Jovian Planets Review

Jovian planets share which of the following characteristics, making them very different from terrestrial planets like Venus or Mars?

• large mass, no solid surface, many moons, ring systems

• rocky surface, few or no moons, liquid water

• plate tectonics, many impact craters, small size

• ring systems, few or no moons, rocky surface

All of the Jovian planets used to be called "gas giants", but we now recognize that Uranus and Neptune have a different composition, size, and structure than Jupiter and Saturn. What is the name given to Uranus and Neptune today?

• terrestrial planets

• ice giants

• gas giants

• blue dwarfs

Jupiter's third major moon, and the largest moon in the Solar System is called ____.

• Io

• Ganymede

• Phobos

• Triton

Though all four Jovian planets have ring systems, only Saturn possesses a bright set of rings that are spectacularly visible from Earth with a small telescope. Why do scientists believe Saturn's rings are so much brighter than the rings of other planets?

• Saturn's rings have a lot more reflective ice in them, probably because they are younger than those of other planets.

• They are probably kept glowing white hot by tidal heating from Saturn's gravity.

• They are tilted in the direction of Earth, so they are more visible to us.

• Saturn's rings are made of larger particles.

Rings like Saturn's are thought to be created when a moon approaches too close to the planet, pas the ___ ___ and is torn apart by tidal forces.

• Roche limit

• Maginot line

• ring line

• orbital radius

Uranus and Neptune are considered to be twin planets. Which of the following is NOT a reason that Uranus and Neptune are so similar?

• They are nearly the same size.

• They are both a shade of blue.

• They have very similar compositions.

• They have the same number of moons.

Because it is 30 AU from the Sun, ___ has the longest orbital period of any planet, at 187 years.

• Jupiter

• Saturn

• Uranus

• Neptune

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

Jupiter's Great Red Spot is now known to be most similar to what Earthly weather system?

• high pressure anticyclone

• category 5 hurricane

• jet stream

• neap tide

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6