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Study Questions Part 1              Study Questions Part 2                  Study Questions Part 3  

 

STUDY QUESTIONS PART 1

Study Questions Week 1

Chapter 1

  1. Define and describe the systems of celestial coordinates and reference points (e.g. celestial equator, right ascension, etc.) Know all the terms on the handout of Celestial Coordinates from the first day of class.
  2. Explain the difference between a solar day and a sidereal day.
  3. What is precession?
  4. What is an "astronomical unit"? What does it measure?

Chapter 6

  1. What are the distinguishing characteristics of the Terrestrial planets?
  2. What are the distinguishing characteristics of the Jovian planets?
  3. List the components of the solar system.
  4. Describe the positions of the planets on a plot of radius vs. density.
  5. What are typical densities of rocks? What are typical densities of the terrestrial planets? What are typical densities of the Jovian planets?
  6. Be able to recognize a full disk image of each of the planets (except Pluto) and the Moon.
  7. In what ways is Pluto unusual.
  8. What is Bode’s Law? What does it tell you?
  9. What does density measure?
  10. What is the difference between a solar day and a sidereal day?
  11. Describe and explain retrograde motion.
  12. Which planet, planets, or moons were visiting by the following spacecraft:

Review and Discussion Chapter 6: 1,  8, 9

Study Questions Week 2

Chapter 2

  1. What are Kepler’s Laws of planetary motion? What does each one mean?
  2. Define aphelion and perihelion.
  3. Explain the terms semi-major axis and eccentricity.
  4. How do you draw an ellipse? Know how to determine the semi-major axis, the eccentricity, perihelion and aphelion from a drawing of an ellipse representing a planetary orbit.
  5. How did Newton modify Kepler’s third law?
  6. According to Newton, how does the gravitational force between two objects depend on the masses and on the distance between them?
  7. How do we determine the mass of objects in the solar system?
  8. What quantity does your weight represent?
  9. What is escape speed?
  10. Know the units used for Kepler’s third law in both forms.

Review and Discussion Chapter 2: 9, 10, 14, 15, 19, 20

Study Questions Week 3

General questions about Venus

  1. Describe the general characteristics of Venus. Be able to recognize a visual (as opposed to radar) image of Venus.
  2. When was Magellan at Venus?
  3. How did Magellan map the surface of Venus.
  4. What are the significant findings from the Magellan mission? 
  5. Describe the surface features of Venus.
  6. What is the evidence for active volcanoes on Venus?

Major Points/Questions from the video "Venus Unveiled"

  1. What is a "runaway greenhouse" effect?
  2. What are major mechanisms of heat loss for planets?
  3. Is there evidence for major tectonics on Venus? Is there evidence for major current volcanic activity on Venus?
  4. How did the Magellan spacecraft map the surface of Venus?
  5. What are two important points about the distribution of impact craters on Venus, and what do they tell us?
  6. Explain "catastrophism" versus "uniformitarianism".
  7. What is the expected relative strengths of surface rocks on Venus compare to those on Earth? Why are they different?
  8. Explain the controversy in the thick or thin lithosphere debate. How is this related to heat loss?
  9. Describe the overall picture of Venus’s geologic history that is presented in the video. Is this model universally accepted?

Discussion questions from the "Scientific American"  article:

  1. What mechanisms are responsible for how planets loose heat? Which is most important on Venus? Which is most important on Earth?  Mars is smaller, and probably cooled much more quickly than Earth or Venus. Based on this, what do you predict about these processes on Mars?
  2. Describe the observations of impact craters on Venus. What are the implications of these observations?

Study Questions Week 4

Surface Processes:

  1. What are the major processes that modify planetary surfaces?

Impact Craters and Crater Counting

  1. Describe the formation of an impact crater. Describe what is meant be the terms "hypersonic" and  "shock wave" with regards to the formation of an impact crater.
  2. Describe the morphology and features of an impact crater. (See Figure 9.7 of handout)
  3. Define the terms: primary crater, secondary crater, ejecta blanket, rays, simple crater, central peak, complex crater, multiring basin.
  4. How are secondary craters formed?
  5. Explain the differences between simple craters, complex craters, and multiring basins.
  6. What factors govern a crater’s size and morphology?
  7. What is meant by "crater saturation equilibrium"?
  8. Explain in a general way how crater counts are used to date surfaces.
  9. Explain how radioactive dating is used to determine ages.
  10. What is superposition and why is it important?