Astro 10 Exam 2 Study Guide Trelawny

You will have 60 minutes to complete the exam. It will be closed notes/book and will consist of
approximately 30 questions that will include a mix of multiple choice, matching, fill in the blank,
etc. During the exam you only allowed a pencil, an eraser, and a beverage.

Planetary Systems

◦Know how the nebular theory relates to our solar system formation
The nebular theory states that the solar system formed from a cloud of gas and dust called a
nebula, which collapsed due to gravity

◦Be familiar with the concept of disk flattening in relation to the formation of planets, solar
system’s rotational rate, and shape
Disk flattening is the process where a rotating cloud of gas and dust, known as the solar nebula,
collapses under its own gravity and flattens into a disk shape due to the conservation of angular
momentum, ultimately leading to the formation of planets

◦What is accretion?
"accretion" refers to the process where small particles of dust and gas in the protoplanetary disk
gradually clump together due to gravity, eventually forming larger bodies like planets

◦Be able to explain why terrestrial planets are rocky and jovian planets are mostly gas
The terrestrial planets formed close to the Sun where temperatures were well suited for rock and
metal to condense. The jovian planets formed outside what is called the frost line, where
temperatures were low enough for ice condensation.

◦Know the order of the eight planets outward from the sun
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune

◦The difference between meteoroids, meteors, and meteorites

Meteoroids are small chunks of rock or iron in space. A meteor is a meteoroid that is burning in
the Earth's atmosphere, creating a streak of light through the sky. Meteorites are fragments of
meteoroids that survive the trip through the atmosphere and land on the Earth's surface.

◦Where do long-period come from and where do short-period comets come from?
Long-period comets (those which take more than 200 years to complete an orbit around the Sun)
originate from the Oort Cloud. Short-period comets (those which take less than 200 years to
complete an orbit around the Sun) originate from the Kuiper Belt.
◦Know that asteroids are failed planetesimals and, thus, failed planets.

◦Know the primary differences between a planet and a dwarf planet.

the main difference between a dwarf planet and a planet is size. Because they are smaller, dwarf
planets lack the gravitational forces needed to pull in and accumulate all of the material found in
their orbits.

◦Know what differentiation is in terms of the formation of terrestrial planets

"differentiation" refers to the process where, due to gravity, a planet's materials separate based on
their density, causing heavier elements like iron to sink to the center forming a core, while lighter
elements rise to the surface creating a crust

The Sun

◦Be able to describe hydrostatic equilibrium

is the condition of a fluid or plastic solid at rest, which occurs when external forces, such as
gravity, are balanced by a pressure-gradient force.

◦Know the order of the layers in the solar interior and atmosphere (in increasing order) as
well as the primary characteristics of each layer (i.e. temperature, transparent to light or not, how
energy is transferred)
the core, the radiative zone, the convective zone, the photosphere, the chromosphere, and the
corona. The core being hottest, and photosphere being the coolest

◦Know the name for the process of how the Sun makes light →proton-proton chain, which is
a form of nuclear fusion
In the core, atoms fuse and create light this is called nuclear fusion

◦Be able to describe the phenomenon known as the solar thermostat

The "solar thermostat" refers to a natural feedback mechanism within the Sun's core that
regulates its temperature. if the core gets too hot, the fusion rate increases, causing the core to
expand and cool down, while if the core cools, the fusion rate decreases, causing it to contract
and heat up again, creating a balanced equilibrium.
◦Know the relationship between the sun’s magnetic activity and:

- sunspots: the more active the Sun's magnetic field, the more sunspots are present

- solar flares: the more active the Sun's magnetic field is, the more likely it is to produce solar
flares

- prominences: the stronger the magnetic activity, the more prominent and dynamic the
prominences will be.

- plages: the more intense the magnetic activity, the more prominent the plages will be.

- filaments: increased solar magnetic activity often leads to more complex and dynamic filament
structures

- why the atmosphere is much hotter than its surface: the Sun generates complex magnetic
field lines that loop and interact, releasing large bursts of energy through reconnection events,
effectively heating the upper atmosphere to extreme temperatures

◦Solar flares vs. coronal mass ejections

A solar flare is a sudden burst of electromagnetic radiation from the Sun's surface. a coronal
mass ejection (CME) is a large expulsion of plasma and magnetic field from the Sun's corona

◦Be familiar with the sunspot cycle

Sunspots increase and decrease through an average cycle of 11 years.

Mercury

• Be familiar with its physical properties such as size, mass, surface characteristics, internal
structure, etc.
Mass: 5.5% mass of earth
Radius: 38% radius of earth
Rotational period: 59 Earth days.
Avg. density: 5400 kg/m3 (2400 km)
Surface temp: 100-700k, -173-427 degree celsius, -280-800 degree farenheight
Surface gravity: 1% earths gravity
Axial tilt: 2 degrees
• Be able to explain the leading theory as to why Mercury has such a large metallic core
relative to its size.
during the early solar system, it experienced a giant impact with a large planetesimal, which
stripped away much of its rocky mantle, leaving behind a disproportionately large iron core
enclosed by a thin outer layer

• Know why Mercury has such a drastic difference in surface temperatures

Mercury experiences extreme temperature variations because it has almost no atmosphere to trap
heat

• Why doesn't Mercury have an atmosphere?

Mercury has an extremely thin atmosphere Because Mercury is so hot, these atoms quickly
escape into space.

◦Be familiar with its 3-2 orbital resonance and orbital precession
Mercury's 3:2 orbital resonance" means that Mercury rotates three times on its axis for every two
orbits it completes around the Sun

◦How can permanent ice exist on Mercury, being so close to the Sun?
the ice is located within permanently shadowed craters near the poles

◦Know that Mercury has scarps and where they come from
The scarps on Mercury are believed to have formed as the planet's interior cooled and shrank
over time.

Venus

◦Be familiar with its physical properties such as size, mass, surface characteristics, internal
structure, etc.
Mass: 82% of earth
Radius: 95% radius of the earth
Rotational period: -243 days retrograde
Surface temperature: 650-760k, -710-700 degree fahrenheit, 377-845 degree celsius
Atmospheric pressure: 90 x more than earth (ocean depth)
Axial tilt: 177.3 degree
Its yellow due to carbon dioxide in clouds reflecting
◦Know what the runaway greenhouse effect is and how it can effect chances of life
his effect is considered the primary reason why life as we know it cannot exist there, as its thick
atmosphere of greenhouse gases creates extreme heat on the surface, hot enough to melt lead

◦Know the primary atmospheric composition of Venus

more than 96 percent carbon dioxide and 3.5 percent molecular nitrogen

◦In what ways has the atmosphere affected the surface?

Venus's thick, primarily carbon dioxide atmosphere creates a severe greenhouse effect, trapping
heat and causing extremely high surface temperatures

◦What are ways in which impact craters on the surface can be disrupted?
impact craters are primarily disrupted by widespread volcanic activity

◦Why don’t we see very many impact craters on Venus?

Venus has very few visible impact craters because its surface has been recently resurfaced by
widespread volcanic activity

◦Know that Venus’ crust is thicker than the other planets’ crusts. How does this relate to
magma plumes and domes?
Venus' thicker crust is directly related to the presence of large mantle plumes, which are rising
currents of magma from the planet's core, leading to the formation of large volcanic domes on
the surface

Mars

◦Be familiar with its physical properties such as size, mass, internal structure, etc.
Diameter: about half of earth
Mass: is about 11% of earths
1.52 astronomical units (AV) from the sun
Rotational period: 24 hours, 37 mins
Equator inclined at 24 degrees
Surface temperature: -117-128 degree fahrenheit, 83c-(-33)c, 140-240k
38% gravity of earth
Atmosphere composition: Co2 (95.3%) nitrogen (2.7%) argon, oxygen, Co, water vapor

◦Know the primary atmospheric composition of Mars

he primary atmospheric component of Mars is carbon dioxide (CO2), making up around 95% of
the Martian atmosphere
◦Why does Mars appear red?
Mars appears red because of the iron in its rocks, dust, and soil that oxidizes, or rusts, when
exposed to the planet's atmosphere

◦What’s the leading theory as to why Mars cooled off so soon after formation, compared to
Earth that did not?
its smaller size, resulting in a lower overall mass, caused its interior to cool down more rapidly,
leading to a loss of its magnetic field which then allowed the solar wind to strip away its
atmosphere and water, leaving it cold and dry today

◦What effect did the cooling of the iron core have on the surface of the planet?
The cooling of Mars' iron core led to the loss of its global magnetic field

◦Know the general differences between the landscapes of the northern and southern hemispheres
the southern hemisphere is dominated by heavily cratered, mountainous highlands, while the
northern hemisphere is mostly flat, smooth plains with far fewer craters

◦What evidence do astronomers have that leads them to believe water once flowed on the
surface?
the presence of dried-up riverbeds with channel networks, sedimentary rock formations with
ripple marks, mineral deposits like hydrated salts and clay minerals that only form in the
presence of water

◦What is special about the Scablands of eastern Washington when explaining the history of
Mars?
the Scablands were carved by a flood of unprecedented proportions that took place 18,000 to
20,000 years ago during the Great Ice Age.

◦What is the best visual evidence for Mars undergoing seasons just like Earth does?
light and dark areas on the surface appeared to change their sizes over the course of a Martian
year.

◦What are the three types of volcanic features on the surface of Mars? Be able to describe
each and how they were created.
The three main types of volcanic features on Mars are: shield volcanoes (large, flat, and wide
volcanoes with gentle slopes), paterae (flat, depressed volcanic craters with low rims), and flood
basalts (extensive plains n of lava flows covering large areas)
◦How might Mars’ low mass and low surface gravity have related to its violent tectonic
history,
specifically the event known as the Tharsis uplift?
isostatic uplift followed by flexural loading, the accumulation of volcanic deposits through a thin
lithosphere, and crustal thickening through intrusion

Moon

◦Know the difference between lunar maria and highland regions

lunar maria are dark, flat plains formed by volcanic lava filling ancient impact basins, while the
highlands are lighter colored, mountainous areas with a heavily cratered surface, representing the
Moon's older crust

◦Know the difference between the near and far sides of the moon and why there is a
difference
at all.
the near side has significantly fewer craters and more large, dark plains called "maria" (lunar
seas) compared to the far side, which is heavily cratered with very few maria; this disparity is
largely due to a massive impact event early in the moon's history that affected the near side more

◦What is the Impact theory and how does it explain the origin of the Moon?
The "Impact Theory," also known as the "Giant Impact Hypothesis," proposes that the Moon
formed from debris ejected into space when a Mars-sized object, called Theia, collided with the
early Earth, with this debris eventually coalescing to create the Moon we see today

◦Know the evidence for lunar tectonic activity and volcanism.

The lunar maria are large basaltic plains that cover more than 15% of the Moon's surface. They
are the most obvious volcanic features on the Moon, appearing as dark topographic features
when seen with the naked eye.

◦Know the difference between neap and spring tides.

spring tides occur when the sun, moon, and Earth are lined up, and this causes regular high tides
and low tides to be much higher. Neap tides occur when the sun, moon, and Earth form a right
angle, and this causes the regular high tides and low tides to become much lower than usual.

Begin studying soon! Avoid cramming for this exam. Make flashcards or whatever works best
for you and have fun with them. The sooner you start, the better off you will be