Average Distance Of Earth And Planets – Astronomy
In this chapter we discuss Average Distance Of Earth And Planets – Astronomy.
The distances in space are based on astronomical units, which are average distances between the Sun and Earth.
True
Why does Mercury lack seasons?
The axis of rotation is almost completely vertical.
A planetary system is a system of objects in space that orbit which of the following?
A star
How many steps are there in the formation of a Solar System?
6
Less than one-half of Venus’ surface is composed of low-lying volcanic plains with large amounts of flowing lava.
False
Which of the following bodies has a brightness that surpasses Venus’
The Moon
The distance from the Earth to the Sun is:
1 AU
Which of the following planets is the outermost of the four inner terrestrial planets?
Mars
Before the 17th century, the universe was thought to have how many bodies?
8
Which of the following BEST identifies planets located outside of our Solar System?
Extrasolar planets
Mars is also known as the Red Planet because of its rust-red color
True
The MOST important factor in determining the development of life on Earth is
Earth’s view from space is like a sparkling blue oasis in a black sea of stars
True
A day on Mercury is almost 59 Earth days long due to the planet’s ___________ rotation.
Slow
The invention of __________________ made it easier to see that there were actually more bodies within the universe than was originally thought.
The telescope
What are the four parts of Jupiter’s ring system?
An inner “halo” ring, a main ring, and two gossamer rings
Neptune is smaller than the gas giants and Earth
False
Neptune can be divided into a total of ______________ different layers
Four
Because of Saturn’s rings, what are we unable to observe from Earth?
Its bright blue color
The outer planets are similar to the planet Earth; they just happen to be farther away from the Sun.
False
Which of the following is NOT TRUE about Titan?
It has one of the most complex chemical environments in our Solar System.
neptune’s rings were most likely formed by
Collisions between moons
All of the planets have at least one moon that is larger than Pluto’s.
False
The asteroid belt separates the inner planets from the outer planets.
True
Which of the following accurately describes Neptune’s moon, Triton?
It is the seventh-largest moon in the Solar System
Which of the following does Saturn have in common with Earth?
Its solid core
Voyager 2 was able to capture proof of the intensity of storms that occur on Neptune. These are known to be ________________ times as strong as those on Earth.
Nine
Jupiter’s mass is larger than all of the other planets in the Solar System.
True
Which of the following outer planets is known as the “windy” planet?
Saturn
Which of the following planets has seasonal changes that are comparable to Earth and Mars?
Neptune
Every few years, Earth passes through Saturn’s rings.
True
Which of the following words BEST describes Uranus’ seasons?
Long
Neptune is smaller than the gas giants and Earth.
False
Which of the following layers in Uranus’ atmosphere is the densest part
Uranus does not have a dense atmosphere.
Uranus was the first planet to be discovered using a telescope.
True
.
Recent counts show that Jupiter has __________________ moons, not including the temporary ones.
50
Which of the following BEST describes Jupiter’s seasons?
There are no significant seasonal changes
Jupiter’s large size causes it to complete rotations more slowly than the other planets.
False
The Sun is divided into three regions.
False
A neutrino contains very little:
Mass
The chromosphere of the Sun is visible from Earth at all times, except during total eclipses.
False
The core of the Sun is the interior or center part of this star.
True
The sunspot cycle is a pattern of solar activity where the average number of sunspots gradually _______________________________ and _____________
Increases, decreases
Proton-proton chain reaction is:
The creation of energy through the process of nuclear fusion.
Which of the following does the Sun orbit?
The center of the Milky Way
.
About four million tons of __________________ are converted to energy in the Sun’s core every second.
Matter
Given that the Sun is estimated to be about five billion years old, scientists estimate that we are about halfway through its lifetime. This means that the Sun’s lifetime is expected to be what length of time?
10 billion years
The Sun’s radius is about 100 times the radius of the Milky Way.
False
The ________________ of the Sun is the interior or center part of this star.
Core
A person on Earth would weigh a lot more on the Sun due to increased ________________.
Gravity
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way.
True
A deuterium nucleus contains which of the following?
One proton and one neutron
Which of the following is MOST useful to scientists in measuring the size of asteroids?
The gravitational effect when spacecraft flies close to the asteroid.
Which of the following BEST describes a meteoroid?
Pieces of rock and other material that are present in the Solar System.
Comets are called “dirty snowballs” because of their frozen, icy state.
True
Debris from meteorites is found most commonly where?
Antarctica
Comets’ lives are increased the more often that they pass by the Sun.
False
Which of the following explains why Halley’s Comet is unique
it orbits the sun in regular intervals
Which of the following terms refers to the gas that escapes a comet?
plasma tail
The comets in the Oort Cloud may take up to __________________ Earth years to orbit the Sun just once.
30 million Years
Where is the Kuiper Belt located?
Beyond Neptune
When do comets show tails?
When they are approaching the Sun
Which of the following is of particular interest to scientists in their observations because of potential threats to the Earth?
NEOs
The comet cools down and begins to glow brightly as a result of this decreased temperature.
False
In 2011, astronomers were concerned that NEO 2011 AG5 might impact Earth in which year?
2040
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of meteor showers?
Rocky Debris
Which of the following defines the Permian-Triassic?
A catastrophic event where 90 percent of the ocean’s species were lost and 70 percent of the land life was thought to go extinct.