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GCSE Astronomy > Solar System > Flashcards

Solar System Flashcards

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1
Q

Name all of the planets in order.

A

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.

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2
Q

What are the three dwarf planets and where abouts do they lie?

A

Ceres - between Mars and Jupiter
Pluto - after Neptune
Eris - after Pluto

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3
Q

Where do the centaurs lie?

A

Between Jupiter and Neptune.

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4
Q

Name two Trans-Neptunian objects and state where they lie in the Solar system.

A

Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud and they lie after Neptune.

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5
Q

What is the atmosphere and temperature like on Venus?

A

Very dense, thick atmosphere of CO2 with a surface temperature of 470 degrees C - could be what Earth ends up like as CO2 traps heat.

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6
Q

What is the atmosphere and temperature like on Mars?

A

Near vacuum. Temperatures from -90 degrees to -20 degrees C.

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7
Q

What are some problems associated with manned missions into the solar system?

A
  • Life support
  • Radiation
  • Physiological problems
  • Psychological problems
  • Space adaption syndrome
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8
Q

How were Mars’ moons formed?

A

Captured asteroids.

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9
Q

How was triton (one of Neptunes moons) formed?

A

Either captured or due to collision.

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10
Q

How was Proteus formed? (Neputunian moon)

A

Formed when planet formed.

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11
Q

How was Nereid formed (neptune moon)?

A

Captured object from Kuiper Belt.

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12
Q

What are ring systems made from?

A

Ice and small rocks.

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13
Q

How are ring systems made?

A

Leftover ‘stuff’ from formation - gaps in rings due to shepherd moons and gravitational resonance.

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14
Q

How are cometary orbits different to planetary orbits?

A

They are either highly elliptical or open orbits and are highly incline to ecliptic.

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15
Q

What does a retrograde orbit mean?

A

Clockwise orbit (unusual).

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16
Q

What evidence is there for the existence of the Oort Cloud?

A

Spherical ‘cloud’ of cometary nuclei.

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17
Q

What is the nucleus of a comet made from and how large are they?

A
  • Ices
  • Bits of rock

10 km across

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18
Q

What is the coma in a comet?

A

The cloud around the nucleus.

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19
Q

Describe a dust tail of a comet and how they are formed.

A

Curved and caused by photons.

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20
Q

Describe an ion tail of a comet and how it is formed.

A

Straight tail caused by solar wind.

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21
Q

What is a meteoroid? *(size and origin)

A

Rock 10m to 10 ^-6 metres across. Originates from asteroids colliding.

22
Q

What is a meteorite? (structure and origin)

A

On surface of Earth - meteoroid that survives journey through Earth’s atmosphere.

23
Q

What is a micrometeorite? (structure and origin)

A

Very small asteroids with very low terminal velocities.

24
Q

What is the difference between a meteor and a fireball?

A

Meteors are small things like asteroids or comets whereas fireballs are meteors with an apparent magnitude less than -3.

25
Q

Why do meteor showers appear to point towards a radiant?

A

Because it is our perspective on Earth as they come towards us or pass us and as they get further away they get closer to one point (the radiant).

26
Q

What is the orbit of a potentially hazardous object like?

A

Within 0.05 AU of Earth.

27
Q

What did Copernicus contribute to our understanding of the Solar system?

A

Said Earth and planets orbit sun rather than Earth being the centre (heliocentric).

28
Q

What did Tycho contribute to our understanding of the Solar system?

A

Observed planet and their coordinates using an observatory.

29
Q

What did Kepler contribute to our understanding of the Solar system?

A

Formulated laws of planetary motion from observation of Mars.

30
Q

What three things did Galileo discover about the Solar System?

A
  • The phases of venus
  • The relief features of the Moon
  • The principle satellites of Jupiter
31
Q

What diagram can be drawn to illustrate Kepler’s second law?

A

Elliptical orbit of planet around sun. Sun - planet line sweeps out equal areas in different times as when planet is further from sun, it travels slowest.

32
Q

What is Kepler’s third law?

A

T ^2 is proportional to R ^ 3

where T is is years and R is in AU.

33
Q

In gravity, what is gravitational force proportional to?

A

1/R^2

34
Q

How was Ceres discovered?

A

Asteroid discovered as a planet had been predicted in the obvious gap between Mars and Jupiter.

35
Q

How was Uranus discovered?

A

Herschel discovered Uranus by using a telescope and observing a new ‘disc’ in Gemini constellation.

36
Q

How was Neptune discovered?

A

Perturbations of Uranus led to prediction of 8th planet. Observed by Encke, Galle and D’Arrest in Berlin.

37
Q

How was Pluto discovered?

A

Uranus still perturbed and led to prediction of 9th planet - Tombaugh discovered it photographically.

38
Q

What does the term perihelion mean?

A

Point on orbit closest to Sun.

39
Q

What does the term aphelion mean?

A

Point on orbit furthest from Sun.

40
Q

What does the term greatest elongation mean?

A

Largest possible angle between sun and inferior planet as seen by an observer on Earth.

41
Q

What does the term conjunction mean?

A

Conjunction occurs when the angle of elongation is zero.

42
Q

What does the term opposition mean?

A

Opposition occurs when the angle of elongation is 180 degrees.

43
Q

What does the term transit mean?

A

Occurs when a planet passes in front of the Sun.

44
Q

What does the term occultation mean?

A

Occurs when a planet passes behind the Sun.

45
Q

What is an inferior planet?

A

One which lies within the orbit of Earth.

46
Q

What is a superior planet?

A

One which lies outside the orbit of Earth.

47
Q

What is astrometry and how is it used to find exoplanets?

A

Observe and measure the ‘wobble’ of a star due to gravitational perturbations caused by a planet orbiting it.

48
Q

How is Doppler Shift used to find exoplanets?

A

Same as astrometry but radial perturbations are measured.

49
Q

What is the transit method?

A

Drop in brightness when planet passes in front of star.

50
Q

What are the theories for Earths water?

A
  • Comets

- Outgassing of volcanoes

51
Q

Name three factors included in the Drake equation.

A
  • Average rate of star formation per year in our galaxy
  • Fraction of those stars that have planets
  • Average number of life-worthy planets per star that has planets
52
Q

What is the habitable zone called and what must it have?

A

The Goldilocks zone - must have water and sufficient living conditions.

GCSE Astronomy (11 decks)

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