Studying the Solar System

Question 1

What is similar between all planets?

Answer 1

They all orbit in the same direction and nearly in the same plane. Planets are very tiny compared to the distances between them

Question 2

Describe the sun.

Answer 2

99.8% of the solar systems mass, converts 4 million tons of mass into energy per second

Question 3

Describe Mercury.

Answer 3

Made of metal and rock, large iron core. Desolate, cratered, steep cliffs. Very hot in the day and very cold in the night

Question 4

Describe Venus.

Answer 4

Nearly identical in size to earth, hidden by clouds. Hellish affects due to extreme greenhouse gas, hotter than mercury day and night

Question 5

Describe Earth.

Answer 5

Only known oasis of life, the only liquid water surface in the solar system, surprisingly large moon compared to earths size

Question 6

Describe Mars.

Answer 6

Looks almost earth like, two moons (Phobos, Deimos), volcanos, polar caps, huge canyon, and water flowed in the distant past

Question 7

Describe Jupiter.

Answer 7

Mostly made of hydrogen and helium so it has no solid surface, 300 times the mass of earth, Jupiter has many moons but only 4 are almost like planets, at least 67 moons

Question 8

What are Jupiter’s 4 Galilean moons?

Answer 8

Io: Many active volcanoes
Europa: icy crust that may have a subsurface ocean
Ganymede: largest moon in solar system, may have subsurface ocean
Callisto: large cratered ice ball, may have subsurface ocean

Question 9

Describe Saturn.

Answer 9

made of hydrogen and helium so no solid surface, at least 62 moons, second biggest planet, rings are not solid (made of tiny chunks of ice and rock that orbit like moons), has a cloudy moon called Titan

Question 10

Describe Uranus.

Answer 10

Smaller than Jupiter and Saturn, made of hydrogen, helium, and hydrogen compounds (water, ammonia, methane). extreme axis tilt, at least 27 moons

Question 11

Describe Neptune.

Answer 11

Similar to Uranus (without axis tilt), at least 14 moons (including the nitrogen geyser shooting Triton that also moves backwards)

Question 12

What are dwarf planets?

Answer 12

Too small to qualify as actual planets (Pluto, Eris), icy-comet like competition, Pluto’s main moon Charon is of similar size and is locked in synchronous rotation, at least 5 moons

Question 13

What is the motion of large bodies?

Answer 13

All large bodies in the solar system orbit in the same direction, nearly in the same plane, and most also rotate in the same direction

Question 14

What are terrestrial planets?

Answer 14

Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. Small, dense, few moons, no rings, rocky surfaces, and abundance of metals in the core

Question 15

What are Jovian planets?

Answer 15

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Large, lower density, rings, many moons, and no surface (made of hydrogen, helium, and hydrogen compounds)

Question 16

What are asteroids?

Answer 16

Rocky bodies that orbit the sun like planets but are much smaller. Most are found in the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter

Question 17

What are comets?

Answer 17

Icy rocky bodies that also orbit the sun. Most are found in the Kuiper belt and the Oort cloud.