The Terrestrial Planets

Flashcards about the Terrestrial Planets - Mercury, Venus, and Mars based on lecture notes.

Mercury's Location

Planet closest to the sun.

Mercury's Size

Slightly larger than Earth's moon.

Mercury's Orbital Period

88 Earth days.

Mercury's Sidereal Day

59 Earth days.

Mercury's Solar Day

176 Earth days.

Significance of Mercury's Weak Magnetic Field

Proof of a liquid core.

Mercury's Surface

Cratered like the moon.

Mercury's Atmosphere

Very thin, almost nonexistent.

Mercury's Temperature Range

Highest temperature extremes of all planets.

Venus's Location

Second planet from the sun.

Venus's Size

Almost the size of Earth.

Direction of Sunrise and Sunset on Venus

Rises in the West and sets in the East.

Lack of Magnetic Field on Venus

Suggests the core is rocky (iron).

Shaping factors of Venus's Surface

Basaltic volcanism and tectonic activity.

Composition of 80% of Venus's Surface

Plains covered by volcanic flow.

Composition of Venus's Atmosphere

97% CO2.

Reason for the Absence of Oceans on Venus

No oceans to dissolve CO2.

Mars's Location

Outermost terrestrial planet.

Mars's Moons

Deimos and Phobos.

Mars's Sidereal and Solar Day

Approximately 25 Earth hours.

Significance of Magnetized Areas on Mars's Surface

Suggests it had one in the past.

Largest Volcano on Mars

Olympus Mons.

Composition of Mars's Atmosphere

CO2 and tiny amounts of water vapor.

Composition of Mars's Polar Caps

Water ice covered by frozen carbon dioxide.

Evidence of Past Water on Mars

Minerals formed by water evaporation and geologic formations.

General Characteristics of All Terrestrial Planets Compared to Outer Planets

Have fewer moons, no rings, rotate slower, and orbit faster than outer planets.