Part I – Solar System
- How is the material that composes inner planets different from the outer planets?
Inner planet – Rocky material, iron and nickel core
Outer Planets – Iron and nickel core, made mainly of gases
- What planet has the shortest period of revolution? Longest period of revolution?
Mercury (closest to the Sun)
Neptune (further from Sun than other planets)
- What are significant characteristics of each planet in our solar system?
Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun.
Mercury is smallest of current planets.
It is covered with craters.
Venus, the second planet away from the Sun, is Earth’s closest neighbor.
It is about the same size as the Earth. (Earth’s Twin)
It also traps heat (the greenhouse effect) making the surface of Venus the hottest in the Solar System
Venus rotates is from west to east
Earth
It differs from the other planets because it has liquid water on its surface, maintains life, and has active plate movement.
Mars is a little more than half the size of the Earth. It rotates at about the same speed as the Earth, taking 24.6 hours. Mars has a very thin atmosphere which is composed largely of CO2. Its surface is very cold, and is covered with craters, volcanoes, and large canyons. Mars is reddish in color.
Jupiter is the largest planet in the Solar System
It rotates very fast, in only 10 hours.
Its surface is made up of gas (mostly hydrogen), so that if you landed on the surface you would sink into it.
Has gas rings
Large red spot
Saturn is well known for its rings. It is a large planet
Saturn is composed of mostly gas, and has a core composed of rock and metallic hydrogen. Rings are probably composed of small particles of ice and rock
Uranus. It is covered by a thick layer of gas, and has a fairly uniform blue-green color. Uranus is surrounded by a system of nine rings. Tilted almost on its side
Neptune. Its atmosphere appears blue and is marked by large dark blue storm systems.
- What determines how long a planet’s period of revolution will be?
The length of time it takes to orbit the Sun
- What two particles are found in the region between stars?
Dust and Gases, particularly Hydrogen and Helium
- Do all planets rotate in the same direction? If not, which ones are different?
No, Venus rotates backwards, going west to east; Venus’ tilt on its side makes its rotation different from others
- Do all planets revolve in the same direction? If not, which ones are different?
Yes
- How is rotation different from revolution?
Rotation is the spin of an object on its axis; Revolution is an orbit around another object - An astronomical unit is the distance from Earth to the Sun. It is used to measure distances in our solar system. (Sorry I forgot to go over this measurement)
- How many moons does each planet have?
Mercury: no moons
Venus: no moons
Earth: 1 moon
Mars: 2 moons
Jupiter: 67moons
Saturn: 62 moons
Uranus: 27 moons
Neptune: 14 moons - What does a comet’s tail consist of?
dust and gas - A year on a planet would be what?
revolution
- A day on a planet would be what?
rotation - Do we always see the same side of the moon? Explain.
No. Because the moon’s rotation and revolution around Earth is almost the same, we never see the other side of the moon - What are the names of Mars’ two moons?
Phobos and Diemos - How is the orbit of a planet different from the orbit of a comet?
The comet’s orbit goes out further into the solar system (More elliptical) than the planets.
- What is in our solar system?
Sun, planets, moons, comets, asteroids, meteoroids - What is a moon?
Natural satellite of a planet - Does a moon become larger or smaller during its waxing phases? During its waning phases?
Waxing – larger, waning – smaller - What are comets?
Objects that orbit the sun that are made of dust and frozen gas. They contain a coma and tail. The tail always faces away from the Sun - What is a meteoroid?
Smaller rocky object orbiting the Sun, thought to be leftover rocky material from when the solar system was formed
- What do you call a meteoroid after it hits Earth?
Meteorite - What is an eclipse?
Shadow of one object falls on another object when they are is direct 180 degree alignment with each other - Describe what happens during a solar eclipse?
The moon falls between the Earth and Sun, casting a shadow so that the Sun appears to darken from our viewpoint on Earth. It can only happen during a new moon. - Describe what happens during a lunar eclipse?
The Earth falls between the Sun and the Moon, casting a shadow on the Moon so the Moon appears to darken. It can only happen in a full moon. - Why is it easier to see many lunar eclipses in your lifetime but not solar eclipse?
The penumbra and umbar are much bigger for a lunar than a solar eclipse, so it increases our changes of being in that area of Earth where the lunar eclipse can be viewed - What keeps planets orbiting around the sun?
The pull of gravity between the Sun and the planets. Because the Sun’s gravity is larger, the smaller objects orbit around the Sun. - What is an axis?
Imaginary line from north to south pole, on which a planet or another object rotates (spins). - What type of shape is Earth’s revolution around the sun?
Elliptical - How long does it take the Earth to rotate? Revolve around sun?
Rotate – 24 hours; Revolve – 365 ¼ days - Why do we have leap year every 4 years?
It makes up for the extra ¼ day of Earth’s revolution to keep our calendar accurate - Why do we have seasons on Earth?
Earth’s tilted axis causes the Earth to tilt toward the Sun in hotter months, tilt away from the Sun in colder months - Where does the moon get its light?
Reflected light from the Sun, same for planets - Why do we see different phases of the moon?
As the moon orbits the Earth, it creates different angles between Earth, Moon, Sun which creates different views of the moon’s reflected light for us on Earth - When it is a full moon, what is the alignment of Earth, Sun, and Moon?
Earth is in the middle of the Sun and Moon - When it is a new moon, what is the alignment of Earth, Sun, and Moon?
The moon is in the middle of the Sun and Earth - What is an eclipse?
Same as for question #23 - How is a solar eclipse different from a lunar eclipse?
Solar eclipse – Moon blocks sunlight from Earth for a temporary time, usually a few minutes
Lunar eclipse – Earth blocks moon’s reflected light for a short time, usually a few hours - What is an umbra?
darkest part of the shadow where a total eclipse may be seen - What is a penumbra?
larger part of the shadow where a partial eclipse may be seen - What will be the alignment of Earth, Sun, and Moon in a solar eclipse?
Sun – Moon – Earth - What will be the alignment of Earth, Sun, and Moon in a lunar eclipse?
Sun – Earth – Moon - What is a tide?
rise and fall of the ocean’s water - What causes tides?
The pull of the gravity between Earth and Moon - What is a spring tide?
It happens at a new moon. It is when there is the most difference in high and low tides because a stronger gravitational pull. - What is a neap tide?
It happens at a first and last quarter moon. Gravity is pulling between the Earth and Moon and Sun at a 90 degree angle, so not as much gravitation pull. There is less difference between high and low tides. - If you are a surfer, what tide would you want to make sure you didn’t miss? Why?
Spring Tide – bigger waves due to stronger gravitational pull
Part II – Universe, Stars, Galaxies
- What happened during the Big Bang Theory? What does it help to explain?
It is a theory that says that all material of the Universe was in a single point and it exploded, causing the material to spread apart and form objects in space such as stars and planets.
- What is a light year? What is it used to measure in space?
Distance that light travels in one year, approximately 9 trillion miles; Used to measure distance of stars and galaxies
- What is a galaxy?
Grouping of stars, held together by gravity
- What are the three types of galaxies?
Spiral – pinwheel shaped galaxy containing old stars in the center, younger stars in the arms around the center
Elliptical – oval to circular grouping of stars, contains mainly older stars
Irregular – no distinct shape of stars, old and new stars
- What is the name of our galaxy? What type of galaxy is it?
Milky Way - Spiral
- What star is the closest star to Earth?
Sun
- Most mass in space is found in what objects?
Dark matter
Visible - stars
- What does the sun provide to the earth?
Heat and light energy
- What is the first stage in the life of a star? What happens during this stage?
Nebula – cloud of gas and dust get squeezed together, forming a protostar that will eventually begin burning hydrogen
- What is the second stage in the life of a star? What happens?
Main Sequence- longest part of a star’s life, nuclear fusion is happening fusing hydrogen to make helium and other heavier elements; Produces lots of energy in the process
- What is the third stage in the life of a star? What happens?
Red Giant – begins to cool and expand
- In a small to medium star, what is its last stage? What happens?
White Dwarf – Gravity squeezes all the matter of the star into a smaller space, making it more dense; eventually burns out
- In a large star, what happens after the red giant stage?
Supernova – exploding star
- What are the possible things that can happen to a large star in its life cycle?
Neutron star, sometimes begins spinning (pulsar); All light and matter gets sucked into black hole
- Do small or large stars have longer lives?
Small stars – not using up hydrogen as fast
- What stage is our sun currently in its life cycle?
Main Sequence
- How many billions of years will remain in this stage? What happens next?
5 billion more years – Red Giant
- What is happening during nuclear fusion? What stage does this take place in a star’s life?
Hydrogen atoms gets squeezed together to form heavier isotopes of Hydrogen; eventually squeezing to form helium
Takes place in main sequence
- What color star is the hottest? Coldest?
Blue – hottest; Red - coldest
- What color is our star, the Sun?
Yellow
- Which star is brighter: first magnitude stars or sixth magnitude stars?
First magnitude
- What does magnitude of stars really measure?
Luminosity or brightness of stars
- How is apparent magnitude different from absolute magnitude?
Apparent is the brightness as it appears to us on Earth; Absolute – actual scientific measurement of brightness
- What is a parallax? What is it used to measure in space?
Apparent shift in star’s location as we view it on Earth; a triangle is formed connecting the stars movement to Earth and Sun; used to calculate distance of nearby stars
- What is a Hertzsprung Russell Diagram?
A graph that plots stars according to temperature and luminosity; Used to classify stars
- What is on the X axis of a HR Diagram?Temperature (color)
- What is on the Y axis of the HR Diagram? Luminosity (absolute magnitude or brightness)
- What is used to determine luminosity?Size of star and distance from Earth
- How are main sequence stars represented on a HR Diagram?Diagonal band of stars going from top left, across the center to bottom right
- Where would you find the white dwarf stars on a HR Diagram?Bottom left hand corner
- Where would you find the red giants stars on a HR Diagram?Upper right hand corner
- Most stars are in what stage of their life cycle?Main sequence
- Draw a picture of the Sun and label its parts:
- Which three parts of the sun is part of the Sun’s atmosphere? Which one reaches further out into space?
Corona – reaches out further; Chromosphere, Photosphere - What part of the sun is where energy is made?Core
- What part of the sun has gases rising and sinking and helps to get energy out to the surface of the sun?Convection Zone
- What part of the sun is so thick that it takes millions of years for light to pass through it?Radiation Zone
- What is the name of the sun’s surface?Photosphere
- What is a solar wind?
A stream of plasma that reaches deep out into the solar system; can cause disturbances in weather, technology signals, and could harm astronauts in space if they come in direct contact with it - What is a sunspot?Magnetic disturbance on Sun – appears as dark spots on the surface
- What is a solar flare?Giant storm of gases that shoot out beyond the Sun, usually out of a sunspot; caused by magnetic disturbance
- What is a solar prominence?Caused by magnetic disturbance, eruption of gases that extend out from a sun spot and loop to go back into another sun spot.
- What percentage of the solar system composes our sun?approximately 99.8%
- What size of star is our sun?medium sized as compared to other stars