Solar System Facts
Name the largest body in our solar system
the sun
What is the geocentric model of the universe?
A model placing Earth at the center of the universe with all other solar system bodies orbiting around it.
How old is the Universe thought to be?
13.7 billion years old
What two elements make up the majority of the Sun's mass?
(Extra credit, what are the elements general % of the sun?)
Hydrogen (approx. 90%) and Helium (approx. 10%)
T/F: The moon always keeps the same face toward Earth.
True
Which two planets in our solar system have no moons?
Mercury and Venus
Who proposed the heliocentric model and what does it state?
Nicolaus Copernicus proposed the heliocentric model.
The heliocentric model states that the sun is at the center of the solar system and all planets orbit the sun.
A developing planetary body formed from planetesimals / elements in the solar nebula that may become a planet
Describe what Solar Flares are and what Sunspots are
Solar Flares: sudden bursts of radiation caused by the reorganizing of magnetic field linear near Sunspots
Sunspots: dark spots on the surface of the sun that are cooler than other parts of the Sun's surface
Which planet is the hottest in our solar system?
Venus
The Asteroid Belt is in between which two planets and what are the two main types of celestial bodies within it?
Between Mars and Jupiter
Contains asteroids and interplanetary debris
What is an epicycle and what part does it play in the geocentric model?
A small circular orbit that itself moves along a much larger circular orbit. The epicycle was created to explain the changes in position and brightness of planets in the geocentric model.
What is the difference between a meteoroid, a meteor, and a meteorite?
Meteor - a meteoroid that has entered the atmosphere of a planet at high speed and burns up
Meteorite - a meteoroid that makes it through the atmosphere and hits the planet's surface
What are the main movements of the Earth that cause the seasons?
(Extra credit: How many degrees is Earth's axis tilted by today?)
The tilt of Earth's axis and its revolution around the Sun.
(Today, Earth's axis is tilted by 23.5 degrees)
I have a ring system, many moons, I’m outside the frost line, and I’m the least dense planet. Which planet am I?
Saturn!
How many dwarf planets do we have in our solar system? Which dwarf planet is the largest? Which dwarf planet is the closest to the Sun?
5 dwarf planets
Pluto is the largest
Ceres is the closest to the sun
How did we figure out that the planets orbit around the sun?
First Copernicus discovered that the planets revolve around the sun. Then later Galileo turned his telescope toward Venus and saw the planet pass through phases. Finally Kepler found the defined the orbits of the planets.
What is an extrasolar planet or exoplanet and how large are they usually compared to the planets in our solar system?
A planet orbiting a star outside our solar system
sized vary widely, from small to larger than Jupiter
List the layers of the Sun from internal to external
Core, internal structure, subsurface flows, photosphere, chromosphere, and corona
What causes retrograde motion?
When Earth passes another planet while orbiting the Sun it causes an apparent backward motion that we see while our perspective of observation changes.
List the 4 terrestrial planets and the 4 Jovian planets? Which planet type is high-density and which type is low-density?
Terrestrial planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, & Mars
Jovian planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
High-density are the terrestrial planets and the Jovian planets are low-density
Explain what Kepler's laws of planetary motion are
Kepler's three laws are as follows:
1) planets orbit in ellipses
2) planets cover the same area in the same amount of time (in all locations of their orbit)
3) The orbital period and orbit size(semi-major axis) of a planet are directly proportional
What is the current leading theory for the formation of the solar system and what evidence supports this theory?
The solar nebula theory. A nebula flattened into a protoplanetary disk and eventually became a solar system with a star and orbiting planets.
Supported by observations of protoplanetary disks and planetary orbits
Describe what Rayleigh Scattering is and why the sky is blue
Rayleigh scattering is the term for when light is scattered by particles much smaller than its wavelength.
Rayleigh scattering causes blue light waves to be scattered significantly more in the atmosphere than other light waves, making the sky appear blue.
List the phases of the Moon and how many days long is one solar month?
Phases of the Moon: New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbus, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter, Waning Crescent.
One solar month is around 29.5 days long.