PAT 5-space Flashcards
In terms of light, how do stars differ from planets and moons?
stars produce own light
planets/moons reflect it from stars
What are constellations? Do they include planets?
patterns of stars-no
Differentiate between altitude and azimuth and identify the instrument used to
measure each
altitude)height of object above horizon. measure w astrolabe
azimuth- -direction of an object along horizon. measure w compass
Differentiate between the geocentric and the heliocentric models of our
universe. Regardless of which model, what celestial body still orbits the earth?
geo- earth center (circular orbit)
helio- sun center (elliptical orbit)
moon orbits earth
How does the current heliocentric model differ from the heliocentric model
proposed by Copernicus?
before- thought planets travelled in circular motion
now-we know they travel in ellipses (oval
Differentiate between equinoxes, solstices and eclipses.
equinoxes- time when day and night length is equal bc sun crosses celestial equator
solstice- when sun reaches highest or lowest point in sky at noon(longest/shortest days of year)
eclipse-when one celestial body moves into the shadow of another
Differentiate between reflecting and refracting light telescopes. For each type,
provide one advantage of each and an example.
reflecting-uses mirrors to gather light. advantage-less expensive to produce(hubble)
refracting-uses lenses to do so. advantage-low maintenance(great paris)
What instrument do we use to study spectroscopy? Identify and explain in detail
two pieces of information we can infer from the spectral analysis of a star
spectroscope
chemical composition-find out what elements are in a star by looking at the lines in its spectrum
temp-shape/width of lines tell us the temp
What is the advantage of having a telescope such as the Hubble telescope in
orbit above the Earth’s atmosphere?
get clearer images
What is triangulation and how would you manipulate the baseline in order to
make your triangulation more accurate? How would we do this on Earth?
triangulation-method to measure distance to stars
increase the distance of baseline bc longer baseline-accurate measurements
earth-place survey markers farther apart
What is meant by the parallax technique?
measure how far stars are by seeing how they move against the background of farther stars
Compare and contrast an astronomical unit with a light year.
AU- distance from earth to sun
light year-distance light travels in a year
If it takes light 8.3 minutes to travel from the sun to the Earth, how long would it
take for light to travel to Jupiter, which is 5 AUs from the sun?
5x8.3=41.5 mins
What do radio telescopes detect and what advantage do they have over light
telescopes?
detect waves from space
can see though any weather or time of day+dust
What is interferometry and what advantage does it provide us?
multiple telescopes working together to combine images into one
helps us get clearer/detailed images of space
Differentiate between a rocket and its payload. What is the advantage of a
multistage rocket over a single-stage rocket?
rocket- vehicle that launches into space
payload-what is carries
multistage-drops sections once fuel is used to decrease weight, single stage are heavier bc they don’t drop stuff
Differentiate between
chemical fuels and solar sails. Which type of rocket was used by the now retired
Space Shuttle?
chemical fuels-burn fuel for launch
solar sails-uses sunlight to make spaceship go for long, slow trips
space shuttle- chem fuel
Differentiate between geosynchronous and low-earth orbit satellites and provide
examples of each?
geo-way farther away (36,000km) (tv stations)
low- way closer (200-800km) (telephone satellites)
If you needed a satellite to see more of the Earth’s surface, how would you
manipulate its orbit?
place satellite in higher orbit bc then it can observe more surface area
What is remote sensing and provide examples of its application.
collecting info abt an object/area from a distance using satellites/aircraft
ex: environmental or agriculture
What does GPS stand for and what is it used for?
global positioning system
used to determine location and time info
What is space junk? How is it created? Why is it an issue? Explain why even a
tiny, little screw is an issue?
space junk- debris from things launched into space like decommissioned aircraft, leftover stage rocket pieces, collision debris
issue- collide w astronauts and ships, even small things are bad bc space has high velocity
What are galaxies and what holds them together? What is the name of the
galaxy we are located in?
massive space systems made of stars, gas, and dust held tg by dark matter and gravity
ours- milky way
Arrange the following terms: solar system, galaxy, moon, Earth, sun and Jupiter
in order of mass (g to l)
gal
sun
jup
earth
moon
Arrange the following terms: solar system, galaxy, moon, Earth, sun and Jupiter
in order of size (g to l)
gal
sun
jup
earth
moon
Arrange the following terms: solar system, galaxy, moon, Earth, sun and Jupiter
in order of diameter (g to l)
gal
sun
jup
earth
moon
What is a nebula? Differentiate between a supernova and a black hole.
neb-cloud of dust and gas
super-powerful star explosion
black-region where gravity is so strong nothing can escape it
Identify and differentiate between the inner and the outer planets based on their
composition, number of natural satellites and size?
inner:
comp-rock/metal
#- few
size-small
outer:
comp-hydrogen/helium
#-lots
size-large
Describe the relationships between the radius of a planet’s revolution (orbit) and
its surface temperature (any exceptions?), the radius of a planet’s revolution
(orbit) and its length of year, and the period of a planet’s rotation and the length
of its day. Draw a graph for each of these relationships.
the radius affects temp through the planets ability to retain internal heat
the orbit determines legth of a planets year
the rotation period directly determines its length of day
What are asteroids and where in our system is there a major asteroid belt?
asteroid- small rocky things that orbit sun
asteroid belt- between mars and jup
Differentiate between meteoroids, meteors, and meteorites?
meteoroids-small rockys
meteors- shooting stars
meteorites-fragment of metreroid that reach the ground
What are space probes used for?
explore celestial objects
What was unique about the Space Shuttle program? What was Canada’s
contribution to the Shuttle?
unique- able to reuse spacecraft/launch stuff
canada-made the canadarm(space robotics)
What is microgravity and what effect does it have on an astronaut’s body
(muscle mass, bone density etc.)?
micrograv-objects appear ot be weightless
impacts-muscle weak, bone density loss,
What is the International Space Station? How do the astronauts on the I.S.S.
take care of their water, oxygen and food needs?
large aircraft that orbits earth
water-recycle from condensation
air-generated by splitting water molecules
food-sent there
When on a space walk, astronauts wear a space suit. How does the suit protect
them from ultraviolet radiation, drastic temperature changes, a lack of
atmosphere, and prevent them from floating away?
special materials
layers of isolation
preventing leaks with strong stuff
Differentiate between manipulated, responding, and controlled variables.
manip-you change it on purpose
respon-what changes bc of manipulated
contr-stays the same
The future of space exploration is a concern for many nations based upon
political, ethical and environmental issues. Differentiate between these issues?
po-national competetion
ethical-moral responsibilites
envornment-managing debris
rank planets in order from sun
merc, ven, earth, mars, jup,sat, ura,nep
what spectrum is the mostly dark one with a few colorful lines
emission
what kind of spectrum is the really blendy colorful one
continuous
what spectrum is the really colorful one with a few dark lines
absorption
what are the jovian planets
jup sat ur nep (gas giants)
terrestrial planets
merc ven earth mars (rocky planets)
