Earth From a Larger Perspective Flashcards
the study of the landforms, processes, and materials of solid-surface celestial bodies including planets, their satellites, and minor bodies (asteroids and comets).
Planetary Geology / Astrogeology
The branch of science which deals with celestial objects, space, and the physical universe as a whole.
Astronomy
Is the science of the origin and development of the universe. Its modern counterpart is dominated by the Big Bang theory, which brings together observational astronomy and particle physics.
Cosmology
This concept was first proposed in 1927 by ____________, stating that all matter in the universe had at one time existed at a single point.
Big Bang Theory, Georges Lemaître
The Life Cycle of a Star
- Giant Gas Cloud and Dust (Nebula)
- Protostar
- T-Tauri Phase
- Main Sequence
- Red Giant
- Fusion of Heavier Elements
- Supernovae and Planetary Nebulae
the pattern that appears when the actual brightness (or absolute magnitude) and color (or color index) of many stars are plotted against each other.
Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram
a system of millions or billions of stars held together by gravity
Galaxy
The Milky Way Galaxy is said to contain how many stars?
200-400 billion
all solar system objects formed from a rotating cloud of dust and gas called a nebula
Nebular Hypothesis
The Sun contributes about _____% of the total mass of the Solar System.
99.86%
The entirety of all the metals in the Solar System is only ____% of its entire composition.
0.2%
How does the Sun form its helium atoms?
The Sun’s hydrogen atoms merge and undergoes nuclear fusion
The estimated temperature within the Sun
17,000,000 degrees Celsius
Electromagnetic energy ranges from radio waves to __________.
Gamma rays
Visible light is in between ________ and ________ waves.
Ultraviolet rays and Infrared waves
The furthest point of the Earth from the Sun is called the _________, which measures ___________ km away from the Sun.
Aphelion, 152.1 million km
The planets are classified as either _________ or ___________.
terrestrial or gaseous
The planets formed nearest to the sun mainly contains _____________.
Metallic Iron
True or false: some outer planets contain water in them.
True
What are the criteria for a celestial body to be classified as a planet?
a) is in orbit around the Sun
b) has sufficient mass for its self gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape
c) has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit
1 Astronomical Unit (AU) is equivalent to _________ km.
149.6 million km
These are relatively small, dense, rocky planets closest to the
Sun
Terrestrial planets
There are four types of processes that appreciably affect planetary surfaces, which are:
- Impact cratering
- Volcanism
- Tectonism
- Atmosphere
These are relatively small bodies, 0.6 to 6 miles (1–10 km) in
diameter, composed of small rocky fragments embedded in a mass of ice and frozen gases.
Comets
These are small bodies that orbit the Sun, but are different in that they are composed primarily of rocky and metallic materials.
Asteroids
a body of rock and/or metal that is smaller than a planet or asteroid
Meteoroid
a solid piece of debris that originated in outer space and survived its passage through the atmosphere to reach the surface of a planet or moon
Meteorite
What is the difference between a meteoroid and a meteor?
A meteoroid is a body of rock smaller than an asteroid, while a meteor is a meteoroid that has entered a planet’s atmosphere
It is the largest carbonaceous chondrite ever found on Earth, and is often called “The most studied meteorite in history”.
Allende Meteorite
What differentiates a planet from a dwarf planet?
A dwarf planet as the same properties as a planet except it has not cleared its orbit, making it prone to collision with other planetary bodies
