Term
| Recently and currently active worlds |
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Definition
Satellites that have been or still are geologically active.
Ganymede, Dione, Tethys, Ariel, Titania, Miranda |
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Term
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Definition
Made of rock and ice
Two surfaces: old and cratered (crater saturated). Cannot count craters because the crater populations so different from the moons.
Smooth flat surface.= geologically/tectonically active, mostly made of streaches |
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Term
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Definition
Small impact craters
Very little geological activity so it must have happened long ago
spectrum shows made out of water |
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Term
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Definition
Lots of geological activity
Fractures, some not covered in impacts = fairly young
Very small but very recent geologic activity |
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Term
| **In the inner solar system the size of the planet determines how long it will be geologically active. Why can small planets in the outer solar system be geologically active longer then small planets in the inner solar system?** |
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Definition
| Moons in the outer solar system are made of ice and ice has a much lower melting temperature. It is easier to melt ice so they can be geologically active under much colder circumstances. |
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Term
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Definition
Barley large enough to be a sphere
Large features (Huge) with no continuity, no reason for it.
6 mile high cliff |
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Term
| What are the two theories of how Miranda got it's large odd features? |
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Definition
1. Miranda is actually a Hugh chunk of impact breccia
2. Mirandaismso small that while it was warm enough to differentiated it cooled off before it could finish and it is caught with some stuff moving up and some stuff moving down. |
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Term
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Definition
Saturn's largest moon
2nd thickest atmosphere in the solar system
Size= between earth and moon |
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Term
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Definition
Huge atmosphere because it is farther from the sun and cold.
Made of methane nitrogen
Looks like smaug
-300 degrees |
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Term
| Why does Titan have such a thick atmosphere? |
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Definition
| It is farther from the sun so it can hold onto more gasses. |
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Term
| Why is Titans atmosphere made out of nitrogen and methane and ammonia when the inner planets have atmospheres of CO2 and water? |
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Definition
Atmosphere comes from the surface melting and releasing gasses.
The inner planets are made of rock and the outer planets are made of ice so they release very different gasses |
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Term
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Definition
1. Dark equator
2. Bright poles |
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Term
| What is the dark equator of Titan |
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Definition
Dessert made of found up ice
Dunes formed by wind
Means the equator is very dry. |
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Term
| What are the bright poles of Titan |
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Definition
Covered in mathane lakes that grow and shrink with the seasons.
Methane cycles through the atmosphere it does not stay a gass long. |
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Term
| Moment of inertia of Titan |
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Definition
0.55
There is more mass on the outside of the planet then the inside. That is weird!
Between the core and the crust there is a layer of melted water that allows the core to rotate freely of the crust |
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Term
| Do impact craters tell us anything about the surface of Titan? |
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Definition
| there are only 7 of them. At most wee see there are few small ones because of the thick atmosphere. And it must be very young. |
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Term
| What did the Hyden lander discover about the surface of Titan? |
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Definition
Outflow channels- from the tides going in and out of of the lake it landed in.
Rounded rocks so the surface undergoes A LOT of weathering.
Surface is covered in a layer of tar from the smaug
No sign of volcanic activity. |
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