P2 - Solar System Flashcards
How many planets are there in our solar system?
8 - Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Your anus and Neptune.
How does the sun keep the planets in orbit?
Gravity from the sun pulls on the planets that are traveling in a straight line and it makes them have a circular orbit.
What is the force called that make planets go round in a circular orbit?
Centripetal force.
What is a meteorite?
It is a rock has crashed down to Earth without completely burning up in the atmosphere.
How do comets orbit the sun and where most of them come from
They orbit elliptical orbits which go the sun. They go back to the Kuiper Belt.
What are NEO’s?
They are objects which could cross the orbits of the earth and crash into it.
What units do scientists measure distance in space?
Light years.
What are the advantages of unmanned probes?
Don't need food, oxygen and water. Withstand harsher conditions More instruments can be fitted Cheap No risk to human life if explodes
What are the disadvantages of unmanned probes?
Can’t think for themselves.
Repairs and maintenance can’t be carried out by a probe–> need humans.
