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Planets > info on planets > Flashcards

info on planets Flashcards

1
Q

why is Uranus tilted on its axis at such an angle?

A
  • got hit by an earth sized object after it grew to nearly full size.
  • ## Uranus got grazed and the atmosphere stayed mostly intact.
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2
Q

seasons on Uranus

A
  • orbit is 84 years long
  • seasons last 21 years
  • northern hemisphere has continuous sunlight for 21 years (summer) in the winter all darkness
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3
Q

Neptune info

A
  • axial tilt 29 degrees
  • one day takes 16 hours
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4
Q

How was Neptune predicted to exist?

A
  • orbit of Uranus was not how it should have been
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5
Q

atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune

A
  • layers of hydrocarbon clouds obscure lower atmosphere.
  • both quite active due to internal heat.
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6
Q

what is Uranus blue in color?

A
  • methane gas absorbs red light and transmits blue light.
  • then the methane gas reflects blue light back into space.
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7
Q

Neptunes atmosphere specifically

A
  • Voyager saw white clouds stretched by wind
  • Winds very fast
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8
Q

storms on neptune

A
  • Occasional storms are present in the atmosphere.
  • These tend to be short lived.
  • Produce dark and white spots in the atmosphere
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9
Q

neptunes great dark spot

A
  • created by convecting gas rising from interior
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10
Q

Neptune interior

A
  • primarily various ices with a rocky core
  • inner core (rock), a slushy warm ice layer above, and outer layer of molecular hydrogen.
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11
Q

How are diamonds theorized to form on Uranus and Neptune?

A
  • pressure under atmosphere is high enough to generate
  • created as ammonia and methane break down
  • diamonds fall (rain)
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12
Q

magnetic field (both)

A
  • fairly weak
  • off center fields suggesting more localized sources in the mantles of these planets.
  • NOT a single dipole
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13
Q

ring systems (both)

A
  • all very faint
  • Uranus : the brightest known is epsilon ring
  • Neptune : one of the rings appears twisted.
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14
Q

composition of rings

A
  • particles are very dark
  • albedo only 4%
  • composed of frozen methane-rich mix of ices and dust
  • break down of methane by radiation equals dark
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15
Q

what is occultation?

A
  • the passage of one body in front of another. Temporarily blocking its light.
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16
Q

moons for Uranus

A
  • Uranus has 27 moons
  • 11 very dark and small
  • 5 larger ones
  • 11 newly discovered small ones.
  • NEAR circular orbits
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17
Q

moons for Neptune

A
  • has 14 named moons
  • most likely captured Kuiper belt objects.
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18
Q

Triton info

A
  • retrograde orbit around Neptune
  • the only large moon to orbit backwards
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19
Q

How did triton form and end up as a moon of Neptune?

A
  • must have been formed elsewhere and captured by Neptune.
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20
Q

Triton Surface

A
  • active ice volcanoes
  • prominent polar caps (all of southern hemisphere).
  • 25% water ice rest rocky materials
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21
Q

Cantaloupe terrain

A
  • Odd pitted surface
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22
Q

triton atmosphere

A
  • very thin atmosphere composed mostly of Nitrogen with a small amount of methane
23
Q

triton temp

A
  • cold as Pluto due to high albedo.
  • methane, Nitrogen, and carbon dioxide all freeze solid.
24
Q

Triton Ice volcanoes

A
  • eruptive material most likely liquid nitrogen
  • eruptions driven by seasonal heating from the SUN
25
Q

Kuiper belt

A
  • holds objects such as Pluto, Charon, and other TNO’s.
  • lies beyond Neptune
26
Q

Trans Neptunian Objects

A
  • Any minor or dwarf planet that orbits the sun at a greater average distance than Neptune.
27
Q

What theory exists for the formation of the Kuiper Belt?

A
  • UNKNOWN
  • formation of Saturn / Jupiter may have forced this material out from the inner solar system.
  • Neptune’s creation then may have pushed this material out further to create the Kuiper Belt.
28
Q

Pluto

A
  • diameter smaller than our moon
  • composition of surface mostly ice
29
Q

pluto rotation period

A
  • about 6.4 earth days.
30
Q

what is unusual about Pluto’s orbit?

A
  • elliptical orbit
  • closer to the sun than Neptune at some times
  • axial tilt of 118 degrees
31
Q

Pluto Atmosphere

A
  • little to no Atmosphere
  • haze layer of gases seems to be composed of nitrogen and some methane
  • new Horizons saw haze layers when looking back at Pluto.
32
Q

gases on Pluto

A
  • mostly locked up with in the surface
33
Q

interior of Pluto

A
  • three layers
  • outer ice layer of varying composition
  • interior ice water mantle
  • solid rocky core
34
Q

pluto magnetic field

A
  • no magnetic field due to a possible solid core.
35
Q

pluto surface features

A
  • dominated by nitrogen ice, with methane and carbon monoxide ices also present.
36
Q

age range

A
  • high crater counts = 4 billion years
  • smooth icy plains, less than 10 mil years
37
Q

Tombaugh Region

A
  • the “heart” region
  • 1590 km in diameter
38
Q

Sputnik Planitia

A
  • smoother western lobe
  • still geologically active
39
Q

Eastern lobe

A
  • more mountainous terrain
  • made of nitrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide
40
Q

describe the cycling of nitrogen through the Tombaugh Regio?

A
  • nitrogen sublimates and it is transported away deposited everywhere.
  • region is RESPONSIBLE for the transport of nitrogen across the planet.
41
Q

Macula

A
  • dark regions intersected by topographic highs
  • assumed to be a complex micture of tholins.
42
Q

Cthulhu Macula

A
  • Canyon
  • has hundred of craters, so must be older than Tombaugh Regio.
43
Q

montes

A
  • mountains of ice
  • must be made of water ice – other ices would sublimate periodically and be constantly reforming.
44
Q

pluto moons (general info)

A
  • 5 known moons
  • LARGEST Charon
  • others are Styx, Nix, Kerberos, and hydra.
45
Q

Charon

A
  • largest satellite relative to its parent body
46
Q

What is unusual about Charon’s orbit around pluto?

A
  • same side is always facing pluto
47
Q

Bary center

A
  • the point around which two objects orbit each other
48
Q

Charon surface features

A
  • has red regions similar to pluto CAUSED by Tholins
  • more dominated by water ice though.
49
Q

Chasma

A
  • kanyon systems of which serenity chasma is the largest
50
Q

mons

A

most bizarre is Kubrick Mons, which sits in a “moat”
- thought to be a cryovolcano

51
Q

Arrokoth

A
  • new horizons discovered
  • two lobes attached by a narrow neck
  • red caused by tholins.
52
Q

How did Arrokoth form itself and what does that mean for theories on planetary formation?

A
  • two small objects having a gentle collision and coming together.
  • small collisions play a role in creating objects in the kuiper belt.
53
Q

Eris

A
  • dwarf planet comparable to Pluto
  • has one moon called Dysomnia.
  • infrared spectra suggests their is methane and water ices present.

Planets (2 decks)

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