Flashcards
Geologic Solar System
Cards in this deck (12)
- 1TerminatorDusk or twilight conditions. The line that separates the dark and light sides of the planet
- 2Kuiper BeltDebris and small material that exists outside the realm of Neptune and is mainly icy
- 3Inner PlanetsAlso called terrestrial planets. Include Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, and have solid surfaces, few or no moons, and thin atmospheres
- 4MercuryClosest to the sun, is the smallest planet, has a very thin atmosphere and has a cratered surface
- 5VenusSlightly smaller than Earth, has a dense atmosphere and has a sun that rises in the west and sets in the east (it turns the other way)
- 6MarsHas two small moons and appears red because of the oxidation of dust (iron). Has thin atmosphere
- 7MoonMore like a planet, both the rotation and the orbit are the same (called orbital locking), dark areas are basalt rocks. Formed by massive impact
- 8Outer PlanetsAlso called Jovian planets or gas giants. Include Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Are massive and have thick atmospheres
- 9JupiterMay have a solid metallic core. Has a lasting storm called the great red spot and has a ring characteristic of gas giants
- 10SaturnHas the most spectacular ring in the solar system. Obviously only has face value
- 11PlanetCharacteristics:
Orbits around the sun
Has sufficient mass to assume a round shape
Is not a satellite
Cleared the area around its orbit - 12Nebular TheoryA cloud of ice, dust, and gas collapsed in on itself due to gravitational forces, then flattened to form a disk with a bulge at its centre due to centrifugal force, forming the planets and planetoids.