Download Study Guide: Use your notes and handouts to answer the following

Part I – Solar System
1. How is the material that composes inner planets different from the outer planets?
Inner planet – Rocky material, iron and nickel core
Outer Planets – Iron and nickel core, made mainly of gases
2. What planet has the shortest period of revolution? Longest period of revolution?
Mercury (closest to the Sun)
Neptune (further from Sun than other planets)
3. What are significant characteristics of each planet in our solar system?
Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun.
Mercury is smallest of current planets.
It is covered with craters.
Venus, the second planet away from the Sun, is Earth’s closest neighbor.
It is about the same size as the Earth. (Earth’s Twin)
It also traps heat (the greenhouse effect) making the surface of Venus the hottest in the
Solar System
Venus rotates is from west to east
Earth
It differs from the other planets because it has liquid water on its surface, maintains
life, and has active plate movement.
Mars is a little more than half the size of the Earth. It rotates at about the same speed as
the Earth, taking 24.6 hours. Mars has a very thin atmosphere which is composed
largely of CO2. Its surface is very cold, and is covered with craters, volcanoes, and large
canyons. Mars is reddish in color.
Jupiter is the largest planet in the Solar System
It rotates very fast, in only 10 hours.
Its surface is made up of gas (mostly hydrogen), so that if you landed on the surface
you would sink into it.
Has gas rings
Large red spot
Saturn is well known for its rings. It is a large planet
Saturn is composed of mostly gas, and has a core composed of rock and metallic
hydrogen. Rings are probably composed of small particles of ice and rock
Uranus. It is covered by a thick layer of gas, and has a fairly uniform blue-green color.
Uranus is surrounded by a system of nine rings. Tilted almost on its side
Neptune. Its atmosphere appears blue and is marked by large dark blue storm systems.
4. What determines how long a planet’s period of revolution will be?
The length of time it takes to orbit the Sun
5. What two particles are found in the region between stars?
Dust and Gases, particularly Hydrogen and Helium
6. Do all planets rotate in the same direction? If not, which ones are different?
No, Venus rotates backwards, going west to east; Venus’ tilt on its side makes its rotation different
from others
7. Do all planets revolve in the same direction? If not, which ones are different?
Yes
8. How is rotation different from revolution?
Rotation is the spin of an object on its axis; Revolution is an orbit around another object
9. An astronomical unit is the distance from Earth to the Sun. It is used to measure distances in our
solar system. (Sorry I forgot to go over this measurement)
10. How many moons does each planet have?
Mercury: no moons
Venus: no moons
Earth: 1 moon
Mars: 2 moons
Jupiter: 67 moons
Saturn: 62 moons
Uranus: 27 moons
Neptune: 14 moons
11. What does a comet’s tail consist of?
dust and gas
12. A year on a planet would be what?
revolution
13. A day on a planet would be what?
rotation
14. Do we always see the same side of the moon? Explain.
No. Because the moon’s rotation and revolution around Earth is almost the same, we never see the
other side of the moon
15. What are the names of Mars’ two moons?
Phobos and Diemos
16. How is the orbit of a planet different from the orbit of a comet?
The comet’s orbit goes out further into the solar system (More elliptical) than the planets.
17. What is in our solar system?
Sun, planets, moons, comets, asteroids, meteoroids
18. What is a moon?
Natural satellite of a planet
19. Does a moon become larger or smaller during its waxing phases? During its waning phases?
Waxing – larger, waning – smaller
20. What are comets?
Objects that orbit the sun that are made of dust and frozen gas. They contain a coma and tail. The
tail always faces away from the Sun
21. What is a meteoroid?
Smaller rocky object orbiting the Sun, thought to be leftover rocky material from when the solar
system was formed
22. What do you call a meteoroid after it hits Earth?
Meteorite
23. What is an eclipse?
Shadow of one object falls on another object when they are is direct 180 degree alignment with
each other
24. Describe what happens during a solar eclipse?
The moon falls between the Earth and Sun, casting a shadow so that the Sun appears to darken
from our viewpoint on Earth. It can only happen during a new moon.
25. Describe what happens during a lunar eclipse?
The Earth falls between the Sun and the Moon, casting a shadow on the Moon so the Moon
appears to darken. It can only happen in a full moon.
26. Why is it easier to see many lunar eclipses in your lifetime but not solar eclipse?
The penumbra and umbar are much bigger for a lunar than a solar eclipse, so it increases our
changes of being in that area of Earth where the lunar eclipse can be viewed
27. What keeps planets orbiting around the sun?
The pull of gravity between the Sun and the planets. Because the Sun’s gravity is larger, the
smaller objects orbit around the Sun.
28. What is an axis?
Imaginary line from north to south pole, on which a planet or another object rotates (spins).
29. What type of shape is Earth’s revolution around the sun?
Elliptical
30. How long does it take the Earth to rotate? Revolve around sun?
Rotate – 24 hours; Revolve – 365 ¼ days
31. Why do we have leap year every 4 years?
It makes up for the extra ¼ day of Earth’s revolution to keep our calendar accurate
32. Why do we have seasons on Earth?
Earth’s tilted axis causes the Earth to tilt toward the Sun in hotter months, tilt away from the Sun
in colder months
33. Where does the moon get its light?
Reflected light from the Sun, same for planets
34. Why do we see different phases of the moon?
As the moon orbits the Earth, it creates different angles between Earth, Moon, Sun which creates
different views of the moon’s reflected light for us on Earth
35. When it is a full moon, what is the alignment of Earth, Sun, and Moon?
Earth is in the middle of the Sun and Moon
36. When it is a new moon, what is the alignment of Earth, Sun, and Moon?
The moon is in the middle of the Sun and Earth
37. What is an eclipse?
Same as for question #23
38. How is a solar eclipse different from a lunar eclipse?
Solar eclipse – Moon blocks sunlight from Earth for a temporary time, usually a few minutes
Lunar eclipse – Earth blocks moon’s reflected light for a short time, usually a few hours
39. What is an umbra?
darkest part of the shadow where a total eclipse may be seen
40. What is a penumbra?
larger part of the shadow where a partial eclipse may be seen
41. What will be the alignment of Earth, Sun, and Moon in a solar eclipse?
Sun – Moon – Earth
42. What will be the alignment of Earth, Sun, and Moon in a lunar eclipse?
Sun – Earth – Moon
43. What is a tide?
rise and fall of the ocean’s water
44. What causes tides?
The pull of the gravity between Earth and Moon
45. What is a spring tide?
It happens at a new moon. It is when there is the most difference in high and low tides because a
stronger gravitational pull.
46. What is a neap tide?
It happens at a first and last quarter moon. Gravity is pulling between the Earth and Moon and
Sun at a 90 degree angle, so not as much gravitation pull. There is less difference between high
and low tides.
47. If you are a surfer, what tide would you want to make sure you didn’t miss? Why?
Spring Tide – bigger waves due to stronger gravitational pull
Part II – Universe, Stars, Galaxies
48. What happened during the Big Bang Theory? What does it help to explain?
It is a theory that says that all material of the Universe was in a single point and it exploded,
causing the material to spread apart and form objects in space such as stars and planets.
49. What is a light year? What is it used to measure in space?
Distance that light travels in one year, approximately 9 trillion miles; Used to measure distance of
stars and galaxies
50. What is a galaxy?
Grouping of stars, held together by gravity
51. What are the three types of galaxies?
Spiral – pinwheel shaped galaxy containing old stars in the center, younger stars in the arms around
the center
Elliptical – oval to circular grouping of stars, contains mainly older stars
Irregular – no distinct shape of stars, old and new stars
52. What is the name of our galaxy? What type of galaxy is it?
Milky Way - Spiral
53. What star is the closest star to Earth?
Sun
54. Most mass in space is found in what objects?
Dark matter
Visible - stars
55. What does the sun provide to the earth?
Heat and light energy
56. What is the first stage in the life of a star? What happens during this stage?
Nebula – cloud of gas and dust get squeezed together, forming a protostar that will eventually begin
burning hydrogen
57. What is the second stage in the life of a star? What happens?
Main Sequence- longest part of a star’s life, nuclear fusion is happening fusing hydrogen to make
helium and other heavier elements; Produces lots of energy in the process
58. What is the third stage in the life of a star? What happens?
Red Giant – begins to cool and expand
59. In a small to medium star, what is its last stage? What happens?
White Dwarf – Gravity squeezes all the matter of the star into a smaller space, making it more dense;
eventually burns out
60. In a large star, what happens after the red giant stage?
Supernova – exploding star
61. What are the possible things that can happen to a large star in its life cycle?
Neutron star, sometimes begins spinning (pulsar); All light and matter gets sucked into black hole
62. Do small or large stars have longer lives?
Small stars – not using up hydrogen as fast
63. What stage is our sun currently in its life cycle?
Main Sequence
64. How many billions of years will remain in this stage? What happens next?
5 billion more years – Red Giant
65. What is happening during nuclear fusion? What stage does this take place in a star’s life?
Hydrogen atoms gets squeezed together to form heavier isotopes of Hydrogen; eventually squeezing
to form helium
Takes place in main sequence
66. What color star is the hottest? Coldest?
Blue – hottest; Red - coldest
67. What color is our star, the Sun?
Yellow
68. Which star is brighter: first magnitude stars or sixth magnitude stars?
First magnitude
69. What does magnitude of stars really measure?
Luminosity or brightness of stars
70. How is apparent magnitude different from absolute magnitude?
Apparent is the brightness as it appears to us on Earth; Absolute – actual scientific measurement of
brightness
71. What is a parallax? What is it used to measure in space?
Apparent shift in star’s location as we view it on Earth; a triangle is formed connecting the stars
movement to Earth and Sun; used to calculate distance of nearby stars
72. What is a Hertzsprung Russell Diagram?
A graph that plots stars according to temperature and luminosity; Used to classify stars
73. What is on the X axis of a HR Diagram? Temperature (color)
74. What is on the Y axis of the HR Diagram? Luminosity (absolute magnitude or brightness)
75. What is used to determine luminosity? Size of star and distance from Earth
76. How are main sequence stars represented on a HR Diagram? Diagonal band of stars going from top
left, across the center to bottom right
77. Where would you find the white dwarf stars on a HR Diagram? Bottom left hand corner
78. Where would you find the red giants stars on a HR Diagram? Upper right hand corner
79. Most stars are in what stage of their life cycle? Main sequence
80. Draw a picture of the Sun and label its parts:
81. Which three parts of the sun is part of the Sun’s atmosphere? Which one reaches further out into
space?
Corona – reaches out further; Chromosphere, Photosphere
82. What part of the sun is where energy is made? Core
83. What part of the sun has gases rising and sinking and helps to get energy out to the surface of the
sun? Convection Zone
84. What part of the sun is so thick that it takes millions of years for light to pass through it?
Radiation Zone
85. What is the name of the sun’s surface? Photosphere
86. What is a solar wind?
A stream of plasma that reaches deep out into the solar system; can cause disturbances in
weather, technology signals, and could harm astronauts in space if they come in direct contact
with it
87. What is a sunspot? Magnetic disturbance on Sun – appears as dark spots on the surface
88. What is a solar flare? Giant storm of gases that shoot out beyond the Sun, usually out of a
sunspot; caused by magnetic disturbance
89. What is a solar prominence? Caused by magnetic disturbance, eruption of gases that extend out
from a sun spot and loop to go back into another sun spot.
90. What percentage of the solar system composes our sun? approximately 99.8%
91. What size of star is our sun? medium sized as compared to other stars