Horizons: Exploring the Universe (MindTap Course List)
14th Edition
ISBN: 9781305960961
Author: Michael A. Seeds, Dana Backman
Publisher: Cengage Learning
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Chapter 17, Problem 3P
The smallest detail visible through Earth-based telescopes is about 1 second of arc in diameter. What size object would this represent on Mars at its closest approach to Earth? (Hint: Use the small-angle formula in Reasoning with Numbers 3-1.)
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At an average opposition, the Earth and Mars are separated by 0.52 AU. Suppose an astronomer
observes Mars at opposition and that seeing blurs the images to a resolution of 1.0 seconds of arc.
What is the smallest surface feature the astronomer would be able to resolve on Mars? How does
this size compare with the diameter of Mars?
The Mars Robotic Lander for which we are making these calculations is designed to return samples of rock from Mars after a long time of collecting samples, exploring the area around the landing site, and making chemical analyses of rocks and dust in the landing area. One synodic period is required for Earth to be in the same place relative to mars as when it landed.
Calculate the synodic period (in years) using the following formula:
1/Psyn = (1/PEarth) - (1/PMars)
where PEarth is the sidereal period of the Earth (1 year) and PMars is the sidereal period of Mars.
If 3/4 of a Martian year was spent collecting samples and exploring the terrain around the landing site, calculate how long the Mars Robotic Lander expedition took!
How long, deep, and wide would a terrestrial chasm have to be to have the
same proportions relative to the Earth that Valles Marineris has to Mars?
Chapter 17 Solutions
Horizons: Exploring the Universe (MindTap Course List)
Ch. 17 - Prob. 1RQCh. 17 - Why does Mercury have lobate scarps but Earth,...Ch. 17 - What evidence indicates that plate tectonics does...Ch. 17 - Prob. 4RQCh. 17 - Why are the atmospheres of Venus and Mars mostly...Ch. 17 - Prob. 6RQCh. 17 - Prob. 7RQCh. 17 - Why do astronomers conclude that the crust on Mars...Ch. 17 - Prob. 9RQCh. 17 - Prob. 10RQ
Ch. 17 - Prob. 11RQCh. 17 - Prob. 1DQCh. 17 - Imagine that you visit a planet orbiting another...Ch. 17 - Imagine that a spacecraft has landed on Mercury...Ch. 17 - Prob. 2PCh. 17 - The smallest detail visible through Earth-based...Ch. 17 - What is the maximum angular diameter of Phobos as...Ch. 17 - Phobos obits Mars at a distance of 9376 km from...Ch. 17 - Volcano Sif Mons on Venus is shown in the radar...Ch. 17 - Prob. 2LTL
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- A Sense of Proportion: Mercury averages only 0.39 AU from the Sun, Venus 0.72 AU and Mars 1.52 AU. If you built a model solar system and represent the average distance from the Sun to Earth as 10 inches, how far would you place Mercury, Venus and Mars from the Sun?arrow_forwardExplain the differences between the Grand Canyon on Earth and Valles Marineris on Mars.arrow_forwardWhat is the maximum angular diameter of the dwarf planet Ceres when it is closest to Earth? Could Earth-based telescopes detect surface features? Could the Hubble Space Telescope? (Hint: Use the small-angle formula, Eq. 3-1.) (Notes: Ceress average distance from the Sun is 2.8 AU and its diameter is 950 km. The best angular resolution of Earth-based telescopes at visual wavelengths is about 1 arc second and of Hubble about 0.1 arc second.)arrow_forward
- What is the maximum angular diameter of Venus as seen from Earth? (Hint: Use the small-angle formula, Eq. 3-1.) (Note: Necessary data to derive the distance between the objects in that situation are given in the Celestial Profiles for Earth in Chapter 19 and Venus in this chapter.)arrow_forwardThe average distance from Earth to Mars is 1.5 AU. If you send a command using radio waves (a form of light!) to a rover on the Mars surface, how long will you have to wait before you receive the response? Assume the rover responds immediately after it receives the commandarrow_forwardIn the previous lab, we calculated the area in between Mars' and Jupiter's orbit to be ~1.6e18 km2. Since there are roughly 750,000 asteroids, how much area (in km2) is available for one asteroid? Use this calculation to argue whether you are likely (or not) to hit an asteroid while flying through the asteroid belt. (Hint: To answer the first part of the question, find the area per asteroid)arrow_forward
- The average distance to Mars is 1.5 AU. If you send a command using radio waves (a form of light!) to a rover on the Mars surface, how long will you have to wait before you receive the response? Assume the probe responds immediately after it receives the command.arrow_forwardThe Msbar Alamal on its journey to Mars took a 7-month period, during which it traveled an estimated distance of 493 million kilometers. What was the distance covered during a 7-day period?arrow_forwardPluto has been hard to measure from Earth because of the atmosphere. In 2007 Young and Buie measured Pluto as having a diameter of 2322 km. In 2015 the New Horizons probe reached pluto and measured it up close and we now know the actual diameter is 2372 km. What was the percent error of the 2007 measurement? Enter your answer as a percent with a negative value if the 2007 measurement was too small and a positive value if it was too large.arrow_forward
- The closest approach distance between Mars and Earth is 56 million km. Assume you can travel in a spaceship at 58,000 km/h (which is the speed achieved by the New Horizons space probe that went to Pluto and is the fastest speed so far of any space vehicle launched from Earth). How long would it take you in hours to get to Mars at the time of closest approach?arrow_forwardUse the small-angle formula to calculate the angular diameter (in arc minutes) of Mars (d = 6.79 ✕ 103 km) as seen from Earth if Mars were at the location of the Sun (D = 1.5 ✕ 108 km).arrow_forwardthe area in between Mars' and Jupiter's orbit to be ~1.6e18 km2. Since there are roughly 750,000 asteroids, how much area (in km2) is available for one asteroid? Use this calculation to argue whether you are likely (or not) to hit an asteroid while flying through the asteroid belt. (Hint: To answer the first part of the question, find the area per asteroid)arrow_forward
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