Planetary Science 2012 Unit Exam Review

1. What do all of the inner planets have in common? They all have rocky surfaces 2. What is the length of the Earths rotation? 24 hours 3. Aside from Earth, which inner planet once had liquid water on its surface? Mars 4. What is the process called when a sphere becomes denser, and hotter as the hydrogen changes to helium? Nuclear fusion 5. What are the different shapes of the moon seen from Earth are called? Phases 6. When the north end of Earths axis is tilted toward the sun, what will the northern hemisphere experience? More direct rays and longer days 7. The majority of stars in our galaxy are in what phase of their development? Main sequence stars 8. Galileo saw that much of the moons surface is covered with round pits called what? Craters 9. How were Maria on the moons surface formed? Lava flows 10. How does the sun produce energy? Nuclear fusion 11. When a meteoroid enters Earths atmosphere, it produces a streak of light called what? Meteor 12. What is the first stage of life for a star? A ball of gas and dust 13. Why does the atmosphere of the gas giant planets not escape into space? The planets have a very strong gravitational pull 14. Compare and contrast Venus and Earth. They are very much alike in terms of their size and density 15. A star begins as a ball of gas and dust. What pulls it together? Gravity

16. What is distinctive about Jupiter? It is the largest and most massive planet 17. Which of the inner planets does NOT show evidence of volcanic activity? Mercury 18. What color are the coolest stars? Red 19. The amount of the lighter side of the moon you can see is the same during which two phases? The first quarter and third quarter phases 20. How would our sun be classified? A main sequence star 21. What do the first four outer planets have in common? They are much larger than the Earth and are made mainly of hydrogen and helium 22. When is a star born? When nuclear fusion begins 23. The phase of the moon you see depends on what? How much of the sunlit side of the moon faces the Earth 24. What causes day and night? The Earth's rotation on its axis 25. How long does one complete revolution of Earth around the sun take? One year 26. Why does the Earth have seasons? Because the Earth is tilted on its axis as it moves around the sun 27. What makes up Saturns rings? Chunks of ice and rock 28. List characteristics of Main Sequence Stars? The second and longest phase of star's life cycle 29. List characteristics of a Red Giant? Maybe 10 to 100 times larger than the sun Has expanded and cooled as it uses all of its hydrogen 30. List characteristics of a White Dwarf? Small hot star that is the left over center of an older star Has no hydrogen left and can no longer generate energy