Exam 9: Moons, Rings, and Plutoids: Small Worlds Among Giants

Pluto is no longer classified as a planet.

Voyager 1 was unable to image Titan's surface because

Saturn's rings are thick, perhaps a few thousand kilometers.

Define shepherd moons and give an example of them at work.

The striking gap between Saturn's A and B rings is called the _ .

The dusty ring around Jupiter was discovered in 1979 by _ .

The atmosphere of Titan is composed mostly of

What is the likely origin of Triton? Why do we believe this?

Which of the Galilean moons is densest and most geologically active?

How did discovering the KBOs demote Pluto's planetary status?

How does counting craters help us estimate the age of a moon's surface?

What is the relationship between Mimas and Saturn's rings?

Why were the mass and density of Pluto unknown until Charon was found?

Pluto was discovered in

Describe the Cassini mission to Saturn in 2004- 5.

In size and density, both Io and Europa resemble

Two sets of rings around Jovian planets were found by Earth- based observers, while two others were first imaged by the Voyagers.

Define the Roche Limit.

What would happen to a large moon inside the Roche Limit?

All four rings systems lie within their planet's .