes, neutron stars, and hot gas in galaxy clusters.
Radio Luminosity
The luminosity of an object in the radio part of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Important in the study of objects such as radio galaxies, pulsars, and quasars.
Ultraviolet (UV) Luminosity
The luminosity of an object in the ultraviolet part of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Useful for studying hot stars, active galactic nuclei, and regions of star formation.
Infrared (IR) Luminosity
The luminosity of an object in the infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Important for studying cooler objects like dust clouds, star-forming regions, and brown dwarfs.
Luminosity in a Specific Band
The luminosity measured within a specific wavelength band or filter.
For example, B-band (blue), V-band (visual), or H-alpha luminosity.
Used in photometric systems to classify stars and other celestial objects.
What is the first cosmic velocity?
The first cosmic velocity is known as the orbital velocity, which is
the least velocity of a projectile to keep the orbit around a celestial
body. When the centripetal and gravitational forces are in
equilibrium, the object can hold the orbit.
What is the second cosmic velocity?
The second cosmic velocity is known as the escape
velocity. This is the velocity that escapes from the
gravitational field of a celestial body. This will be
obtained by the energy conservation.
What is the third cosmic velocity?
The third cosmic velocity is the velocity
that can escape from the gravitational
field of the solar system. The
velocity is calculated from the energy
conservation with the gravity of the Sun.
International Space Station (ISS) orbital speed
Orbital Speed: ~28,000 km/h (17,500 mph)
Hubble Space Telescope orbital speed
Orbital Speed: ~28,000 km/h (17,500 mph)
Tiangong Space Station (China) orbital speed
Orbital Speed: ~28,000 km/h (17,500 mph)
Space Shuttle (when it was operational) orbital speed
Orbital Speed: ~28,000 km/h (17,500 mph)
GOES (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites) orbital speed
Orbital Speed: ~11,000 km/h (6,800 mph) in geostationary orbit
X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle orbital speed
Orbital Speed: ~28,000 km/h (17,500 mph)
Iridium Satellites orbital speed
Orbital Speed: ~27,000 km/h (16,800 mph)
Sentinel-1 (ESA) orbital speed
Orbital Speed: ~28,000 km/h (17,500 mph)
Landsat Satellites
Orbital Speed: ~28,000 km/h (17,500 mph)
Average temperatures of Mercury
Day: ~430°C (800°F)
Night: ~-180°C (-290°F)
Average temperatures of Venus
Average: ~465°C (870°F)
Average temperatures of Earth
Average: ~15°C (59°F)
Range: ~-88°C (-126°F) to 58°C (136°F)
Average temperatures of Mars
Average: ~-60°C (-80°F)
Range: ~-125°C (-195°F) to 20°C (70°F)
Average temperatures of Jupiter
Cloud tops: ~-145°C (-234°F)
Average temperatures of Saturn
Cloud tops: ~-178°C (-288°F)
Average temperatures of Uranus
Cloud tops: ~-224°C (-371°F)
Average temperatures of Neptune
Cloud tops: ~-214°C (-353°F)
Average temperatures of Pluto
Average: ~-229°C (-380°F)
Average temperatures of Eris
Average: ~-231°C (-384°F)
Average temperatures of Haumea
Average: ~-241°C (-402°F)
Average temperatures of Ceres
Average: ~-105°C (-157°F)
Average temperatures of Makemake
Average: ~-243°C (-405°F)
Average temperature of the Moon
Day: ~127°C (260°F)
Night: ~-173°C (-280°F)
Average temperature of Io
Average: ~-143°C (-226°F)
Average temperature of Europa
Average: ~-160°C (-260°F)
Average temperature of Ganymede
Average: ~-110°C (-166°F)
Average temperature of Callisto
Average: ~-139°C (-218°F)
Average temperature of Titan
Average: ~-179°C (-290°F)
Average temperature of Enceladus
Average: ~-198°C (-324°F)
Average temperature of Triton
Average: ~-235°C (-391°F)