Astronomy Chapter 8 Terms – Flashcards

Unlock all answers in this set

Unlock answers
question
Why does Neptune appear blue and Jupiter red?
answer
Methane in Neptune's atmosphere absorbs red light.
question
Why is Io more volcanically active than our moon?
answer
Io has a different internal heat source.
question
Saturn's many moons affect its rings through
answer
orbital resonances.
question
This painting shows an artist's conception of what it would look like to be within Saturn's system of rings. Notice the many whitish "balls" visible in this painting. Based on what you have learned about rings, about how large are each of these "balls," on average?
answer
About a size that you could hold in your arms.
question
The main ingredients of most satellites of the jovian planets are
answer
hydrogen compound ices.
question
Which of the following gases is not a significant ingredient of the jovian planet atmospheres?
answer
carbon dioxide
question
Jupiter and the other jovian planets are sometimes called "gas giants." In what sense is this term misleading?
answer
They actually contain relatively little material in a gaseous state.
question
What would happen to Jupiter if we could somehow double its mass?
answer
Its density would increase but its diameter would barely change.
question
According to our theory of solar system formation, why did Uranus and Neptune end up to be much less massive than Jupiter and Saturn?
answer
Particles in the solar nebula were more spread out at greater distances, so that accretion took longer and there was less time to pull in gas before the solar wind cleared the nebula.
question
Why does Jupiter have three distinct layers of clouds?
answer
The three layers represent clouds made of gases that condense at different temperatures.
question
Which of the following best why we see horizontal "stripes" in photographs of Jupiter and Saturn?
answer
The light stripes are regions of high clouds, and the dark stripes are regions where we can see down to deeper, darker clouds.
question
Uranus and Neptune have methane clouds but Jupiter and Saturn do not. Which factor explains why?
answer
Temperatures on Jupiter and Saturn are too high for methane to condense.
question
Which jovian planet should have the most extreme seasonal changes?
answer
Uranus
question
Why is the radiation so intense in the region that traces Io's orbit around Jupiter (the Io torus)?
answer
The region is full of gases that become ionized after they are released from volcanoes on Io.
question
Which of the following best explains why many jovian moons have been more geologically active than the Moon or Mercury?
answer
Jovian moons are made mostly of ice that can melt or deform at lower temperatures than can the rock and metal that make up the Moon and Mercury.
question
All the following statements are true. Which one is most important in explaining the tremendous tidal heating that occurs on Io?
answer
Io orbits Jupiter on an elliptical orbit, due to orbital resonances with other satellites.
question
Which of the following is not a piece of evidence supporting the idea that Europa may have a subsurface ocean?
answer
Astronomers have detected small lakes of liquid water on Europa's surface.
question
Which of the following is most unlikely to be found on Titan?
answer
lakes of liquid water in the warmer equatorial regions
question
Why do astronomers believe that Triton is a captured moon?
answer
Triton orbits Neptune in a direction opposite that of Neptune's rotation.
question
Which statement about Saturn's rings is not true?
answer
The rings must look much the same today as they did shortly after Saturn formed.
question
According to current understanding, which of the following is required in order for a planet to have rings?
answer
The planet must have many small moons that orbit relatively close to the planet in its equatorial plane.
question
Why is Jupiter denser than Saturn?
answer
Its higher mass and gravity compress its interior.
question
Which of the following is not a general characteristic of the four jovian planets in our solar system?
answer
They are higher in average density than are the terrestrial planets.
question
Which of the following best describes the internal layering of Jupiter, from the center outward?
answer
Core of rock, metal, and hydrogen compounds; thick layer of metallic hydrogen; layer of liquid hydrogen; layer of gaseous hydrogen; cloud layer.
question
Which of the following statements comparing the jovian interiors is not thought to be true?
answer
They all have the same exact set of internal layers, though these layers differ in size.
question
Overall, Jupiter's composition is most like that of _________.
answer
the sun
question
Jupiter's colors come in part from its three layers of clouds. Which of the following is not the primary constituent of one of Jupiter's cloud layers?
answer
clouds of sulfuric acid
question
How do typical wind speeds in Jupiter's atmosphere compare to typical wind speeds on Earth?
answer
They are much faster than hurricane winds on Earth.
question
What is the Great Red Spot?
answer
a long-lived, high-pressure storm on Jupiter
question
What atmospheric constituent is responsible for the blue color of Uranus and Neptune?
answer
methane
question
How does the strength of Jupiter's magnetic field compare to that of Earth's magnetic field?
answer
Jupiter's magnetic field is about 20,000 times as strong as Earth's.
question
Which of the following statements about the moons of the jovian planets is not true?
answer
Most of the moons are large enough to be spherical in shape, but a few have the more potato-like shapes of asteroids.
question
Which statement about Io is true?
answer
It is the most volcanically active body in our solar system.
question
Which moon has a thick atmosphere made mostly of nitrogen?
answer
Titan
question
The Huygens probe took numerous pictures as it descended to Titan's surface in 2005. What did the pictures show?
answer
features or erosion, including what appeared to be dry river valleys and lakebeds
question
Which moon is considered likely to have a deep, subsurface ocean of liquid water?
answer
Europa
question
Which large jovian moon is thought to have been captured into its present orbit?
answer
Triton
question
Suppose you could float in space just a few meters above Saturn's rings. What would you see as you looked down on the rings?
answer
countless icy particles, ranging in size from dust grains to large boulders
question
Which statement about planetary rings is not true?
answer
Saturn's rings formed along with its moons 4.6 billion years ago.
question
Some jovian planets give off more energy than they receive because of
answer
ongoing contraction or differentiation.
Get an explanation on any task
Get unstuck with the help of our AI assistant in seconds
New