Our Night Sky Lecture Five
Name______________________________
Observing the planets with a telescope
1. What is the Kuiper belt?
2. What are the largest objects in the Kuiper belt?
3. Why do we not usually see Mercury or Venus at full phase?
4. Why is Mercury a battered planet?
5. Why is Mercury the least observed of the planets?
6. Why can’t we see the surface of Venus?
7. Why is Venus so bright?
8. Why is it hard to see Mars features?
9. When should we observe Mars?
10. What is Perihelic opposition?
11. When is the next best date to see Mars?
12. What can you watch change over time on Mars?
13. What are polar hoods?
14. What is albedo?
15. How can you see the whole surface of Mars?
16. What are Mars moons and how did they form?
17. How fast does Jupiter rotate?
18. What is the fourth brightest star in the universe?
19. How often is Jupiter in opposition?
20. What are the four giant moons that you can see around Jupiter?
21. What is the name of the two brown belts?
22. What is the Red spot?
23. What does it mean to have a moon transit?
24. How will Saturn’s rings appear?
25. How many degrees are the rings tilted?
26. What caused the Cassini gap?
27. Titan is the ___________largest moon in the solar system
28. How many years does it take for Uranus to go around the Earth?
29. Who is Uranus twin?
30. How could you see Pluto in the night sky?
Our Night Sky Lecture Five
Name______________________________
Meteor showers, comets, eclipses and more
1. When will Haley’s comets be back?
2. What do comets look like in the sky?
3. How do you tell a nebula from a comet?
4. What are comets made of?
5. Where in the Solar system are comets found?
6. What happens to the comet as it approaches the sun?
7. Why does the tail glow?
8. What is the coma?
9. What is a meteroide?
10. What are sporadics?
11. What are meteorites?
12. What is a very bright meteorite?
13. When are the Perseids?
14. Where is it radiating from?
15. What is the ZHR?
16. When are the Geminids?
17. What is the best way to observe a meteor shower?
18. When are meteorites most visible
19. Describe a total eclipse of the sun:
20. Describe a lunar eclipse:
21. How many lunar eclipses occur yearly?
22. What are transits?
23. How do transits of Venus occur?
24. What is the important date to remember to see the transit of Venus?
25. What are moon halos?
26. What are sun dogs?
27. What are rocket bodies?
28. How often can you see the International space craft?
29. Describe how auroras occur.
30. When can you see the auroras here?