The Big Bang
What is the estimated age of the universe?
13.7 Billion Years
How long ago did our solar system form?
About 4.6 billion years ago
What are the inner rocky planets of our solar system?
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars
What causes day and night on Earth?
Earth's rotation
What process within the Sun combines hydrogen atoms to form helium?
Nuclear fusion
What event is theorized to have started the universe?
The Big Bang
What is the giant cloud of gas and dust from which the solar system formed called?
A solar nebula
What distinguishes Jovian planets from terrestrial planets?
Their gas composition and size
What explains the changing seasons on Earth?
Earth’s revolution around the Sun and axial tilt
What is the primary source of energy that drives processes on Earth?
Solar radiation
What is the rapid expansion of the universe after the Big Bang called?
Cosmic Inflation
What process led to the formation of planets from the solar nebula?
Gravity pulling objects closer together
Name the gas giants in our solar system.
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune
Who formulated the laws of planetary motion?
Johannes Kepler
What type of light is mostly blocked by Earth's ozone layer?
Ultraviolet light
Name the theory that suggests the universe has been expanding since its inception.
The Big Bang Theory
As planets formed, what did they clear from their orbits?
Remaining gas and dust
What are dwarf planets?
Celestial bodies that orbit the Sun and are not classified as planets
What does Kepler's 2nd law describe?
The relationship between orbital speed and distance from the Sun
How does solar energy influence climate?
By heating Earth's surface and impacting weather patterns
What evidence supports the Big Bang theory?
Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation
What are some celestial bodies still being formed in our solar system today?
Asteroids and comets
How do proximity to the Sun affect the surface composition of planets?
Inner planets are rocky and dense while outer planets are gas giants
What is the barycenter in a two-object system?
The center of mass, the point around which the objects orbit, usually closest to the one with more mass
Name one way that Earth’s magnetic field protects us from space radiation.
Deflecting cosmic rays