Lecture 14

Question 1

List of criteria to be considered a planet

Answer 1

The body must orbit around the Sun
The body must be massive enough to have a nearly round shape
The body must have cleared its orbit

Question 2

Minor Planets Definition

Answer 2

typically much smaller than planets and do not have sufficient mass to have achieved hydrostatic equilibrium

Question 3

Asteroid

Answer 3

mall, rocky solar system body that orbits around the Sun

Question 4

comet

Answer 4

small, icy solar system body that orbits around the Sun

Question 5

Moon

Answer 5

a natural satellite that orbits a planet or a dwarf planet

Question 6

all known dwarf planets lie
outside the orbit of Neptune and are so-called

Answer 6

‘trans-Neptunian object

Question 7

5 trans-Neptunian dwarf planets are

Answer 7

Pluto
Eris
Haumea
Makemake
Gonggong

Question 8

Contrast the typical orbits of dwarf planets with those of the true planets

Answer 8

Size and mass: smaller
Distance from the Sun: futher
Orbital inclination: More inclined

Question 9

Where is pluto located

Answer 9

located in the Kuiper Belt, beyond neptune

Question 10

Pluto has five known moons:

Answer 10

Charon, Nix, Hydra, Kerberos, and Styx.

Question 11

Charon is the largest of Pluto’s moons and is about half the size of Pluto itself. Charon and Pluto are _____ locked.

Answer 11

tidally

Question 12

tidally locked

Answer 12

means that they always show the same face to each other as they orbit around a common center of gravity. gravitational forces have caused their rotation periods to become synchronized.

Question 13

Asteroid compositions

Answer 13

they are generally composed of a mixture of rock, metal, and other materials

Question 14

Asteroids that are located in the outer solar system, beyond the asteroid belt, tend to be composed of a

Answer 14

mixture of rock and ice and are often referred to as “icy” or “C-type” asteroid

Question 15

Asteroid’s closer to sun

Answer 15

rockier

Question 16

comets composition

Answer 16

composed of a mixture of ice, rock, and dust

Question 17

ice in a comet is mostly made up of

Answer 17

frozen water, but can also include other volatile compounds such as

carbon dioxide, methane, and ammonia.

Question 18

Coma

Answer 18

When a comet approaches the Sun, its ice begins to vaporize and form a cloud of gas and dust around the comet called a

Question 19

comets tail

Answer 19

The solar wind and radiation pressure then push the gas and dust away from the comet, creating a tail

Question 20

The ion tail,

Answer 20

is made up of charged particles (ions) that are ionized by the solar wind. These particles are pushed away from the comet by the solar wind’s magnetic field and form a thin, bright tail that points directly away from the Sun.