Questions and Answers
What is the source of the material of a meteor shower?
Meteor showers are caused by the Earth passing through the orbit of a comet.
What is the source of meteorites?
A meteoroid swarm is the trail of pebble-sized dust left behind by a comet.
What allowed the jovian planets to grow beyond the size of the terrestrial planets?
In the outer solar system, the colder temperatures allowed the condensation of ices which formed massive cores of rock and ice.
Why might life exist on Europa?
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What makes Titan unique among moons of the solar system?
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What is the primary reason Titan turned out so differently from the Galilean moons?
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Triton is a large moon of which planet?
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What tears a body apart when it is within the Roche limit of a planet?
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What makes Uranus's rings different from the rings of Saturn?
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What is the source of meteorites?
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Asteroids vary considerably in composition, reflectivity and size. They stay between ______ and ______.
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Meteorites are important because
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What is Titan known for?
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Why are the rings of Saturn so bright?
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Larger terrestrial planets have surface features that tend to be __________.
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What is the critical element to the formation of the volcanic surface of Io?
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What is the cause of Io's volcanism?
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Io is known as the densest and most ________ of Galilean moons.
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Pluto's density is most similar to __________.
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What does Europa's surface indicate about its geological activity?
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What are the monomers for proteins?
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The moon's near side always faces Earth due to __________.
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The smallest high tides occur when the moon phase is __________.
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How do the moons' orbital and rotational periods relate?
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What appears most favored by natural selection?
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How old was Earth when the simplest life forms appeared?
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How long between the evolution of single versus multicellular organisms?
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Which of the following appears least important in the evolution of life here?
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Study Notes
Meteor Showers and Meteorites
- Meteor showers occur when Earth passes through a comet’s orbit, causing dust particles to burn up in the atmosphere, resulting in 10-50 meteors per hour.
- A meteoroid swarm is formed from pebble-sized dust trails from comets; this creates meteors when they enter the atmosphere, and if they survive landing, they are called meteorites.
- Meteorites can originate from asteroids and also contain primordial material from the early solar system.
Jovian and Terrestrial Planets
- Jovian planets grew larger than terrestrial planets due to colder outer solar system temperatures favoring the condensation of ices, leading to massive cores that attracted hydrogen and helium atmospheres.
- Titan, Saturn's moon, is unique for its thick, cloudy atmosphere and oceans of liquid methane, differing from Galilean moons due to its lower temperature.
Moons and Planetary Features
- Triton is a large moon of Neptune, while Uranus’s rings differ from Saturn’s as they are made of dark, carbonaceous materials.
- The Roche limit is the distance within which tidal forces can tear apart celestial bodies.
- Io, known for being the densest and most geologically active Galilean moon, experiences volcanic activity driven by tidal stresses from Jupiter and Europa, primarily due to sulfur.
Life and Habitability
- Europa may harbor life due to having a potential subsurface ocean beneath its icy crust and recent geological activity that erases impact craters.
- The evolution timeline shows that Earth was about one billion years old when the simplest life forms appeared, with a 2.5 billion-year gap between single- and multicellular organisms.
Tidal Forces and Orbital Mechanics
- Earth's tidal force causes the moon's near side to always face Earth, while the smallest high tides occur during the moon's first and third quarters.
- Moons' rotational and orbital periods are equal, demonstrating synchronous rotation.
Evolutionary Factors
- Intelligence is perceived to be the trait most favored by natural selection.
- Among evolutionary factors, the 24-hour rotation period of Earth appears least important for life's evolution.
Pluto and Its Characteristics
- Pluto's density is more similar to that of Jovian planet moons and bears resemblance to Triton, reflecting its unique classification in the solar system.
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Test your knowledge on meteor showers and meteorites with these flashcards. Explore the sources of these celestial phenomena and understand their impact as Earth passes through comet trails. Perfect for students and astronomy enthusiasts alike!
