Solar System
The closest planet to the sun.
Mercury
Name two ways that humans have been influenced by and used the stars in our history.
-constellations, religion, navigation, time keeping, astrology, etc.
What two gasses is the sun mainly made up of?
Hydrogen (70%) and Helium (28%)
What is an asteroid?
Space rock that orbits the sun
What galaxy are we a part of?
Milky Way
The furthest planet from the sun.
Neptune
How long ago do scientists believe the Big Bang occurred?
13.8 billion years ago
The sun emits energy in three forms, name them.
UV, infrared radiation, visible light
Where are most asteroids in our solar system found?
Asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
What is a nebula?
A giant cloud of dust and gas in space.
What are the inner planets made of?
Terrestrial/rock planets
What is it believed the Big Bang started from?
A single, unimaginably hot and dense point (aka, a singularity)
What does a large star become at the end of it's life cycle?
Neutron star (the remaining gasses drift off as a nebula to be recycled)
What are meteorites?
Asteroids or meteoroids that land on the Earth’s surface.
Name the three types of galaxies.
Spiral, elliptical, irregular
Name the four outer planets.
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Name three pieces of evidence for the Big Bang theory.
- Expansion of the Universe, CMBR, elements in the universe
Where do stars (the sun) get their energy?
nuclear fusion reactions in the core
What are meteors?
“shooting stars”, when asteroids or meteoroids enter our atmosphere, most completely vaporize to become meteors
Describe what a galaxy is.
A galaxy is a huge collection of gas, dust, and billions of stars and their solar systems, all held together by gravity.
Why do planets orbit the sun?
The gravitational pull from the sun
Describe Hubble's Law.
The farther an object is away from the Earth, the faster it is moving away.
Name the sun's layers.
Core, radiative zone, convection zone, photosphere, chromosphere, corona
Why is detecting and studying asteroids important? (3 reasons)
- could cause damage (hitting Earth or shockwaves)
- asteroid mining
- scientific knowledge
- money to collectors
Name the five life cycle stages of a star.
Birth and early life, main sequence phase, old age, death, remains