role of catastrophic events in formation of solar system
terrestrial planets (MVEM), Jovian/gas giant planets (JSUN), and Pluto - know basic characteristics (comparative planetology)
terrestrial - core/mantle/atmosphere
Jovian - core/liquid metallic hydrogen/liquid hydrogen/atmosphere
asteroids vs. comets vs. meteoroids
meterooids vs. meteors vs. meteorites
dirty snowball model of comets - Type I vs. Type II tails
age of Solar System and how we use radioactive dating to get it
planetesimals, condensation, accretion -> protoplanets
differentiation, outgassing, heat of formation
clearing of the solar nebula
4 stages of planetary development
structure of Earth, P & S waves
plate tectonics
changes in Earth's atmosphere, Greenhouse effect
Moon - maria vs. highlands
4 hypotheses for origin of moon and why large-impact hypothesis is favored
Galilean moons - Io (active), Europa (water?), Ganymede, Callisto
Ring separations of Saturn from shepherd satellites and gravitational resonance
Oort cloud vs. Kuiper belt
Why asteroids & comets are cleanest remnants of solar nebula
physical basis for life - information
Rough history of life on Earth
Life zone of a star
Problems with the Drake equation
Be able to use all formulas but concentrate on Newton's law of gravity and Kepler's third law since they relate to the solar system
Memorize speed of light, volume and surface area of a sphere, density = mass/volume, and density of water =1 g/cm^3