AST_101_Lesson_7_Homework (1)
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Arizona State University, Tempe *
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Course
101
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Astronomy
Date
Feb 20, 2024
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Uploaded by ProfessorSheep4002
AST 101 Lesson 7 Homework
Student Name: Isabella Brown
Question 1 (5 points) Explain why it is essential to understand comets and asteroids for understanding our solar system’s history.
Comments and asteroids are believed to be relics of the material that formed the solar system. They have not been involved significantly and can inform us about the chemical composition, size, and formation process of the protosolar nebula. Understanding these objects can provide insights into the conditions that existed in the early solar system.
Question 2 (5 points): Describe the nucleus of a typical comet and compare it with an asteroid of
similar size.
The nucleus of a typical comet actively vents gas from its icy surface, while an asteroid's rocky structure contains no volatile frozen gases, like water, carbon dioxide, and others. Commentary nuclei are small, composed of ices, volatile organic compounds, silicate grains, and dust. Of similar size, they are denser and contain stonier and/or metallic materials.
Question 3 (5 points): What is the classification of bodies like Pluto and Eris, which are large enough to be round and have orbits beyond Neptune? Why are they not considered to be planets?
Bodies like Pluto and Aris are classified as dwarf planets by the International Astronomical Union. They are not considered to be planets because they have not cleared their orbits of other
debris, which is one of the criteria for being classified as a planet.
Question 4 (15 points): Compare and contrast the Asteroid Belt, Kuiper Belt, and Oort Cloud. In your answer, discuss the orbital properties and composition of these groups, and relate these properties to the environment where they formed.
The Asteroid Belt, Kuiper Belt, and Oort Cloud are all regions of space containing various small bodies. The asteroid belt lies between Mars and Jupiter and consists of many rocky bodies. The
Kuiper Belt extends beyond Neptune's orbit and contains icy bodies. The Oort Belt is a distant, spherical region of icy, comet-like bodies surrounding the solar system. The difference in their compositions and locations provide clues about the conditions in different regions of the solar system.
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AST 101 Lesson 7 Homework
Question 5 (5 points): Why have so many Kuiper belt objects been discovered during the last two decades but not before then?
The discovery of many Kuiper Belt Objects in the last two decades is largely due to the advancements in technology. As digital detectors used by astronomers have grown in size and sensitivity, researchers have been able to uncover many more objects in the Kuiper Belt. Question 6 (5 points): The Oort cloud is estimated to contain 10
12
comets. Assume that we discover 10 new comets visiting the Sun from the Oort Cloud each year. Answer the following question:
Since the beginning of the solar system, what percentage of the Oort Cloud comets have visited
the Sun and been “used up”? Show your calculations
.
Answer: 4.6% of the Oort Cloud comets have visited the sun and been used up. 4.6x10^9years
4.6x10^10comets/10^12comets x 100% = 4.6%
Question 7 (5 points): Describe the solar nebula and outline the sequence of events within the nebula that gave rise to the planetesimals.
The solar nebula was a large cloud of gas and dust that contracted under its own gravity. As it contracted, it began to rotate and flatten into a disk. Much of the material concentrated in the hot
center, which ultimately became the sun. Away from the center, as the nebula cooled, solid particles began to condense, giving rise to planetesimals, the building blocks of the planets and moons.
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AST 101 Lesson 7 Homework
Question 8 (5 points): Explain the origin of meteor showers and why they occur around the same date each year.
Meteor showers occur when Earth passes through the trail of debris left over from the disintegration of comets. As Earth orbits the sun, it intersects these debris trails at fixed intervals, causing meteor showers. Since these intersections occur at the same point in Earth's orbit each year, meteor showers are predictable annual events that occur around the same date.
Question 9 (10 points): Explain how the rock/metal line and frost line explain the difference between the properties of the terrestrial planets and Jovian (gas) planets.
The rock slash metal line and forest line are boundaries in the solar nebula that determine the composition of planets. Inside the rock slash metal line, it was too hot for volatile compounds to condense, leading to the formation of terrestrial planets composed predominantly of silicate rocks and metals. Beyond the frost line, where it was cold enough for volatile substances to freeze into solid ice, gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn formed. These gas giants are larger and contain more volatile compounds due to their location beyond the frost line. Page 3 of 3
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