A100 Exploration 3 Worksheet
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School
Indiana University, Bloomington *
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Course
A100
Subject
Astronomy
Date
Apr 3, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
3
Uploaded by SargentBoar3739
A100 Exploration 3- Characterizing a New Planet NAME: Instructions and Tips:
-
Use the information in the instructions to help complete the activity. -
Lecture material from weeks 4 and 5 are extremely helpful when completing this activity!
Key Info from the Assignment Instructions:
- The name of the fictitious, newly discovered planet for exploration 3 is Adrian
. - Adrian was discovered due to perturbations in Neptune’s orbit. Astronomers have determined that Adrian takes 300 years or approximately 110,000 days to orbit the Sun! - We also estimate that the escape velocity on Adrian is 30 km/s. - Since the planet is so far away, people think the temperature of the atmosphere is only 100 K or -280 degrees Fahrenheit!
- Finally, mass and radius estimates have determined that the density of Adrian is 0.8 g/cm
3
(or 800 kg/m
3
)
Question 1:
Which of Kepler’s laws is used to connect the semi-major axis of a planet to the orbital period? Bold, circle, or otherwise indicate the correct answer [2 points]
-
Kepler’s 1
st
Law
-
Kepler’s 2
nd
Law
-
Kepler’s 3
rd
Law
Question 2: Based on the planet’s period, what is the semi-major axis of this planet? Show your work when solving this problem (in one or two lines). [4 points]
(Answer Q2 Here)
Question 3: Which other solar system object do you think the atmosphere on Adrian would most closely
resemble? Choose between Mercury, Earth, or Jupiter and compare the escape velocities of those planets to Adrian. Pick one object and justify your answer in 1-2 sentences [4 points]. Info for other solar system planets (including escape velocity) can be found at this link: https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/
Or in appendix F of the textbook or in the lecture notes. (Answer Q3 Here)
Question 4: Based on that temperature (only 100 K or -280 degrees Fahrenheit), should we use an optical telescope like the Hubble Space Telescope or an Infrared telescope like JWST to try and take an image of the new planet? Pick one and justify your answer in 1-2 sentences. [4 points]
(Answer Q4 Here)
Question 5: There are three hypotheses on why we have not discovered the planet Adrian until now: - Adrian has a very elliptical orbit. It spends a long time far away from the Sun and only a small amount of time close enough to Earth to be detected. - Adrian is much smaller and less massive than Pluto. - Adrian is brighter than the Sun and it was mistaken for a star until telescopes like the Hubble Space Telescope were invented. Which of these hypotheses do you believe is most likely given what we know about Adrian? In the textbox state, “Likely” or “Not Likely.” [3 points].
Adrian has a very elliptical orbit: Adrian is smaller than Pluto: Adrian is brighter than the Sun:
Question 6: Select one of the three types of planet compositions listed below that best describes the interior of Adrian. Why did you choose that composition (answer in 1-2 sentences)? [3 points] - Adrian is mostly made of iron
- Adrian is mostly made of rock
- Adrian is mostly made of hydrogen
(Answer Q6 here)
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