Question 1

Which of the following is not a piece of evidence supporting the idea that Europa may have a subsurface ocean?

Accepted Answer

A) Europa has a magnetic field that appears to respond to Jupiter's magnetic field. 
B) Astronomers have detected small lakes of liquid water on Europa's surface. 
C) Europa's surface shows very few impact craters. 
D) Photos of Europa's surface show regions that appear to consist of jumbled icebergs frozen in place. 
A) Europa has a magnetic field that appears to respond to Jupiter's magnetic field. 
B) Astronomers have detected small lakes of liquid water on Europa's surface. 
C) Europa's surface shows very few impact craters. 
D) Photos of Europa's surface show regions that appear to consist of jumbled icebergs frozen in place.

Question 2

Jupiter is the only Jovian planet with large storms.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 3

Some of the moons of the jovian planets have significant atmospheres.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 4

Which large jovian moon is thought to have been captured into its present orbit?

Accepted Answer

A) Triton 
B) Titan 
C) Callisto 
D) Io 
A) Triton 
B) Titan 
C) Callisto 
D) Io

Question 5

Why does Jupiter have three distinct layers of clouds?

Accepted Answer

A) Jupiter has three different types of wind, each of which makes a different type of cloud. 
B) The three layers reflect regions of Jupiter's atmosphere with different overall chemical compositions. 
C) Clouds form randomly, so on average there are always three layers. 
D) The three layers represent clouds made of gases that condense at different temperatures. 
A) Jupiter has three different types of wind, each of which makes a different type of cloud. 
B) The three layers reflect regions of Jupiter's atmosphere with different overall chemical compositions. 
C) Clouds form randomly, so on average there are always three layers. 
D) The three layers represent clouds made of gases that condense at different temperatures.

Question 6

Why is Triton such an unusual satellite?

Accepted Answer

Triton's orbit around Neptune is retrogr

Question 7

Which moon has a thick atmosphere made mostly of nitrogen?

Accepted Answer

A) Titan 
B) Europa 
C) Ganymede 
D) Triton 
A) Titan 
B) Europa 
C) Ganymede 
D) Triton

Question 8

Why do the jovian planet interiors differ?

Accepted Answer

A) They differ due to giant impacts at the late stages of planet formation. 
B) Accretion took longer further from the Sun, so the more distant planets formed their cores later and captured less gas from the solar nebula than the closer jovian planets. 
C) The more distant planets had longer to form than the closer planets, since the solar nebula lasted longer at greater distances from the Sun. 
D) The more distant planets formed in a cooler region of the solar nebula and therefore contain a greater proportion of ices than the closer jovian planets. 
A) They differ due to giant impacts at the late stages of planet formation. 
B) Accretion took longer further from the Sun, so the more distant planets formed their cores later and captured less gas from the solar nebula than the closer jovian planets. 
C) The more distant planets had longer to form than the closer planets, since the solar nebula lasted longer at greater distances from the Sun. 
D) The more distant planets formed in a cooler region of the solar nebula and therefore contain a greater proportion of ices than the closer jovian planets.

Question 9

Which moon is considered likely to have a deep, subsurface ocean of liquid water?

Accepted Answer

A) Io 
B) Triton 
C) Europa 
D) Miranda 
A) Io 
B) Triton 
C) Europa 
D) Miranda

Question 10

Jupiter's colors come in part from its three layers of clouds. Which of the following is not the primary constituent of one of Jupiter's cloud layers?

Accepted Answer

A) clouds of ammonium hydrosulfide 
B) clouds of sulfuric acid 
C) clouds of ammonia 
D) clouds of water 
A) clouds of ammonium hydrosulfide 
B) clouds of sulfuric acid 
C) clouds of ammonia 
D) clouds of water

Question 11

Which statement about planetary rings is not true?

Accepted Answer

A) Saturn's rings formed along with its moons 4.6 billion years ago. 
B) Individual ring particles orbit their planet in accord with Kepler's laws, so that particles closer in orbit faster than particles farther out. 
C) All four jovian planets have rings. 
D) Rings are always located closer to a planet's surface than any large moons. 
A) Saturn's rings formed along with its moons 4.6 billion years ago. 
B) Individual ring particles orbit their planet in accord with Kepler's laws, so that particles closer in orbit faster than particles farther out. 
C) All four jovian planets have rings. 
D) Rings are always located closer to a planet's surface than any large moons.

Question 12

Why does it make sense that the jovian planets farther from the Sun have less mass?

Accepted Answer

The differences in the sizes of the jovi

Question 13

Why is Jupiter denser than Saturn?

Accepted Answer

A) Its core is much larger than Saturn's. 
B) It is made of a different composition than Saturn, including a higher proportion of hydrogen compounds and rocks. 
C) The extra mass of Jupiter compresses its interior to a greater extent than that of Saturn. 
D) It has a greater proportion of helium to hydrogen compared to Saturn. 
E) Scientists do not know why this is so. 
A) Its core is much larger than Saturn's. 
B) It is made of a different composition than Saturn, including a higher proportion of hydrogen compounds and rocks. 
C) The extra mass of Jupiter compresses its interior to a greater extent than that of Saturn. 
D) It has a greater proportion of helium to hydrogen compared to Saturn. 
E) Scientists do not know why this is so.

Question 14

The Huygens landing showed that the surface of Titan is as hard as a rock.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

Why is Saturn almost as big as Jupiter, despite its smaller mass?

Accepted Answer

A) Jupiter's greater mass compresses it more and increases its density. 
B) Saturn's rings make the planet look bigger. 
C) Saturn is further from the Sun, thus cooler, and therefore less compact. 
D) Jupiter's strong magnetic field constrains its size. 
E) Saturn has a larger proportion of hydrogen and helium than Jupiter, and is therefore less dense. 
A) Jupiter's greater mass compresses it more and increases its density. 
B) Saturn's rings make the planet look bigger. 
C) Saturn is further from the Sun, thus cooler, and therefore less compact. 
D) Jupiter's strong magnetic field constrains its size. 
E) Saturn has a larger proportion of hydrogen and helium than Jupiter, and is therefore less dense.

Question 16

The mass of Saturn can be determined by applying Kepler's 3rd Law to the motion of a single ice particle in its rings.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

Observing Galilean moons: The Galileo spacecraft launched towards Jupiter carried a small telescope (about 25 cm diameter)for collecting visible light images. Explain why these collect images with much better spatial resolution than even the largest Earth- bound telescopes (for example, the 10 meter Keck telescopes).

Accepted Answer

While they have much worse angular resol

Question 18

Describe the possible origins of Jupiter's vibrant colors. Contrast these with the origins of the colors of the other jovian planets.

Accepted Answer

The white zones of Jupiter's atmosphere

Which of the following is not a piece of evidence supporting the idea that Europa may have a subsurface ocean?

Jupiter is the only Jovian planet with large storms.

Some of the moons of the jovian planets have significant atmospheres.

Which large jovian moon is thought to have been captured into its present orbit?

Why does Jupiter have three distinct layers of clouds?

Why is Triton such an unusual satellite?

Which moon has a thick atmosphere made mostly of nitrogen?

Why do the jovian planet interiors differ?

Which moon is considered likely to have a deep, subsurface ocean of liquid water?

Jupiter's colors come in part from its three layers of clouds. Which of the following is not the primary constituent of one of Jupiter's cloud layers?

Which statement about planetary rings is not true?

Why does it make sense that the jovian planets farther from the Sun have less mass?

Why is Jupiter denser than Saturn?

The Huygens landing showed that the surface of Titan is as hard as a rock.

Why is Saturn almost as big as Jupiter, despite its smaller mass?

The mass of Saturn can be determined by applying Kepler's 3rd Law to the motion of a single ice particle in its rings.

Describe the possible origins of Jupiter's vibrant colors. Contrast these with the origins of the colors of the other jovian planets.

A Modern View of the Universe

Discovering the Universe for Yourself

The Science of Astronomy

Making Sense of the Universe: Understanding Motion, Energy, and Gravity

Light: the Cosmic Messenger

Formation of the Solar System

Earth and the Terrestrial Worlds

Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets: Their Nature, Orbits, and Impacts

Other Planetary Systems: the New Science of Distant Worlds

Our Star

Surveying the Stars

Star Stuff

The Bizarre Stellar Graveyard

Our Galaxy

A Universe of Galaxies

The Birth of the Universe

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Life in the Universe

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Exam 8: Jovian Planet System

Which of the following is not a piece of evidence supporting the idea that Europa may have a subsurface ocean?

Jupiter is the only Jovian planet with large storms.

Some of the moons of the jovian planets have significant atmospheres.

Which large jovian moon is thought to have been captured into its present orbit?

Why does Jupiter have three distinct layers of clouds?

Why is Triton such an unusual satellite?

Which moon has a thick atmosphere made mostly of nitrogen?

Why do the jovian planet interiors differ?

Which moon is considered likely to have a deep, subsurface ocean of liquid water?

Jupiter's colors come in part from its three layers of clouds. Which of the following is not the primary constituent of one of Jupiter's cloud layers?

Which statement about planetary rings is not true?

Why does it make sense that the jovian planets farther from the Sun have less mass?

Why is Jupiter denser than Saturn?

The Huygens landing showed that the surface of Titan is as hard as a rock.

Why is Saturn almost as big as Jupiter, despite its smaller mass?

The mass of Saturn can be determined by applying Kepler's 3rd Law to the motion of a single ice particle in its rings.

Describe the possible origins of Jupiter's vibrant colors. Contrast these with the origins of the colors of the other jovian planets.

A Modern View of the Universe

Discovering the Universe for Yourself

The Science of Astronomy

Making Sense of the Universe: Understanding Motion, Energy, and Gravity

Light: the Cosmic Messenger

Formation of the Solar System

Earth and the Terrestrial Worlds

Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets: Their Nature, Orbits, and Impacts

Other Planetary Systems: the New Science of Distant Worlds

Our Star

Surveying the Stars

Star Stuff

The Bizarre Stellar Graveyard

Our Galaxy

A Universe of Galaxies

The Birth of the Universe

Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe

Life in the Universe

Filters