Untitled Flashcards Set

What percentage of the Solar System’s total mass is the Sun?

Over 99.8%.

Which planets are the Terrestrial Worlds?

Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.

Which planets are closer to being Ice Giants?

Neptune and Uranus.

What Solar System region shows the limit of what orbits the Sun?

Oort Cloud.

Where is the Asteroid Belt located?

Between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.

What is found in the Kuiper Belt?

A region beyond Neptune's orbit, extending from about 30 to 55 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun.

What are natural satellites that orbit the planets called?

Moons.

Which planet is the only one without an atmosphere?

Mercury.

What explains how Mars is destroying its Moon?

Tidal forces exerted by Mars on Phobos.

What planet would kill humans if sent there?

Venus.

Once the Sun expands into a Red Giant, which planet will be in the new Goldilocks Zone?

Mars.

Which terrestrial world is NOT named after a God?

Earth.

Where is Olympus Mons located and why is it special?

On Mars, it is the largest known volcano in the Solar System.

What does Jovian refer to?

Relating to Jupiter, from the Latin genitive form of 'Juppiter'.

Which planet can be considered a failed star?

Jupiter.

What is the most volcanically active body in the Solar System?

Lo, a moon of Jupiter.

Why is Titan of interest to scientists?

It has a thick atmosphere and lakes of liquid methane.

How was Neptune discovered?

Mathematical predictions about disruptions in Uranus' orbit.

Which planet has the most extreme seasons?

Uranus, due to its highly tilted axis.

Why can’t moons be classified as dwarf planets?

Dwarf planets must not be satellites of other bodies.

What percentage of the Asteroid Belt is Ceres?

35%.

What is unique about Pluto's relationship with Charon?

It is an unusual binary relationship.

What makes Ceres notable among dwarf planets?

It is the first dwarf planet to receive a visit from a spacecraft.

What primarily makes up the Asteroid and Kuiper Belts?

Rock and stone.

Which dwarf planet caused Pluto to lose its planetary status?

Neptune.

Who was Kepler’s teacher?

Tycho Brahe.

Which planet’s orbit did Kepler explain?

Mars.

When does a planet move fastest and slowest with respect to its star?

Fastest when close to the star and slow when far from it.

What does Kepler's First Law state?

Each planet's orbit around the Sun is an ellipse.

What is the relationship between a planet’s period and its distance from the star?

Farther planets have longer orbital periods.

What differing views did Tycho and Kepler have?

Differing approaches to scientific inquiry and planetary motion.

Is Planet 9 real?

No, but it is believed to possibly exist.

What are the ways to find exoplanets through gravity?

Radial Velocity, Gravitational Microlensing, Transit Timing Variations (TTV), Astrometry, and Pulsar Timing.

What is the relationship between star brightness and planet transit dip?

Bigger planets cause bigger dips; smaller stars result in bigger dips for a given planet.

What type of exoplanets are considered dangerous?

Those with extreme conditions like 'Hot Jupiters' due to their inhospitable environments.

What conditions must a celestial body meet to be classified as a planet?

It must orbit the Sun, have sufficient mass for a round shape, and have cleared its orbital neighborhood.

Why are Neptune and Uranus classified as Ice Giants?

They contain a higher proportion of heavier elements and have slushy mantles.

What are the differences between a planet and a dwarf planet?

Planets have cleared their orbits; dwarf planets have not and cannot be moons.

How did Mercury achieve a high density?

Its large iron-rich core and possibly a past massive collision.