AST_101_Lesson_7_Homework
.docx
keyboard_arrow_up
School
Estrella Mountain Community College *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
101
Subject
Astronomy
Date
Dec 6, 2023
Type
docx
Pages
2
Uploaded by DeanFog20962
AST 101 Lesson 7 Homework
Student Name: Tabitha Ackermann
Question 1 (5 points)
Explain why it is essential to understand comets and asteroids for
understanding our solar system’s history.
Comets and astroids are important to scientist because they believe that scientist have kept a
record of the ohysical and chemical processes that ccured during the early stages of the solar
systems evolution.
Question 2 (5 points):
Describe the nucleus of a typical comet and compare it with an asteroid of
similar size.
The nucleus of a comet is a few kilometer is a diameter and is a made up of ices, organic
compounds,grains,and dust.In comparison to astriods, who are denser and are composed of
stones and 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?
These bodies are called dward olanets and they are not considered to be planets due to their
size and location.
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.
Question 5 (5 points): Why have so many Kuiper belt objects been discovered during the last
two decades but not before then?
There are hundreds of thousands of bodies in the Kuiper belt, however the Kuiper belt was only
discovered in 1992 and scientists and astronomers are still attempting to scratch the surface of
research.
Page 1 of 2
AST 101 Lesson 7 Homework
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%
(4.6x 10^9 years) (10 comets/year)= 46x10^9 comets
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 initially a cloud of dust and gas that began to rotate and its center. The
central region of the nebula became a star while the outer regions flattened out into a disk
shape. Things in the center remained hot, but the outer disk cooled off. Particals begin to cool
and form compounds like rock and metal grains that grew larger. Accretion of these pierced
formed planetesimals.
Question 8 (5 points): Explain the origin of meteor showers and why they occur around the
same date each year.
A meteor showers occur when Earth passes through the orbit of a cloud of debris that were
formed by a comet or asteroid breaking, hence why a particular meteor shower will occur in the
same spot around the same time of year.
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 terrestrial planets formed closer to the sun where temps suited rock and metal to condense,
whereas rhe Jovian planets formed past the frost line where temperatures suited ice
condensation.
Page 2 of 2
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help