Chapter 14 Flashcards
List the nine planets in order from the sun out ward
Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto
Describe the similarities of the planets orbits
They all are elliptical
What is the term for the point in a planets orbit when it is nearest to the sun
Perihelion
What is the term for the point in a planets orbit when it is farthest from the sun
Aphelion
What is the measure of a planets ability to reflect light
Magnitude
What three factors affect the apparent magnitude of a planet
Distance from the earth
Reflective ability
Size
What two factors determine a planets gravity
Size
Mass
What is the difference between a superior planet and an inferior planet
Superior planets have an orbit further from the sun than earth
Inferior planets have an orbit closer to the sun than earth
What happens in a transit by an inferior planet
It passes directly between the earth and the sun
What name is given to the apparent backward motion of a slower moving superior planet as the earth passes it
Retrograde orbit
Describe a Jovian planet
Planet larger than earth that have low density
What is a terrestrial planet
Planets that are earths size or smaller and about the same density
Can inferior planets undergo a retrograde orbit
Yes
How did the ancient Greeks recognize that the planets were different than stars
The planets moved across the sky and the stars did not
