Solar System

Question 1

Order of planets

Answer 1

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune (MVEMSUN)

Question 2

Mercury

Answer 2

little atmosphere, smallest, rocky

Question 3

Venus

Answer 3

Thick, toxic atmosphere, hottest

Question 4

Earth

Answer 4

Balanced atmosphere, water

Question 5

Mars

Answer 5

Can’t support liquid water, little atmosphere

Question 6

Jupiter

Answer 6

Largest, hydrogen and helium, dozens of moons

Question 7

Saturn

Answer 7

Ring system of ice and rock, thich atmosphere, lots of moons

Question 8

Uranus

Answer 8

Methane makes it blue, ice giant, rotates on side

Question 9

Neptune

Answer 9

Fast winds, large, similar to uranus

Question 10

Terrestrial planets

Answer 10

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars

Question 11

Gas Giants

Answer 11

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

Question 12

Kuiper Belt

Answer 12

Lays just outside neptune’s orbit, rotates in prograde, ice and has dwarf planets, on same plane as planets

Question 13

Prograde

Answer 13

Direction that the planets orbit the sun, with rotation of sun when looking at north pole of sun

Question 14

Pioneer 10/11

Answer 14

1972/1973, first missions to explore outer solar system, first to get close to jupiter and saturn

Question 15

Voyager I/II

Answer 15

1977, all planets were lined up, amazing opportunity to get gravity assists from planets, Voyager II first to see uranus and Neptune, both left solar system

Question 16

Oort Cloud

Answer 16

Theoretical, outside of Kuiper belt, furthest edge of solar system, 2,000-5,000 AU from sun, may go up to 100,000 AU, long-period comets best support theory, complete sphere around solar system

Question 17

Planet Rotation

Answer 17

most planets spin in prograde (counter-clockwise), venus and uranus rotate in retrograde (clockwise), most moons orbit parent bodies in prograde, uranus rotates on side 98 degrees

Question 18

Orbital Plane

Answer 18

Planet’s orbit the sun within the plane of the elliptic, each planet has a slight tilt, all orbit on the same-ish level

Question 19

Comparing Planet’s masses

Answer 19

Jupiter is most massive, venus and earth have similar masses (twins), Uranus and Neptune are similar, mars is 1/10 earth’s size

Question 20

Comparing Planet’s Diameters

Answer 20

Earth and Venus are sisters in diameter, uranus and neptune are similar, Jupiter is largest in diameter

Question 21

Comparing Planets densities

Answer 21

Terrestial planets are more dense (around 5 g/cm^3), Gas giants are less dense (around 1.5 g/cm^3)

Question 22

Planetary Tilts

Answer 22

All planets tilt at different angles, venus is upside down causing retrograde rotation, slight tilt of 25 degrees gives seasons, uranus tilts at 98 degrees giving extreme seasonal variation

Question 23

Earth’s tilt

Answer 23

23.5 degrees

Question 24

Rotational Periods

Answer 24

Jupiter and saturn spin fast (10 hrs.), Earth and mars rotate at the same speed, Mercury and Venus are SLOW (thousands of hours), venus’ year is shorter than its day, uranus and Neptune (18 hrs.)

Question 25

Why some planets do/don’t have atmosphere

Answer 25

depends on molecular speeds, high temps make faster speeds and allows molecules to escape planet’s gravity (Escape velocity), need good combo of escape velocity and temp

Question 26

Observations of the Solar System