random astronomy lab 2

by studying craters on the moon and other planets, astronomers have been able to…

determine the relationship between crater diameters and the kinetic energy of the meteors that create them

what makes up the earths interior

crust, mantle, outer core, inner core

size of earth

medium

what is the orbit of earth

almost circular around the sun

what is the composition of the earth

rocky, mostly metals

what is the atmoshpere of earth

gaseous

what is the temp of the earth

neither hot nor cold….just right for luquid H₂O

what is the core made out of

made of heavy metals (iron and nickel)

what is the mantle made out of

made of minerals (silicon and oxygen)

what is the crust made out of

made of granite and basalt (volcanic rocks)

layering occurs over time due to differenitation

layering occurs over time due to differenitation

what is differentiation

the process of when gravity pulls heavier material towards the center

how do planets cool off

convection, conduction, and radiation

earths most important heat transfer….

convection

what is the dynamo effect

molten iron core of the earth combined with the rotation creates an electric current

what is the importance of the magnetic field for life

protects us from the bombardment of harmful energetic particles (cosmic rays) from the solar winds

oxygen emission is

green or brownish-red

nitrogen emissons is

blue or red

what are 4 things that can shape the surface

-tectonics

-volcanism

-erosion

-impact cratering

tekton is a greek word for

builderr

tectonic plates are the main reason…

we dont see many craters on earth

craters can eventually be drawn…

underground by tectonic activity

tectonic plates are…

broken chunks of the crust “floating” and “drifting” on the mantle

volcanism refers to…

any eruption of molten lava

mars once had blue skies and lakes of liquid water

mars once had blue skies and lakes of liquid water

what was the first spacecraft to visit mars

Mariner 4 in 1965

what did the mariner 4 discover

mars had many impact craters and looked like a dead planet

what was Mariner 9s major achievement

first spacecraft to orbit another planet, mapped all of mars

what were the viking missions designed to do

study mars using orbiters and landers and search for signs of life

what was pathfinders major achievement in 1997

delivered Sojourner the first wheeled rover on mars

what did phoenix discover in 2008

directly measured water ice in MArtian soil

what is olympus mons

the largest volcano on Mars and probably the largest in the solar system

what is the largest volcano on mars

olympus mons

what is Valles Marineris

a massive canyon system formed mainly by tectonic cracking

how did Martian rocks reach earth

asteroid impacts blasted rocks into space, some eventually landed on Earth as meteorites

where are mars oldest, heavily cratered highlands

mostly in the southern hemisphere

how did valles marineris originally form

tectonic forces cracked the crust as Tharsis bulged upward

what is mars atmosphere mostly made of

carbon dioxide (95%)

what gives mars its red color

firon oxides (rust)—- reddish dust covering the surface

why are winds on mars less powerful than earths winds

because mars has a very thin atmosphere

can liquid water normally exist on mars today

no, it is too cold and the air pressure is too low

what are the three type of clouds found on mars

dust clouds, water ice clouds, and CO2 ice clouds

how thick is mars atmosphere compared to earths

very thin, with less than 1% of earths surface pressure

what are mars two moons

phobos and deimos

what is the Valles Marineris

a huge canyon system