ASTR1010 - Study Guide for chapters 11 - 15.
Final Exam; Monday December 15, 5:00 - 7:00pm
Chapter 11 & 12
What planets are known as the Jovian planets?
Planetary data of Jupiter & Saturn:
Is the orbit nearly circular, or more elliptical?
Is there a significant axial tilt?
Is the magnetic field strong or weak?
Slow or fast rotational period?
High (rocky/metallic) or low (gaseous) density?
How is Jupiter's mass calculated? Its radius? The rotation period of it's core? Of its atmosphere?
What is "differential rotation"?
Does Jupiter rotate faster at the equator, or at the poles?
What is Jupiter's equitorial bulge the result of? What does the size of this bulge tell us about the compostion of Jupiter's core? Is the core, metallic, rocky, or gaseous?
- How about for Saturn?
Are Saturn's rings considered thick or thin? Are they reflective or dull?
What elements make up Jupiter's atmosphere, and in what general proportions? How about for Saturn?
Why does Saturn contain less helium (He) in its atmosphere than Jupiter?
What is "escape speed"? How does Jupiter's escape speed relate to how light elements are retained in its atmosphere?
What are "belts" and "zones" of Jupiter? What process causes them?
What is the "zonal flow"? Where is it fastest on Jupiter? On Saturn? Which of the two planets has more extreme zonal flows?
What is the main cause of the color difference in Jupiters' belts and zones?
Why are atmospheric clouds more compressed on Jupiter than on Saturn?
What spacecraft, whose mission recently ended, has descended into Jupiter's clouds and returned data?
For how long has there been a Great Red Spot? Did we observe it's beginning? Are there any storms on Saturn that have lasted as long?
Why is it that hurricanes (which are similar to the Great Red Spot) do not last as long on Earth as they do on Jupiter?
Has lightening been observed on Jupiter or Saturn? Have aurorae been observed?
How do we know that Jupiter must have an internal heat source? What is this internal heat source?
- Also answer this for Saturn.
In what state is hydrogen in Jupiter's core? What is the consequence of this?
What are the four Galilean moons of Jupiter?
Galilean moon properties;
Are their orbits nearly circular or very elliptical?
Do their densities increase or decrease with distance from Jupiter? Which is the densest?
What are they composed of?
How do their sizes compare?
How do their surface ages compare?
Which is the most geologically active, currently?
What three moons have a 1:2:4 orbital resonance with each other?
What is Io most distinguished for? What causes this?
What is the "plasma torus"? How is it caused?
What is Europa distinguished for? What is the cause of Eurpopa's internal heating?
Which moon has what is considered to be the oldest surface in the solar system?
Which moon features evidence of plate tectonics?
What are "flexi"? How are they caused? On what moon are they found?
What is a prominent piece of evidence for the presence of a conducting liquid in Europa?
What is the most likely origin of Jupiter's larger moons? Of its small outer moons?
How was Jupiter's ring discovered? Where is the ring with respect to the other moons?
When, and by whom, were Saturn's rings first observed?
What are Saturn's rings made out of?
What is the Roche limit? What force causes it? How does this relate to planetary rings?
What are "ringlets"? What causes them?
What are "gaps"? What causes them?
What are "spokes"? What causes them?
What is the cause of the Cassini Division? What moon is involved?
What is strange about Saturn's F ring?
What are "shepherd satellites"?
What are the general characteristics of Saturn's "small," "medium," and "large" moons?
What is Saturn's largest moon?
What is the primary constituent of Titan's atmosphere?
Why do many of Saturn's medium moons feature different terrain on different sides?
What is "wispy terrrain"? On which larger medium moon is it found?
What moon is known for having a gigantic crater (named Herschel)?
Which of Saturn's moons features evidence of ice geysers or volcanoes?
What are "co-orbital satellites"?
What are "Lagrange points"?
What is "chaotic rotation"? Which moon experiences it?
Chapter 13
What year and by whom was Uranus discovered? Was he expecting to find a planet, or did he just find it by accident? What did he think he was looking at, at first?
How was Neptune discovered? In what year was it discovered, and by who? Who predicted where Neptune would be found?
Planetary data of Uranus, Neptune, Pluto:
Is the orbit nearly circular, or more elliptical?
Is there a significant axial tilt?
Is the magnetic field strong or weak?
Slow or fast rotational period?
High (rocky/metallic) or low (gaseous) density?
Do Uranus & Neptune rotate differentially? Does Uranus rotate faster at the poles or at the equator? How about Neptune?
Do the atmospheres of Uranus & Neptune rotate at the same speed as their cores?
What are the primary components of Uranus' and Neptune's atmospheres? What are they missing that is present in Jupiter & Saturn? What component is responsible for Uranus' and Neptune's bluegreen & blue colors?
Does Uranus have an internal heat source? Does Neptune?
What makes the magnetic fields of Uranus and Neptune significantly different than those of other planets?
Which of Uranus' moons has many different kinds of terrain, and was probably the victim of catastrophic meteoroid impacts?
What is Neptune's largest moon? What is its thin atmosphere made of?
How were Uranus' rings discovered? Does Neptune have rings?
Who first observed Pluto, and when?
Pluto's orbital path crosses the orbital path of which other planet? Why will Pluto never collide with this planet?
What is the name of Pluto's moon? Is this moon's size a significant fraction of Pluto's size?
Why does Pluto not fit into either the Terrestrial or Jovian planet categories? What kind of object does Pluto resemble?
Chapter 14
Where are the majority of asteroids located?
What is the name of the largest asteroid? What are some other asteroids mentioned in your text?
When, and what, was the first asteroid discovered?
What are "Apollo" and "Amor" asteroids?
Where are the Trojan asteroids located?
What does a C-type asteroid contain substantial amounts of? S-type? Which is more reflective? What does an M-type asteroid contain?
What asteroid has a very small moon, and was photographed by the Galileo spacecraft?
What spacecraft landed on the asteroid Eros?
What are the Kirkwood Gaps? What planet's tidal forces causes them?
What is the Kuiper Belt? Where is it located?
What are the different parts of a comet? What are the two tails caused by?
How are comet orbits generally shaped?
Where do short period comets originate? How about long period comets?
What are comets composed of?
What space mission is on its way to collect material samples from a comet and return them to Earth? What is the name of the comet?
What space mission has made the closest approach ever to Halley's comet?
What is Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 famous for?
What are "meteoroids," "meteors," and "meteorites"?
How is a meteor shower created? What is the "radiant" of a meteor shower?
Where do larger meteoroids originate?
What caused the "Tunguska event" in Siberia in 1908?
About how often do large meteoroids collide with Earth?
What are smaller meteoroids composed of? How about larger meteoroids?
How old are most meteorites? Is this similar to the age of the Solar System?
Chapter 15
Why is studying the Earth of no help in developing a model of the Solar System's origin? What objects are useful?
What are the nine basic requirements of any Solar System model? Does the model have to explain evolutionary features? Does the model have to allow for retrograde orbits and rotations? Does the model have to allow for irregularities in the Solar System?
What are some examples of evolutionary features of a planet or moon?
What characteristics of an object determine its angular momentum? What happens to the angular speed of on object if you decrease its radius?
According to the Nebular Contraction theory, how did the Solar System form?
What is an "evolutionary theory"? What is a "catastrophic theory"? Which is the Nebular Contraction theory an example of?
What is a "protosun"? What is a "protoplanet"?
What is the primary difference between the Nebular Contraction theory and the Condensation theory? What are "condensation nuclei"? Which is the currently favored theory?
How did the Solar System form according to the Condensation theory?
What is "accretion"? What are "planetesimals"? How do these terms fit into the Condensation theory?
What is a "solar nebula"? What event might have happened to trigger the collapse of a solar nebula? How do the speed, shape, and temperature of a solar nebula change as it contracts?
Why is it suspected that the Jovian planets formed further from the Sun than they are currently located? How did the creation of comets play a role in their migration towards the Sun?
Describe how a planet's distance from the Sun determined the composition of that planet.
How were water and other volatile elements most likely brought to the inner, Terrestrial planets? Which Terrestrial planet has the strangest orbit?
Why did the objects in the Asteroid Belt never combine to form a single planet?
What are two ways in which we can detect extra-solar planets?
Describe the extra-solar planets found so far. In what ways are these systems often different from ours?