Final Exam Flashcards
Comprehensive Final exam objectives for Poskin Intro to Astrology
List the planets from closest to the sun to furthest from the sun
mercury, Venus, earth, mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Where is the Asteroid Belt located?
Between Mars & Jupiter
What are the 5 objects in our solar system that are considered to be dwarf planets?
Ceres, MakeMake, Pluto, Hamea, Eris
The plane of the Earth’s orbit is known as the
ecliptic plane
when the moon is closest to the sun and moving the ______, this is a ______
fastest, perihelion
When the moon is furthest from the sun and moving the _____, this is a _____
slowest, aphelion
The Earth’s Axial tilt
23.4
The main cause of seasonal changes on the Earth
Axial tilt
Heavy material sinks to the center, while lighter material floats to the surface
chemical differentiation
The largest impact crater/basin on the moon
Atkin Basin
What is the necessary alignment of the Earth, Moon, & Sun for a lunar eclipse to occur?
Sun-Earth-Moon
What is the necessary alignment of the Earth, Moon, & Sun for a solar eclipse to occur?
Sun-Moon-Earth
Which planet has the smallest axial tilt?
Mercury
Which planet has the most eccentric orbit?
Mercury
Which planet is most inclined to the ecliptic plane?
Mercury
Which planer has a 3:2 spin orbit coupling?
Mercury
Which planet has the most extreme temperature range in our Solar System?
Mercury
The largest impact crater/basin on Mercury
Calores Basin
Which planet has the largest axial tilt?
Venus
Which planet has the least eccentric orbit?
Venus
Which planet has the slowest rotational period?
Venus
What are the clouds on Venus mainly composed of?
Sulfuric Acid
Which planet has the highest average temperature?
Venus
Which planet has had a runaway greenhouse effect?
Venus
The tallest mountain on Venus
Maxwell Montes
The largest impact crater on Venus
Mead Crater
The longest channel in our Solar System
Batlis Vallis, on Venus
The tallest volcano on Venus
Maat Mons
Which planet has the closest rotational period and axial tilt to Earth
Mars
On which planet has there been a runaway icehouse effect
Mars
which planet is home to the largest dust storms in our solar system
Mars
The dominant color of the Martian regolith
Reddish-brown
The dominant component of the Martian regolith
Iron-oxide rich clay
The general shape of an impact crater or basin
circular/round
why are impact craters round?
shock waves
The largest impact crater or basin on Mars
Utopia Planitia
The largest impact crater or basin in our solar system
Utopia Planitia
Describe the northern lowlands on Mars based on location and elevation
northern hemisphere, low elevation
Describe the southern highlands on Mars based on location and elevation
southern hemisphere, high elevation
The name of the largest volcano on Mars
Olympus Mons
The name of the largest volcano in our solar system
Olympus Mons
The name of the gigantic rift valley near the equator of Mars
Vallis Marinaris
Which planet has the largest volume and mass
Jupiter
which planet has the fastest rotational period
Jupiter
The object is spinning faster at the equator and slower at the poles
Differential rotation
The object is wider at the equator and smaller at the poles
oblateness
The most abundant gasses in the Jovian planet’s atmosphere
hydrogen and helium
What structure represents the second largest object in our solar system
Jupiter’s magnetosphere
What does a magnetosphere protect a planet from
solar wind
What is solar wind composed of
Protons and electrons
The location of the weakest spots in a planet’s radiation belts
At the poles
Which planet has the lowest density in our solar system
Saturn
The name of the most oblate planet in our solar system
Saturn
The name of the largest gap in Saturn’s rings
Cassini Division
Which force is strongest outside of a planet’s Roche limit?
Gravitational force of moons
Which force is strongest inside of a planet’s Roche limit?
Gravitational forces exerted by the planet’s tidal forces
What structure will form if objects are inside the Roche limit?
Rings
What structure will form if objects are outside the Roche limit?
Moons
The reddest moon in our solar system is
Almathea
Who discovered Jupiter’s largest moons?
Galileo
The most geologically active or volcanic world in our solar system
Io
The driest world in our solar system
Io
Which world has a plasma torus surrounding its orbit?
Io
The smoothest world in our solar system
Europa
Which extraterrestrial world is the most likely place to contain life?
Europa
Jupiter’s largest moon
Ganymede
The largest moon in our solar system
Ganymede
The name of the only moon in our solar system with a magnetosphere
Ganymede
The most cratered world in our solar system
Callisto
Which moon in our solar system has the oldest surface
Callisto
The smallest moon in our solar system that is spherical due to self-gravitation
Mimas
The most reflective moon in our solar system
Enceladus
Saturn’s largest moon
Titan
The second largest moon in our solar system
Titan
The coldest planet in our solar system
Uranus
Which gas in Uranus and Neptune’s atmosphere causes their blue coloration? Why?
Methane, it reflects blue light rays
The tallest cliff in our solar system? Which moon is it located on?
Verona Rupes on Miranda
Uranus’s largest moon
Titania
Which planet has the fastest wind speed in our solar system?
Neptune
Neptune’s largest moon
Triton
The solar system’s largest captured moon
Triton
What happens to moons with a prograde orbit?
They spiral outward, away from a planet
What happens to moons with a retrograde orbit?
They spiral inward, towards a planet
Pluto’s largest moon
Charon
The largest known dwarf planet
Pluto
The largest object in the asteroid belt
Ceres
Where is Aphrodite Terra found?
Venus
On which moon is Galileo Regio found?
Ganymede
Where is the Great Red Spot located?
Jupiter
Which planet is Hellis Planitia located on?
Mars
Where is the Hexagon?
Saturn
Which planet is the Ishtar Terra Found?
Venus
Where is Tharsis Rise located?
Mars
Approximately how old is the universe?
13.82 (14) Billion Years old
Approximately how old is our solar system?
4.57 (6) Billion Years old
List the planets in order, from largest to smallest, according to their diameters
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Earth, Venus, Mars, Mercury
Saturn
Jupiter
Uranus
Neptune
Earth
Venus
Mars
Mercury
Moon
Sun
the time it takes any solar object to spin 360 degrees about its axis
Rotational period
The time it takes any solar object to make a 360-degree orbit around another
Revolution period
Which planet is the densest?
Earth
In terms of composition, Terrestrial planets are _______, while Jovian planets are ______.
Rocky, Gasseous
In terms of size, terrestrial planets are _____, while Jovian planets are _______.
Small, Big
In terms of rings, Terrestrial planets (do or do not) have rings, while Jovian planets (do or do not) have rings
Do not, Do
In terms of moons, Terrestrial planets have ______, while Jovian planets have_______.
Few, Many
The _______ is older and more cratered, while the ______ is younger and less cratered. (on the moon)
Terrae, Maria
The ______ is darker and at a lower elevation than the lighter, higher elevation ______. (on the moon)
Maria, Terrae
moons (or objects) with a revolution direction identical to their planet’s (or object’s) rotation
Prograde Orbit
Identical revolutions and rotation periods
Synchronous rotation
Moons (or objects) with a revolution direction opposite of their planet’s (or object’s) rotation
Retrograde Orbit
Identical rotation directions of a moon and planet (or two objects)
Prograde rotation
Opposite rotation directions of a moon and planet (or two objects)
Retrograde orbit
The revolution direction of all planets and Pluto
counterclockwise
The rotation direction of all planets is ______, except for ______ ______ and _____, which is ______.
Counterclockwise, Venus, Uranus, Pluto, clockwise
Venus
Uranus
Triton
Titania
Titan
Saturn
Pluto
neptune
Moon
Miranda
Mercury
Mars
Jupiter
Io
Ganymeade
Europa
Enceladus
Earth
Callisto
pluto’s largest moon
Charon
the only large solar objects that have synchronous rotation with each other
Pluto and Charon
The correct order of the Kuiper Belt, Oort Cloud, and Scattered Disk
Kuiper Belt, Scattered Disk, Oort Cloud
The structure that represents the largest object in our solar system
The Heliosphere
The semimajor axis of Mercury
.4
The semimajor axis of Venus
.7
The semimajor axis of Earth
1
The semimajor axis of Mars
1.5
The semimajor axis of Jupiter
5
The semimajor axis of Saturn
10
The semimajor axis of Uranus
20
The semimajor axis of Neptune
30
The semimajor axis of Pluto
40
Kepler’s 3rd Law
P^2= a^3
New Moon
Waxing Crescent Moon
1st Quarter Moon
Waxing Gibbous Moon
Full Moon
Wanning Gibbous Moon
3rd Quarter Moon
Waning Crescent Moon
Which planets have a weak, global magnetic field?
Mercury and Mars
Which planets have a moderate, global magnetic field?
Earth, Uranus, and Neptune
Which planets have a strong, global magnetic field?
Jupiter and Saturn
Which planet has no magnetic field?
Venus
