ASTR 1304 Lecture Exam 2 Study Guide

A collection of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts and definitions related to the solar system and planetary science, designed to aid in studying for the ASTR 1304 Exam 2.

Terrestrial planets

Rocky planets that are closer to the Sun, including Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.

Jovian planets

Gas giants located further from the Sun, including Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

Asteroids

Small rocky bodies primarily found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

Comets

Ice-rich bodies that originate from the outer solar system and have tails when close to the Sun.

Asteroid belt

A region in the solar system between Mars and Jupiter where the majority of asteroids are found.

Kuiper Belt

A region of the solar system beyond Neptune, containing many small icy bodies.

Oort Cloud

A theoretical distant spherical shell surrounding the solar system, believed to be the source of long-period comets.

Nebular contraction

The process by which a cloud of gas and dust collapses under gravity to form stars and planets.

Differentiation

The process by which a planet's materials separate based on density, forming layers.

Gravity assist

A maneuver used to increase the speed and change the trajectory of spacecraft by using the gravity of a planet.

Troposphere

The lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere, where weather occurs.

Greenhouse effect

The warming of the Earth's surface due to trapped heat by greenhouse gases.

P-waves

Primary waves that are compressional seismic waves, traveling faster than S-waves.

S-waves

Secondary waves that are shear seismic waves, unable to travel through liquids.

Shadow zones

Areas on Earth's surface where seismic waves do not arrive due to refraction and reflection.

Plate boundary types

The different types of boundaries where tectonic plates interact: convergent, divergent, and transform.

Subduction

The process where one tectonic plate moves under another and sinks into the mantle.

Magnetosphere

The region around a planet dominated by its magnetic field, protecting it from solar wind.

Auroras

Natural light displays in the sky, produced when charged particles from the sun interact with Earth's atmosphere.

Tides

The rise and fall of sea levels caused by the gravitational forces between the Earth, moon, and sun.

Impact craters

Depressions formed on celestial bodies by the collision of meteoroids or asteroids.

Formation of the Moon

The leading theory suggests that the Moon formed from debris after a Mars-sized body collided with Earth.

Lunar maria

Dark basaltic plains on the Moon's surface, formed by ancient volcanic eruptions.

Far side of the Moon

The hemisphere of the Moon that is always facing away from Earth.

Regolith

A layer of loose, fragmented material covering solid bedrock on celestial bodies.

Caloris Basin

One of the largest impact craters on Mercury, showing unique terrain features.

Mercury's interior

Comprised of a large metallic core and a silicate mantle.

Venusian atmosphere

Dense atmosphere primarily consisting of carbon dioxide, with clouds of sulfuric acid.

Runaway greenhouse effect

A situation where a planet's surface temperature increases due to excessive greenhouse gas accumulation.

Olympus Mons

The largest volcano in the solar system, located on Mars.

Valles Marineris

A vast canyon system on Mars, much larger than the Grand Canyon.

Past evidence of water on Mars

Includes features such as runoff channels and deltas.

Martian polar ice caps

Regions on Mars covered with ice, particularly at the north and south poles.

Life on Mars

The potential existence of microbial life or the past conditions that may have supported life.

Terrestrial planets

Rocky planets that are closer to the Sun, including Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.

Jovian planets

Gas giants located further from the Sun, including Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

Asteroids

Small rocky bodies primarily found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

Comets

Ice-rich bodies that originate from the outer solar system and have tails when close to the Sun.

Asteroid belt

A region in the solar system between Mars and Jupiter where the majority of asteroids are found.

Kuiper Belt

A region of the solar system beyond Neptune, containing many small icy bodies.

Oort Cloud

A theoretical distant spherical shell surrounding the solar system, believed to be the source of long-period comets.

Nebular contraction

The process by which a cloud of gas and dust collapses under gravity to form stars and planets.

Differentiation

The process by which a planet's materials separate based on density, forming layers.

Gravity assist

A maneuver used to increase the speed and change the trajectory of spacecraft by using the gravity of a planet.

Troposphere

The lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere, where weather occurs.

Greenhouse effect

The warming of the Earth's surface due to trapped heat by greenhouse gases.

P-waves

Primary waves that are compressional seismic waves, traveling faster than S-waves.

S-waves

Secondary waves that are shear seismic waves, unable to travel through liquids.

Shadow zones

Areas on Earth's surface where seismic waves do not arrive due to refraction and reflection.

Plate boundary types

The different types of boundaries where tectonic plates interact: convergent, divergent, and transform.

Subduction

The process where one tectonic plate moves under another and sinks into the mantle.

Magnetosphere

The region around a planet dominated by its magnetic field, protecting it from solar wind.

Auroras

Natural light displays in the sky, produced when charged particles from the sun interact with Earth's atmosphere.

Tides

The rise and fall of sea levels caused by the gravitational forces between the Earth, moon, and sun.

Impact craters

Depressions formed on celestial bodies by the collision of meteoroids or asteroids.

Formation of the Moon

The leading theory suggests that the Moon formed from debris after a Mars-sized body collided with Earth.

Lunar maria

Dark basaltic plains on the Moon's surface, formed by ancient volcanic eruptions.

Far side of the Moon

The hemisphere of the Moon that is always facing away from Earth.

Regolith

A layer of loose, fragmented material covering solid bedrock on celestial bodies.

Caloris Basin

One of the largest impact craters on Mercury, showing unique terrain features.

Mercury's interior

Comprised of a large metallic core and a silicate mantle.

Venusian atmosphere

Dense atmosphere primarily consisting of carbon dioxide, with clouds of sulfuric acid.

Runaway greenhouse effect

A situation where a planet's surface temperature increases due to excessive greenhouse gas accumulation.

Olympus Mons

The largest volcano in the solar system, located on Mars.

Valles Marineris

A vast canyon system on Mars, much larger than the Grand Canyon.

Past evidence of water on Mars

Includes features such as runoff channels and deltas.

Martian polar ice caps

Regions on Mars covered with ice, particularly at the north and south poles.

Life on Mars

The potential existence of microbial life or the past conditions that may have supported life.

Planets and Other Objects in the Solar System

The Sun, eight planets, dwarf planets, moons, asteroids, comets, and other small bodies bound by the Sun’s gravity.

Methods of Studying the Solar System

Tools like telescopes, space probes, flybys, orbiters, landers, and rovers used to collect data about planets and other celestial objects.

Solar System Formation (Nebular Theory)

The solar system formed from a rotating cloud of gas and dust that contracted under gravity, flattened into a disk, and produced planetesimals that got lumped together by accretion, and more accretion that made planets

Structure and Composition of the Earth

Earth is divided into the crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core, formed through differentiation as dense materials sank and lighter ones rose.

Climate Change

Ongoing rise in global temperatures caused by greenhouse gases, leading to ice melt and sea-level rise.

Venus’s Surface Features

Volcanoes, lava domes, impact craters, and highlands like Ishtar Terra and Aphrodite Terra.

Mars Exploration Missions

Space missions such as Viking, Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity, and Perseverance that have studied Mars’s surface, atmosphere, and for signs of life