Which sequence of distances is correct, from largest to smallest.
Pluto's orbit, Sun's radius, Moon's orbit, Earth's radius
About a hundred years ago, the first radio broadcasts were transmitted from Earth. Approximately where are those first signals now?
just passing relatively local stars in our galaxy
The diameter of Jupiter's orbit is __________ that of Earth's.
five times
The diameter of the Sun is _____________ the diameter of the Moon's orbit about the Earth.
about twice
When gravity caused the solar nebula to contract _________. (may be more than one correct answer)
it had increasingly faster spin , it became flatter
Kuiper belt objects _________.
are mostly made of ice
Where is the Kuiper belt?
outside the orbit of Nuptune
Where are most asteroids found, in our solar system?
between Mars and Jupiter
Which statement is true, regarding magnetic fields in our solar system?
Jovian planets have stronger magnetic fields than terrestrial planets.
What is the name for the plane containing most of the planets' orbits?
ecliptic
In our solar system, jovian planets __________.
lie outside the asteroid belt
have extensive moon systems
rotate more rapidly than terrestrial planets
In our solar system, terrestrial planets
lie inside the asteroid belt , are denser than jovian planets
The solar system consists of
planets, moons, comets, asteroids, the sun
How thick is Earth's atmosphere compared to the rest of the planet? Which analogy is the most accurate?
the skin of a grape compared to the fruit inside
Which is the correct sequence of layers of the Earth, from the center outward?
solid metal inner core, liquid metal outer core, silicate mantle, crust
How thick is Earth's mantle, compared to the inner core? Which analogy is most accurate?
the fruit of a cherry compared to a cherry pit
What gas makes up most of Earth's atmosphere?
Nitrogen
Which part of the atmosphere is chiefly responsible for protecting Earth's surface from UV radiation?
ozone
What do scientists believe causes the hole in the ozone layer?
CFC
What are the principle greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere?
water vapor
carbon dioxide
Which statements are true, regarding the greenhouse effect on Earth?
-Earth's atmosphere transmits some wavelengths of light better than others.
-Near IR light loses energy as it heats the ground and is re-emitted as far IR light.
-Near IR light can pass through the atmosphere but far IR light can't.
How do we determine the size of the earth's core?
timing earthquake waves
Essentially all of the surface features found on terrestrial planets are created by four geological processes. Please list the four processes.
1. Impact Cratering
2. Volcanism
3. Tectonics
4. Erosion
What kind of planets will exhibit a significant number of impact craters after five billion years, with relatively few features due to other geological processes?
a small planet, regardless of temperature
What is the main reason that the surface of the Moon looks very different from Earth's surface?
The Moon is much smaller than Earth
When can neap tides occur?
during a third quarter moon
Why is Mercury hard to see from Earth?
Mercury is close to the sun.
Which statement is true, regarding temperature on Mercury?
Mercury is very hot on the side toward the sun, and cold on the side away from the sun.
What does it mean to say that Mercury has a 3:2 spin-orbit resonance?
The same side of Mercury faces the sun on every other orbit.
Why does Mercury have a 3:2 spin-orbital resonance?
Mercury is close to the sun.
Mercury's orbit is quite eccentric.
How does the Moon's orbital period compare to its rotational period?
The orbital period is the same as the rotational period.
What is the main cause of erosion on the Moon?
micrometeors
What feature(s) show evidence of volcanoes on the Moon?
Mare formation was accompanied by rilles.
What is the most likely source of water ice on the Moon?
Meteors and comets bombarded the Moon.
What is the most likely cause for scarps on Mercury?
the cooling of the plane
What is the most likely theory of how the Moon was formed?
The most likely theory of how the Moon was formed is the theory that it formed from a collision between Earth and another protoplanetary object.
It is most plausible since the Earth and Moon have similar compositions
Which statements are true, regarding the rotation of Venus?
Venus rotates in the clockwise direction, unlike other planets.
Venus rotates less than one time for every orbit.
Venus has a retrograde rotation.
What characteristics of Venus are similar to Earth, compared to other planets?
size,density,strength of surface gravity
How are we able to see details on the surface of Venus?
Radar telescopes can see surface features on Venus.
Which statements are true, regarding shield volcanoes on Venus?
They sit over hot spots in the mantle.
Their eruptions can last for some time.
Why is the surface temperature of Venus so high?
It is close to the Sun.
It has a dense atmosphere.
Its atmosphere is high in greenhouse gases.
Which statements are true, concerning the magnetic field of Venus?
The magnetic field is very weak, because of the slow rotation, The magnetosphere does little to shield Venus from the solar wind, unlike the magnetosphere of Earth.
Explain why there is a runaway greenhouse effect on Venus.
The runaway greenhouse effect, explains Venus's greenhouse gases never left the atmosphere the way they did on Earth. Since Venus is closer to the sun, the temperature was higher on Venus than on Earth. Assuming the temperature was already so high that no
Explain why there is a reverse greenhouse effect for Mars.
Mars is too cool for a reverse greenhouse effect to occur. Martian CO2 was consumed and the greenhouse effect diminished causing CO2 to leave atmosphere. the lower temperatures allowed more CO2 to be absorbed into surface layers. The result was a runaway
Why does the surface of Mars vary from dark to light seasonally?
Winds sweep dust away from rough areas, making them darker.
Olympus Mons is
a large shield volcano on Mars
Why are large volcanoes on Mars so much taller than those on Earth?
Mars has lower surface gravity and a thick crust.
Which of the following provide evidence of vast amounts of water on Mars in the past?
-outflow channels
-wide deltas like those seen in floodplains on Earth
Why is Mars red?
Oxidized iron on the surface is red
What is the most abundant gas in the Martian atmosphere?
carbon dioxide
Which statements are true, regarding the moons of Mars?
Phobos and Deimos are both tidally locked to Mars.
Both moons orbit in prograde orbits.
Deimos is smaller than Phobos.
Both moons show significant cratering.
How long does it take for the Moon to appear to take one lap around the ecliptic?
a month
What causes the precession of the Earth?
The gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun
Which of the following corresponds to an increase in a parallax angle?
the distance to the star decreases
What are constellations?
groups of stars that appear to be close together in the sky
Where on Earth can you observe all of the stars, if you watch over the course of a year (not all at once)?
on the Equator
Which of the following are true, concerning Newton's laws? (May be more than one correct answer)
An object at rest stays at rest. An object in motion stays in motion at a constant speed in a straight line unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.
The net force on an object is equivalent to the product of object's mass and its acceleration.
For every
Which of these concepts are contained in Kepler's laws?
All planetary orbits are ellipses.
The square of the planet's period is equal to the cube of its average distance.
What is escape velocity?
The speed to overcome the gravitational pull of an object
Consider a rock thrown upward. Which of these statements is true, regarding the moment when the rock reaches its maximum height?
the velocity of the rock is zero
the gravitational force is directed toward Earth
Why do the constellations appear to move at night?
The Earth rotates on its axis
You see the moon rising at 10 pm. What is the phase of the moon?
Gibbous
At what time will a first quarter moon rise?
Noon
Which general direction should you look to see the full moon rising?
East
On summer solstice, where would a person need to stand so that the sun is at his/her zenith at noon?
The Tropic of Cancer
Which is longer, a solar day or a sidereal day
A solar day. A solar day is longer because with the earth rotating at a rate of 15 degrees per hour, it will take roughly 3.9 min longer. So a sidereal day is approximately 23 hrs and 56 min, verses a solar day which is 24 hrs.
Is it possible to see a crescent moon at midnight? Explain why or why not.
No. A crescent moon occurs shortly after sunrise, or sunset. When the moon is "closer" to the sun, it forms a crescent moon (either Waxing or Waning). When this occurs, it is under the horizon and therefore we are unable to view it.
During a solar eclipse, the moon must be directly between the Sun and Earth (new moon phase). Explain in your own words why there is not a solar eclipse e
The Earth and Moon do not have the same orbital plane.
Which sequence of distances is correct, from largest to smallest.
Pluto's orbit, Sun's radius, Moon's orbit, Earth's radius
About a hundred years ago, the first radio broadcasts were transmitted from Earth. Approximately where are those first signals now?
just passing relatively local stars in our galaxy
The diameter of Jupiter's orbit is __________ that of Earth's.
five times
The diameter of the Sun is _____________ the diameter of the Moon's orbit about the Earth.
about twice
When gravity caused the solar nebula to contract _________. (may be more than one correct answer)
it had increasingly faster spin , it became flatter
Kuiper belt objects _________.
are mostly made of ice
Where is the Kuiper belt?
outside the orbit of Nuptune
Where are most asteroids found, in our solar system?
between Mars and Jupiter
Which statement is true, regarding magnetic fields in our solar system?
Jovian planets have stronger magnetic fields than terrestrial planets.
What is the name for the plane containing most of the planets' orbits?
ecliptic
In our solar system, jovian planets __________.
lie outside the asteroid belt
have extensive moon systems
rotate more rapidly than terrestrial planets
In our solar system, terrestrial planets
lie inside the asteroid belt , are denser than jovian planets
The solar system consists of
planets, moons, comets, asteroids, the sun
How thick is Earth's atmosphere compared to the rest of the planet? Which analogy is the most accurate?
the skin of a grape compared to the fruit inside
Which is the correct sequence of layers of the Earth, from the center outward?
solid metal inner core, liquid metal outer core, silicate mantle, crust
How thick is Earth's mantle, compared to the inner core? Which analogy is most accurate?
the fruit of a cherry compared to a cherry pit
What gas makes up most of Earth's atmosphere?
Nitrogen
Which part of the atmosphere is chiefly responsible for protecting Earth's surface from UV radiation?
ozone
What do scientists believe causes the hole in the ozone layer?
CFC
What are the principle greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere?
water vapor
carbon dioxide
Which statements are true, regarding the greenhouse effect on Earth?
-Earth's atmosphere transmits some wavelengths of light better than others.
-Near IR light loses energy as it heats the ground and is re-emitted as far IR light.
-Near IR light can pass through the atmosphere but far IR light can't.
How do we determine the size of the earth's core?
timing earthquake waves
Essentially all of the surface features found on terrestrial planets are created by four geological processes. Please list the four processes.
1. Impact Cratering
2. Volcanism
3. Tectonics
4. Erosion
What kind of planets will exhibit a significant number of impact craters after five billion years, with relatively few features due to other geological processes?
a small planet, regardless of temperature
What is the main reason that the surface of the Moon looks very different from Earth's surface?
The Moon is much smaller than Earth
When can neap tides occur?
during a third quarter moon
Why is Mercury hard to see from Earth?
Mercury is close to the sun.
Which statement is true, regarding temperature on Mercury?
Mercury is very hot on the side toward the sun, and cold on the side away from the sun.
What does it mean to say that Mercury has a 3:2 spin-orbit resonance?
The same side of Mercury faces the sun on every other orbit.
Why does Mercury have a 3:2 spin-orbital resonance?
Mercury is close to the sun.
Mercury's orbit is quite eccentric.
How does the Moon's orbital period compare to its rotational period?
The orbital period is the same as the rotational period.
What is the main cause of erosion on the Moon?
micrometeors
What feature(s) show evidence of volcanoes on the Moon?
Mare formation was accompanied by rilles.
What is the most likely source of water ice on the Moon?
Meteors and comets bombarded the Moon.
What is the most likely cause for scarps on Mercury?
the cooling of the plane
What is the most likely theory of how the Moon was formed?
The most likely theory of how the Moon was formed is the theory that it formed from a collision between Earth and another protoplanetary object.
It is most plausible since the Earth and Moon have similar compositions
Which statements are true, regarding the rotation of Venus?
Venus rotates in the clockwise direction, unlike other planets.
Venus rotates less than one time for every orbit.
Venus has a retrograde rotation.
What characteristics of Venus are similar to Earth, compared to other planets?
size,density,strength of surface gravity
How are we able to see details on the surface of Venus?
Radar telescopes can see surface features on Venus.
Which statements are true, regarding shield volcanoes on Venus?
They sit over hot spots in the mantle.
Their eruptions can last for some time.
Why is the surface temperature of Venus so high?
It is close to the Sun.
It has a dense atmosphere.
Its atmosphere is high in greenhouse gases.
Which statements are true, concerning the magnetic field of Venus?
The magnetic field is very weak, because of the slow rotation, The magnetosphere does little to shield Venus from the solar wind, unlike the magnetosphere of Earth.
Explain why there is a runaway greenhouse effect on Venus.
The runaway greenhouse effect, explains Venus's greenhouse gases never left the atmosphere the way they did on Earth. Since Venus is closer to the sun, the temperature was higher on Venus than on Earth. Assuming the temperature was already so high that no
Explain why there is a reverse greenhouse effect for Mars.
Mars is too cool for a reverse greenhouse effect to occur. Martian CO2 was consumed and the greenhouse effect diminished causing CO2 to leave atmosphere. the lower temperatures allowed more CO2 to be absorbed into surface layers. The result was a runaway
Why does the surface of Mars vary from dark to light seasonally?
Winds sweep dust away from rough areas, making them darker.
Olympus Mons is
a large shield volcano on Mars
Why are large volcanoes on Mars so much taller than those on Earth?
Mars has lower surface gravity and a thick crust.
Which of the following provide evidence of vast amounts of water on Mars in the past?
-outflow channels
-wide deltas like those seen in floodplains on Earth
Why is Mars red?
Oxidized iron on the surface is red
What is the most abundant gas in the Martian atmosphere?
carbon dioxide
Which statements are true, regarding the moons of Mars?
Phobos and Deimos are both tidally locked to Mars.
Both moons orbit in prograde orbits.
Deimos is smaller than Phobos.
Both moons show significant cratering.
How long does it take for the Moon to appear to take one lap around the ecliptic?
a month
What causes the precession of the Earth?
The gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun
Which of the following corresponds to an increase in a parallax angle?
the distance to the star decreases
What are constellations?
groups of stars that appear to be close together in the sky
Where on Earth can you observe all of the stars, if you watch over the course of a year (not all at once)?
on the Equator
Which of the following are true, concerning Newton's laws? (May be more than one correct answer)
An object at rest stays at rest. An object in motion stays in motion at a constant speed in a straight line unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.
The net force on an object is equivalent to the product of object's mass and its acceleration.
For every
Which of these concepts are contained in Kepler's laws?
All planetary orbits are ellipses.
The square of the planet's period is equal to the cube of its average distance.
What is escape velocity?
The speed to overcome the gravitational pull of an object
Consider a rock thrown upward. Which of these statements is true, regarding the moment when the rock reaches its maximum height?
the velocity of the rock is zero
the gravitational force is directed toward Earth
Why do the constellations appear to move at night?
The Earth rotates on its axis
You see the moon rising at 10 pm. What is the phase of the moon?
Gibbous
At what time will a first quarter moon rise?
Noon
Which general direction should you look to see the full moon rising?
East
On summer solstice, where would a person need to stand so that the sun is at his/her zenith at noon?
The Tropic of Cancer
Which is longer, a solar day or a sidereal day
A solar day. A solar day is longer because with the earth rotating at a rate of 15 degrees per hour, it will take roughly 3.9 min longer. So a sidereal day is approximately 23 hrs and 56 min, verses a solar day which is 24 hrs.
Is it possible to see a crescent moon at midnight? Explain why or why not.
No. A crescent moon occurs shortly after sunrise, or sunset. When the moon is "closer" to the sun, it forms a crescent moon (either Waxing or Waning). When this occurs, it is under the horizon and therefore we are unable to view it.
During a solar eclipse, the moon must be directly between the Sun and Earth (new moon phase). Explain in your own words why there is not a solar eclipse e
The Earth and Moon do not have the same orbital plane.