5.) Topic 5 Stars And Planets Flashcards
In which galaxy is our solar system
The Milky Way Galaxy
How many planets make up our solar system?
8 (plus the dwarf planets)
What do the planets in our solar system orbit around and what type of body is it?
Orbit around the sun
The sun is a star
What type of force pulled together the cloud of dust and gas to form the Sun?
Gravity (Gravitational force of attraction)
Name all the planets in our solar system in order
Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune
What type of planet is Pluto
Pluto is a dwarf planet
What type of planets are Mercury, Venus, earth and mars?
Rocky planets
What type of planets Jupiter, Saturn, Urnaus, Neptune and Pluto
Gas planets
Where is the asteroid belt located?
In between Mars and Jupiter
What are asteroids?
Asteroids are lumps of rock which are in orbit of the sun
Give an example of a dwarf planet in the asteroid belt and what is its diameter?
Ceres - diameter of 587 miles
What are comets?
Comets are lumps of ice and dust which are in highly elliptical orbit of the sun
Give an example of a comet and what’s the orbital period of it
Halley’s comet - orbital period of about 75 years
What word is used to describe a cloud of dust and gas?
A nebula
What type of reactions take place at the start of a star’s life cycle as dust and gas is drawn together?
Fusion
What factor determines the type of lifecycle a star undergoes?
The size (and therefore mass) of a star
What is another word given to moons?
Natural satellites
What is AU
What does 1 AU equal
The mean distance from the centre of the earth to the centre of the sun
1AU = 1.496 x 10 (power of 11) metres
What is a light year
What does 1 light year equal
Light year is the distance light travels in a year
1 Light year = 9.46 x 10 (power of 15) metres
What does SM stand for
Solar masses
Which 2 planets have no moons
Mercury and venus
How does a solar system form? [4]
A dense hydrogen-rich cloud of gas and dust contracts under gravity. As the gas gets compressed, its temperature increases and the dust cloud begins to spin. A protostar begins to form at the centre of this spinning dust cloud. Nuclear fusion starts, and a star is born. The planets begin to form from the swirling dust clouds around the star.
What do stars produce by nuclear fusion?
Energy
What colour are hot, bright stars
Blue