Our Solar System
What are the names of the planets in our solar system beginning with the one closest to the sun.
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
What is unique about Earth's moon compared to the moons of the other planets in the solar system?
The Earth's moon is very large compared to it's planet. 1/4 the size of Earth.
Does Earth's moon have an atmosphere?
No
When did humans first land on the moon?
July, 1969
Right ascension is measured in...
Hours. There are 24 hours of right ascension.
The region of space comprised of rock, ice, comets and dwarf planets, beginning around Neptune (30 astronomical units from the sun), and extending thousands of astronomical units into the outer reaches of the solar system.
The Kuiper Belt
Craters on the moon are the result of
Asteroid and meteor impacts
What two gases make up 99% of Earth's atmosphere?
Nitrogen (78%) and Oxygen (21%)
When is the Europa Clipper mission scheduled to arrive in Jupiter's orbit?
April 2030
The path of the sun across the sky as seen from Earth. It is an imaginary plane that extends from Earth's orbit to meet the celestial sphere.
What is the ecliptic?
Approximately how many astronomical units (au) is Jupiter from the sun?
5.2au (5 is fine)
The name of the Mars sized object that is theorized to have crashed into the Earth releasing material that was later accreted into the moon.
Thea
This planet's thick atmosphere is 96.5% carbon dioxide (96.5%) with a smaller amount of nitrogen (3.5%) and trace amounts of gases like sulfur dioxide. Surface temperatures here can reach 900° Fahrenheit (482° Celsius). The intense heat and pressure of this planet's atmosphere have destroyed most spacecraft within minute of landing.
What is Venus?
Which of Saturn's moons are NASA scientists hoping to visit by 2034?
Titan
The declination of the celestial North Pole.
What is +90 degrees?
This planet just had a rare alignment with the moon (referred to as a lunar occultation) which made for some excellent astrophotography!
What is Mars?
The Maria, which appear as the darker parts of the moon were formed by....
Volcanoes that erupted basaltic lava which flowed into the lowlands.
Which gases in Earth's atmosphere are considered the primary Greenhouse Gasses? (you must get at least three of them correct with no incorrect answers)
CO2, Methane (CH4), Nitrous Oxide (N20), Water Vapor H20
If/when humans are to establish a space station or colony on the Moon or Mars, where would it most likely be located and why?
In caves because if we go underground, we are shielded from radiation that would otherwise slowly kill us.
The name of the star that is positioned at approximately +90 declination
What is Polaris?
Name four of the dwarf planets in our solar system. Which one is closest to the sun?
Pluto, Ceres, Makemake, Eris, Haumea
Ceres
The reason we always see the same side of the moon from Earth.
Because the moon is phase locked with the Earth, it's orbital and rotational periods are the the same so we can never see the back side unless we leave the Earth or send out a space probe.
Name the layers of the atmosphere from the closest to Earth's surface to the furthest away.
Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, Exosphere
Identify 5 variables that Earth has that make is such a perfect place for life as we know it.
1. Magnetic Field, 2. Atmosphere, 3. Liquid Water, 4. Moderate Gravity, 5.Rotation/Revolution on Axis.
This is the point where the ecliptic crosses the 0 degree mark for right ascension.
The vernal equinox