Review Checklist - Sample Questions
The Solar System
- Overview
The Sun
- What is an astronomical unit? What is the value of an astronomical unit?
- What is the Sun? How large is it, and how
far is it from the Earth?
- What is the temperature at the Sun's surface?
At its center?
- What is the Sun made of? How does it produce
energy?
- What are sunspts, flares, and prominences
in the Sun?
- In what ways does the Sun affect its environment,
including the Earth?
- What is the solar wind?
General Aspects of the Solar
System
- Which are the Terrestrial (inner) planets,
and which are the Jovian (outer) ones?
- Why has Pluto's status as a planet been questioned?
- Is there a tenth planet beyond Pluto?
- What is the main difference between Terrestrial
and Jovian planets?
- What are the asteroids?
- Where are asteroids located? What is the
asteroid belt?
- What are comets? Where are they located?
- Which are the farthest confirmed objects
in the solar system?
- What is the main difference between comets
and asteroids?
- What are meteoroids?
- What is the Kuiper belt?
- What is the Oort cloud?
More Specific Facts
- What is planet conjunction?
- What is planet opposition?
- If a planet has moons and rings, which ones
are more likely to be close to the planet?
- Are planets always larger than moons?
- Do any moons in the Solar System have an
atmosphere?
- Which planet's orbit differs most from a
circle in the plane of the solar system?
- Which planet is furthest from the Sun right
now?
- On which planets do we think there is a possibility
that life may have existed?
- Is there any moon where we think there is
a possibility for life to exist?
- What is the Titius-Bode law?
- What is Phobos? Titan? Mimas? Io? Europa?
Ganymede? Callisto? ... Charon?
- Approximately how long ago did the solar
system / the planets form?
Summary
- Which of the terrestrial planets have been
approached by spacecraft from Earth?
- Which of the Terrestrial planets have spacecraft
from Earth landed on?
- Which bodies outside the Earth have humans
actually been to?
- Which are the largest two planets in the
solar system?
- Which of the terrestrial/jovian planets have
moons?
- Why does a terrestrial planet like the Earth
have a moon?
- Which of the terrestrial/jovian planets have
rings?
- Can a planet have both moons and rings?
- Which of the terrestrial planets has the
largest magnetic field?
- Which of the terrestrial planets is most
similar to Earth in size?
- Which of the terrestrial planets has the
tallest known volcanoes?
- What is the best way to find out what the
interior of a terrestrial planet is made of?
- What do astronomers mean when they say that
a planet/moon is "active"?
Up to astronomy
resources; Page by Luca Bombelli <bombelli"at"olemiss.edu>,
Modified 30 dec 2005
