final exam Flashcards
Most craters on the surface of the Moon are believed to be caused by?
meteoroids
What is the oldest type of surface on the Moon?
highlands
How old are the rocks brought back from the Moon?
3.1 - 4.4 billion years
During 1 month, the Moon passes through how many different phases?
eight
What is the approximate time between new and full moons?
2 weeks
A lunar eclipse occurs during what phase of the Moon?
full
Why do we sometimes have annular solar eclipses?
The lunar orbit is elliptical (non-circular).
The two daily high tides are due mainly to?
the different gravitational attraction by the Moon because of the inverse-square relationship
What is a synchronous orbit?
An orbit in which the rotation period equals the revolution period.
What planet has no moon?
Venus
How many moons does Uranus have?
27
What are name of moons of Uranus?
Ariel, Miranda, etc.
What is the largest moon in the solar system?
Ganymede
Which moon is known to be volcanically active?
Io
Titan
Saturn
Titania
Uranus
Triton
Neptune
Astroids are located?
mainly in orbits around the Sun between the Earth and Mars.
They usually have a long tail when they are close to the Sun.
They revolve around the Sun in highly elliptical orbits.
They are composed of dust and ice.
Comets
They are usually smaller than a kilometer.
They are small, solid, interplanetary metallic and stony objects.
They are known as meteorites when they strike the Earth’s surface.
They are known as meteors when they enter the Earth’s atmosphere.
meteoroids
Where can one find the most asteroids?
between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter
When is a meteoroid termed a meteor?
when it enters Earth’s atmosphere
When is it termed a meteorite?
When it strikes the Earth’s surface
Where do short-period comets come from?
Kuiper belt
long-period comets are?
Oort cloud
How often does Halley’s Comet reappear?
The comet reappears every 76 years.
How would the phases of the Moon differ if the Moon orbited the Earth in the opposite direction?
The order of the phase cycle would be reversed.
List the terrestrial planets in order of increasing distance from the Sun.
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
List the Jovian planets in order of increasing distance from the Sun.
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune
Which of Kepler’s laws gives the most direct indication of the shape of the orbit of a planet?
law of elliptical orbits
What is the main difference between the heliocentric model and the geocentric model?
A geocentric model is Earth-centered; a heliocentric model is Sun-centered.
When is the speed of a planet revolving around the Sun the slowest?
when it is farthest from the Sun
According to Kepler’s harmonic law, how are the period (T) and semimajor axis (a) of a planet’s orbit related?
T^2 ∝ a^3
One of the greatest scientists of all time, he discovered the true phases of Venus.
Galileo
The Foucault pendulum is an experimental proof of what characteristic of the Earth?
rotation
Is the Earth a perfect sphere? Explain.
No. The Earth is an oblate spheroid.
What proofs are there that the Earth is rotating and that it is revolving around the sun?
foucault pendulum and parallax
Terrestrial planets has what physical characteristics?
primarily composed of rocks and metals
You got it!
:)
What are the primary constituents in the atmospheres of the Jovian planets?
hydrogen and helium
Which planet has a ring system made of mostly water ice?
Saturn
Which Jovian planet revolves on its side and has retrograde rotation?
Uranus
What are the major distinctions between the Jovian planets and the terrestrial planets?
Terrestrial planets are solid (more dense) and small while Jovian planets are gaseous and large.
What is the mechanism that causes Uranus and Neptune to be blue in color?
Methane
Which dwarf planet does not have a moon?
Ceres
Why is Pluto not considered a major planet?
It is not the dominant body in its orbit.
What other peculiarity distinguishes it from the major planets?
Its orbit is very tilted compared to the major planets.
What is the age of the solar system?
4.5 billion years
what is abundant on the Earth but not on the other seven planets?
water
life
oxygen
