Term
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Definition
| Astronomical Unit - distance from the Earth to Sun. |
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Term
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Definition
| Distance light travels in one year. |
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Term
| AU is the distance of what ? |
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Definition
| The distance between Earth and the Sun |
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Term
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Definition
| Measures the distance light travels in one (1) year. |
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Term
| What particles are found in an atomic nucleus ? |
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Definition
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Term
| Negatively charged protons in the nucleus are called ? |
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Definition
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Term
| In the North Hemp., stars travel which direction around Polaris ? |
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Definition
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Term
| The stars rise in the _________ and set in the _________. |
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Definition
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Term
| The sun travels on the ______________. |
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Definition
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Term
| The ecliptic path is tilted ________degrees. |
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Definition
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Term
| The Sun reaches the greatest distance North of the equator during ____________. |
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Definition
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Term
| The Sun is at the greatest distance from the South of the equator during _________. |
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Definition
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Term
| When is the summer solstice ? |
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Definition
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Term
| When is the winter solstice ? |
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Definition
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Term
| The vernal and autumnal equinox is when _____________. |
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Definition
| the Sun cross the celestial equator and have equal days and nights. |
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Term
| When are the vernal and autumnal equinox? |
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Definition
| about March 21 and September 21 |
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Term
| The change of the seasons are a result of ______________. |
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Definition
| the tilt of the Earth's axis rotation |
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Term
| How long is one (1) lunar cycle ? |
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Definition
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Term
| What are the four (4) lunar phases ? |
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Definition
New Moon
First Quarter
Full Moon
Third Quarter |
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Term
| When the Sun-Earth-Moon are aligned in the Full Moon phase it is called ? |
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Definition
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Term
| When the Sun-Moon-Earth are aligned in New Moon phase what is it called ? |
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Definition
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Term
| Aristotle and Ptolemy believe in which solar system model ? |
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Definition
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Term
| Copernicus, Kepler and Galileo believed in which solar system model ? |
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Definition
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Term
| Describe the heliocentric solar system model. |
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Definition
| The Sun is the center of the universe. |
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Term
| Describe the geocentric solar system model. |
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Definition
| The Earth is the center of the universe. |
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Term
| Kepler's first law states ______________. |
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Definition
| that the planets travel in elliptical orbits around the Sun. |
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Term
| Copernicus believed that planets _____________. |
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Definition
| traveled in circular orbits around the Sun. |
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Term
| Why are Venus and Mercury never seen in the late night sky ? |
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Definition
| because they are closer to the Sun than Earth is. |
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Term
| Newton's Law of Gravity states that ________________. |
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Definition
| every mass is attracted to every other mass in the universe that is proportional to the product of the masses of each object and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the centers of each object. |
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Term
| What are the seven (7) regions of the EM spectrum longest to shortest wavelength. |
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Definition
| Radio, microwaves, infared, visible, ultraviolet, xrays, gamma rays. |
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Term
| How does a stars color relate to its temperature ? |
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Definition
| Blue colored star is hotter than the red ones. |
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Term
| What is the Large Impact Theory ? |
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Definition
| Mars sized object struck Earth 4.5 billion years ago and caused the moon to form from the ejected materials. |
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Term
| How long ago did the Large Impact Theory happen ? |
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Definition
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Term
| What are lunar maria ? How are they formed ? |
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Definition
| large dark crater basins on the moon that have been filled in by dark basaltic lava flow over 3 billion years ago. |
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Term
| How are lunar maria and highlands different ? |
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Definition
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Term
| Name the eight (8) major planets in order from closest to the Sun outward ? |
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Definition
| Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. |
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Term
| Which planets are terrestial planets (inner) ? |
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Definition
| Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. |
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Term
| Which planets are outer planets ? |
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Definition
| Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. |
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Term
| What is the Solar Nebula Theory ? |
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Definition
| A nebula contracted due to gravity, rotated and flattened to cause the Sun and the planets. |
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Term
| How does the Solar Nebula Theory explain some features in the solar system ? |
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Definition
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Term
| Describe the surface of Mercury. |
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Definition
| heavily cratered like the far side of the moon and has scarps (long cliffs from when the planet cooled and shrank) |
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Term
| Describe the surface of Venus. |
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Definition
| volcanic highlands and lowlands of cooled lava flows. |
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Term
| Describe the surface of Mars. |
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Definition
| reddish surface (rusty rock), has largest volcano (Olympus Mons)in the solar system, and a large deep crack as long as the U.S. |
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Term
| Why does Earth have so few craters ? |
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Definition
| because of the weathering process the craters wear down over time. Also the Earth's atmosphere cause metorites to burn up before hitting the surface. |
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Term
| Which terrestial planet has the hottest surface ? |
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Definition
| Venus because of the runaway greenhouse effect. |
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Term
| Which terrestial planet is the smallest ? |
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Definition
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Term
| How many moons does each terrestial planet have ? |
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Definition
| Mercury and Venus have zero (0). Earth has one (1), and Mars has two (2). |
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Term
| Which terrestrial planets have evidence of past or present volcanic activity. |
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Definition
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Term
| Which of the terrestial planets have an atmosphere ? What are the main components ? |
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Definition
| All except Mercury have atmospheres. Venus and Mars is mostly carbon dioxide gas and Earth is mostly nitrogen gas. |
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Term
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Definition
| because of the rusty rocks from iron oxides. |
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Term
| What are Mars' polar ice caps made up of ? |
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Definition
| Water ice and carbon dioxide ice (dry ice). |
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Term
| What are two pieces of evidence that Mars used to have running water. |
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Definition
| Erosion and deposition features (river channels and layered deposits commonly in lakes) |
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Term
| What is special about Jupiter's moon Io ? |
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Definition
| it has several active sulfuric volcanoes erupting on its surface. |
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Term
| What is special about Saturn's moon Titan ? |
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Definition
| it has an atmosphere denser than Earth's and mostly the same composition. |
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Term
| What is the name of the probe that landed on Titan ? |
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Definition
| the Huygens probe landed on Titan during the Cassini mission. |
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Term
| What was discovered on Titan by the Huygens probe ? |
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Definition
| Large dunes and lakes and rivers of methane. |
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Term
| How is Pluto's surface different from other planets ? |
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Definition
1. Its highly eccentric orbit (not circular)
2. Sometimes found closer to the Sun than Neptune.
3. Orbit is tilted 17 degrees to the elliptical plane.
4. It is mostly rock and ice. |
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Term
| Why was Pluto called a "dwarf planet" in 2006 ? |
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Definition
| Because of the discovery of Eris and that it does not sweep its orbit clear of other objects. |
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Term
| Which outer planets have rings ? |
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Definition
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Term
| Which outer planet has a rotational axis at 90 degrees ? |
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Definition
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Term
| Which planet has a bluish tint and Why ? |
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Definition
| Uranus and Neptune cuz of the presence of methane gas which absorbs the red and reflect blue light. |
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Term
| Why do Saturn's rings look larger than other planets ? |
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Definition
| Because of the large amount of water ice in the rings, it reflects the sunlight. |
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Term
| What is up with Jupiters "Great Red Spot" ? |
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Definition
| it is large long lived circular storm. |
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Term
| What is the Roche-Limit and what causes it ? |
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Definition
| It is the distance from an astronomical body at which its gravitational force can pull apart another. It is due to the gravitational tidal forces. |
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Term
| Do Saturn's rings lie inside or outside the Roche-Limit ? |
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Definition
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Term
| Why are the outer planets so large ? |
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Definition
| Their distance from the Sun allowed the light gases to coalesce into large planets. |
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Term
| Which outer planet is closest to the asteroid belt ? |
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Definition
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Term
| What are the six layers of the Sun ? |
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Definition
| Core, Radiative Zone, Convective Zone, Photosphere, Chromosphere, Corono |
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Term
| Which layer of the Sun is the hottest ? |
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Definition
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Term
| Which layer of the Sun radiates mostly in the visible range of the EM spectrum ? |
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Definition
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Term
| The Sun is mostly _____________ which fuses into _______________. |
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Definition
| Hydrogen (H) element / helium (He) |
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Term
| When (H) fuses into (He) in the core is produces heat and energy due to ___________. |
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Definition
| the mass of the helium product of nuclear fusion is less than the mass of the original H atoms and the excess initial mass is converted into energy E=mc2 |
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Term
| What is the state of Hydrostatic Equilibirum ? |
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Definition
| So that the inward pull of gravity is balanced by the outward push of thermal pressure of the Sun. |
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Term
| How long is a sunspot cycle ? |
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Definition
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Term
| What causes the sunspot cycle ? |
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Definition
| The differential rotation rate of the Sun. |
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Term
| What can happen during a sunspot cycle ? |
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Definition
| During an active cycle the rate of solar winds towards Earth are increased which cause power outages, damage to Earth's satellites, and increased auroras. |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
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Term
| What are the stages of evolution in order ? |
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Definition
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Term
| How long will the Sun stay in the main sequence ? |
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Definition
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Term
| Why will the Sun leave the main sequence ? |
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Definition
| Hydrogen is depleted in its core. |
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Term
| What are the other stages of evolution like ? |
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Definition
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Term
| How do the stages of low mass stars differ from those of high mass stars ? |
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Definition
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Term
| How are the lifetimes of low mass stars different from those of high mass stars ? |
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Definition
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Term
| What is the temperature, luminosity, and colors of stars while on the main sequence ? |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| Objects with such a great gravitational force that nothing can espcape its radius. |
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Term
| Which types of stars end up as neutron stars or black holes ? |
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Definition
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Term
| What is the layered structure of a red giant ? |
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Definition
| Layers of nuclear fusion build up with the heaviest elements being fused closest to the center. |
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Term
| How does fusing iron in the core lead to a supernova explosion in high mass stars ? |
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Definition
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Term
| Why is a past explosion important to us on Earth ? |
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Definition
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Term
| After a supernova explosion what does the remnant core become ? |
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Definition
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Term
| How are the remnant of the core after a supernova explosion characterized ? |
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Definition
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Term
| How does a neutron star differ from a white dwarf or black hole ? |
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Definition
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Term
| What is the escape velocity of a black hole ? How can we detect them ? |
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Definition
| Not even light can escape the radius. Evidence is from binary stars that pull matter from neighboring stars, which causes Xrays and other radiation, which we CAN detect. |
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Term
| What is the Milky Way galaxy and what shape is it ? |
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Definition
| Our Milky Way galaxy is spiral. |
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Term
| How many stars are in our galaxy ? And where is the Sun located ? |
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Definition
| 100 billion stars, and the Sun is located half way out. |
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Term
| What are the three (3) main types of galaxies ? |
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Definition
| Irregular, spiral, and elliptical |
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Term
| How does Hubble's Law support the Big Bang Theory ? |
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Definition
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Term
| What is the current estimated age of our universe ? |
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Definition
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