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Astronomy 151 Final Exam
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119
Astronomy
Undergraduate 2
05/02/2012

Additional Astronomy Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Physical Properties of Jupiter
Definition

mass 2x the mass of all other planets combined

no solid surface

differential rotation

Term
Atmosphere of Jupiter
Definition

bright zones and dark belts

Great Red Spot

mostly H but some He

small amounts of methane, ammonia, and water vapor

Term
Jupiter's Internal Structure
Definition

radiates more energy than it recieves from sun because interior is still cooling from formation

central core is metallic hydrogen and helium and is rocky

outer core is molecular hydrogen and helium

Term
Jupiter's Magnetosphere
Definition

surrounder by huge magnetic belts

about 300 km across, extends beyond Saturn's orbit

20,000x Earth's magnetosphere

Term
4 Moons of Jupiter
Definition

Io

Europa

Ganymede

Callisto

Term

Physical Properties of Io

 

Definition

iron, iron/ sulfide core

rocky mantle

many volcanoes

particles from eruption form Plasma Torus

youngest surface in solar system

no craters

sulfur and sulfonic compounds

Term
Physical Properties of Europa
Definition

iron, iron/sulfide core

ice crust with possible water underneath

tidal forces cause ice to crack forming an ice jumble on the surface

almost no craters

crater: Pwyll

Term
Piazzi
Definition
discovered 1st asteroid in 1801
Term
Galileo
Definition
discovered Jupiter's moons
Term
Hooke and Cassini
Definition
1st saw Jupiter's Great Red Spot
Term
Pallas, Biot, Chladni
Definition
credited with beginning meteor science
Term
Maxwell
Definition
theorized that Saturn's rings were made of particles
Term
Lowell
Definition
started the search that led to the discovery of Pluto
Term
Tombaugh
Definition
found Pluto in 1930
Term
Keeler
Definition
used doppler effects to prove Maxwell's theory
Term
Hershel
Definition
discovered Uranus in 1781
Term
Elliot
Definition
discovered rings of Saturn in 1977
Term
Adams and Leverrier
Definition
predicted Neptune's location in 1845
Term
Galle and d'Arrest
Definition
found Neptune after calculations were published
Term
Lassell
Definition
found Triton in 1846
Term
Kuiper
Definition
Found Nereid in 1949
Term
Oort
Definition
proposed Oort Cloud in 1950
Term
Christy
Definition
discovered Pluto's moon Charon in 1978
Term
Whipple
Definition
dirty snowball model of comet
Term
Voyager
Definition

discovered Jupiter's Rings

carried message to ETs

The Grande Tour

found that Saturn's rings have spokes

discovered more of Saturn's moons

only mission to reach as far as Uranus

found 6 small Neptune moons

found that Neptune's rings were complete but thicker in some parts

Term
Galileo Mission
Definition

discovered that rings form from the crashing of inner satellites

saw Aurora on Neptune

visited asteroids Gaspra and Ida

Term
Pioneer
Definition

first craft to leave carrying message to ETs

passed close by Saturn

Term
NEAR
Definition
visited asteroid Mathilde
Term
Cassini
Definition
found new explanation for Lapelus
Term
Physical Properties of Asteroids
Definition

small

eccentric orbits

rocky

Term
3 Largest Asteroids
Definition
Ceres, Pallas, and Vesta
Term
Types of Asteroids
Definition

C-type: carbonaceous, dark

S-type: silicate (rocky)

M-type: metallic (iron and nickel)

Term
Apollo Asteroids
Definition

asteroids with orbits so eccentric

they cross Earth's orbit

Term
Trojan Asteroids
Definition
orbit at L4 and L5 Lagrangian Points on Jupiter's orbit
Term
What is a meteorite?
Definition
if a meteor reaches the Earth's surface
Term
What are meteors?
Definition
bright flashes of light from micrometeoroids hitting the atmosphere
Term
Where is the Kuiper Belt?
Definition
just beyond Neptune's orbit
Term
Where do most comets reside?
Definition
Oort cloud
Term
Physical Properties of Meteoroids
Definition

less than 100 m in diameter

most rock, some iron

usually between 4.4 and 4.6 billion years old

Term
Short Period Comets
Definition
less common and have periods shorter than 200 years
Term
Long Period Comets
Definition
have periods of 100s, 1000s or even millions of years
Term
Physical Properties of Comet
Definition

nucleus

coma of gas and dust (most visible part)

dust tail and ion tail

very eccentric orbits

icy

Term
What is a meteor shower?
Definition
the gradual disintegration of a comet as it reaches the sun, it leaves a meteor swarm and if the Earth's orbit encounters this swarm we see a meteor shower
Term

Dirty Snowball Model

 

Definition

Whipple

a comet is composed of dust grains, rocks, and frozen gases

Term
Where is the asteroid belt?
Definition
between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter
Term
Kirkwood Gaps
Definition
gaps in the asteroid belt caused by resonance with Jupiter
Term
Types of Meteorites
Definition

iron: found most often but compose only 6% of all meteorites

stone: most common

stony irons

Term
Physical Properties of Ganymede
Definition

iron, iron sulfide core

rocky mantle

icy crust

surface features indicate plate activity

dark areas that resemble maria but are just dirty ice

craters indicate old surface

largest moon in SS

larger than Pluto or Mercury

history similar to Earth's moon but has ice instead of rock

Term
Physical Properties of Callisto
Definition

no plate activity

most heavily crated surface in SS

Vahalla impact basin with possible ocean inside

similar to Ganymede

Term
Largest Moon of Saturn
Definition
Titan
Term
Medium Sized Moons of Saturn
Definition

Rhea (largest)

Dione and Tethyes

Mimas

Enceladus

Lapetus

 

Term

Small Moons of Saturn

 

Definition

Hyperion

Phoebe

Term
Properties of Titan
Definition

almost as big as Ganymede

thicker and denser atmosphere than Earth

atmosphere is Nitrogen

methane and ethane lakes and rivers

orange haze due to organic molecules

Term
Properties of Rhea
Definition

relatively flat and cratered surface

craters and wisps but no large craters

Term
Properties of Dione
Definition

similar to Tethyes

icy and cratered surface

craters, wisps, and rays

Term
Properties of Tethyes
Definition

similar to Dione

icy and cratered surface

large crater and canyon

Term
Properties of Mimas
Definition

closest moon to Saturn

has crater covering 1/3 of its surface

has giant canyon opposite crater

Term
Properties of Enceladus
Definition

orbits close to Mimas

very shiny, indicates it may be covered with ice

recent activity and internal heating

Term
Lapetus
Definition

2 faced

leading side very dark

trailing side very bright

Term
Hyperion
Definition

hamburger shaped

same size as Mimas

Term
Phoebe
Definition

captured asteroid

retrograde motion

Term
Moons of Uranus
Definition

Ariel

Umbriel

Titania

Oberon

Miranda

Term
Properties of Ariel
Definition

youngest surface in SS

tectonic activity

few large craters

global fractures/ fault lines

Term
Properties of Umbriel
Definition

darker

uniform surface covered with craters

unexplained bright ring feature

Term
Properties of Titania
Definition

few large craters

many young scarps

some fresh material

trenches

Term
Properties of Oberon
Definition

many large craters

high mountain scarps

dark patches in crater floor

Term
Properties of Miranda
Definition

part of surface has undulating cratered plains

part with regions of scarps that show up as dark bands

global faults

chevron feature

racetrack feature

most unusual of the moons

Term
Moons of Neptune
Definition

Triton

Nereid

Term
Triton
Definition

large

normal orbit

retrograde motion

ice volcanoes

nitrogen atmosphere

weird terrain in different hemispheres

flooded ice plains

 

Term
Properties of Nereid
Definition

small

very eccentric orbit

prograde motion

 

Term
Describe Belts of Jupiter
Definition

made of dark aluminum hydrosulfide

dark

sinking

Term
Describe Zones of Jupiter
Definition

white ammonia clouds

cooler

rising

 

Term
Great Red Spot
Definition

coriolis forces

anticyclonic storm (high pressure center with low pressure surrounding)

 

Term

Jupiter's Ring System

 

Definition

Gossamer ring, main ring, halo

can be viewed from Earth using special telescope

forms from collisions of inner satellites

 

Term

Properties of Saturn

 

Definition

less dense than water

flattened due to rapid and differential rotation

prominent but then rings

77% H, 22% He

no solid surface

95x Earth's mass

Term
Atmosphere of Saturn
Definition

differential rotation rates

belts and zones like Jupiter but much less bright

similar to Jupiter's but pressure is lower

three cloud layers, thicker than Jupiters

mostly H some He (less than Jupiter's)

wind patterns similar to Jupiter's but with zonal flow

 

Term
Interior of Saturn
Definition

similar to Jupiters

rick/ice core

inner core metallic H

outer core molecular H

radiates more energy than it gets from sun due to interior still cooling

H and He not well mixed

 

Term
Magnetosphere of Saturn
Definition

strong magnetosphere but only 5% of Jupiter's

creates Auroras

Term
What does helium do on Saturn?
Definition
forms droplets and then falls to cool surface
Term
Saturns Ring System
Definition

so large and complex that telescopes can see them

composition of particles is water/ice mixture

all rings inside roche limit

radial spikes form and then dissipate

cassini division caused by resonance with other particles and Saturn's moon

 

Term
What is the Roche Limit?
Definition
closest distance to a planet that a moon would survive
Term
What is the strangest ring of Saturn?
Definition

F Ring

outer most ring

appears to have kinks and braids

oddities caused by its 2 shepard moons

Term
Formation of Saturns Rings
Definition

too active to have been there since beginning of SS

either the result of a catastrophic event or are continually replenished

Term
Saturn's Weather
Definition
similar to Jupiter but with much less storms
Term
Are Saturn's rings in its equatorial plane?
Definition
yes
Term
Properties of Uranus
Definition

mass 14.5x Earth's

similar to Neptune

axis of rotation lies in its plane of orbit (very odd, causes extreme seasonal variation)

Term
Properties of Neptune
Definition

similar to Uranus

mass 17.7x Earth's

Term
Atmosphere of Neptune
Definition

outer atmosphere similar to Jupiter and Saturn

cold enough to freeze ammonia

mainly methane (gives it its blue color)

internal heat source

band structure more visible

storms similar to those on Jupiter but much fewer

Term
Magnetospheres of Uranus and Neptune
Definition

substantial magnetic field but at a large angle to their rotation axis

magnetic fields are not produced by dynamos like other planets

Term
Interior of Uranus and Neptune
Definition

rocky core surrounded by a type of slush then surrounded by molecular hydrogen

Neptune has internal heat source

 

Term
Ring System of Uranus and Neptune
Definition

both have very faint ring systems only recently observed

2 shepard moons keep epsilon ring from fusing

Neptune has 5 rings

Term
Pluto's Orbit
Definition

eccentric

inclined to the plane of the ecliptic

crosses Neptune's orbit

 

Term
Rotation of Uranus
Definition
retrograde
Term
Atmosphere of Uranus
Definition

high level of photochemical haze (cant see surface)

dark polar cap

brightening in mid latitudes

atmospheric movements indicate something is happening in interior

interior rotates slower than atm

Term
Rings of Uranus
Definition

9 rings found from ground based observation

epsilon ring is largest and most easily seen

very narrow

little dust in rings

consist of particles several cm across

Term
What is the only shuttle to reach distances as far as Uranus?
Definition
Voyager 2
Term
Has Neptune made a complete revolution since its finding?
Definition
no
Term
Atmosphere and Internal Structure of Neptune
Definition

had Great Dark Spot that disappeared in 1994

scooter=bright feature below great dark spot

interior similar to Uranus

blue due to Methane

 

Term
Neptune's Magnetosphere
Definition

strangely off center like Uranus'

probably caused by some form of ice that can conduct

Aurora seen by Galileo Spacecraft

Term
Atmosphere of Pluto
Definition
Nitrogen and methane detected so far
Term
Surface and Interior of Pluto
Definition

mapping of surface using lunar occulations

interior thought to be similar to icy moons like Ganymede

no evidence of a magnetic field

Term
Possible Origins of Pluto
Definition

escaped moon from Neptune

Kuiper Belt asteroid

possible victim of violence in early SS

Term
Is the ion or dust tail of a comet straighter?
Definition
ion tail is straighter than dust tail
Term
Where does the tail of a comet always point?
Definition
away from the sun due to solar winds
Term
Have objects been observed in the Oort Cloud?
Definition
no, it's too far away
Term
What defines a meteoroid?
Definition
being less than 100 m in diameter
Term
Larger meteorides are usually...
Definition
loners from the asteroid belt and have caused most of the craters in the SS
Term
What do most meteoroids carry?
Definition
valueable info about the early stages of the SS bc they are so old
Term
Total mass of all the asteroids is..
Definition

less than that of the moon

 

Term
Comets are...
Definition
icy and usually orbit far from the sun
Term
What happens to comets as they begin to reach the sun?
Definition
they begin to vaporize
Term
When are meteors more like comets and when are they more like asteroids?
Definition

more like comets when they burn up in the atmosphere

more like asteroids when they hit Earth

Term
Comets are only bright when...
Definition
they get close to the sun
Term
Nucleus of a Comet
Definition

a few km on average

loses 1% of mass as it orbits around the sun

rotates

Term
Tails of a Comet
Definition

maximum at perihelon

ion tail goes straight back

dust tail curves due to radiation pressure

Term
Coma of a Comet
Definition

hydrogen cloud

bright due to reflecting sunlight and fluorescent gases

can be up to 100,000 km across

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