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Astronomy Final
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Manned Lunar Exploration | -Each Apollo landing after the first one deployed an Apollo Lunar Surface Experiment Package (ALSEP) -The orbiting Apollo command modules carried a wide range of instruments to photograph the lunar surface |
| Robotic Lunar Exploration | -These Apollo flights landed in different geological locations on the moon -Lunar exploration has become international enterprise, with many countries trying to progress their knowledge of the moon - bringing back samples and other missions |
| Moon's Interior | -Absence of a large metal core -Some chemically bound water is present in the lunar rocks -Water ice has been detected in permanently shadowed craters near the lunar poles |
| Impact craters on the Moon | Early lunar observers thought that the moon had continents and oceans and that it was a possible abode of life |
| Lunar Highlands | -Most of the crust consists of silicate rocks, with the higher regions of these rocks being called the highlands -Made up of low-density rock that solidified on the cooling moon -Extremely heavily cratered -Have rounded profiles |
| Maria | -Less cratered than the highlands Cover 17% of the lunar surface, mostly the side facing earth Consists mainly of dark basalt laid down in volcanic eruptions billions of years ago |
| Describe the properties of the lunar “soil” | -Surface is buried under a fine-grained soil of shattered rock fragments Upper layers consist of loosely packed dust in which boots sink several cm Its very hot in the day and very cold during the night due to no oxygen in the atmosphere |
| Why the impacts are circular | -Reason lies with the minimum speed that a body must reach to permanently break away from the gravity of another body -At these speeds, the impact produces a violent explosion that excavates a large volume of material in a symmetrical way |
| Ejecta blanket | Surrounding the rim consisting of material thrown out by the explosion |
| Describe the top three early hypotheses of the formation of the Moon - The fission theory | -The moon was once apart of earth, Drawbacks -Modern calculations show that this kind of split is impossible -Difficult to understand how a moon made out of terrestrial material, could have developed the many chemical differences |
| Describe the top three early hypotheses of the formation of the Moon - The sister theory | The moon formed together with (but independent of) earth, as we believe many moons of the outer planets formed |
| The moon formed together with (but independent of) earth, as we believe many moons of the outer planets formed - The Capture theory | -The moon formed elsewhere in solar system + was captured by earth Drawbacks -No known way of which earth could have got such a large moon -Big loss of energy -Captured object would go in eccentric orbit |
| The Giant Impact Hypothesis | -Earth being struck obliquely by an object approximately one-tenth earth’s mass -Most of the material from the impact would be the stoney material (not the metal) ejected from the earth, then cooled, and formed a ring orbiting earth |
| Characterize the orbit of Mercury around the Sun | -Mercury is the closest planet to the sun, and also if the fastest around the sun -The planet's average distance from the sun, is 58 million km (anywhere between 46-70 million km) |
| Describe Mercury’s composition | Its high-density makes it seem like it is made up of lots of metal |
| Explain why it’s difficult to learn about Venus from Earth-based observation alone | The planets actual surface is not visible due to it being shrouded in dense clouds that reflect about 70% of the sunlight that falls on them |
| Explain how the greenhouse effect has led to high temperatures on Venus | -Works the same way it does on earth, but since venus has more CO2, the effect is stronger -The thick CO2 acts as a blanket, making heat inescapable -On earth, the greenhouse gasses are able to escape - unlike that on Venus |
| Describe the various features found on the surface of Mars | -Half the planet consists of heavily cratered highland terrain -The other half contai s younger lightly cratered volcanic plains -Uplifted continent the size of NA |
| Describe the basic physical characteristics, general appearance, and rotation of the giant planets - Jupiter | -More than five times further from the sun+takes just under 12 years to circle the sun -Is biggest planet w/largest mass -Planets magnetic field controls rotation of mantle+core -Axis is titled ~3 degrees, so no seasons |
| Describe the basic physical characteristics, general appearance, and rotation of the giant planets - Saturn | -Takes nearly 30 years to complete one orbit -Second biggest planet, with the second most mass -Uppermost clouds are made out of ammonia crystals -Rotation period is 10 hours and 40 minutes The axis is at 27 degrees, so it has seasons |
| Describe the basic physical characteristics, general appearance, and rotation of the giant planets - Uranus | -Orbits around 84 years -Third biggest planet (51,200) with the least amount of mass (14) -Has no uppermost cloud layer at all, but only a deep and featureless haze -Rotation period of around 17 hours |
| Describe the basic physical characteristics, general appearance, and rotation of the giant planets - Neptune | -Orbits ~165 years -Fourth biggest planet w/second most amount of mass -Uppermost clouds are made out of methane -Rotion period of ~17 hours -Has axis of 29 deg, so it has seasons -It has an axis of 98 deg, which causes strange seasons to occur |
| Compare the orbital characteristics of Pluto with those of the planets | -Orbit was more eccentric and inclined to the plane of our solar system, -Has four smaller moons -Pluto was not like the big planets, but like other far off planets around the solar system - then given the name of dwarf planets |
| Note some distinguishing characteristics of Pluto’s largest moon Charon | -Half the size of Pluto -Keeps the same side towards Pluto, as well as Pluto keeping the same side to Charon |
| Describe the two theories of planetary ring formation - Breakup hypothesis | -The rings are the remains of a shattered moon -A passing comet/ asteroid may have collided into a moon, breaking it into pieces -Tidal forces then pulled them apart, and they dispensed into a disk |
| Describe the two theories of planetary ring formation - Opposite of Breakup Hypothesis | Rings are made up of particles that were unable to come together to form a moon in the first place |
| Explain the two primary methods for detection of exoplanets - Doppler Effect | -Measure star’s radial velocity -Speed of star, relative to observer -Measurements of variation in stars radial velocity as planet goes around star -Most sensitive to large planets orbiting closest star |
| Explain the two primary methods for detection of exoplanets - Transits | -Crosses over the face of a star as seen on Earth -Do not see the planet, but only detect its presence -If it dips in brightness repeat at regular intervals, can determine its orbital period -Needs to have a telescope in space to do this method |
| Describe the various layers of the Sun and their functions - Core | -Extremely dense and is the source of all of its energy -Inside, nuclear energy is being relseased -Approximately 20% of the size of the solar interior and is thought to have the temp of 15 million K - hottest part of the sun |
| Describe the various layers of the Sun and their functions - Radioactive zone | -Above core -Primary mode of transporting energy across it -Starts at about 25% of distance to solar surface+extends up to about 70% of the way to surface -Light generated from core is transported slowly, causing it to change direction+lose energy |
| Describe the various layers of the Sun and their functions - Convective zone | -Outermost layer of solar interior -Thick layer 200,000 km deep that transports energy from edge of radioactive zone to surface through giant convection cells -Plasma at botton of zone is hot,+ it bubbles to surface where it loses its heat to space |
| Explain what happens in the different parts of the Sun’s atmosphere - Photosphere | -Layer where sun becomes opaque+marks boundary past which we cannot see -Energy from ___ was generated deep inside sun - is in the form of photons, which make way slowly toward solar surface -We can observe only those photons that are emitted |
| Explain what happens in the different parts of the Sun’s atmosphere - Chromosphere | -Region of suns atmosphere that lies immediately above photosphere -Spectrum of bright emission lines, telling that it composed of hot gasses emitting light |
| Explain what happens in the different parts of the Sun’s atmosphere - Transition Region | -The part of the sun where rapid temperature rise occurs -IRIS -Study the transition region and better understand how and why this temperature increase happens -Found that the hot and cool regions intermix |
| Explain what happens in the different parts of the Sun’s atmosphere - Corona | -Hottest part of solar atmosphere -Extends millions of km above photosphere+emits about half as much light as full moon -Very low in density -Extends so far that we are technically living in the suns atmosphere |
| Explain what happens in the different parts of the Sun’s atmosphere - Solar Wind | -Suns atmosphere produces a stream of charged particles of mainly protons and electrons -Flo from the sun outward at a speed of about 400 kps -Corona has loops, plumes, and both bright and dark regions |
| Sunspots | Large, dark features seen on the surface of the sun caused by increased magnetic activity If a spot lasts and develop they consist of two parts -Umbra - inner darker core -Penumbra - surrounding less dark region |
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axniss001
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