BullSO Invitational — Solar System

For the following characteristics, list Venus or Mars in order. a. Larger diameter b. Smaller relative mass c. Shorter period of rotation d. Denser, on average e. More spherical f. More moons

Which of the following is not a reason that Venus is unsustainable for Earth life?

Observe the image of Venus located approximately 59.5 S 354.4 E. What surface feature is being shown here?

What is the name of this feature?

This feature has a relatively unique profile for its type. Propose a mechanism as to how it formed.

Current models of Venus believe that there is a liquid iron-nickel outer core, similar to Earth. Explain why Venus does not have a significant magnetic field.

Despite having no tectonic plates or atmosphere, Venus shows signs of tectonic activity such as faults and folds. These are likely driven by:

Which of the following is not true of Mars’ atmosphere?

Which of the following is NOT a rover that has explored Mars?

Europa is the ____ largest moon of Jupiter

Which of the following statements about Europa is false?

Despite being extremely cold, Europa is theorized to have liquid oceans. Identify the name of the process that warms the oceans enough and briefly explain where the heat comes from.

Lineae are bands of dark ice with a lighter band between them that are common on Europa. Europa is hypothesized to have a similar model of plate-tectonics as Earth and these are analogous to oceanic ridges. Using this information, identify which bands are older (light/dark) and how this formed.

Europa shows a history of non-synchronous rotation. This means:

Europa has been found to release oxygen and hydrogen in light, yet significant amounts. Using the conditions of the area, propose a mechanism as to how this may have happened.

101955 Bennu is considered an asteroid of interest since it has a small chance of colliding into Earth, namely due to the Yarkovsky effect, which is the lag between thermal absorption and momentum. Explain how the Yarkovsky effect could have a diurnal effect on Bennu’s momentum.

Which of the following is false about Bennu’s surface

Write the mission destination for the following spacecraft: VERITAS

Write the mission destination for the following spacecraft: Phoenix

Write the mission destination for the following spacecraft: MAVEN

Write the mission destination for the following spacecraft: Galileo

Write the mission destination for the following spacecraft: OSIRIS-REx

Write the mission destination for the following spacecraft: Cassini

Spitzer was an attempt to put an infrared satellite in space. Which of the following was not a source of low/bad resolution?

Which of Kepler’s Laws imply that a planet will be moving faster when closer to the star it orbits rather than farther?

In a circular orbit of radius r, the centripetal force Fc (where m is mass of the planet, r is radius of the orbit, and w is angular velocity) is equal to the gravitational force Fg (where M is the mass of the star and G is a constant). Use this to show the derivation of the constant of proportionality k in terms of given variables (note a = r in circular orbits). The following equations may help:

Create an expression that shows the total energy absorbed by the planet per unit time.

Create an expression that shows the total energy emitted by the planet per unit time.

Create an expression that calculates the theoretical surface temperature of the planet in terms of given constants. Explain how this assumption works.