Astronomy Exam 2

Front 1

the planet we know most about is

Back 1

earth

Front 2

the most obvious features on earth is

Back 2

the vast amounts of liquid water on its surface and its ability to sustain intelligent life

Front 3

this is used to reflect the underlying topography of the oceans and continents

Back 3

radar altimetry

Front 4

an example of young mountains on earth

Back 4

rocky mountain range in the yukon territory

Front 5

the grand canyon was created by

Back 5

the erosional activity of the Colorado River

Front 6

one of the permanent space platforms

Back 6

Mir space station

Front 7

average density of the earth

Back 7

5.5 gm/cc

Front 8

the earths crust is mostly made of

Back 8

granite

Front 9

since the mean density of earth is larger than the granite the core must be made of

Back 9

something more denser than granite- Iron or Nickel

Front 10

this uses the propagation of seismic waves from earthquakes to study the earth's interior

Back 10

seismology

Front 11

two types of seismic waves

Back 11

pressure or p waves and shear or s waves

Front 12

shear waves cannot propagate in liquids or gases because

Back 12

there are no lateral restoring forces

Front 13

P waves can travel through

Back 13

liquids or solids

Front 14

changes in refraction of seismic waves are due to sharp changes in the

Back 14

density = discontinuities due to chemical composition

Front 15

the interior of the earth has 4 components

Back 15

1)thin crust made of basalt
2)a semi-solid mantle of iron oxides
3)liquid outer core of molten iron
4) solid inner core of iron and nickel

Front 16

density of earths crust

Back 16

3.3

Front 17

density of earths mantle

Back 17

3.5-5.5

Front 18

density of earths outer core

Back 18

9 to 11

Front 19

density of earths inner core

Back 19

17

Front 20

temperature of inner core

Back 20

6200 kelvin

Front 21

radioactive dating using radioactive elements known half-life's

Back 21

crustal dating

Front 22

the oldest rocks on earth are how many years old

Back 22

3.8 x 10^9

Front 23

surface of the crust is ____% water and ___% land

Back 23

71 water 29 land

Front 24

the crust is ____ under oceans and _____ under mountain

Back 24

thin, thick

Front 25

we know continents are moving because of

Back 25

fossil records

Front 26

dry land is composed primarily of

Back 26

1)igneous rock-from molten material (basalt and granite)
2)sedimentary- minerals cemented by pressure (sandstone,limestone)
3)metamorphic rock- igneous of sedimentary that has been subjected to high temps and pressure (marble)

Front 27

the earths crust is shaped by 3 things

Back 27

1) impact cratering in early solar system
2) erosion (winder, water, slumping)
3)thermal-tectonic activity- outflow of heat from core transferred to convective motion in mantle

Front 28

there are ___ plates all floating on earths mantle moving a few cm every ____ year

Back 28

12, 100

Front 29

4 types of boundaries between plates

Back 29

1) mid-ocean ridge
2)sliding plates
3)ocean tranch
4)mountains

Front 30

young mountain systems are ______ and ______, old mountain systems are _____ and ______

Back 30

sharp and irregular/ low and rounded

Front 31

What was known about Mars before the 1800's?

Back 31

It was known that it had some large surface features and seasons becaue the size of the polar caps changed.

Front 32

When wsa the first probe sent to Mars?

Back 32

1976

Front 33

The Valles Marineris canyon system on mars is more than _____ kilometers long and up to _ kilometers deep.

Back 33

3,000 kilometers long and up to 8 kilometers deep

Front 34

Mars has many geographical features such as ...

Back 34

The basin called Acidalia Planitia and the three Tharsis volcanoes.

Front 35

What process has changed the layout of Valles Marineris?

Back 35

Landslides

Front 36

Erosion has created what on Mars?

Back 36

Islands

Front 37

water being released under great pressure from beneath a confining layer of frozen ground is known as what?

Back 37

An outflow

Front 38

The South polar cap of Mars consists of ... ?

Back 38

It consists mainly of frozen carbon dioxide

Front 39

How many moons does Mard have and what are the names?

Back 39

Phobos and Deimos

Front 40

Why are they unlike regular moons?

Back 40

They are irregular-shaped objects, which probably means that they are captured asteroids.

Front 41

Name 6 surface feathures Mars has.

Back 41

Craters, featurless and chaotic terrain, polar caps, volcanoes, and canyons.

Front 42

What evidence is there that there was once water on mars?

Back 42

Many water flow features such as Basins, islands, and pebbles that are rounded.

Front 43

A secondary Atmosphere is ... ?

Back 43

An atmosphere that developed after primordial gases had been lost or had failed to accumulate

Front 44

Because Mars is an example of a secondary atmosphere we know that it must have had an early epoch of ____ ____ ?

Back 44

tectonic activity

Front 45

We know that Mars atmosphere is ... ?

Back 45

Very thin, about 1% the mass of Earth's atmosphere

Front 46

as early as the 1920a scientists noted that earthquakes are

Back 46

concentrated in very specific narrow zones

Front 47

in 1954, french seismologist __________ published a map showing the concentration of earthquakes showing the edges of the plates

Back 47

JP Roth

Front 48

the federal aviation administration has regulated that when pilots fly about _____ they need supplemental O2 for them and passengers

Back 48

3000m (10,000 ft)

Front 49

at _____ meters (______ feet) one half of the mass of the atmosphere is belows this altitudce

Back 49

5309 m, 18,000ft

Front 50

at _______ meters the pressure of CO2 and water vapor in the lungs is equal to atmosphere outside so one must be in pressurized cabin or suit

Back 50

16,000m

Front 51

at ___ km the bodily fluids begin to literally boil

Back 51

20km, 12 miles

Front 52

at ____ km an aircrafts pressurization no longer functions and the air is poisonous to humans

Back 52

24km, 15 miles

Front 53

at ____ km, turbojets can no longer function

Back 53

32 km, 20 miles

Front 54

at ___km the US department of defense says space begins because any pilot who fly about this altitude are given astronaut wings

Back 54

81km, 50 miles

Front 55

in 1980 the united nations determined that outer space is

Back 55

international territory

Front 56

seven stages of earth's atmosphere

Back 56

1) proto-atmosphere
2) early atmosphere
3) secondary atmosphere
4) cooling phase
5) photodisintegration
6) carbonate rock formation
7) life

Front 57

the original atmosphere of the earth was very similar to the composition of

Back 57

Jupiter's

Front 58

the original atmosphere was lost into outerspace because

Back 58

1) earth is close to sun and the atoms were heated
2) the gravity of the Earth is weak

Front 59

the secondary atmosphere (rich in h2o co2 n2 and so2) was built up by

Back 59

outgassing from volcanos

Front 60

during the cooling phase of earths atmosphere

Back 60

h2o rains out and becomes oceans

Front 61

______ activity is the main source for the o2 content of todays atmosphere

Back 61

biological

Front 62

the earths atmosphere is 78% ___, 21% ____

Back 62

nitrogen, oxygen

Front 63

co2 is responsible for the

Back 63

greenhouse effect

Front 64

the atmosphere plays an important role in protecting the surface from

Back 64

UV and cosmic rays and space debris

Front 65

the earth is surrounded by a magnetic field generated in

Back 65

the core of our planet

Front 66

the earths magnetic field is distorted, ________ on the side facing the _____ and _______on the other side

Back 66

compressed, Sun/ extended

Front 67

high energy particles directed to the pole regions interact with the atmosphere you get

Back 67

aurora

Front 68

the origin of the earths magnetic field comes from ____ ______ ______ in the core which cause _____ _____

Back 68

free flowing electrons/ electric current

Front 69

the major surface features of the moon are

Back 69

craters, highlands and maria

Front 70

in the 17th century, galileo made telescopic observations of the earths moon noting

Back 70

endless overlapping of craters

Front 71

the moon is about _______km( ______ miles) from earth

Back 71

385,000 km/ 240,000 miles

Front 72

the rotation of the moon and its revolution takes

Back 72

27 days 7 hours 43 minutes

Front 73

3 "faces" seen on the moon

Back 73

the man on the moon, the lady on the moon, the bunny on the moon

Front 74

plum crater on earths moon is __ meters in diameter

Back 74

30 m

Front 75

the ratio of earth to lunar diameter

Back 75

3.6 to 1

Front 76

moon to earth mass ration

Back 76

1/80

Front 77

average density of the moon

Back 77

3.37

Front 78

the lunar surface is greytan with a low albedo of

Back 78

.07

Front 79

the moon's gravity is ____ that of the earths

Back 79

1/6

Front 80

the minor features of the moon are

Back 80

wrinkle ridges, scarps, domes, rilles

Front 81

erosion on the moon is caused by

Back 81

1) slumping
2) other impacts
3) temp changes
4) moonquakes

Front 82

the oldest rocks on the moon are in the

Back 82

highlands

Front 83

smooth plains of basaltic lava are

Back 83

maria

Front 84

all the maria on the moon are on the nearside because the crust is thinner due to

Back 84

tidal interaction with the earth

Front 85

the moon was formed from ____ materials than the earth

Back 85

hotter

Front 86

the effort to put men on the Moon was modivated by a reaction to the

Back 86

USSR launch of Sputnik in 1957

Front 87

the three NASA missions that were the process to Lunar exploration

Back 87

Mercury program, Gemini program, apollo program

Front 88

mercury program was designed to determine if
(1 astronaut)

Back 88

sucessful earth orbit could be achieved (lasted 2 yrs- 7 flights)

Front 89

the gemini program was to test
(2 astronauts)

Back 89

the endurance of astronauts in space (longest mission=14 days) (lasted 1.5 years-10 flights)

Front 90

the apollo program had the aim of
(3 astronauts)

Back 90

lunar orbit and then landing

Front 91

lunar landing was achieved on what date and with what space craft

Back 91

July 19, 1969 with Apollo 11

Front 92

all the maria on the moon are on the nearside because the crust is thinner due to

Back 92

tidal interaction with the earth

Front 93

the moon was formed from ____ materials than the earth

Back 93

hotter

Front 94

the effort to put men on the Moon was modivated by a reaction to the

Back 94

USSR launch of Sputnik in 1957

Front 95

the three NASA missions that were the process to Lunar exploration

Back 95

Mercury program, Gemini program, apollo program

Front 96

mercury program was designed to determine if
(1 astronaut)

Back 96

sucessful earth orbit could be achieved (lasted 2 yrs- 7 flights)

Front 97

the gemini program was to test
(2 astronauts)

Back 97

the endurance of astronauts in space (longest mission=14 days) (lasted 1.5 years-10 flights)

Front 98

the apollo program had the aim of
(3 astronauts)

Back 98

lunar orbit and then landing

Front 99

lunar landing was achieved on what date and with what space craft

Back 99

July 19, 1969 with Apollo 11

Front 100

Io's warmest daytime temperatures are around __ degrees F, but the nighttime temperatures plunge to ___ degrees F.

Back 100

50, -170

Front 101

Our first views of the Martian surface came from the ___ and ___

Back 101

Viking Lander 1 and Viking Lander 2

Front 102

The Noachian Era

Back 102

first billion years of Mars' existence, quite active with periods of warm and wet environment, erupting volcanoes and some degree of tectonic activity. May have had a thicker atmosphere to support running water, and it may have rained and snowed.

Front 103

Hesperian Era

Back 103

Geologic activity was slowing down, Plunging temperatures probably caused water pooled underground to erupt when heated by impacts

Front 104

Amazonian Era

Back 104

current era - The planet is now a dry and water can exist only as a solid or a gas, not as a liquid.

Front 105

Mars Pathfinder

Back 105

(December 1996 - March 1998) - Landecd on Mars with a rover and far exceeded it origional expectations.

Front 106

Mars Global Surveyor

Back 106

(November 1996 - 2007) - mapping mission, evidence of possibly recent liquid water at the martian surface

Front 107

Mars Odyssey

Back 107

(April 2001 - present) - mapping mission

Front 108

the moon solidified and cooled ____ billion years ago

Back 108

4.4

Front 109

most likely, the moon formed from

Back 109

debris ejected from earth after large impact

Front 110

mercury is the _______ of all the planets

Back 110

smallest

Front 111

the mean density of mercury

Back 111

5.4 (dense like iron)

Front 112

daytime temps of mercury are around and nighttime temps are around

Back 112

700 degrees kelvin (melt lead)- 100 Kelvin

Front 113

mercurys large basin created by an impact of a projectile with asteroid dimensions

Back 113

Caloris basin

Front 114

in general, the surface of mercury is similar to the

Back 114

moon

Front 115

since the maria of mercury are few and small, it must have

Back 115

cooled faster

Front 116

cratering is less heavy on mercury between craters because it has a

Back 116

higher surface gravity

Front 117

long scarps or wrinkles are found on mercury because its crust ______ ____

Back 117

solidified first

Front 118

mercury has a strong _____ ____ which gives it a weak ______

Back 118

magnetic field/ atmosphere

Front 119

Galilean Satellites have 4 characteristics

Back 119

1) all orbit Jupiter
2) they all are tidally locked to Jupiter
3) they all have radii larger than our Moon
4) the inner moons have densities higher than outer moons

Front 120

Io is the ... ?

Back 120

innermost world, closest to Jupiter

Front 121

The surface of Io is .. ?

Back 121

mottled yellow, reds and blackish-browns = sulfur compounds

Front 122

The mean temperature on Io's surface is about ... ?

Back 122

-143 C (-230 F)

Front 123

Hot spots associated with volcanic features on Io measure about

Back 123

17 C (60 F)

Front 124

planet known as the morning star and evening star due to its low elongation

Back 124

venus

Front 125

Venus is often called earths twin because (4)

Back 125

1) similar radius/size
2) similar in mass
3) similar density
4) has an atmosphere

Front 126

venus's ground temperature is over _____ degrees farenheit and its atmosphere is made of _____ and _______

Back 126

800 degrees/ carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid

Front 127

this prevents the optical observation of the surface of Venus

Back 127

heavy atmosphere with thick cloud cover

Front 128

a day in venus is ____ earth days and is longer than its year which is ____ dayss

Back 128

243, 225

Front 129

because venus rotates from ____ to _____ the sun would rise in the _____ and set in the ____

Back 129

east to west/ sun rises in west and sets in east

Front 130

atmosphere of venus is composed mostly of

Back 130

CO2 and N2

Front 131

if you increase the pressure of a gas the ________ goes ____ and the ______ goes ______

Back 131

temperature up/ density down

Front 132

if you lower the density of a gas the ______ goes ____ and the _______ goes _______

Back 132

pressure down/ temperature up

Front 133

the planet with the hottest average temp is

Back 133

venus

Front 134

two types of greenhouse effects

Back 134

normal and enhanced

Front 135

greenhouse rates are controlled by (2)

Back 135

1) distance from Sun (surface temp)
2) amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere

Front 136

enhanced greenhouse effects is when normal greenhouse gases are added by

Back 136

human activity

Front 137

the results of an enhanced greenhouse effect are (5)

Back 137

1) global warming
2) increased cloud cover
3) increased hurricane strengths
4) rise in sea level by 1 or 2 meters over next 50 yrs
5) increased growing season at northern latitudes

Front 138

the 4 main surface features of venus

Back 138

1)craters
2)volcanoes
3)fault lines
4)arachnoids

Front 139

____ percent of Venus's surface is covered with volcanic rock

Back 139

85%

Front 140

missions that made soft landings on venus but ceased transmitting data b/c of the extreme heat and pressure

Back 140

venera 5 & 6 (1969)

Front 141

missions that sent back the first closeup photos of venus' surface

Back 141

venera 9 & 10 (1975)

Front 142

certain parts of venus are covered with _____ ____ _____ and others with ____ ____ ____

Back 142

sharp edge rock and fine-grain dust

Front 143

rocks in venus are ______ in nature and ______ from erosion

Back 143

igneous/ smooth

Front 144

Io has ____ ____, not volcanoes because there is no mantle.

Back 144

active plumes

Front 145

Jupiter's gravitational field is much stronger than the Moon's on the Earth so ____ and ____ are created.

Back 145

friction and heat

Front 146

World with the youngest surface in the Solar System and less than a million years old.

Back 146

Io

Front 147

Next world out from Io.

Back 147

Europa

Front 148

Why is Europa have such a high probobility of life?

Back 148

It is due to its large ocean under its icy crust.

Front 149

Ganymede is much less _____ than Europa or Io

Back 149

dense

Front 150

What are some o the charecteristice of Ganymedes diverse surface?

Back 150

dark regions, valleys, mountains, evidence of past tectonic activity

Front 151

Ganymedes low mean density implies a very deep ice mantle, about _____ km thick

Back 151

1000

Front 152

Outermost of the 4 primary satellites fo Jupiter

Back 152

Callisto

Front 153

Callisto has a similar surface to Ganymede but with __ times more cratering

Back 153

10

Front 154

As you move outward in the sequence of Jupiters moons what happens?

Back 154

The planets become more icy, less dense, and geological activity decreases.

Front 155

Largest satellite of Saturn, unique in its methane atmosphere.

Back 155

Titan

Front 156

Titan has an atmosphere __ times the Earths.

Back 156

1.4

Front 157

Titans atmosphere is composed mostly of ...

Back 157

Nitrogen and CH4

Front 158

Titans surface temperature averages around ______

Back 158

-178C (-289F)

Front 159

the evolution of planetary surface is dominated by these processes (3) (also the order in which they occur on the planet)

Back 159

1)impact cratering
2) tectonic activity
3) erosion

Front 160

all planets receive the same amount of ______ but the amount of ______ ______ and _____ varies from planet to planet

Back 160

impacts/ tectonic activity and erosion

Front 161

after planets cooled, impacts would either

Back 161

1) create craters or 2)burst through the crust to the mantle to release lava to form basins

Front 162

as the crust of planets become thinker impacts that form _____ become rarer

Back 162

basins

Front 163

planets with ___ surfaces have large amounts of impact cratering and planets with ___ surfaces have little evidence of craters

Back 163

old/ young

Front 164

the surface of most airless worlds are covered with a layer of ____ and ____ ____

Back 164

rubble and fine dust (regolith)

Front 165

the amount of tectonic activity on a planet is controlled by

Back 165

the amount of hear stored in the planets interior after formation

Front 166

the amount of heat stored in a planet's interior comes from 2 sources

Back 166

1) the energy of formation of the plant
2) heat generate by the decay of radioactive elements

Front 167

the higher the mass of the planet, the greater the amount of...

Back 167

energy deposited on it during formation (greater amount of tectonic activity) AND the greater amount of radioactive material (more heat)

Front 168

tectonic activity displays itself in 4 ways

Back 168

1) plate motion
2) volcanoes
3) mountain/terrain formation
4) crustal fractures

Front 169

the more diverse the surface geography of a planet, the more involved is the

Back 169

tectonic activity

Front 170

the fact that the volcanoes on MArs are large implies that

Back 170

Mars was once active

Front 171

erosion can be caused by 3 processes

Back 171

# atmospheric erosion (wind, weather)
# tectonic activity (crustal movement/recycling, volcanos)
# gravity (slumping)

Front 172

______ _____ is only visible on airless worlds with timescales of billions of years

Back 172

gravity slumping

Front 173

______ ______ is a measure of age for a planet's surface

Back 173

impact cratering

Front 174

the amount of tectonic activity determines the amount of _______

Back 174

outgassing

Front 175

planets with _____ ________ have few features left over from the early eras

Back 175

thick atmospheres

Front 176

since we can't examine interiors, we build computer models which contain the following parameters (5)

Back 176

# density as a function of radius
# rotation rate
# magnetic field
# temperature as function of radius
# chemical composition

Front 177

we can measure the boundary conditions (6)

Back 177

# total mass
# mean density
# surface temperature
# strength of magnetic field at surface
# thickness of crust
# seismic activity

Front 178

we know that the Earth's magnetic field is not due to the presence of a giant permanent magnet, such as iron, deep in the Earth's core because (2)

Back 178

1) the core temperature is above the Cure temperature and
2) the field is too variable

Front 179

For the planets it is key to know that a magnetic field indicates that:

Back 179

1) the planet has a large, liquid core
2) the planet has a core rich in metals (source of free electrons)
3) the planet has a high rotation rate

Front 180

______ causes heavier elements to sink to the core of a planet, this is called ______ _______

Back 180

gravity/ chemical fractionation

Front 181

the thickness of a planet's crust is directly propportional to the rate at which

Back 181

the planet cooled in the distant past (fast cooling rate = thick crust)

Front 182

the cooling rate is proportional to the

Back 182

total mass of the planet

Front 183

warmer interiors imply more _____ ______

Back 183

diversified structure (inner core, outer core, semi-solid mantle, etc.)

Front 184

thicker crust means less

Back 184

tectonic activity

Front 185

as one goes deeper into a planet the _____ and _____ go up

Back 185

temperature and pressures

Front 186

the primary terrestrial worlds fall into 2 classes

Back 186

1) high mean density (earth, venus and mars)
2) low density worlds

Front 187

low density worlds have weaker structure meaning no

Back 187

strong cores

Front 188

the two largest worlds have the largest liquid outer cores and the highest amount of

Back 188

current tectonic activity

Front 189

magnetic fields are generated by planets with

Back 189

molten inner and outer cores

Front 190

the strength of the magnetic field is determined by (2)

Back 190

1) the size of the core
2) rotation rate

Front 191

due to the higher concentration of icy materials in the outer solar system, the crusts of the galilean satellites is dominated by

Back 191

h2o and co2 ice

Front 192

the distance to jupiter from the galilean moons determines the amount of

Back 192

tidal friction

Front 193

the amount of tidal friction on the galilean moons determines the amount of

Back 193

heat in the moons = the level of geological activity

Front 194

large amounts of _____ have drained the inner moons __ and ______ of their icy materials making them rich in rocky material

Back 194

outgassing/ io and europa

Front 195

the lack of ______ _____ in the outer galilean moons has left them with warm interiors and large liquid mantles

Back 195

tectonic activity

Front 196

the temperature and pressures are near the ____ ____ of methane

Back 196

triple point

Front 197

Primary atmospheres are very similar in composition to

Back 197

94.2% H, 5.7% He

Front 198

If the planet has a large mass then there is a large amount of

Back 198

tectonic activity -> volcanos.

Front 199

For the warmer terrestrial worlds, the light, gaseous elements ___ and ___ are lost.

Back 199

He and H

Front 200

The composition of outgassing is similar for Venus, Earth and Mars and is composed of

Back 200

58% H2O, 23% CO2, 13% SO2, 5% N2

Front 201

What is the key catalyst for the evolution of a secondary atmosphere?

Back 201

H2O

Front 202

Converting CO2 into O2 mostly comes from the ...

Back 202

ocean

Front 203

The greenhouse effect currently raises the temperature of the following planets by how much.
Mars, Earth, Venus

Back 203

+5, +35, +500

Front 204

Titan has the second thickest atmosphere in the solar system True/False?

Back 204

True

Front 205

The composition of an atmosphere on a terrestrial planet will be determined by what?

Back 205

1. Distance from the Sun
2. Mass and radius of the planet
3. Chemical reactions
4. Geological Activity
5. Living organisms

Front 206

which 2 planets do not have moons

Back 206

mercury and venus

Front 207

highly irregular moons are most likely

Back 207

captured asteroids

Front 208

spherical moons are most likely formed from

Back 208

molten sphere and later accretion

Front 209

phobos and deimos are captured asteroids because they have

Back 209

irregular appearances and low mean densities (deimos is smoother due to partial filling of craters)

Front 210

the innermost known satellite of jupiter

Back 210

metis

Front 211

an example of moon collecting dust from another moon

Back 211

amalthea collecting Io

Front 212

satellite of saturn that orbits in retrograde motion

Back 212

phoebe

Front 213

the brightest moon of uranus/ the largest moon of uranus

Back 213

ariel/titania

Front 214

on of the darkest objects in solar system (a moon of neptune)

Back 214

proteus

Front 215

the largest moon of neptune and coldest object measured in solar system

Back 215

triton