question

the 8000 K star would emits more light at every wavelength and would emit photons with a higher energy

answer

describe 2 ways in which the thermal radiation spectrum of an 8000 K star would differ from a 4000 K star ???

question

Doppler Effect

answer

the effect that shifts the wavelengths of spectral features in objects that are moving toward or away from the observer

question

blue shifts

answer

shorter wavelengths. object is moving towards us

question

light-collecting area and angular resolution

answer

two key properties of a telescope

question

light-collecting area

answer

determines how much total light a telescope can collect at one time

question

angular resolution

answer

the amount of detail a telescope allows us to see. best when it's small

question

refracting telescope

answer

operates similar to the eye, using transparent lenses to collect and focus light. lenses

question

reflecting telescope

answer

uses a precisely curved primary mirror to gather light, which reflects the gathered light to a secondary mirror that lies in front of it

question

1. light pollution 2. turbulence causes twinkling 3. absorbs most of EM spectrum, including all UV and X-Ray and most infrared

answer

3 ways Earth's atmosphere hinders astronomical observations

question

4 times

answer

how much greater is the light-collecting area of a 6-meter telescope than that of a 3-meter telescope?

question

(I think) cooler than the Sun

answer

a star whose spectrum peaks in the infrared is...

question

redshifted

answer

A spectral line that appears at a wavelength of 321 nm in the laboratory appears at a wavelength of 328 nm in the spectrum of a distant object. We say that the object's spectrum...

question

(Sun) Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune (Pluto)

answer

order of the planets

question

Sun

answer

contains more than 99.8% of the solar system's total mass. looks like the surface is solid, but is actually a roiling sea of hot hydrogen and helium gas

question

Mercury

answer

made up of metal and rock. smallest of the 8 planets. days and nights here last for 3 months each. very hot and very cold

question

Venus

answer

hottest planet in the Solar System. spins backwards on its axis. nearly identical to Earth in size

question

temperature

answer

measuring a star's color tells us about its...

question

Earth

answer

an oasis to life. surprisingly large moon. The only surface liquid water in the solar system

question

Mars

answer

looks Earth-like. giant volcanoes, huge canyon, and polar caps. water flowed here in the distant past

question

Jupiter

answer

much farther from Sun than inner planets, most H/He, no solid surface, 300 times bigger than Earth, many moons and rings

question

Saturn

answer

Giant. mostly H and He, spectacular rings. many moons

question

countless small chunks of ice and rock, each orbiting like a tiny moon. NOT SOLID

answer

what are Saturn's rings made out of?

question

Uranus

answer

smaller than Jupiter and Saturn, bigger than Earth. made of H/He gas and hydrogen compounds. extreme axis tilt. moons and rings

question

Neptune

answer

similar to Uranus (except for axis tilt). many moons

question

Pluto

answer

much smaller than other planets. icy, comet-like composition. it's moon is similar in size to itself

question

true

answer

(T/F) most of the solar system's planets revolve around the Sun in the same direction and rotate in the same direction as they orbit the Sun

question

Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars

answer

which planets have a rocky, relatively dense composition (terrestrial)?

question

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune

answer

which planets have rings?

question

patterns of motion, 2 major types of planets, asteroids and comets, exceptions to the rule

answer

what are the 4 major features of the solar system that provide clues to how it formed?

question

patterns of motion among large bodies (feature 1 of how the solar system formed)

answer

the Sun, planets, and large moons generally orbit and rotate in a very organized way

question

two major types of planets (feature 2 of how the solar system formed)

answer

the 8 planets divide clearly into 2 groups: small rocky planets that are close together and to the Sun, and the large gas-rich planets that are father apart and from the Sun

question

asteroids and comets (feature 3 of how the solar system formed)

answer

vast numbers of these orbit the sun. the locations, orbits, and compositions of these follow a distinct pattern

question

exceptions to the rule (feature 4 of how the solar system formed)

answer

among the inner planets only Earth has a large moon, and Uranus is tipped on its side

question

terrestrial planets

answer

"Earth-like". Small, rocky/metal composition, closely spaced, no moons

question

Jovian planets

answer

"Jupiter-like". Giant, hydrogen/helium composition, widely spaced, rings, lots of moons

question

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

answer

which planets are jovian?

question

nebular theory

answer

theory that states that our solar system formed from a giant cloud of interstellar gas

question

nebula

answer

cloud

question

asteroids

answer

rocky bodies that orbit the Sun like planets

question

asteroid belt

answer

asteroids are found in this, between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter

question

comets

answer

small objects that orbit the sun, but are made largely of ice

question

solar nebula

answer

the particular cloud of gas from which our solar system was born

question

the gas is about 98% hydrogen and helium and 2% all other elements combined

answer

what is the solar nebula made of?

question

heating, spinning, and flattening

answer

what caused the solar nebula to take the form of a spinning disk?

question

flattening

answer

collisions between particles in the cloud causes it to flatten into a disk

question

heating

answer

the temperature of the solar nebula increased as it collapsed, which represents energy conservation

question

spinning

answer

the solar nebula rotated faster and faster as it shrank in radius, which represents the conservation of angular momentum

question

hydrogen and helium gas (98%), hydrogen compounds (1.4%), rock (0.4%), and metals (0.2%)

answer

what are the 4 materials in the solar nebula?

question

frost line

answer

the boundary in the solar nebula between which ices could condense; only metals and rocks could condense within this

question

rocks, metals, and hydrogen compounds

answer

which materials can be solid outside the frost line?

question

the formation of terrestrial planets

answer

Small particles of rock and metal were present inside the frost line, Planetesimals of rock and metal built up as these particles collided. Gravity eventually assembled these planetesimals into these planets

question

the formation of jovian planets

answer

Ice could also form small particles outside the frost line. Larger planetesimals and planets were able to form. The gravity of these larger planets was able to draw in surrounding H and He gases

question

heavy bombardment

answer

the period in the first few hundred million years after the solar system formed during which the tail end of planetary accretion created most of the craters found on ancient planetary surfaces

question

planetesimals

answer

pieces of planets

question

radiometric dating

answer

the method by which we measure a rock's age. relies on careful measurement of the proportions of various atoms and isotopes in the rock

question

half-life

answer

the length of time it would take for half the nuclei in the collection to decay

question

accretion of planetesimals

answer

many smaller objects collected into just a few large ones

question

inside the frost line

answer

where did asteroids come from?

question

outside the frost line

answer

where did comets come from?

question

TEMPERATURE

answer

why do we have 2 different kinds of planets in our Solar System?

question

beyond Neptune's orbit, roughly in the plane of the ecliptic

answer

where are the Kuiper Belt comets found?

question

an Oort Cloud comet

answer

which comet formed closest to the Sun?

question

most

answer

how many planets orbit the Sun in the same direction as Earth does?

question

fairly circular and in the same plane

answer

Planetary orbits in our solar system are...

question

hydrogen and helium

answer

what is Jupiter's main ingredient?

question

collapse, condensation, accretion

answer

list the major steps of solar system formation in the correct order

question

accretion

answer

the process by which small "seeds" grew into planets

question

comets

answer

leftover ice-rich plantesimals are called:

question

it's surprisingly large relative to the planet it orbits

answer

what's unusual about our Moon?

question

Venus and Uranus are exceptions (I'm pretty sure)

answer

are there any exceptions to the rule that planets rotate with small axis tilts and in the same direction as they orbit the Sun?

question

4.5 billion years

answer

how old is the solar system?

question

true

answer

(T/F) Venus has the hottest surface temperature of any planet in our solar system

question

false

answer

(T/F) Our Moon is about the same size as moons of the other terrestrial planets

question

true

answer

(T/F) the weather conditions on Mars today are much different than they were in the distant past

question

false (I assume)

answer

(T/F) moons cannot have atmospheres, active volcanoes, or liquid water

question

false (I think)

answer

(T/F) Neptune orbits the Sun in the opposite direction of all the other planets

question

probably false

answer

(T/F) If Pluto were as large as the planet Mercury, we would classify it as a terrestrial planet

question

I think it's true

answer

(T/F) Asteroids are made of essentially the same materials as a terrestrial planet

question

Kuiper Belt

answer

comets formed about where they are and they're still there

question

Oort Cloud

answer

comets formed along the present-day jovian planets and were thrown out by gravitational encounters

question

core

answer

part of Earth's interior that has highest density; nickel and iron

question

mantle

answer

part of Earth's interior that has moderate density, silicon, oxygen, etc.

question

crust

answer

part of Earth's interior that has the lowest density, granite, basalt, etc.

question

lithosphere

answer

crust and RIGID part of mantle

question

differentiation

answer

the process by which gravity separates materials according to density, with high-density materials sinking and low-density materials rising

question

dense metals sank toward the center, driving less dense rocky material toward the surface

answer

why did the terrestrial worlds undergo differentiation?

question

magnetic field

answer

the region surrounding a magnet in which it can affect other magnets or charged particles

question

magnetosphere

answer

the region surrounding a planet in which charged particles are trapped by the planet's magnetic field

question

impact craters

answer

these are created by asteroids or comets striking a planet's surface

question

volcanism

answer

the eruption of molten rock (lava) from a planet's interior onto its surface

question

tectonics

answer

the disruption of a planet's surface by internal stress

question

erosion

answer

the wearing down or building up of geological features by wind, water, ice, and other phenomena of planetary weather

question

outgassing

answer

the process of releasing gases from a planetary interior, usually through volcanic eruptions

question

most of the outgassed water vapor condensed to form our oceans and much of the nitrogen remains as the dominant ingredient of our atmosphere

answer

how did outgassing lead to the existence of Earth's atmosphere and oceans?

question

radioactive decay

answer

which heat source continues to contribute to Earth's internal heat?

question

a small planet

answer

what kind of terrestrial planet would you expect to have the thickest lithosphere?

question

Jovian planets would have formed closer to the Sun

answer

How would the solar system be different if the solar nebula had cooled everywhere with a temperature half its current value?

question

there are 4 terrestrial and 4 jovian planets

answer

what is not explained by the nebular theory?

question

metals, rocks, hydrogen compounds

answer

list the ingredients of the solar nebula in order of increasing abundance. (except H and He gases)

question

The inner nebula was so hot that only metals and rocks were able to condense

answer

Why do we think the inner (terrestrial) planets became more dense than the outer planets?

question

zero

answer

What age would radiometric dating give for a chunk of recently solidified lava from Kilauea, an active volcano in Hawaii?

question

1/4 (2 half-lives)

answer

After two half-lives, what fraction of the original radioactive element is left?

question

4.4 billion years old

answer

how old are the oldest moon rocks?

question

4.55 billion years old

answer

how old are the oldest meteorites?

question

4.5 billion years ago

answer

when did planets form?

question

It must be a mix of materials of different density and material inside must be able to flow

answer

What is necessary for differentiation to occur in a planet?

question

Yes, rock under strain may slowly deform

answer

do rocks stretch?

question

no

answer

is the Earth full of lava?

question

No. Planetary magnetic fields are generated by moving charges around, and if the core is cold, nothing is moving.

answer

If the planet core is cold, do you expect it to have magnetic fields?

question

if a planet has a lot of craters, it must mean the surface has stayed untouched since the bombardment 4 billion years ago, which means it is really old

answer

how do craters tell us the age of a surface?

question

the Moon's surface has remained untouched since the bombardment 4 billion years ago. Earth has a surface that has undergone recent change

answer

Explain why the Moon has more craters than Earth

question

it supplies oxygen to breathe, it protects the surface from dangerous solar radiation, and makes our planet warm enough for liquid water to exist

answer

how does the atmosphere affect Earth?

question

greenhouse effect

answer

Certain molecules let sunlight through but trap escaping infrared photon

question

water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane (CH4)

answer

what are the greenhouse gases

question

greenhouse gas (NOT O2 OR N2)

answer

molecules with 2 or more different types of elements

question

the Moon and Mercury

answer

which 2 planets are "geologically dead"?

question

both lost their internal heat long ago, their gravity is too weak to hold gas they may have gained in the past, don't have significant atmospheres, have lots of impact craters

answer

describe the geological histories of the Moon and Mercury

question

lunar maria

answer

the regions of the Moon that look smooth from Earth and actually are impact basins

question

they probably formed when tectonic forces compressed the crust, causing the surface to crumple. Mercury shrank

answer

how are Mercury's great cliffs thought to have formed?

question

one with lots of impact craters

answer

which kind of surface is probably older in our Solar System?

question

impact cratering

answer

what geological process is currently active on Mars?

question

some still there, but frozen under surface; some stripped by solar wind (weak magnetic field); some broken into H or O by UV light

answer

what happened to Mars' water?

question

they cooled off faster than Earth did

answer

why are smaller terrestrial bodies such as Mercury or the Moon "geologically dead"?

question

it must have lost most of its carbon dioxide gas, which would have weakened the greenhouse effect until the planet essentially froze over

answer

how did Mars lose its atmosphere?

question

it was too small to maintain the internal heat needed to keep water and gas

answer

How did Mars's size affect the loss of its atmosphere?

question

it has cratering, many volcanoes, tectonic stresses, and erosion

answer

describe the basic geology of Venus

question

Venus does not appear to have plate tectonics, but its entire surface seems to have been "repaved" 750 million years ago

answer

why is it surprising Venus lacks tectonic plates?

question

runaway greenhouse effect

answer

a positive feedback cycle in which heating caused by the greenhouse effect causes more greenhouse gases to enter the atmosphere, which further enhances the greenhouse effect

question

the runaway process would cause Earth to heat up until the oceans completely evaporated and the carbonate rocks released all their carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere

answer

why does the runaway greenhouse effect occur on Venus but not Earth?

question

surface liquid water, atmospheric oxygen, plate tectonics, and climate stability

answer

How is Earth unique among the terrestrial planets?

question

plate tectonics

answer

move at average speeds of a few cm's per year, but over millions of years their motions act like a giant conveyor belt for Earth's lithosphere, creating new crust and recycling old crust back into the mantle

question

carbon dioxide cycle

answer

the process that cycles carbon dioxide between Earth's atmosphere and surface rocks

question

it acts as a long-term thermostat

answer

why is the carbon dioxide cycle so important to Earth?

question

the greenhouse effect is much stronger on Venus than on Earth

answer

what is the main reason Venus is so hot?

question

located at optimal distance from the Sun for liquid water to exist and large enough for geological activity to release and retain water and atmosphere

answer

what makes a planet habitable?

question

size

answer

which of a planet's fundamental properties has the greatest effect on its level of volcanic and tectonic activity?

question

Venus

answer

which terrestrial world has the most atmospheric gas?

question

carbon dioxide

answer

what is a strong greenhouse gas?

question

life

answer

the oxygen in Earth's atmosphere was released by...

question

locked up in rocks

answer

where is most of the CO2 that has outgassed from Earth's volcanoes?

question

once important but no longer is

answer

describe our understanding of flowing water on Mars

question

beyond the frost line, planetesimals could accumulate ice. Hydrogen compounds are more abundant than rock/metal so jovian planets got bigger and acquired H/He atmospheres. TIMING AND LOCATION

answer

Briefly describe how differences in composition among the jovian planets can be traced to their formation

question

The extra mass of Jupiter compresses its underlying gas layers to a much higher density

answer

Why is Jupiter so much more dense than Saturn?

question

The planet that forms earliest captures the most hydrogen and helium gas. Capture ceases after the first solar wind blows the leftover gas away.

answer

why is timing important in jovian planet formation?

question

yes

answer

could a planet be smaller in size than Jupiter but greater in mass?

question

Core: rock, metal & hydrogen compounds. Hydrogen gaseous form in surface. In deeper high pressure compress hydrogen into liquid form. Below, the temperatures and pressure hydrogen is formed into compact, liquid metallic form. Because the gravity compresses it into layers.

answer

Briefly describe the interior structure of Jupiter

question

Saturn has the same layering as Jupiter but weighs less. Uranus and Neptune have different layering b/c their internal pressures never became high enough to form liquid or metallic hydrogen

answer

How do the interiors of the other jovian planets compare to that of Jupiter?

question

The planet that forms in a denser part of the nebula forms its core first

answer

why is location important in forming the jovian planets?

question

Earth's mass wasn't large enough to hold onto a H and He atmosphere

answer

Why didn't Earth accrete H and He gas from the solar nebula?

question

it was generated by Jupiter's thick layer of metallic hydrogen

answer

why does Jupiter have such a strong magnetic field?

question

Jupiter's atmosphere has 3 major types of clouds, each of which form at different altitudes. H compounds in Jupiter form clouds. Different cloud layers correspond to freezing points of different H compounds

answer

describe Jupiter's cloud layers

question

the highest, coldest layer reflects white. Some clouds produce brown and red

answer

how do the cloud layers help explain Jupiter's colors?

question

less light penetrates to the depths at which Saturn's clouds are found, and the light they reflect is more obscured by the atmosphere above them. deeper in and farther from the Sun

answer

Why are Saturn's colors more subdued?

question

methane gas absorbs red light and transmits blue light. blue light reflects off methane clouds

answer

Why are Uranus and Neptune blue?

question

Strong winds and powerful storms. Stripes on Jupiter- Bands of rising air are white because the rising air condenses and forms white ammonia clouds at high altitudes.

answer

Briefly describe Jupiter's weather patterns

question

Great Red Spot

answer

a large, high-pressure storm on Jupiter

question

small (1500 km)

answer

describe how we categorize jovian moons by size

question

They actually contain very little material in a gaseous state

answer

The Jovian planets are sometimes called "gas giants". In what way is this term misleading?

question

Gaseous on the outside, then liquid hydrogen, more dense metallic hydrogen, "rocky" core

answer

What is the structure of Jupiter like?

question

It has metallic hydrogen inside, which circulates and makes a magnetic field

answer

Jupiter does not have a large metal core like Earth. How can it have a magnetic field?

question

Most formed by accretion within the disks of gas surrounding individual jovian planets

answer

what is the origin of most of the medium and large size moons?

question

Most are captured asteroids or comets

answer

what is the origin of most of the small moons?

question

Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto

answer

name the order of Jupiter's Galilean moons (inside-outside)

question

Io

answer

most volcanically active moon. Hot because of tidal heating

question

Europa

answer

surface covered by water ice. few impact craters. clear signs of water activity. Like Io, it has tidal heating but weaker

question

Ganymede

answer

surface of water ice. Largest moon in the solar system. Clear evidence of geological activity. Tidal heating plus heat from radioactive decay

question

Callisto

answer

outermost Galilean moon, heavily cratered iceball. no tidal heating or orbital resonances. has magnetic field

question

Saturn's Enceladus

answer

Shows clear evidence of ongoing geological activity, few impact craters because of that (erased). Could potentially have an ocean. Internal heat comes from tidal heating through an orbital resonance.

question

Jupiter pulls harder on one side than the other

answer

how does Io get heated by Jupiter?

question

Titan (Saturn)

answer

only moon in the solar system that has a thick atmosphere. It consists mostly of nitrogen with some argon, methane, and ethane.

question

it had liquid methane and "rocks" made of ice. could have lakes of liquid methane

answer

describe Titan's (Saturn) surface

question

It orbits Neptune "backward" and at a high inclination to Neptune's equator. Triton may have been a member of a Kuiper belt object that passed so close to Neptune that Triton lost energy & was captured while its companion gained energy and was flung away at high speed.

answer

why do we think Triton (Neptune) is a captured moon?

question

they contain large proportions of ice -ice can melt or deform at lower temperature than rock. Tidal heating

answer

Briefly explain why icy moons can have active geology at much smaller sizes than rocky worlds.

question

Particles moving slowly relative to one another and occasionally colliding and at times being forced out at others

answer

What are planetary rings made of?

question

gap moons

answer

small moons within the rings that nudge the orbits of ring particles in a certain way

question

New particles must replenish what has been destroyed. We think they must come from a source that lies in each planet's equatorial plane. Source is numerous small "moonlets" moons the size of gap moon that formed in the disks of material orbiting the young jovian planets

answer

Explain why ring particles must be replenished over time, and where we think ring particles come from

question

its higher mass and gravity compress its interior

answer

why is Jupiter denser than Saturn?

question

ongoing contraction or differentiation

answer

some jovian planets give off more energy than they receive because of...

question

frozen hydrogen compounds

answer

The main ingredients of most moons of the Jovian planets are...

question

Io has a different internal heat source

answer

Why is Io more volcanically active than our moon?

question

it orbits Neptune (its planet) backwards

answer

what is unusual about Triton?

question

Titan

answer

which moon shows evidence of rainfall and erosion by some liquid substance?

question

orbital resonances

answer

Saturn's many moons affect its rings through...

question

Are continually supplied with new particles by impacts with small moons.

answer

Saturn's rings...

question

at least 1 km across. the largest is about 1000 km (Ceres)

answer

how large are asteroids?

question

All the asteroids in the solar system wouldn't add up to even a small terrestrial planet

answer

how does the total mass of all asteroids compare to the mass of a terrestrial world?

question

between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter

answer

where is the asteroid belt located?

question

Jupiter's gravity, through influence of orbital resonances, stirred up asteroid orbits and prevented their accretion into a planet

answer

how have orbital resonances with Jupiter affected the asteroid belt?

question

meteor

answer

the bright trail left by a meteorite

question

meteorite

answer

A rock from space that falls through Earth's atmosphere

question

primitive meteorite

answer

meteorites unchanged in composition since they first formed 4.6 billion years ago. stony, carbon-rich, rocky

question

processed meteorites

answer

meteorites that are younger, have experienced processes such as volcanism or differentiation. metal-rich

question

The inner part of a large asteroid that was shattered in a collision

answer

You find a meteorite that is made of metal. What is its origin?

question

the comet is completely frozen and looks like a "dirty snowball"

answer

what does a comet look like when it is far from the Sun?

question

coma

answer

atmosphere that comes from heated nucleus (comet)

question

plasma tail

answer

gas escaping from coma, pushed by solar wind

question

dust tail

answer

tail that is pushed by photons

question

nucleus of a comet

answer

a chunk of ice mixed with rocky dust and some more complex chemicals

question

the solar wind blows on them

answer

why do the comet tails point away from the Sun?

question

a meteor shower would occur

answer

If Earth passed through the tail of a comet, what would happen?

question

a Kuiper belt comet

answer

what do scientists think Pluto is?

question

near the current orbits of the Jovian planets

answer

where did Oort Cloud comets form?

question

because the orbiting Earth passes through a particular comet's orbit at the same time each year

answer

why do meteor showers recur at about the same time each year?

question

in the Kuiper belt

answer

where did Kuiper belt comets form?

question

tilted and significantly elliptical

answer

what is Pluto's orbit like?

question

very cold. thin nitrogen atmosphere that refreezes on the surface. it's largest moon is as big as Pluto

answer

describe Pluto

question

orbital resonances prevent it

answer

why won't Pluto collide with Neptune?

question

the gravity can redirect a comet

answer

how do Jovian planets influence comets?

question

Meteor showers are caused by the passage of Earth through the debris left by a comet in its orbit

answer

what produces meteor showers?

question

yes, it must have been the core of a shattered asteroid

answer

can an asteroid be pure metal?

question

no because Jupiter prevented one from accreting

answer

Did a large terrestrial planet ever form in the region of the asteroid belt?

question

a comet

answer

what does Pluto most resemble?

question

a grain of sand or a small pebble

answer

How big an object causes a typical shooting star?

question

Oort cloud comets

answer

Which have the most elliptical and tilted orbits?

question

Kuiper belt comets

answer

Which are thought to have formed farthest from the Sun?

question

every million years

answer

About how often does a 1-kilometer object strike Earth?

question

It would cause widespread devastation and climate change

answer

What would happen if a 1-kilometer object struck Earth?

question

they formed in the Kuiper belt

answer

where do Kuiper belt comets come from?

question

there would be more impacts from comets and fewer from asteroids

answer

how would the impact history on Earth have been different if Jupiter did not exist?

question

a Sun-like star is about a billion times brighter than the light reflected from its planets. Planets are close to their stars, relative to the distance from us to the star.

answer

why are extrasolar planets difficult to detect?

question

extrasolar planet

answer

a planet orbiting a star other than our Sun

question

direct planet detection

answer

pictures or spectra of the planets themselves

question

indirect planet detection

answer

measurements of stellar properties revealing the effects of orbiting planets

question

observing the motion of a star to detect the subtle gravitational tugs or orbiting planets and observing changes to a star's brightness that occur when one of its planets passes in front of the star as viewed from Earth

answer

what are the 2 current major approaches to detecting extrasolar planets indirectly?

question

The Sun's motion around the solar system's center of mass depends on tugs from all the planets

answer

how can gravitational tugs from orbiting planets affect the motion of a star?

question

astrometric method

answer

the detection of extrasolar planets through the side-to-side motion of a star caused by gravitational tugs from the planet. difficult to measure

question

GAIA Mission

answer

has the ambitious goal of performing astrometric observations of a billion stars in our galaxy with an accuracy of 10 microarcseconds, which should enable it to detect thousands of extrasolar planets

question

Doppler Method

answer

searches for a star's orbital movement around the center of mass by looking for changing Doppler shifts in its spectrum

question

hot Jupiter planet

answer

a planet that has a Jupiter-like mass but a much higher surface temperature

question

transit method

answer

searches for transits and eclipses by carefully monitoring a star system's brightness over an extended period of time

question

transit

answer

when a planet crosses in front of a star

question

a transit reduces the star's apparent brightness and tells us the planet's radius

answer

what does a transit tell us?

question

eclipse

answer

the planet passing behind the star

question

the Kepler mission

answer

launched in 2008 to begin looking for transiting planets. It is designed to measure the 0.008% decline in brightness when an Earth-mass planet eclipses a Sun-like star.

question

gravitational lensing

answer

Mass bends light in a special way when a star with planets passes in front of another star

question

features in dust disks

answer

Gaps, waves, or ripples in disks of dusty gas around stars can indicate presence of planets

question

orbital period and distance, orbital eccentricity, mass, size, density, and planet's atmospheric composition and temperature

answer

what properties of extrasolar planets can we measure?

question

direct starlight is billions of times brighter than the starlight reflected from planets

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what makes imaging extremely difficult?

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about its planets

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what does a star's periodic motion tell us?

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through Doppler shifts or by measuring its motion across the sky

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how is a star's periodic motion detected?

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transiting planets

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what reduces a star's brightness?

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lower limits on masses

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what does Doppler data give us?

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It has a planet orbiting at greater than 1 AU

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Suppose you found a star with the same mass as the Sun moving back and forth with a period of 16 months. What could you conclude?

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ones that are closer to their star, are big, and have large masses

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what type of extrasolar planets are easier to find?

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they have wide variety of masses and sizes and many are orbiting close to their stars with large masses

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How do extrasolar planets compare with planets in our solar system?

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planetary migration

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A young planet's motion can create waves in a planet-forming disk. matter in these waves can tug on a planet, causing its orbit to migrate inward.

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they can eject one planet while flinging the other into a highly elliptical orbit

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what happens when there are close gravitational encounters between two massive planets?

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Multiple close encounters with smaller planetesimals

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what can cause inward migration?

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It transfers energy and angular momentum to another object.

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What happens in a gravitational encounter that allows a planet's orbit to move inward?

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incomplete

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is the nebular theory complete or incomplete?

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we don't know yet

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are planetary systems like ours common?

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Yes; Original nebular theory cannot account for the existence of hot Jupiters. Planetary migration or gravitational encounters may explain how Jupiter-like planets moved inward

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Do we need to modify our theory of solar system formation?

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no

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is the Sun on fire?

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no way

answer

is the Sun contracting?

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yes

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is the Sun powered by nuclear energy?

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the transit method

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what method has detected the most extrasolar planets so far?

question

less than about 1%

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What fraction of extrasolar planets could in principle be detected by the transit method?

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its size

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Which one of the following can the transit method tell us about a planet?

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astrometric method

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Which method could detect a planet in an orbit that is face-on to the Earth?

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the transit method

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Which detection method was used by the Kepler mission?

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the transit and Doppler methods together

answer

To determine a planet's average density, we can use:

question

"water world"

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Based on the model types shown in Figure 10.12, a planet made almost entirely of hydrogen compounds would be considered a

question

They formed farther out like Jupiter but then migrated inward

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What's the best explanation for the location of hot Jupiters?

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present around at least 99% of all stars

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Based on current data, planetary systems appear to be

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gravitational equilibrium

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Gravity pulling in balances pressure pushing out

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energy balance

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Thermal energy released by fusion in core balances radiative energy lost from surface

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gravitational contraction

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provided energy that heated the core as the Sun was forming

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when fusion started replacing the energy radiated into space

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when does gravitational contraction stop?

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10 billion years

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How long will the Sun shine powered by nuclear fusion?

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the outward force of pressure is equal to the inward force of gravity everywhere in the Sun

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When we say the Sun is in gravitational equilibrium, we mean that...

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6.9 x 10⁸ m (109 times Earth)

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the Sun's radius

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2 x 10³⁰ kg (300,000 Earths)

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the Sun's mass

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3.8 x 10²⁶ watts

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the Sun's luminosity

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solar wind

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A flow of charged particles from the surface of the Sun

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corona (Sun)

answer

outermost layer of solar atmosphere (~1 million K)

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chromosphere (Sun)

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middle layer of solar atmosphere (~ 10⁴-10⁵ K)

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photosphere

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visible surface of the Sun (~6000 K)

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convection zone (Sun)

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energy transported upward by rising hot gas

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radiation zone (Sun)

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energy transported upward by photons

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core (Sun)

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energy generated by nuclear fusion (~15 million K)

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Core, Radiation zone, Convection zone, Photosphere, Chromosphere, Corona

answer

From inside out, what are the layers of the Sun?

question

nuclear fusion in the core maintains both gravitational equilibrium between pressure and gravity and energy balance between thermal energy released in core and radiative energy lost from the Sun's surface

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why does the Sun shine?

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4 individual protons

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which of these groups of particles has the greatest mass?

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the photosphere

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Which of these layers of the sun is coolest?

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corona

answer

X-Ray images of the Sun generally show the...

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The mass of the product of the reaction is less than the mass of the hydrogen atoms that enter the reaction

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How do the nuclear reactions in the Sun's core produce energy?

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nuclear fission

answer

big nucleus splits into smaller pieces (nuclear power plants)

question

nuclear fusion

answer

small nuclei stick together to make a bigger one (Sun, stars)

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High temperatures enable nuclear fusion to happen in the core. the higher the temperature, the more energetic the collisions

answer

why does nuclear fusion require high temperatures and pressures?

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fusion converts about 600 million tons of hydrogen into 596 million tons of helium every second, which means that 4 million tons of matter is turned into energy every second

answer

what is the overall nuclear fusion reaction in the Sun?

question

by fusing 4 hydrogen nuclei into 1 helium nucleus

answer

how does the Sun release energy?

question

proton-proton chain

answer

this is how hydrogen fuses into helium in the Sun

question

step 1 of the proton-proton chain

answer

2 protons fuse to make a deuterium nucleus (1 proton and 1 neutron). this step occurs twice in the overall reaction

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step 2 of the proton-proton chain

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the deuterium nucleus and a proton fuse to make a nucleus of helium-3 (2 protons, 1 neutron). this step occurs twice in the overall reaction

question

step 3 of the proton-proton chain

answer

2 helium-3 nuclei fuse to form helium-4 (2 protons, 2 neutrons), releasing 2 excess protons in the process

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4He nucleus, 2 gamma rays, 2 positrons, 2 neutrinos. total mass is 0.7% lower

answer

what is the overall reaction of the proton-proton chain?

question

4 protons

answer

what goes IN in the proton-proton chain?

question

4He nucleus, 2 gamma rays, 2 positrons, and 2 neutrinos

answer

what goes OUT in the proton-proton chain?

question

the core would expand and cool

answer

What would happen inside the Sun if a slight rise in core temperature led to a rapid rise in fusion energy?

question

solar thermostat

answer

keeps the rate of fusion steady

question

neutrinos

answer

a type of fundamental particle that has extremely low mass and responds only to the weak force

question

solar neutrino problem

answer

the disagreement between the predicted and observed number of neutrinos coming from the Sun

question

solar activity

answer

short-lived phenomena on the Sun, including the emergence and disappearance of individual sunspots, prominences, and flares

question

sunspots

answer

blotches on the surface of the Sun that appear darker than surrounding regions. cooler than other parts of the Sun's surface. STRONG magnetic fields

question

solar prominences

answer

vaulted loops of hot gas that rise above the Sun's surface and follow magnetic field lines

question

solar flares

answer

huge and sudden releases of energy on the solar surface, probably caused when energy stored in magnetic fields is suddenly released

question

coronal mass ejections

answer

bursts of charged particles from the Sun's corona that travel outward into space

question

helium, energy, and neutrinos

answer

At the center of the Sun, fusion converts hydrogen into

question

photons

answer

Solar energy leaves the core of the Sun in the form of

question

about the same

answer

How does the number of neutrinos passing through your body at night compare with the number passing through your body during the day?

question

they are proportional. Increasing the temperature increases the pressure and vice versa. Decreasing the temperature decreases the pressure and vice versa

answer

how are temperature and pressure related?

question

they are inversely proportional. P is proportional to 1/V. Decreasing the volume will increase the pressure. (compress the gas). Increasing the volume will decrease the pressure. (decompress)

answer

how are pressure and volume related?

question

a couple hundred thousand years

answer

How long does it take for energy produced in the Sun's core to reach the photosphere?

question

a few days

answer

How long does convection take to bring energy to the surface of the Sun?

question

convection

answer

rising hot gas

question

Zeeman Effect

answer

We can measure magnetic fields in sunspots by observing the splitting of spectral lines. lines get twisted

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