Ast Final Flashcards
During the New Moon Phase, how much of the moons total surface is being illuminated by sunlight
Half
During a lunar eclipse
The moon passes into the shadow of the Earth
Which of the following is true about the autumnal equinox
There are 12 hours of daylight everywhere on earth
The primary cause for earths season is
The tilt if the earths rotational axis
Imagine a planet whose rotational axis is perpendicular to its orbital plane. How would you describe its seasons
Constant
Keplers second law states that
The area swept out by a line between a parent object (such as a star) and an object orbiting (such as a planet) is constant for constant periods of time.
Which describes keplers first law?
The planet orbits the sun in elliptical paths.
Who proposed the heliocentric model of the solar system during the 1500’s
Copernicus
Who used epicycles to explain the retrograde motion of the planets while maintaing a geocentric model
Ptolemy
Who was the first to use telescopic observations to support the idea of a heliocentric model (but was not the first to propose the heliocentric model)
Galileo
Keplers third law states that
The period of an object orbit squared is proportional to the object semi-major axis cubes
Which of the following describes a valid reason that the northern and the southern hemisphere have different seasons at the same time?
During a day of the year when the sun is high in the sky in the northern hemisphere it will be low in the sky in the southern hemisphere due to the tilt of the earths rotational axis
Which of the following sequence of moon phases will occur one after the other within one cycle of the phase?
New, waxing, crescent, first, quarter, waxing gibbous
Imagine the earths orbit were changed to be a perfect circle about the sun so that the distance to the sun never changed. How would this affect seasons?
We would continue to experience seasons in essentially the same way we do now.
Which of the following best describes why the moon goes through phases?
We see only part of the lit-up face of the moon depending on its position relative the earth and the sun
Sun appears to rise and set in our sky because_____, and you are on year older each time___.
Earth rotates on its axis; Earth completes one orbit of the sun
The phase of the moon during a lunar eclipse
Is always full
The phase of the moon during a solar eclipse
Is always new.
The famous star that is directly over the North Pole is called
Polaris
What are constellations?
Apparent groupings of stars and planets visible on a given evening.
Where on Earth would you be if Polaris were at your zenith?
North pole
Keplers law were modified after the discovery and establishment of
Newtons law
What does Keplers Third Law imply about planetary motion
Planets further from the sun orbit at a slower speed than planets close to the sun.
What is meant by the term astronomical unit?
Its another way of saying light year
We do not see eclipses every month due to the
Tilt of the earths orbital plane
Whats does Kepler’s law apply to
A satellite around a planet, a planet around a star other than the sun, a planet around the sun, a comet around the sun.
The apparent path that the sun takes on the celestial sphere, which planets and moons do not stray far from is the
Ecliptic
Where on earth can a solar eclipse be observed (as long as the sky is clear?)
Only on a small region of the earths that is experiencing daytime.
During the a lunar eclipse
The moon passes into the shadow of the earth.
During the formation of the solar system, the protoplanetry disk began to spin faster as it contracted due to a rule called
Conservation of angular momentum
Which of the following planets has the largest and most massive system of rings of all the planets in the solar system?
Saturn
What is the order of Jovian planets from closest to farthest from saturn
Jupiter, saturn, uranus, neptune
The most distant objects in our solar system are:
In the oort cloud
What is the order of Terrestrial Planets
Mercury, venus, earth, mars
Which planet has the lowest density of all the planets, and could float in a bathtub if we could build a large enough for it?
Saturn
The smallest planet is
Mercury
Which of the following is a characteristic of a Jovian planet
Low density
Jovian planets are not likely to form close to the sun because
It is too hot for gases like hydrogen and helium to condense and form planets close to the sun
Rocky bodies that are smaller than planets and orbit the sun between mars and jupiter are
Asteroids
200 million years ago the dinosaurs could have walked from Asia to North America without getting their feet wet because
The continents were close enough to form one large supercontinent called pangea
The composition of earths inner core is
Solid metal
The reason earth has a magnetic field is that
Earth has a rotating electrically conducting liquid metal core
We are able to determine what the earth interior is like because
We have observed how P and S waves from earthquakes have traveled through the earth
Earth surface is primarily heated by which two forms of energy
Visible and infrared
Ozone absorbs this type of radiation which is harmful to humans and other life forms
Ultraviolet
The change in position of the continents over time time, or plate tectonics is primarily caused by
Mantle material circulating inside earth
Donut shaped regions around earth that contain trapped charges particles from the sun are
The van allen belts
Which of the following is part of the earths natural greenhouse effect
Earths surface and atmospheric gases absorbs energy and then give of infrared light
What are two primary greenhouse gases in earths atmosphere?
H2oand Co2
Consider the following picture of a rocky and crater-covered Moon. Its very old surface has remained virtually unchanged over the last few billion years. Do you think the moon has an active, hot, and molten interior or an inactive, cold, solid interior?
Inactive, cold, and solid interior
Consider the following discussion between two students debating why the oceanic and continental plates move.
Student 1: The plates are moving because the mantle material is constantly moving beneath Earth’s plates, and this causes the plates to move.
Student 2: | disagree. The plates are just floating on the mantle material.
The plates started moving a long time ago when Earth initially formed, and the plates momentum keeps them moving toward each other.
Which student is correct?
Student 1
Which statement about the rotations of the Moon and Mercury is FALSE?
Like our Moon, Mercury does not rotate at all, keeping the same side facing the Sun.
Trace amounts of lunar ice came from:
impacts of meteoroids and comets
How did the impact that created the Caloris Basin on Mercury also create the ‘weird terrain”?
Scismic waves passed through the entire planet and disturbed the surface on the opposite side of the planet from the Caloris Basin.
Comparing the densities of the Moon and Mercury, we find:
the Moon’s is similar to Earth’s crust, while Mercury’s is similar to the entire Earth.
Which of these theories seems to best explain the Moon’s origin?
Impact theory
Which of these features is attributed to the shrinking of Mercury’s core?
Scarps
To measure how Mercury spins, astronomers sent
to Mercury and used the Doppler shift to determine how fast it was rotating.
Radar beams
How do we know that Mercury has heavy elements like iron in its interior, even though the Moon does not?
It’s average density is very similar to the density of the Earth, and the densities of rocks on its surface are similar in density to rocks on the Earth’s surface.
Why does Mercury never appear to stray far from the Sun in the early morning or early evening sky?
Its physical orbit is very close to the sun.
Lunar mare is found
Mostly on the near side, where the crust was thinner
Which of the following characterizes a shield volcano?
It sits above a hot spot in the planet’s mantle.
Which is the correct size order, from smallest to largest?
Mercury, Mars, Venus
How long is a day on Mars?
24 hrs, 36 min
What is thought to be the reason that there are no small impact craters on Mars?
The wind blows small dust particles, eroding the surface of Mars, erasing small impact craters faster than they can form.
What property of Mars is responsible for producing the great heights of its volcanoes?
Its lower surface gravity does not pull them down as much as it does on other planets in the solar system.
Evidence for a permafrost layer of ice just a few meters below the surface of Mars include:
“fluidized ejecta” craters.
Which statement about Mars’ two moons is FALSE?
Both are in retrograde orbits.
What piece of evidence suggests that the Martian moons did NOT form with Mars?
Their composition is significantly different from Mars and the terrestrial planets.
The largest shield valcano yet discovered in the solar system is
Olympus mons on mars
Mars largest, and thus best view from earth when it is at:
Opposition
Which of the following was the planet that formed at the nearest location to the Sun that was at a temperature below the freezing point of
water?
Jupiter
What is the cause of a meteor shower?
The Earth moves into debris leftover from comets, and the debris heats up in the atmosphere due to friction.
What is the order of the planets from closest to the Sun to farthest from the Sun?
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
The tail of a comet always points
Away from the sun
How do densities of Jovian planets compare to terrestial planets?
All terrestrial planets are more dense than any of the Jovian planets.
Which is a characteristic of a jovian planet?
Low density
The jovian planets
All have rings
What is the largest planet in the solar system?
Jupiter
The kuiper belt is located where in the solar system?
Just beyond the orbit of Neptune
What is not a dwarf planet?
Ida
The oort cloud is believed to be
A spherical cloud of comets far beyond the Kuiper belt.
Rocky bodies that are smaller than planets and orbit the Sun between Mars and Jupiter are:
Asteroids
Which characteristic pertains to terrestrial planets?
They possess relatively weak or no magnetic fields.
Charged particles from the Van Allen Belts can escape near the Earth’s poles and collide with atmospheric particles, causing a(n):
Aurora
The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a result of:
Large plates moving away from one another.
Ozone absorbs this type of radiation, which is harmful to humans and other life forms:
Ultraviolet
The change in position of the continents over time, or plate tectonics, is primarily caused by:
Mantle material circulating inside of Earth
The reason Earth has a magnetic field is that:
Earth has a rotating, electrically conducting, liquid metal core
Volcanoes are usually found in places where:
Earthquakes occur from oceanic plates colliding with continental plates
The lunar highlands are:
More rugged, heavily cratered, and older than the lunar mare.
The presence of a magnetic field on Mercury surprised planetary scientists because:
the dynamo theory predicted that Mercury is spinning too slowly to create a magnetic field.
Why does Mercury never appear to stray far from the Sun?
Its orbit around the Sun is inside that of the Earth’s.
Which statement about the rotations of the Moon and Mercury is FALSE?
Like our Moon, Mercury keeps the same side facing the Sun.
Which theory is the moons origin?
Impact theory
The scarps on Mercury were probably caused by
Mercury’s interior cooling and shrinking (like an apple shrinking)
Which statement is true of Venus’ surface?
There are two continent-sized uplands.
What is the main constituent of the atmosphere on Venus?
Carbon dioxide
What is the result of the Greenhouse Effect on Venus?
It has raised the surface temperature by hundreds of degrees Celsius.
The absence of a magnetic field on Venus probably stems from its:
Slow rotation
Venus rotation
Is clockwise, or retrograde rotation
The largest shield volcano yet discovered in the Solar System is:
Olympus Mons on Mars
Why is mars red?
The iron in the surface rocks has been oxidized over time.
Of the Galilean moons, the one with striking grooved terrain and icy tectonic features as well as older craters is
Ganymede
Together, which two elements make up 99% of Jupiter’s atmosphere?
Hydrogen and Helium
What do our magnetic field and Jupiter’s share?
auroral displays in the polar regions
Essentially, the Great Red Spot is:
a large cyclonic storm (hurricane).
Which of the Galilean moons is the densest and most geologically active?
Lo
What is true about Jupiter’s rotational period?
It is the fastest in the solar system.
Which two satellites of Jupiter are considered “fraternal twins”?
Ganvmede and Callisto
Which of the four Galilean moons is NOT differentiated?
Callisto
How does the mass of Jupiter compare with that of the other planets?
It is twice as massive as all other planets combined.
The Roche limit is the point at which:
the external tidal forces on an object become greater than the internal forces that hold it together.
What did the Voyager mission discover about the main rings of Saturn?
They are composed of tens of thousands of narrow ringlets.
The reason Saturn lost very little of its original atmosphere is due to its:
Large mass
While Galileo saw Saturn as a changing oval, the real nature of the rings was discovered by:
Huygens
Shepherd satellites are defined as:
moons that confine a narrow ring.
Saturn’s rings exist because:
the ring material lies within the Roche limit of Saturn.
Saturn appears more uniform than Jupiter does because:
Saturn’s atmosphere reaches a higher altitude, preventing deeper layers from being observed.
Saturn’s bands, oval storm systems, and turbulent flow patterns are powered by:
convective motion and rapid rotation.
Saturn’s bands, oval storm systems, and turbulent flow patterns are powered by:
convective motion and rapid rotation.
Titan is an interesting moon because:
it has a thick atmosphere
Which of these is true about the seasons of Uranus?
Its strange tilt produces extreme seasonal variations, especially at the poles.
Which three played a role in the finding of Neptune?
Adams, Leverrier, and Galle
The planet Uranus is
Barely visible with the naked eye
The most abundant component of the atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune is:
Hydrogen
Which planet had the Great Dark Spot in 1989, but had lost it by 1995?
Neptune
Although the atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune are very similar, the atmosphere of Neptune contains more:
Methane
Uranus’ large axial tilt is thought to be the result of:
multiple catastrophic events, such as glancing collisions.
Which of the following is true about the seasons on Uranus?
The Uranian rotation axis produces some extreme seasonal effects.
The magnetic field tilts of which two bodies are the most unusual?
Uranus and neptune
William Herschel thought he had found a comet when he spotted the green disk of
Uranus
About what percent of all asteroids are S-type asteroids?
15%
What is the defining property of the Trojan asteroids?
They orbit at the same distance Jupiter does, sixty degrees ahead of or behind it.
What are Vesta, Gaspra, Mathilde, Eros, and Ida?
five asteroids that have been explored by spacecraft
The Oort Cloud is thought to be:
the spherical cloud of comets and some larger icy bodies surrounding the outer solar system
Dactyl was photographed by the Galileo spacecraft. It is:
A moon of the asteroid Ida.
What is so unusual about Pluto’s orbit?
It is more inclined to the ecliptic than any of the eight planets.
The two names most associated with the discovery of Pluto are:
Lowell and Tombaugh.
Which of the following is definitely NOT a dwarf planet?
Pallas
Meteor shower debris is believed to come from:
the disintegration of a short period comet over many returns to the Sun.
What is the source of Jupiter’s excess energy?
The slow escape of gravitational energy that has been stored within the planet since its formation.
How does the density of Jupiter compare with those of the terrestrial planets?
The density is less than terrestial
The reason Jupiter can withhold light elements like hydrogen and helium in its atmosphere is because:
It has a strong gravitational field, making the escape velocity very high.
What is the source of Jupiter’s intense magnetic field?
Liquid metallic hydrogen swirling in the rapidly spinning mantle.
What is thought to be the cause of lo’s volcanoes?
volcanoes?
• Tidal stresses from both Jupiter and Europa.
Which of the Jovian moons is the largest and also the largest moon in the solar system?
Ganymede
What is the order of the Galilean moons in order of closest to farthest from Jupiter?
lo, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto
Which Galilean moon likely has an ocean under a thick layer of frozen water ice at the surface?
Europa
Which of the Galilean moons is the densest and most geologically active?
Lo
Saturn’s bands, oval storm systems, and turbulent flow patterns are powered by:
Convective motion and rapid rotation
Why does Saturn radiate even more excess energy than Jupiter?
Helium rain gives off heat as it sinks toward Saturn’s center.
Saturn’s cloud surface appears more uniform than Jupiter’s because:
The cloud lavers are thicker allowing, fewer holes to sce the colorful layers.
Saturn is noticeably oblate, or flattened, because:
systom
it is a low-density ball of gas that is spinning rapidly.
The reason the rings of Saturn exist is because:
The ring material lies within the Roche limit of Saturn.
What are Saturn’s rings
Small particles and debris made of ice and rock orbiting saturn
Which is played the most important role in Saturn’s ring formation
Saturns roche limit
The Roche limit is the point at which:
The external tidal forces on an object become greater than the internal forces that hold it together.
Shepard satellites are defined as
Moons that confine a narrow ring
Titan is an interesting moon because
It has a thick atmosphere
The atmosphere of the jovian planets
Methane
What is the prediction for the future of triton
It will provide the raw material for future neptunian ring
Neptune and Uranus have a bluish tint because
Their atmosphere contain methane, which absorbs red light
Adams and Leverrier predicted the position of Neptune by its perturbations of:
Uranus
Which of the following is true about the seasons on Uranus?
The Uranian rotation axis produces extreme seasonal effects.
Unlike the other Jovian planets, Uranus:
Has no internal energy source
Uranus’ large axial tilt is thought to be the result of:
Multiple catastrophic events, such as glancing collisions.
The two names most associated with the discovery of Pluto are:
Lowell and Tombaugh
When a formal definition of a planet in the solar system was adopted, Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet. What characteristic of planets does NOT describe Pluto?
Planets have cleared the neighborhood around their orbits.
The Kuiper Belt objects have orbits that:
Stay just out beyond Neptune and fairly close to the ecliptic.
Long-period comets are thought to reside mainly in the:
Oort cloud
Meteor shower debris is believed to come from:
The disintegration of a short-period comet over many returns to the Sun.
Pluto’s density is most similar to:
The moons of the Jovian planets.
What is the defining property of the Trojan asteroids?
They have orbits at the distance of Jupiter and 60 degrees ahead of or behind it.
What is so unusual about Pluto’s orbit?
It is more inclined to the ecliptic than any of the eight planets.
We now recognize Pluto as one of the largest members of the:
Kuiper belt
Rocky bodies that are smaller than planets and orbit the Sun between Mars and Jupiter are:
Asteroids
Can a Jovian planet form in the location if Mercury?
No because the temperature is too high.
When is the sun highest in the sky?
12 p.m noon
What time is it when the new moon is highest in the sky, or transiting?
12 a.m
Why have very few planets with low mass (comparable to Mars) been found?
Low mass planets do not produce large enough radical velocity changes in their star.
Which is not a method used to detect exoplanets?
Doppler effect.
A light-emitting object is approaching you. The light from this object will appear to be:
Blueshifted
When we are lucky enough to see an extrasolar planet transit its star,
We can find the planets size by the drop in light
What is the special distance that distinguishes between “hot” and “cold” exoplanets?
0.1 AU
If we are optimistic in our assumptions about the development of life and intelligence, then the number of technological civilizations in the galaxy should equal the:
Average lifetime of a civilization
The Drake equation calculates N. What is N?
The number of technologically intelligent civilizations presently in our galaxy
Which of these radio waves would fall in the “water hole?”
19 cm wavelength
According to our definition, we have been a technological civilization for about:
100 years
Assuming the conditions ripe for life and intelligence abound in the galaxy, what factor limits the number of galactic civilizations?
The average survival time of the civilizations
In which position will the Moon be during a lunar eclipse?
Full moon
In which position will the Moon be during a solar eclipse?
New moon
During which season is the number of daylight hours the greatest
Summer
During which season is the sun highest in the sky at noon?
Summer
