This topic contains a solution. Click here to go to the answer

Author Question: Most small moons tend to be old and geologically inactive. Explain why Enceladus appears to break ... (Read 133 times)

Mollykgkg

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 529
Most small moons tend to be old and geologically inactive. Explain why Enceladus appears to break that general rule.
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Describe the ring system of Saturn.
 
  What will be an ideal response?



Related Topics

Need homework help now?

Ask unlimited questions for free

Ask a Question
Marked as best answer by a Subject Expert

AISCAMPING

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 347
Answer to Question 1

The smaller moons of Saturn are icy worlds battered by impact craters, and you can suspect that they are cold and old. Small worlds lose their heat quickly, and with no internal heat, there is no geological activity to erase impact craters. A small, icy world covered with craters is exactly what you would expect in the outer solar system. Enceladus, however, is peculiar. Although it is small and icy, its surface is highly reflective, and some areas contain fewer craters than you would expect. In fact, some regions seem almost free of craters. Grooves and faults mark some regions of the little moon and suggest motion in the crust. These features should have been destroyed long ago by impact cratering, so you must suppose that the moon has been geologically active at some time since the end of the heavy bombardment at the conclusion of planet building. The water vents discovered at the south pole of Enceladus show the moon is still active.

Answer to Question 2

The brilliant rings of Saturn are made up of billions of ice particles ranging from microscopic specks to chunks bigger than a house. Each particle orbits Saturn in its own circular orbit. From Earth, astronomers see three rings labeled A, B, and C. Voyager and Cassini images reveal over a thousand ringlets within the rings. The C ring contains boulder-size chunks of ice, whereas most particles in the A and B rings are more golf-ball size, down to dust-size ice crystals. Furthermore, C ring particles are less than half as bright as particles in the A and B rings. Cassini observations show that the C ring particles contain less ice and more minerals. The F ring is clumpy and sometimes appears braided
due of two shepherd satellites. The Encke Gap is not empty. A small moon orbits inside the gap.





 

Did you know?

When blood is deoxygenated and flowing back to the heart through the veins, it is dark reddish-blue in color. Blood in the arteries that is oxygenated and flowing out to the body is bright red. Whereas arterial blood comes out in spurts, venous blood flows.

Did you know?

Approximately one in three babies in the United States is now delivered by cesarean section. The number of cesarean sections in the United States has risen 46% since 1996.

Did you know?

Looking at the sun may not only cause headache and distort your vision temporarily, but it can also cause permanent eye damage. Any exposure to sunlight adds to the cumulative effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation on your eyes. UV exposure has been linked to eye disorders such as macular degeneration, solar retinitis, and corneal dystrophies.

Did you know?

Acute bronchitis is an inflammation of the breathing tubes (bronchi), which causes increased mucus production and other changes. It is usually caused by bacteria or viruses, can be serious in people who have pulmonary or cardiac diseases, and can lead to pneumonia.

Did you know?

Sildenafil (Viagra®) has two actions that may be of consequence in patients with heart disease. It can lower the blood pressure, and it can interact with nitrates. It should never be used in patients who are taking nitrates.

For a complete list of videos, visit our video library