Terrestrial Planets
Why doesn't Mercury have a true atmosphere?
Its mass isn't great enough, and it is constantly exposed to solar weather
What is the storm on Neptune's surface (similar to Jupiter's Great Red Spot) called?
The Great Dark Spot
What does it mean when a moon is tidally locked to a planet?
Only one side of it faces the planet
What are planetesimals?
Small clumps of rock, gas, and dust in a forming solar system
What does Kepler's First Law state?
Planets move in elliptical orbits with the Sun at one focus.
What are three differences between Earth and the other terrestrial planets?
Earth is larger than them, has liquid water, and has tectonic plates
What is the least dense planet?
Saturn
Maria
How do Hot Jupiters form?
Planetary Migration
What does Kepler's Second Law state?
A planet sweeps out equal areas in the same amount of time during all parts of its orbit.
How large is Mars compared to Earth?
Around half the size of Earth
How many planets in our solar system have rings?
4
What are the lighter parts of the moon called?
Highlands
What mass do the cores of planets have to be at to start being able to accrete gas?
10 times the mass of the Earth
What does Kepler's Third Law state?
T^2 = r^3
Venus
What gases are Jupiter mostly made of?
Hydrogen and Helium
How are moons like Europa heated?
Through tidal heating
What is it called when the inner layers of forming planets sort themselves based on density?
Planetary Differentiation
The perihelion of a planet is 3, and the aphelion is 6. What is the eccentricity of the orbit?
1/3
What planet has the most volcanoes on it?
Venus
What element makes Uranus and Neptune blue?
Methane
What does the word maria mean in Latin?
Seas
What two processes make forming planets turn molten?
They're made from radioactive material, so that material decays and releases energy that leads to melting. Asteroids and other objects collide with the planet and cause the surface to turn molten.
A planet takes 27 years to orbit its star. What's the semi-major axis of the planet's orbit?
9 AU