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FGASA Level 2 > Astronomy > Flashcards

Astronomy Flashcards

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1
Q

How many planets and dwarf planets are their in our solar system

A

8 planets and 5 dwarf planets

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2
Q

Which is the biggest and which is the smallest planet in our solar system

A

Jupiter is the biggest and Mercury the smallest

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3
Q

Differences between rocky and gas planets

A

Rocky planets- terrestrial planets
- mercury,Venus, earth, Mars
- made of rock solid surfaces
-found close to the sun warmer region of solar system
-travel around the sun in nearly circular paths
-small
-few or no moons
-no ring systems

Gas planets- Jovian planets
- Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
-thick gaseous atmosphere with liquid interior
-travels around the sun in nearly circular paths
-far from sun colder regions
-large in size
-many moons
-have ring systems

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4
Q

What is a comet(stella cometa-hairy star)

A

A body if ice, rock and dust that may be several KMs in diameter, similar to an astroid but with more ice,methane and ammonia which help develop a cloud like shell called a coma(as well as its tail)

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5
Q

How does a comets “tail” form

A

As it gets closer to the sun solar heat evaporates the ice so that the comet brightens enormously. The tail gets blown away from the head via solar wind from the sun.

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6
Q

What is a solar wind ?

A

A solar wind is a thin stream of hot gasses continuously ejected from the outermost atmosphere of the sun(corona) at a speed of 400km/second

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7
Q

What is a astroid ?

A

Large chunks if rock from the astroid belt between the orbits of mars and Jupiter. Made up out if metals and rocky material

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8
Q

What is a meteoroid ?

A

Space debris smaler than an asteroid, a piece of interplanetary matter that is smaller than a kilometer. Most get vaporised instantly before entering earths atmosphere.

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9
Q

What is a meteor(shooting star) ?

A

The flash of light we see in the night sky when a small chunk of interplanetary material passes through earths atmosphere.
“Meteor refers to the flash of light not the actual debris.

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10
Q

What is a fireball ?

A

Term used for a very bright meteor, one with a magnitude brighter than -4 the same as the planet Venus in the morning or evening sky

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11
Q

What is a meteorite ?

A

Any part of a meteoroid that survives its fall through the atmosphere and lands on earth.
Although most are the size of a pebble some can be the size of a life destroying boulder.

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12
Q

What caused the vredefort dome

A

A meteorite with a diameter of 10km that hit the earth roughly two billion years ago.
It is assumed that this meteorite strike increased earths O2 levels to a degree allowing for multicellular life to occur.

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13
Q

What is a constellation ?

A

A grouping of stars that when observed from earth appear in the same form of a pattern. These patterns have stayed the same since they were first observed and named.
Stars that make up these constellations are so far a way they seem to be fixed in space and have not deviated over thousands of years.

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14
Q

Point out omega Centauri

A

-Follow a line from alpha to beta Centauri then take a 60 degree turn to the left pass through the first star and the next would be omega Centauri.
- when using binoculars it will look like a ball of fuzzy light
- this light is from almost a million stars but because it is so far away it cannot be seen as individual stars
- know as a globular cluster
- forms part of the Centaurus constellation

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15
Q

Point out the jewel box

A
  • can be found close to beta Crusis
  • called “the jewel box due to the different coloured stars making up this galactic cluster ( pastel red, blue, green, purple, yellow)
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16
Q

Point out Eta Carina

A

-Region with a number of star clulsters
- opposite side of the southern cross to the pointer stars
- a patch of stars with extremely high temperatures, they emit UV radiation causing the gasses to glow.

17
Q

Point out the coal sack

A
  • is a enormous “cloud” of opaque dust that blocks our vision to what ever is behind it.
  • found just off to the side of the southern cross although its much further away than the southern cross
18
Q

Constellations near the southern cross

A
19
Q

Identify and describe the megellanic clouds( cape clouds)

A

Draw a line from the long axis if the southern cross( delta Crusis) through celestial south pole to about the same distance beyond it, two patches of clouds that look like they broke away from the milky way
- two of three examples of other galaxies apart from the milky way wee can see with the naked eye
- large cloud(160000 lightyears away)
Small cloud(180000 lightyears away)
- were originally known as cape clouds by European navigators renamed in honour of Ferdinand Magellan

20
Q

Identify and describe mensa(tabel mountain) constellation

A

Small constellation close to celestial south pole. Across most of the southern hemisphere it is circumpolar, but appears highest in the evening sky around December
- only constellation named after a terrestrial land mark
The large magellanic cloud touches its Northern edge

21
Q

Where did the table mountain( Mensa) constellation get its name from ?

A

Nicolas louis de Lacaille in 1756 chose the name because table mountain overlooked his observation site when he was charting the southern night sky and recalled the cape cloud( Magellanic) constellations and that table mountain was often covered in clouds hence he made a table under the clouds.

22
Q

What 4 stars does the Mensa constellation consist out of

A

alpha, beta, gamma and Eta mensa

23
Q

What constellation is the faintest of all and why ?

A

The mensa constellation due to the low magnitude of the stars in this constellation.

24
Q

Achernar ?

A

-Ninth brightest star(blue white star)
- one of the most southern stars that old Arab astronomers could see
- meaning end of the river
- 650 times brighter than our sun

25
Q

Canopus ?

A

-Follow a line from southern cross to celestial south pole and at a 90 degree angle upwards you will find Canopus
-Second brightest star in our night sky 80000 times brighter than our sun
- visible from September to July

26
Q

Canis major ?

A

Take a line from Orion’s belt and follow it east until you reach Sirius( brightest star in the sky meaning the sparkling one) this forms the head of the hunters dog

27
Q

Canis minor ?

A

-Visible november to may
- Procyon( before the dog, eight brightest star) together with Sirius and Betelgeuse they form a perfect triangle with no other bright stars

28
Q

The bull(Taurus)

A

-Visible from november to may
- consists of two constellations ( The “A” and the seven sisters

29
Q

The “A” or Hyades

A

Take a line from the belt of Orion follow it away from Sirius there are five stars that form a Capital A( the bull is upside down) the top three make up the lower head and the stars at the bottom make up the eyes. A little further down are two stars that make up the horns

30
Q

What is the brightest star in the constellation Taurus?

A

Aldebaran

31
Q

The twins (Gemini)

A
  • Visible november to may
  • draw a line from Rigel at the top of Orion through Betelgeuse follow it for one and a half lengths until you reach two bright twin stars Castor and Pollux( brightest of the twins)
32
Q

The lion (leo)

A

-Visible november to may
-Hart of the lion( Regulus)
- to find it take orions knee (Rigel) and the back sight and Procyon as the front and you will roughly be aiming at regulus

33
Q

Capella

A

-Visible december until march
- prominent yellow like our sun
- 6st brightest star
- double star

34
Q

What is the international space station(ISS)

A

Is a modular space station( Habitable artificial satellite) in low orbit at a hight of 360kms above earth traveling at a speed of 27,600km/h
Orbits earth 15.54 times a day and has been doing so for 22 years

35
Q

Who is responsible for the ISS ?

A

It is a multination collaborative project involving 5 space agencies
NASA(USA)
Roscosmos(Russia)
JAXA(Japan)
ESA(Europe)
CSA(canada)

36
Q

How many satellites are currently in orbit ?

A

2666

37
Q

How do satellites stay in orbit ?

A

They need to travel at a constant speed of 11,300km/h in orbit about 36000 km above earth it allows the satellite to make one revolution every 24 hours around earth

38
Q

How long is a satellites lifespan ?

A

Between 5-15 years depending on the satellite

39
Q

How do they stop working?

A

Either their solar arrays stop working or they run out of fuel.

FGASA Level 2 (14 decks)

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