INTERNET STUDY
                                      The Nine Planets:
                             Moons of the outer Solar System planets

During these assignments, unless given permission by the teachers to visit other websites, ONLY THE
WEBSITES LISTED BELOW WILL BE USED!  Failure to follow library rules of correct computer/internet
use will result in losing the privilege of using the computers.  Turn in your worksheets to the teacher after each
day of library work.

We will use three WEB SITES to begin our first few assignments:
“STARCHILD PROJECT” - The address is:   http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov
“PROJECT ATHENA” - The address is:   http://www.athena.ivv.nasa.gov
“THE NINE PLANETS” - The address is:   http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu

For assignment #7 you will go to “The Nine Planets” web site  http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu  and answer the
following questions:
(when you have clicked on a button and have finished answering a question and have to go and click on the next
button, use the back arrow button to return to the previous page or the table of contents page.)

page down to ASTRONOMY on the web site page and click on “Nine Planets Solar System Tour”

1. The Earth spacecraft sent to explore Saturn and it’s moon Titan is named _____________ and will arrive at
Saturn on the date of _____________________.

click on “overview of the Solar System”
page down to the information below the solar system pictures.
2. The orbits of the planets are _________________ with the ____________ at one focus... The orbits of the
planets are all more or less in the same plane called the ___________________.

3. The planet which deviates the most from the plane of the ecliptic with an inclination of 17 degrees
is_____________

back page to the table of contents
4. There are _________ known moons orbiting the planet Mars.
click on the moon of Mars named Phobos

5. The name Phobos is the Greek word for _____________

6. Because Phobos is below the synchronous orbit radius (look up in the glossary), the moon is doomed.  What
will happen to this moon in about 50 million years? ___________________________________
 ______________________________________________________________________________

7. The moons of Mars - Phobos and Deimos, are widely believed to be captured ______________...which
originated ________________________________ rather than in the main asteroid belt.
 

go back to the table of contents
8. There are ___________ known moons orbiting the planet Jupiter

 click on the moon of Jupiter named Europa
9. Europa is slightly ___________ than the Earth’s moon.

10. “The images of Europa’s surface strongly resemble images of ___________  __________ on Earth. It is
possible that beneath Europa’s surface ice there is a layer of _____________  ___________, perhaps as much as
50 km deep...
 
11. Recent observations with HST reveal that Europa has a very tenuous atmosphere composed of
_____________.  Of the 61 moons in the solar system only four others  ____________  ____________
_____________  and ______________ are known to have atmospheres.

go back to the table of contents.
12. There are _____________ known moons orbiting the planet Saturn.
click on the moon of Saturn named Titan.

13. “Titan is nevertheless larger in diameter than  ____________ and larger and more massive than ______

14. Titan is about half _________  _________ and half rocky material.

15. “Alone of all the satellites in the solar system, Titan has a significant ________________.”

go back to the table of contents
16. There are _________ known moons orbiting the planet Uranus.
click on the moon Miranda

17. The moon Miranda is about half water ice and half __________  _____________

go back to the table of contents,
18. There are ___________ known moons orbiting the planet Neptune.
click on Triton

19. Neptune’s moon Triton orbits the planet in retrograde motion, which means it:
 a) orbits very slowly     b) orbits backwards     c) orbits too fast     d) orbits once a year

20. Because of Triton’s retrograde motion, this causes its orbit to lower, which means that in the distant future
Triton will either ___________________________  or _______________________________

21. One of the features found on triton appears to be active volcanoes.  Three other bodies in the solar system are
known to be volcanically active at the present time.  they are:  ___________  ___________ and __________