Planetary Science and Exoplanets Overview

A collection of flashcards summarizing key concepts from a lecture on planetary science and exoplanets.

What is the smallest and closest planet to the Sun?

Mercury.

What is the hottest planet in our solar system?

Venus

Which planet is the only one known to support life?

Earth

What is the primary driver of a planet’s geological activity?

Internal heat.

Why haven’t asteroids in the Asteroid Belt accreted into a larger planet?

Gravitational perturbation.

What are maria on the surface of the Moon?

Smooth, large, dark plains formed by lava flowing into ancient impact basins.

What does it mean to be a gas giant?

Mostly made of hydrogen and helium, typically the size of Jupiter or Saturn.

What are the characteristics of the Galilean Moons?

Io (most volcanically active), Europa (roughest), Ganymede (largest), Callisto (smoothest).

What is the difference between a comet and an asteroid?

Comets are icy bodies, while asteroids are rocky bodies.

What is a meteorite?

A piece of rock or metal that survives its passage through the atmosphere.

What kind of orbit does Pluto have?

Much more eccentric and inclined than those of the other planets.

What is the transit method of detecting exoplanets?

A technique that reveals a planet’s size, orbital period, and density by observing dips in the star's brightness.

What is the difference between the astrometric method and the Doppler Effect method?

Astrometric measures the star's position changes, while Doppler looks at redshift and blueshift caused by moving stars.

What defines a 'Super-Earth'?

Terrestrial planets that are more massive than Earth but lighter than Neptune.

What characterizes a Neptunian exoplanet?

Similar in size to Neptune or Uranus, with a mixture of interior compositions.

What occurs during the Carrington Event?

A massive geomagnetic storm that caused global auroras and impacted telegraph stations.

What is the core of the Sun?

The hottest and most energetic part of the Sun, where nuclear fusion occurs.

What is the Solar cycle?

An 11-year period during which solar weather operates.

How does the Sun perform nuclear fusion?

In the core, using hydrogen as fuel to produce helium and energy.

What is the difference between luminosity and apparent brightness?

Luminosity is the total power a star emits, while apparent brightness is how bright that star appears from Earth.