Nebular Theory
What force caused the solar nebula to collapse?
Gravity
Small, rocky planets with thin atmospheres are called what?
(Terrestrial planets)
Which planet orbits the Sun the fastest?
Mercury
What shape are planetary orbits?
Elliptical
What causes Earth’s seasons?
Tilt of Earth’s axis
What made the nebula flatten into a disk?
(Rotation / angular momentum)
Which group of planets has low densities and many moons?
(Jovian planets)
Which planet has the most moons?
Jupiter
What does Kepler’s Second Law say about a planet’s speed near the Sun?
Planets move faster when closer to the Sun
During which moon phases do spring tides occur?
New Moon and Full Moon
What formed at the center of the solar nebula?
(The Sun)
What is Saturn best known for?
(Its ring system)
Which planet has the shortest orbital period?
(Mercury)
Which law relates orbital period to distance from the Sun?
Kepler's Third Law
During which moon phases do neap tides occur?
First Quarter and Third Quarter
Why are inner planets rocky and small?
(They formed in hot regions with fewer gases)
Why isn’t Pluto a major planet?
It has a very eccentric orbit like an object in the Kuiper belt.
Are planets evenly spaced?
No inner planets are close together, outer planets are farther apart
Which planet orbits slower, Mars or Mercury?
Mars
What does Earth’s rotation cause?
Day and Night
Name two objects formed from leftover solar nebula material.
(Moons, asteroids, comets, dwarf planets)
Give one example of a dwarf planet besides Pluto.
(Eris, Haumea, Ceres)
Which planet is the farthest from the Sun?
Neptune
If a planet has a highly eccentric orbit, what does that mean?
Its orbit is very stretched/oval-shaped
When the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun, what season is it there?
Summer