Things to know for test #4 Flashcards
Distinguish the inner, outter and dwarf planets
The inner planets are closer to the Sun and are smaller and rockier. The outer planets are further away, larger and made up mostly of gas. And the difference between those and the dwarf planets is that they do not clean around the area of its orbit.
Describe at least two major characteristics of each planet
Mercury- The smallest planet in our solar system, the closest planet to the sun
Venus- The crust is 6-12 miles thick, and it is the hottest planet in our solar system
Earth- Water covers 71% of the surface, it’s axis of rotation is at a constant tilt with respect to its orbit around the Sun, resulting in the change of seasons
Mars- Red dust covers most of the surface, Mars also has seasons like Earth
Jupiter- The atmosphere is mostly made of hydrogen and helium gas, the different colored clouds make the planet look like it has colored stripes
Saturn- It’s the least dense planet in the solar system, the rings look huge but they’re actually thing
Uranus- the blue-ish green-ish color is because of the methane in its mostly hydrogen-helium atmosphere, it was officially discovered in 1781
Neptune- it’s very similar to Uranus, it is the smallest of the gas giants.
What is the current theory of how the moon was formed?
The current theory for how the Moon formed is that during a collision between the Earth and another small planet, about the size of Mars. The debris from this impact collected in an orbit around Earth to form the Moon.
Contributions of Copernicus, Brahe, Kepler, Galileo, and Newton?
Copernicus: first scientist to propose that the earth and other planets revolve around the sun.
Brahe: he proved that comets were not just components of Earth’s atmosphere, but actual objects traveling through space.
Kepler: he gave three fundamental laws of planetary motion.
Galileo: the telescopic confirmation of the phases of Venus.
Newton: He discovered gravity and how it works.
Describe the forces that act upon planets to keep them in their orbit?
The forces that act upon planets to keep them in their orbit is the force of gravity. The Sun’s gravity pulls on the planets, just as the planet’s gravity pulls down anything that is not held up by some other force.
Describe the types of motions planets have as they travel through space?
The planet is moving around the Sun (intrinsic motion) planetary motion from intrinsic motion.
The Earth is rotating around its axis (reflex motion)
Describe the types of orbits planets have around the sun?
The orbits of the planets are ellipses with the Sun at one focus. The orbits of the planets are all more or less in the same plane (called the ecliptic and defined by the plane of the Earth’s orbit).
Describe an Apollo mission
(In my notebook/ Apollo mission #17)
