The Solar System and Exoplanets

Flashcards about comets, meteors, meteorites, and the formation and evolution of the solar system and other solar systems.

What is the nucleus of a comet primarily composed of?

Volatiles (primarily frozen H2O) and solids (including silicates and carbonaceous materials)

What is the 'dirty snowball' model?

A model that describes the composition of a comet's nucleus.

Where do comets originate?

The Oort cloud and the Kuiper belt.

What happens when a fragment of interplanetary dust strikes Earth's atmosphere?

It burns up and creates a meteor.

What are meteorites?

Debris from space that survives to reach the surface of Earth.

How are meteorites classified?

Irons, stony-irons, or stones, according to their composition.

What constraints must a viable theory of solar system formation account for?

Motion constraints, chemical constraints, and age constraints.

What are meteorites, comets, and asteroids considered to be?

Survivors of the solar nebula out of which the solar system formed.

How did the planets form?

Condensation in the disk led to the formation of planetesimals, which became the building blocks of the planets through accretion.

What are 'hot Jupiters'?

Massive planets that orbit close to their stars, found in some exoplanet systems.

What geological feature is proportional to mass in terrestrial planets?

The level of geological activity.

What are some ways that mountains can form on solid worlds?

Impacts, volcanism, or uplift.

How did terrestrial planets acquire volatile materials?

From comet impacts.

Why does only Earth still have liquid water on its surface?

Due to its distance from the Sun, its atmosphere and its ability to support life