RANDY L. PHELPS

This is the Solar System Web Assignment

Upon completion of this web assignment, you should be able to answer these, and similar questions:

• What are the pieces of information that allow us to understand the history of Mercury?   What does this information tell us about Mercury's history?
• Which planets in the Solar System have atmospheres?
• Which planets in the Solar System have solid surfaces?
• Which planets in the Solar System have moons?
• Which planet has a low enough density that it would float in water?
• How is Venus similar to the Earth?  How is it different?
• What are the unique characteristics of Venus?
• What evidence exists that Mars has/had water?
• What evidence has been used to argue that Mars may have had life?
• Why is Pluto an "oddball planet"?
• What are the interesting geological features on Mars?
• Which planet(s) have rings?
• The asteroid belt is located between which planets?
• Which planet(s) is/are rotating opposite to the other planets?
• Which moon/moons are know to have active volcanism/geysers?
• Which planetary moon has a thick atmosphere?
• Which planet dominates the Solar System by mass?
• What is the difference between meteoroids, meteors, and meteorites?
• Who discovered the four major moons around Jupiter?
• Explore in some detail how the following parameters for the planets vary as the distance from the Sun increases: Mass, Radius, Density, Temperature, Orbital Properties (Eccentricity and Inclination).  How can this information be used to build a theory of the formation of the Solar System?

These questions, and similar ones, will form the basis of  the exam material for this section of the course.