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Astronomy 103 > Exam 4 > Flashcards

Exam 4 Flashcards

1
Q

When is it best to observe Mercury?

A

Just after sunset or sunrise

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2
Q

What is interesting about Mercury’s orbit?

A

Orbit is more elongated with more rotation for a wider signal for shifts. Spins axis 3x for every 2x it goes around its orbit.

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3
Q

What is interesting about Mercury’s orbit in relation to the sun?

A

Goes through orbit faster than it spins when closer to the sun

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4
Q

Why is Mercury’s temperature variation so extreme from night to day?

A

There is no atmosphere to hold in heat and its close to the sun with a slow rotation

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5
Q

Features of Mercury’s surface?

A

Scarps (long cliffs), 1 plate world, lots of volcanic activity (filled in craters) Caloris Basin = large impact on surface that deformed the other side

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6
Q

What is unique about Mercury’s interior?

A

High density, larger percentage iron core.

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7
Q

Mercury’s magnetic field

A

Very nearly centered, strongly aligned with rotation axis, South pole is weaker than North

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8
Q

Does Mercury truly have an atmosphere?

A

No, dust is kicked up by solar winds on surface to mimic an atmosphere

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9
Q

What is unique about Venus’s rotation?

A

Rotates clockwise (retrograde) Sun rises from the West, everything is backwards

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10
Q

What is Venus’s surface like?

A

Covered in clouds so it’s very hot, heat can’t escape. Mostly flat, has individual volcanoes, crust doesn’t fracture but does move, surface is same age all around (flake tectonics)

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11
Q

What is the makeup of Venus’s atmosphere?

A

Mostly CO2, greater pressure than Earth. Earth’s CO2 dissolved in ocean or chemically bound to rocks, Venus is too hot for water, couldn’t get rid of CO2, kept getting hotter

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12
Q

General features of Venus’s surface?

A

Mostly flat, individual volcanoes, many more craters than Earth, less than Mercury, craters scattered, surface is same age all around (flake tectonics)

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13
Q

Does Venus have plate tectonics and how is its crust different from Earth’s?

A

Venus has flake tectonics, 1 plate world, crust doesn’t fracture/break but it moves

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14
Q

What is the makeup of Mars’ atmosphere?

A

Similar to Venus, very thin, can’t trap heat as well and very large day and night variations. Redish sky due to dust (iron-oxide)

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15
Q

What is the general description of Mars’ surface?

A

Smoother, younger North hemisphere, more rough and older South hemisphere. No liquid water, dried river beds & sediments

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16
Q

Important features of Mars’ surface?

A

Olympus Mons = Biggest volcano in Solar System.

Valles Marineris = canon, reaches from 1 side of U.S. to other (crust cracked from pressure)

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17
Q

Does Mars have seasons and what are the days like?

A

Mars does have seasons and days are very similar to Earth’s. Seasons last longer on Mars, due to charging polar caps.

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18
Q

Water on Mars, what happens to it and what is the evidence of once being water?

A

No liquid water on surface, dried river beds & sediments as evidence. Water either freezes or vaporizes.

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19
Q

What kind of magnetic field does Mars have?

A

Magnetized regions locked in the crust, no global magnetic field.

20
Q

Properties of Mars’ moons and what they generally look like?

A

Captured asteroids, heavily cratered, always same face to Mars

21
Q

What are the features seen on Jupiter’s surface?

A

Belts (dark colored, air rising, low pressure)
Zones (light colored, air sinking, high pressure)
Great Red Spot (Giant storm)

22
Q

Make-up of Jupiter’s atmosphere?

A

Cloud tops, atmosphere gets hotter and denser inwards, Jupiter radiates more energy than received from the sun.

23
Q

Why does Jupiter have differential rotation and what is it?

A

Jupiter’s body acts like a fluid, 5 minute longer at poles than equator. Jupiter’s rotation is different because it isn’t solid. Points further from the rotation center will travel at greater speeds than those closer in.

24
Q

What is the internal structure of Jupiter?

A

Small, rocky core, Hydrogen becomes liquid because of pressure, eventually ionizes = gives Jupiter’s magnetic field, 10x stronger than Earth’s (Liquid Metallic hydrogen)

25
Q

What makes IO a unique moon?

A

Most volcanically active object in our solar system

26
Q

Orbital relation between Io, Europa, and Ganymede?

A

Synchronous rotation (axis rotation = same as orbit time)

27
Q

What causes IO to have a molten interior?

A

Jupiter and other moons squeeze & flex IO, heating it up into a molten state.

28
Q

Why does Europa have liquid water beneath its surface?

A

Europa has ice and cracked surface, pull from other moons and Jupiter warm the ice and create water.

29
Q

Evidence of Europa liquid water and how much does it have?

A

Equivalent to great lakes and gushing water from the surface = evidence

30
Q

Unique properties of Ganymede?

A

Largest moon in our solar system, dark and bright terrain (old and young)

31
Q

How is Callisto similar and different from the other Galilean moons?

A

Older icy terrain, Large craters, possible liquid water layer. Valhalla Basin = Big impact, frozen in, 3000 km

32
Q

Make up of Saturn’s atmosphere?

A

Low amount of helium, gas acting as fluid, atmosphere gets hotter and denser inward, has aurora, helium raining out of atmosphere, heats Saturn

33
Q

What features can be seen on Saturn’s surface?

A

Swirling storms, rings made of ice

34
Q

What is the internal structure of Saturn?

A

Small, dense iron and metals surrounded by a rocky core, mostly made of hydrogen and helium.

35
Q

What is Saturn’s energy output compared to what it receives from the sun?

A

Saturn radiates 2x energy received from the sun.

36
Q

Saturn’s magnetic field compared to Jupiter’s?

A

Saturn’s MF is weaker

37
Q

What are Saturn’s rings made of?

A

Ice and ice coated rocks (range in size from pebbles to boulders)

38
Q

Structure of Saturn’s rings and how do they orbit?

A

A, B, C rings, Keplerian orbit (inner rings go faster) Cassini division = gap between rings

39
Q

What makes the moon Titan unique?

A

Saturn’s largest moon, only moon with an atmosphere and is 10x denser than Earth’s. Rich in organic material.

40
Q

How is the moon Enceladus unique?

A

Helps to form Saturn’s E-ring, sprays plumes of liquid

41
Q

What is interesting about how Uranus rotates on its axis compared to how it orbits the Sun? What is the consequence of this for the seasons?

A

Uranus is tipped on it’s side, orbits the sun this way, axis pointed at the sun, which results in extreme seasons

42
Q

Features of Uranus’s surface?

A

Great dark spot = churning vortex

43
Q

What is going to happen to the moon Triton in the future and why?

A

Will eventually be ripped apart due to tidal forces

44
Q

What are the bright spots on the dwarf planet, Ceres?

A

Small, young craters filled with salts

45
Q

What is special about Charon’s orbit around Pluto? What does this mean about how they interact?

A

Charon has the same rotational period as Pluto. Bodies have synchronized Charon’s orbital period with the rotation period of Pluto, Charon always faces the same hemisphere of Pluto

46
Q

What is unique about the mountains on Pluto?

A

Higher altitudes, allowing for gas to saturate and freeze directly on the mountain peaks tall enough to reach the enriched zone

47
Q

What are unique features of Neptune?

A

Methane clouds, emits more energy than received, shows storms, blue-Jupiter-like atmosphere

Astronomy 103 (5 decks)

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