HW#16: pg. 157 Rev 1 – 3; CST 1 – 3
Rev 1 – 3
1. What is comparative planetology? Why is it useful? What is its ultimate goal?
2. Name and describe all the different types of objects found in the solar system. Give one distinguishing characteristic of each. Include a mention of interplanetary space.
3. Why is it necessary to know the distance to a planet in order to determine the planet's mass?
CST 1 – 3
1. A planet's mass can most easily be determined by measuring the planet's (a) moon's orbits; (b) angular diameter; (c) position in the sky; (d) orbital speed around the Sun.
2. If we were to construct an accurate scale model of the solar system on a football field with the Sun at one end and Neptune at the other, the planet closest to the center of the field would be (a) Earth; (b) Jupiter; (c) Saturn; (d) Uranus.
3. The inner planets tend to have (a) fewer moons; (b) faster rotation rates; (c) stronger magnetic fields; (d) higher gravity than the outer planets have.