Unit 5: Moon and other Terrestrial Planets

Question 1

What is the moon formation hypothesis

Answer 1

collision-ejection
- states that the newly formed earth was struck at an angle by a mars sized asteroid about 4.5 billion years ago, within the first 100 million years of the earths existence

Question 2

What is Synchronous Rotation

Answer 2

• at all parts in the moons orbit, we only see the near side from earth, the far side cannot be seen from earth

Question 3

Is colonization of the moon real?

Answer 3

2-way conversation: 1.3s x 2 = 2.6s
- lunokhod 1
Apollo 17 Astronaut Harrison Schmitt

Question 4

How are tides caused

Answer 4

• tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon
• Newton explained 2 “bulges”, moon and counter moon
• friction between the earth and its oceans makes the earth rotate more slowly
• forward pull on the moon makes it spiral outward

Question 5

Explain the earth and the moons speed of rotation and orbit

Answer 5

• the moon moves faster and its orbit in fact is spiral: the moons orbit gains 4cm every year
• the earth spins slower, the length of a day increases by 1.7 ms/ year
• 620 million years ago one day was only 21 hours long

Question 6

What is the Bay of Fundy

Answer 6

• between the provinces of new brunswick and nova scotia
• highest tides on earth
• over 100 billion tons of seawater
• water levels change as high as a four storey building (15m)

Question 7

Which planet is called the moons twin

Answer 7

• mercury

Question 8

What is unique about mercury

Answer 8

• its surface temperature

negative 180 during night and + 430 at some regions during the day

Question 9

Which planet has the greatest surface temperature variation in the solar system

Answer 9

mercury

Question 10

Which planet is called the earths sister

Answer 10

• Venus

- venus is the third brightest object in the sky after the sun and the moon

Question 11

Explain the clouds of venus

Answer 11

• venus is covered with a dense layer of clouds that hide its surface
• they contain sulfur dust and sulfur compounds which gives them a yellow-orange color

Question 12

what are the clouds of venus made out of

Answer 12

• concentrated sulfuric acid

Question 13

Explain the greenhouse effect

Answer 13

1. sunlight arrives at venus
2. a percentage of the sunlight is scattered immediately by clouds
3. sunlight that Is not scattered is absorbed by surface, heating it
4. heated surface emits infrared radiation
5. most of the infrared radiation is trapped by the atmosphere, heating both the atmosphere and surface
6. Remaining infrared radiation leaks into space

Question 14

What is the Magellan Spacecraft

Answer 14

• orbit around venus, was able to see through the thick clouds using radar, giving is the best view of our sister planet

Question 15

What are the 2 reasons people used to think there was primate life on mars?

Answer 15

• Schiaparelli’s Martian canals: early telescope images showed features which were perceived as irrigation canals
• people used to fear an attack from mars
• there are many indentations on mars surface, wind, depressions and ridges

Question 16

What is the largest volcano on mars

Answer 16

• Olympus Mons
• three times higher than mount everest
• clouds surround it, made of frozen ice crystals of carbon dioxide

Question 17

What is an unusual feature on the martian surface

Answer 17

• the apparent “face” on the surface

- 22 years later with improved technology, they feature looked more natural (ridges)

Question 18

Explain Martian Seasons

Answer 18

• mars is tilted on a 25.19 degree axis (almost the same as earth)
• the hemispheres experience seasons that can be observed by examining the polar caps
• only winter and summer

Question 19

How are the ancient river channels on mars similar to those on earth

Answer 19

• layers of rock laid down by water
• hematite black rocks usually formed in water
• gullies formed by water running down crater walls
• martial life of bacteria was found as fossil remains

Question 20

Earth-mars delay

Answer 20

• 13 min 48 seconds

- minimum delay of 4 min and max of 24

Question 21

What is Spirit/Opportunity

Answer 21

• mars rover in 2004
• must choose its path v=by itself
• initially expected to be operative for 90 sols (solar days on mars)

Question 22

What was spirit active

Answer 22

• 2004 to 2010

Question 23

When was Opportunity active

Answer 23

• 2004 to 2019

Question 24

What is the Curiosity Rover

Answer 24

• landed in mars in 2012
• was landed differently than other rovers
• took 8.5 months to travel there while the others took 7 months, this was due to the pathway taken
• parachutes and rockets lowered the rover

Question 25

What is the Perseverance Rover

Answer 25

• went searching for ancient life on mars, gather rocks and soil
• test new technologies for a method of producing oxygen from the martian atmosphere
• departed in 2020 landed in 2021

Question 26

What are the names of the Two moons of mars

Answer 26

• Phobos (fear)

- Deimos (horror)

Question 27

How far is mars from the sun

Answer 27

1.5 AU