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Astronomy - Ch. 3
A Family of Planets Cody 6th gr.
Question | Answer |
---|---|
Astromical Unit. | The average distance between the Earth and the sun,or approximately 93 million miles. |
Retrograde Rotation. | The clockwise spin of a planet or moon as seen from above the planet's or moon's north pole. |
Gas Giants. | The large,gaseous planets of the outer solar system. |
Prograde Rotation. | The counterclockwise spin of a planet or moon as seen from above the planet's north pole. |
Terrestrial Planets. | The small,dense, rocky planets of the inner solar system |
Name the gas giants | Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus & Neptune |
Name the Rocky or Terrestrial Planets. | Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. |
What does Mercury's surface look like? | Our moon. |
What is another name for the Rocky Planets? | Terrestrial Planets or Inner Planets. |
What does Terrestrial mean? | Earth |
Why does Mercury's surface look like our moon? | It was bombarded by meteroites long ago. |
What does Mercury lack? | It lacks an atmosphere. |
Why does Mercury lack an atmosphere? | It's gravity is too weak to hold one. |
What kind of atmosphere does Venus have? | It has a thick atmosphere. |
Why does Venus' atmosphere do? | It traps heat. |
Why does Venus' atmosphere trap heat? | Because of the Greenhouse effect. |
On Venus and Uranus, the sun rises in which direction? | The sun rises in the west because they rotate opposite from the Earth. |
Which two planets is Earth between? | Venus and Mars |
The Earth's crust is cracked into what? | Plates that move. |
What is the tallest Volcano in the Solar System? | Olympus Mons |
How would you compare Olympus Mons to Mount Everest? | It is three times taller. |
Which planet is the only one on which an unmanned spacecraft has successfully landed and explored? | Mars. |
Which planet takes the longest to revolve around the sun? | Pluto |
Which planet takes the shortest amount of time to revolve around the sun? | Mercury |
Which planet is the hottest planet? | Venus (464 degrees Celsius) |
How does the greenhouse effect work? | It is when heat is trapped in the planet's atmosphere. |
Do Venus and Earth rotate on their axes the same way? | NO. Earth spins counterclockwise and Venus spins clockwise. |
Venus' clouds are made up of what substance? | Sulfuric Acid |
What color is Mars? | Red |
What was the name of the first artificial satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1957? | Sputnik 1 |
What is the two ways of measuring distance in space? | Astronomical Units and Light minutes/light hours/light years. |
How fast does light travel? | 186,000 miles in one second. |
How many times around the earth can light travel in one second? | almost 8 times around the earth. |
What is a light minute? | How far light travels in a minute. (11 million miles per minute) |
How long does it take light from the sun to reach the earth? | 8.3 minutes. |
Distances within the solar system are measured how? | Light minutes and light hours. |
Distances between stars are measured how? | Light years. |
How are the innner planets different from the outer planets? | They are spaced close together and they are all small, dense and rocky. |
Why is a day on Mercury longer than an earth day? | Mercury spins slower than Earth. It takes 59 days on Earth for Mercury to spin once. |
How long is a Mercury year. | 88 Earth Days. |
How is Venus different from Earth. | Retrograde Rotation. Venus rotates clockwise and Earth rotates counterclockwise. |
Venus' atmosphere is made up of mostly what substance? | Carbon Dioxide. |
What is key on Earth for the development of life? | Liquid Water |
What is the name of NASA's program to study Earth from space? | Earth Science Enterprise |
Which planet is the most studied the solar system, besides Earth? | Mars |
Why is Mars a very cold planet? | It has a thin atmosphere and it is far from the sun. |
What would happen to water because of the low atmospheric pressure on Mars? | It would quickly boil away. |
The only water on Mars is in what form? | Ice |
Why do scientists believe that Mars once had liquid water? | There appears to be dry river beds. |
Mars has how many volcano systems | 2 |
Where is the largest mountain in the solar system (Mons Olympus)? | Mars |