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Astronomy Exam 3

Terms in this set (123)

Terrestrial planet characteristics
small size, rocky surface, located within the inner solar system
Jovian Planet Characteristics
primarily composed of hydrogen, helium, and hydrogen compounds, low average density, extensive ring systems, numerous orbiting moons
Suppose you view the solar system from high above Earth's North Pole. Which of the following statements about planetary orbits will be true?
All the planets except Uranus orbit the Sun counterclockwise; Uranus orbits in the opposite direction.
The inner planets orbit the Sun counterclockwise while the outer planets orbit the Sun clockwise.
The inner planets orbit the Sun clockwise while the outer planets orbit the Sun counterclockwise.
All the planets orbit counterclockwise around the Sun.
All the planets orbit clockwise around the Sun
What is the Oort cloud?
It is a great cloud of gas that resides far beyond the orbit of Pluto.
It is another name for the cloud of gas from which our solar system was born.
It's not really a cloud at all, but rather refers to the trillion or so comets thought to orbit the Sun at great distances.
It is a giant storm in the atmosphere of Saturn.
It's not really a cloud at all, but rather refers to the trillion or so comets thought to orbit the Sun at great distances.
The planet in our solar system with the highest average surface temperature is __________.
Neptune
Earth
Venus
Mercury
Venus
Assuming that other planetary systems form in the same way as our solar system formed, where would you expect to find terrestrial planets?
Terrestrial planets will likely be located farther from the planetary system's star than any jovian planets.
Terrestrial planets will likely be located nearer the planetary system's star than any jovian planets.
There is no way to know where terrestrial planets are likely to be.
Terrestrial planets will likely be located nearer the planetary system's star than any jovian planets
Compared to terrestrial planets, jovian planets are __________.
more massive and higher in average density
more massive and lower in average density
less massive and lower in average density
less massive and higher in average density
more massive and lower in average density
Which planet is approximately halfway between Pluto's orbit and the Sun?
Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun
Jupiter, the fifth planet from the Sun
Saturn, the sixth planet from the Sun
Uranus, the seventh planet from the Sun
Uranus
Which of the following statements about our Sun is NOT true?
The Sun is a star.
The Sun is made mostly of hydrogen and helium.
The Sun's diameter is about five times that of Earth.
The Sun contains more than 99 percent of all the mass in our solar system.
The Sun's diameter is about five times that of the Sun
What is the Kuiper belt?
a region of the solar system beginning just beyond the orbit of Neptune that contains many icy comets
the most prominent ring of Saturn that is visible in photographs
a region of the solar system that extends almost a fourth of the way to the nearest stars and contains a trillion comets with orbits going in all directions around the Sun
a technical name for the asteroid belt
A region of the solar system beginning just beyond the orbit of Neptune that contains many icy comets
Which jovian planet does NOT have rings?
Uranus
Neptune
Jupiter
All the jovian planets have rings.
All jovian planets have rings
Rank the objects from left to right based on their average distance from the Sun, from farthest to closest.
Pluto, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Earth, Mercury
Rank these objects from left to right based on their mass. highest to lowest
Sun, Jupiter, Earth, Mars, Mercury, Pluto
Rank these objects based on size from largest to smallest
Sun, Jupiter, Earth, Mars, Mercury, Pluto
Which of the following statements about Pluto is true?
It has more in common with comets in the Kuiper belt than it does with terrestrial planets like Earth.
Its mass is a little less than Earth's mass.
It is the largest known object that is considered to be a dwarf planet.
It is orbited by only one moon.
It has more in common with comets in the Kuiper Belt than it does with terrestrial planets like Earth
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