Stars & Planets Flashcards
The _______ are the dense planets nearest to the sun.
TERRESTRIAL PLANETS
An ________ is equal to the distance between Earth and the sun.
ASTRONOMICAL UNIT (AU)
Which planet has the highest surface temperature in the solar system?
Venus
Which planet has very large dust storms?
Mars
Which planet is the most heavily cratered of the terrestrial planets?
Mercury
Which planet has the highest surface gravity of terrestrial planets?
Earth
What is the difference between prograde rotation and retrograde rotation?
Prograde rotation is the counterclockwise spin of a planet as seen from above the planet’s
north pole. Retrograde rotation is the clockwise spin of a planet as seen from above the
planet’s north pole.
What characteristics of Venus’satmosphere make the planet so harsh?
High surface temperature, high surface pressure, carbon dioxide build-up in the
atmosphere, sulfuric acid in the atmosphere.
Page 509, which planet rotates most slowly about its axis?
Venus
Which planet revolves around the sun in less time than it rotates around its axis? (pg 509)
Venus
Which planet revolves around the sun in the shortest amount of time? (pg 509)
Mercury
Why are the temperatures on each of the other terrestrial planets more extreme than the temperatures on Earth?
Temperatures on Mercury are extreme because the days and nights on Mercury are much
longer than the days and nights on Earth are. The average surface temperature on Venus
is much higher than temperatures on Earth because of the build-up of carbon dioxide in
Venus’s atmosphere. Temperatures on Mars are much colder than those on Earth because
Mars has a thinner atmosphere than Earth does and Mars is located farther from the sun
than Earth is.
A large planet that has a deep, massive atmosphere is called ________.
GAS GIANT(S)
A ________ is a disk of matter that circles a planet and consists of numerous particles in orbit that range in size from a few millimeters to several hundred meters.
PLANETARY RING
Which planet has a density that is less than that of water?
Saturn
Which planet has the strongest winds in the solar system?
Neptune
Which planet is tilted on its side as it orbits the sun?
Uranus
Which planet is the largest planet in the solar system?
Jupiter
How do the properties and location of Callisto differ from those of the other Galilean moons?
Callisto is located the farthest from Jupiter. It does not have a layered structure as the
other Galilean moons do. Its surface features show that it does not have much current
geological activity.
How do the periods of rotation and revolution for the gas giant planets differ from those of Earth?
The gas giant planets, though larger, rotate much faster than Earth does. Because the gas
giant planets are located much farther away from the sun than Earth is, their periods of
revolution are much greater.
Which planet is shown in the diagram? How do you know? (pg 525)
Uranus; Uranus is tilted on its side and has a retrograde rotation
How does the axial tilt of this planet affect its seasons? (pg 525)
Except for a small band near the equator, every place on Uranus has winters with
constant darkness and summers with constant daylight. During spring and fall, Uranus
has both daytime and nighttime.
The period of rotation of each Galilean moon equals its period of revolution around Jupiter. How do the periods of rotation of Io, Europa, and Ganymede compare?
The ratio of the period of rotation will be the same as the period of revolution, which is
1:2:4 for Io to Europa to Ganymede.
List Earth and the gas giant planets in order from the hottest to the coldest planet. How does the temperature of each planet relate to its distance from the sun?
The hottest to coldest planets in order are Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
Therefore, the farther a planet is located from the sun, the colder its temperature.
