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43 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Which is the biggest terrestrial planet? |
Earth (Goes mercury --> Mars --> Vens ~ Earth) |
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What are the main differences between terrestrial and jovian planets?
-Distance from Sun/temp -Closeness together -Densities/size/mass -Moons/rings -Composition |
Terrestrial Planets are:
-closer to the sun/warmer surfaces -closer together -higher densitites/smaller size & mass -few/no moons/rings -solid surface/rock & metal (jovian mainly H, He and H compound gases - no solid surface, thick high atmospheres) |
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Jovian planets formed in similar ways, why do they show different masses/sizes/densities/colours? |
The jovian planets must have accreted different amounts of H and He gas!
Jupiter (300 Mearth), Saturn (85), Uranus/Neptune (5-10) |
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To what size did the Jovian planetesimals grow before they started accreting H and He gas? |
About 10 Earth masses |
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Why was jupiter such a gas guzzler? |
Other jovian planets were farther away from the Sun (farther away condensed particles were more spread out - takes longer to accrete planetesimals) - so jupiter accumlated 10 Earth masses much faster and therefore could accrete gas faster/longer |
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Accretion of gas stopped when? |
The solar wind blew the gas away |
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Why is Neptune slightly larger in mass/density than Uranus (even though it is farther from the sun)? |
It was probably formed from a large size planetesimal (therefore could accrete more gas) |
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How is Jupiter much more massive than Saturn but only slightly larger? |
The extra mass of Jupiter compresses the gas more than Saturn (increasing the density, but not the size) |
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The pillow analogy (mass/density) |
Gradually as you increase mass to a certain point, you increase density, but not its size (radius) |
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What causes the slight flattening of the jovian planets at their equators? |
The fast rotation of the planets (easily seen on Saturn)
-Day on Jupiter/Saturn (10hrs), Uranus/Neptune (16-17hrs)
-Flattening is a balance between gravity (spherical) and rotation (flattening) |
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The flattening is most pronounced for Saturn because? |
Saturn has fast rotation and low surface gravity |
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Describe the composition of Juipter's interior? |
-Outer gaseous H layer -Liquid H layer -Metalic H layer (conducts electricity effectively) --> cause of magnetic field -Core 10 times more massive than Earth (but same size)
-differences in layers due to pressure, density, and temp (higher temp/pressure causes condensation) |
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What are the interiors of the other jovian planets like (besides Jupiter)? |
Similar structure (but lower temp cause farther away and less pressure) so thicker outer layer and metalic H layer is smaller (less magnetic fields) |
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Energy balance of terrestrial planets and jovian planets... |
T - Radiation from Sun = Infrared light emitted from terrestrial planets
J - Emit twice as much Infrared radiation than they receive |
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If jovian planets are emitting much more heat than they recieve from the Sun's radiation, where is their heat coming from? |
Internal Heat
Jupiter - contracting (slowly) gravitational potential energy to heat
Saturn - differentiation (liquid He rain produces heat)
Neptune - differentiation
Uranus - no excess heat (so equal emission and incoming radiation) |
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What does Jupiter's surface look like? |
Brown-red colour, white bands, oval features, Great red spot, many white spots, moving clouds |
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What does Saturn's surface look like? |
Yellowish bands, polar vortex on each side (hexagon) - like a hurricane storm |
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What does the surface of Uranus/Neptune look like? |
Bluish, colour bands
-Can see sandstorms on Neptune |
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Why do the Jovian planets show quite different colours? |
Due to their different temperature structures and planetary atmospheres |
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What are the most common molecules in Jovian planets? What optical properties do they emit? |
Methane (CH4) - blue, ammonia (NH3) - whitish, and water, ammonium hydrosulfide - red/brown
- at different depths in the atmosphere, there are different temperatures, so different molecules are found that absorb/reflect different colours
-more methane in colder uranus/neptune |
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When looking at Jupiter's cloud bands, we look at different depths than the rest of Jupiter's atmosphere? T or F |
True |
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How does cloud band formation work? |
Clouds initiated by rising air, rotation of planets cause bands to move, depending on temps different chemicals form (which reflect/absorb different light), so results in different colour bands |
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Storms on Jupiter...what determines the colour of them generally? Which is the exception? |
Altitudes where the clouds form (temp dependent). High altitudes (white ammonia clouds). Exception --> Red spot is high in atmosphere but red
**lighting has been detected on Jupiter |
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Jupiter's atmosphere contains many flammable gases (methane, propane, acetylene) and lighting to provide sparks. Then why don't these gases ignite? |
There is no oxygen gas in the atmosphere |
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What is the major difference between how the terrestrial planets and jovian planets generate their magnetic fields? |
T - molten iron core and rotation
J - metalic H and rapid rotation (jupiter's magnetic field is 20,000X's stronger than Earth's) |
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How many moons do each of the Jovian planets have? |
Jupiter - 63 Saturn - 62 Uranus - 27 Neptune - 13 |
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What are the 3 moon classifications by size? |
Small = < 300 km (irregular shape, sometimes captured asteroids/comets) Medium = > 300 km, <1,500km (some show past, some show present geological activity) Large = > 1,500km (geologically active) |
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Characteristics of Large Moons |
-Spherical in shape -Solid surfaces -Synchronous rotation often -Primarily made of ices with rocks/metals |
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What are the Galilean Moons in order from increasing distance from Jupiter? |
Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto |
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Why does Io not show impact craters? |
The surface of Io is geologically young due to some sort of resurfacing process (therefore many volcanoes - most volcanically active world in solar system) - constant resurfacing
-some volcanic plume ejected from moon b/c of week gravity (outgassing - some sulfur rich deposits escape, some fall back on surface) |
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What is the plasma torus on Io? |
Ionized gas that escaped forms a "donut" of ions around Jupiter |
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Io has lots of volcanism, but is smaller than the moon (should have cooled down by now). Why does Io have a hot interior? |
Tidal heating
-Changing tides due to highly elliptical orbit (b/c of distance from Jupiter) flex's Io's interior causing heating
Far --> small tidal bulges Close --> large tidal bulges |
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Why does Io such an eccentric elliptical orbit (tidal forces tend to circularize orbits)? |
Orbital resonances with other moons (orbital positions of moons occur in same relative positions at regular intervals)
-gravitational tug of this creates elliptical orbit |
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What are the properties of Europa? |
-entire surface covered by water ice -many cracks in ice -few craters (surface is geologically young) -cryovolcanism --> icy volcano (liquid water interior, subsurface oceans - possible life near lava vents on seafloor) -many ridges
-similar to Saturn's Enceladus |
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What are the properties of Ganymede |
-largest moon in the solar system -surface of water ice -dark (old) and light (young) regions -ridges, craters -subsurface water or slushy ice |
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What are the properties of Callisto? |
-heavily cratered -no tectonic or volcanic features (geologically dead) -does not take part in orbital resonances (no tidal heating) -magnetic field, so possible subsurface ocean (must be very deep in interior) |
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Describe features of Titan... |
-Largest moon of Saturn -Yellow colour from dense N atmosphere (has a constant haze) -1.5 times the surface pressure on Earth -significant greenhouse effect (but still cold! 180 degrees below zero - too cold for liquid water) -possible life? -have methane/ethane rain, rivers and lakes! (similar conditions to early earth but colder) -round rocks (indication of erosion) |
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What are Saturn's other moons? |
1) Mimas - huge impact crater on side 2) Enceladus - like Europa 3) Iapetus - "dual personality" (half dark, half white) with an equatorial ridge (13km high) 4) Hyperion - sponge like moon 5) Phoebe - orbits Saturn in opposite direction |
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What is the name of Uranus' moon? |
Miranda - small and has signs of geological activity |
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What are some characteristics of Neptune's Moon? |
Triton - coldest world in the solar system -thought that Neptune through away other moon and kept Triton |
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Name some characteristics of Saturn's rings... |
-gaps between them -fainter outer rings -rings are not very thick (as thin as a meter - to tends of meters) |
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What are Saturn's rings made of? |
-made of very reflective water ice -each ring orbits saturn -about 270,000 km in diameter -not thick (b/c of frequent collisions b/w ring particles) -gaps/ripples due to gravity of moons |
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How do the rings of Jovian planets form? |
1) tidal force (from moons) prevent small moonlets from accreting into large moons 2) when moonlets disrupted by impacts, blast off dust/debris which forms rings |
