Download Outer Planets and Moons Notes

Name: _________________________
Date: _______________
Period: _____
Astronomy: The Outer Planets and their Moons
What are at least 5 things that the outer planets have in common?
What are Jupiter’s mass, density, radius, rotation period, and period of revolution? How does each
compare with Earth?
Describe Jupiter’s Great Red Spot. Why isn’t it slowing down?
What is differential rotation? How does it apply to Jupiter? Draw a diagram to explain.
What causes Jupiter to have different color belts?
Draw and label Jupiter’s internal structure.
How does Jupiter create its own heat?
How many moons does Jupiter have? __________
Name and describe the four Galilean moons.
What are Saturn’s mass, density, radius (diameter divided by 2), rotation period, and period of
revolution?
Which 2 characteristics of Saturn distinguish it from the other outer planets?
Saturn has _____________ moons, and the largest is _________________.
What characteristics of Titan are of particular interest to astronomers? Why?
What are 5 other moons of Saturn? For each of these, state one unique characteristic.
What are Uranus’s mass, density, radius (diameter divided by 2), rotation period, and period of
revolution? How do they compare with Earth?
Describe at least 3 unique features of Uranus and what causes/caused them.
Uranus has ___________ moons. Name the largest five.
What are some of Neptune’s vital statistics?
Describe at least 3 unique features of Neptune, and what causes them?
Describe Neptune’s Great Dark Spot.
How was Neptune discovered?
Neptune has ____________ moons. The largest is named ____________________________.
What requirements are necessary for a celestial object to be classified as a planet?
What are dwarf planets? When was this planetary classification created?
What happened as a result of the new planetary classification of “dwarf planet”?
Describe the characteristics of Pluto.
When did the New Horizons probe reach Pluto? Look up and summarize 4 discoveries that were made
about Pluto and its moons.
Journal
Do you think Pluto should be reinstated as a planet? Why or why not?