The Solar System

Solar and Lunar Eclipses

Answers

SCIENTIFIC THEORY/INTRODUCTION

1. observations

2. scientific method

3. catastrophic hypothesis

4. nebular (modern concept)

5. nebular

6. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto

DEFINITIONS

7. planet

8. astronomical unit

9. revolution, sidereal

10. ecliptic

11. inclination

12. eccentricity

13. rotational

14. axial tilt

15. mass

16. neither. Both are 100 pounds and represent the same quantity of mass, even though the density (mass per unit volume) is much less for the feathers. The feathers are therefore bulkier, but more massive than the lead.

17. the same. Mass is not weight, nor is it a measurement of a force like weight; it is simply the quantity of matter an object contains. The mass will remain unchanged regardless of its location in the universe.

18. radius

19. cubed

20. density

21. surface gravity

22. (natural) satellite

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM

23. 99 percent

24. ecliptic

25. perpendicular

26. circles

27. same, counterclockwise

28. direction, perpendicular

29. spacing (mathematical)

30. angular momentum

31. angular momentum, radius, mass, rate of spin

32. INCREASE

33. mass, size, density, composition

34. asteroids, comets, meteoroids. They possess higher orbital inclinations (average 30 degrees) and eccentricities (average 0.3), and much smaller sizes which make them unique with regards to the planets in the solar system.

MODERN NEBULAR HYPOTHESIS REVEALED

35. a) supernova explosions, b) magnetic fields, c) O B associations

36. density, gravity

37. flatten, rapidly, HIGHER

38. magnetic field

39. spiral

40. neutral

41. angular momentum

42. "r"

43. volatiles

44. HIGHER, refractory

45. magnetohydrodynamic effect

46. planetesimals

47. protoplanets

48. e., b., c., d., a., f.

49. five billion

GEOMETRY OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM

50. inferior

51. Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto

52. backwards

53. retrograde motion

54. See drawing on this page.

55. sidereal

56. synodic

54. INFERIOR PLANETS SUPERIOR PLANETS

a. inferior conjunction e. conjunction

R: 06:00 S: 18:00 R: 06:00 S: 18:00

b. superior conjunction f. quadrature (western)

R: 06:00 S: 18:00 R: midn. S: noon

c. greatest western elongation g. quadrature (eastern)

R: before sun R: noon S: midn

d. greatest eastern elongation h. opposition

S: after sun R: 18:00 S: 06:00