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The flashcards below were created by user
dwrght16
on FreezingBlue Flashcards.
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What is an "extrasolar planet"?
a planet that orbits a star that is not our own Sun
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In essence, the Kepler mission is searching for extrasolar planets by
monitoring stars for slight dimming that might occur as unseen planets pass in front of them
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How can gravitational tugs from orbiting planets affect the motion of a star?
The planet and the star both make orbits about a common center of mass. The star, being much larger than the planet, has a much smaller orbit. But it does move slightly.
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Explain how alien astronomers could deduce the existence of planets in our solar system by observing the Sun's motion
- -They could measure the small changes in position of the Sun to deduce the presence of our planets.
- -They could measure the small velocity changes of the Sun to deduce the presence of our planets.
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If we can measure the period of a star's "wobble" caused by an orbiting planet, we know the
period of the planet's orbit.
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Why are planets with long orbital periods among the last to be discovered?
Astronomers have to watch a long time before they repeat their orbits
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What was so surprising about the first extrasolar planets that they forced a change in our theory of planet formation?
They were massive like Jupiter, but very close to their host star.
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What's the best explanation for the location of hot Jupiters?
They formed farther out like Jupiter but then migrated inward.
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In general, what kind of terrestrial planet would you expect to have the thickest lithosphere?
a small planet
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