Solar System Potpourri
This "Red Planet" is home to Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the solar system.
What is Mars
This is the phase of the Moon where it sits directly between the Earth and the Sun, appearing invisible to us.
What is a new moon
This force keeps the planets in orbit around the Sun.
What is gravity
Our Sun is currently in this stage of its life cycle, characterized by fusing hydrogen into helium.
What is the main sequence
Neptune’s largest moon, Triton, orbits Neptune in the opposite direction of the planet’s rotation. This kind of orbit suggests that it did not form along with Neptune. Instead, it was captured by Neptune’s gravitational field. How could Neptune capture a large object such as Triton?
A. Triton was not big enough for the sun to hold it in its orbit, so it drifted toward Neptune.
B. Neptune’s gravitational field is as strong as the sun’s because Neptune is spinning faster than the sun.
C. Neptune is less massive than the sun, but it is closer to Triton, which means Neptune’s gravitational field is stronger.
D. Triton was not big enough to be a planet, so it had to become a moon when it passed close enough to Neptune.
What is C
This celestial belt separates the inner terrestrial planets from the outer gas giants.
What is an asteroid belt
When the Moon appears to be "growing" in illumination, we use this term.
What is waxing
The Earth’s 23.5-degree tilt is the primary cause of this yearly cycle.
What are seasons
A massive explosion that occurs at the end of a high-mass star's life.
What is a supernova
Scientists know that Jupiter is about 779 million kilometers from the sun, and Earth is about 150 million kilometers away from the sun. Jupiter’s mass is more than 300 times the mass of Earth.
Circle the letters of the two correct statements that explain why the gravitational pull of Jupiter on Earth is minimal.
A. Jupiter has a very large mass.
B. Earth has a relatively small mass.
C. The sun’s mass is greater than that of Jupiter.
D. Earth is much closer to the sun than it is to Jupiter.
E. Jupiter is approximately 800 million kilometers away from the sun.
What is C and D
This is the only planet in our solar system known to have a density less than water—meaning it would float in a giant bathtub!
This type of eclipse occurs when the Moon passes into the Earth's shadow.
What is lunar eclipse
This term describes the path one object takes around another in space.
What is an orbit
These giant clouds of gas and dust are known as "star nurseries."
what is nebula
Which explanation describes the forces that cause the development of a solar system? (nebular theory)
A. Friction forces between the particles compact the clouds to form planets and a sun.
B. Gravitational forces between the particles compact the clouds to form planets and a sun.
C. Weak electric forces between the particles compact the clouds to form planets and a sun.
D. Strong magnetic forces between the particles compact the clouds to form planets and a sun
what is B
These icy "dirty snowballs" develop tails that always point away from the Sun.
What are comets?
This specific moon phase occurs when exactly half of the left side of the Moon is illuminated.
What is the last quarter
If you traveled to Jupiter, this measurement would increase significantly, even though your mass stayed the same.
What is weight
This color indicates the hottest surface temperature for a star.
what is blue
See google doc
C,A,D,B
Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system due to this atmospheric effect.
It takes approximately this many days for the Moon to complete one full cycle of phases.
what is 29.5
This is the invisible point around which two orbiting bodies revolve; in our solar system, it's very close to the center of the Sun.
What is Barycenter
This very famous philosopher developed an incorrect model that had earth at the center and everything else orbiting around it.
Who is Aristotle
see google doc
top to bottom B, A, C