Objects in the Solar System
Why are mass and weight different?
Weight factors in gravity, mass does not
Which small objects (not a planet) in the solar system is made up of a loose ball of ice and rock and develops a tail
Comet
What do you call the four planets that are closest to the sun?
The inner planets
What is the sun made up of?
Gas (bonus 100: hydrogen and helium)
What is a nebula made up of?
A cloud of gas and dust
The solar system consists of the sun, the planets, ____________ and a variety of smaller objects (comets, meteors, asteroids)
Moons
List the three types of small objects in the solar system
Asteroids, Comets, Meteoroids
Which type of planets are cold, far from the sun, and made of gas and liquid?
Outer planets
What is the process that the sun uses to make energy?
Nuclear fusion
What does the color of a star tell you?
The approximate surface temperature
What is a natural satellite?
A body that orbits a planet
What do you call a meteoroid that has entered Earth's atmosphere and produced a streak of light?
Meteor
The planets are so far away from the sun - why do they orbit it?
Gravity
What is the centermost part of the sun that is extremely hot and produces enormous amounts of energy?
The core
What two things does the brightness of a star depend on?
Size and Temperature
What is the name for the type of energy that all objects in the solar system emit?
Electromagnetic Radiation
What do you call a meteoroid that has hit the Earth's surface?
A meteorite
What is an astronomical unit?
A unit of length, equal to about the distance between the Earth and the Sun
BONUS 100: How many miles is 1 AU equal to?
Which layer of the sun's atmosphere emits a reddish glow?
The chromosphere
What is happening to nuclear fusion during the Red Giant phase?
It is slowing down/running out of fuel
(Can answer as a group) What are the 6 categories scientists use to compare two objects in the solar system?
Size, Shape, Color, Mass, Composition, and distance from the sun
What do you call our model of the solar system that has the sun at the center with the planets going around it?
Heliocentric
Why are the inner planets not made of gas and the outer planets are? (think about how they were formed)
The sun consumed most of the gas, leaving only rock and metal
What is a solar prominence?
When loops of plasma extend out of the sun and connect sunspots
Which stars turn into white dwarves and which turn into black holes?
Average size: white dwarf, Large/Giant: black hole