📦 Included Materials:
1. Title:
"Astro 7N Exam 2: Master Pack – Solar System, Planets, Moons &
Orbits"
2. Contents Summary:
o ✅ 3 Quizlet Sets (Flashcard decks)
o ✅ 150 High-Accuracy Practice Questions with Answers
o ✅ Study Sheet Summary (Planet/Moon Comparison Charts)
o ✅ Printable PDF + Google Doc version
🧠 Quizlet Flashcard Sets (Sample Titles & Topics)
1. “Terrestrial vs Jovian – Planet Facts”
• 30 cards
• Includes features, atmosphere, rotation, revolution, moons, and
surface data.
2. “Moons & Small Bodies”
• 35 cards
• Covers Io, Europa, Titan, Ganymede, Triton + comets, asteroids,
meteors, and dwarf planets.
3. “Kepler's Laws + Solar System Dynamics”
• 25 cards
• Includes orbital mechanics, laws of motion, and solar system formation
facts.
Would you like these as a Quizlet link, CSV, or printable flashcard PDF?
🔍 150-Question Practice Bank (With Reviewed Answers)
Format Breakdown:
• 50 Multiple Choice
• 40 True/False
• 30 Fill-in-the-Blank
• 30 Matching & Labeling
Examples:
📝 Multiple Choice Sample:
Q1. Which planet has the strongest magnetic field?
A) Earth
B) Saturn
C) Jupiter ✅
,D) Neptune
Q2. What makes Venus hotter than Mercury?
A) It is closer to the Sun
B) It rotates faster
C) Greenhouse effect ✅
D) Active volcanoes
✅ True/False Sample:
Q9. Triton orbits Neptune in the same direction as the planet’s rotation.
Answer: False ❌ (It has a retrograde orbit)
✍️ Fill-in-the-Blank Sample:
Q25. __________ is the largest moon in the solar system.
Answer: Ganymede ✅
🔗 Matching Sample:
Match the Moon to its Planet:
Moon Planet
Io Jupiter ✅
Titan Saturn ✅
Phobos Mars ✅
Triton Neptune ✅
Astro 7N Exam 2 Study Guide
Here's a comprehensive Study Guide for Astro 7N – Exam 2, based on common university-level content
for this course, especially as it's taught in introductory astronomy classes like at Penn State (a common
source for Astro 7N). This exam typically focuses on:
The Solar System
Planets and their properties
Moons, comets, asteroids, and dwarf planets
Comparative planetology
Planetary atmospheres and surfaces
, Key Topics to Know
1. Terrestrial vs. Jovian Planets
Feature Terrestrial Planets Jovian Planets
Examples Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Composition Rocky, solid surfaces Gas giants (hydrogen, helium)
Density High Low
Size Small Large
Moons Few or none Many moons
Rings None All have rings
Atmosphere Thin (if any) Thick (mainly H and He)
2. Planetary Surface and Atmosphere Features
• Mercury: Heavily cratered, no atmosphere, temperature extremes.
• Venus: Thick CO₂ atmosphere, runaway greenhouse effect, hottest planet.
• Earth: Only planet with liquid water and life; nitrogen-rich atmosphere.
• Mars: Thin CO₂ atmosphere, dust storms, polar ice caps, Olympus Mons.
• Jupiter: Great Red Spot, fastest rotation, strong magnetic field.
• Saturn: Least dense planet, spectacular rings.
• Uranus: Tilted sideways, blue due to methane.
• Neptune: Strongest winds, also blue from methane.
3. Moons to Know
Moon Parent Planet Key Features
Luna Earth Only natural satellite of Earth
Phobos/Deimos Mars Small, irregularly shaped
Io Jupiter Volcanically active
Europa Jupiter Subsurface ocean, potential for life
Ganymede Jupiter Largest moon in the solar system
Titan Saturn Thick atmosphere, methane lakes
Triton Neptune Retrograde orbit, possibly captured
4. Asteroids, Comets, Meteors
• Asteroids: Rocky bodies, mainly in the Asteroid Belt between Mars & Jupiter.
• Comets: Ice and dust; tails form when near the Sun (coma, ion tail, dust tail).
• Meteors: "Shooting stars" – meteoroids entering Earth's atmosphere.
• Meteorites: Meteors that survive and impact Earth’s surface.
, 5. Dwarf Planets
• Pluto: Not a planet due to its orbit and size; part of Kuiper Belt.
• Other examples: Eris, Ceres, Haumea, Makemake.
Criteria for Planet (IAU Definition):
1. Orbit the Sun
2. Sufficient mass to be nearly round
3. Clear its orbital path
6. Formation of the Solar System
• Formed ~4.6 billion years ago from a solar nebula.
• Inner planets formed from metals/rocks.
• Outer planets formed from icy planetesimals and captured gas.
7. Planetary Atmospheres
• Greenhouse gases trap heat.
• Venus has a runaway greenhouse effect.
• Mars lost much of its atmosphere due to low gravity and solar wind.
• Earth's atmosphere allows liquid water and protects from radiation.
8. Kepler's Laws (Quick Review)
1. Elliptical Orbits – Planets orbit the Sun in ellipses.
2. Equal Areas – Planets sweep equal areas in equal time (move faster when closer to the Sun).
3. Period-Semi-major Axis Relation – P2=a3P^2 = a^3P2=a3 (P in years, a in AU)
9. Planetary Comparison Practice (Likely Exam Questions)
Question Type Example
Which planet has the most moons? Jupiter
Which planet rotates the fastest? Jupiter
Which planet has the highest surface temperature? Venus
Which planet is tilted almost sideways? Uranus
Which moon has a subsurface ocean? Europa
Which planet has dust storms and the tallest volcano? Mars