Astronomy Flashcards
What is the role of theories in the formation of the universe?
waiting for teacher’s answer
How are the earth, solar system, milky way, universe galaxy related?
Our Earth orbits the Sun in our Solar System. Our Sun is one star among the billions in the Milky Way Galaxy. Our Milky Way Galaxy is one among the billions of galaxies in our Universe
What is the relationship between the planets’ characteristics and ability to support life?
For life to exist on a planet it must have gravity, nitrogen-oxygen rich atmosphere, a water source, magnetic field, circular orbit, and plant life.
What impact does gravity and inertia have on the motion of objects in the solar system?
The gravity of the sun and the planets works together with the inertia to create the orbits and keep them consistent. The gravity pulls the sun and the planets together, while keeping them apart. The inertia provides the tendency to maintain speed and keep moving.
What characteristics can be used to compare and contrast asteroids, comets, and meteorites?
A comet is an icy ball of rock that grows a tail (gas and dust from heating up)when it gets close to the sun.
Asteroids: These are the rocky and airless leftovers from the formation of planets in our solar system. They mostly orbit our sun in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and range from the size of cars to dwarf planets.
Comets: Comets are dirty space snowballs of mostly ice and dust that formed during the birth of the solar system 4.6 billion years ago. Most comets have stable orbits in the outer reaches of the solar system past the planet Neptune.
Meteoroids, Meteors, Meteorites: Meteoroids are tiny asteroids or the broken-off crumbs of comets and sometimes planets. They range in size from a grain of sand to boulders 3 feet (1 meter) wide. When meteoroids collide with a planet’s atmosphere, they become meteors. If those meteors survive the atmosphere and hit the planet’s surface, their remains are called meteorites.
What is Lemaître’s Big Bang Theory?
According to the Big Bang Theory, the entire universe was once packed into a space smaller than a single atom. These tiny pieces of matter and energy would have been incredibly hot –over 1000 trillion degrees Celsius! The pieces would have suddenly expanded to be several light-years wide in less than one second. As the pieces continued to expand and cool, they would have formed atoms, the building blocks of matter. Over time, the atoms would join together, forming stars, galaxies, planets, asteroids, comets, and black holes.
