Question 1

The number of known asteroids rose sharply in the 1890s. What caused this?

Accepted Answer

A)  The technique of astrophotography was introduced. 
B)  The first very large telescopes were built. 
C)  Better theoretical predictions of where to look for asteroids became available. 
D)  A series of collisions involving large objects between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter resulted in many more asteroids being formed. 
A)  The technique of astrophotography was introduced. 
B)  The first very large telescopes were built. 
C)  Better theoretical predictions of where to look for asteroids became available. 
D)  A series of collisions involving large objects between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter resulted in many more asteroids being formed. A

Question 2

Which planet or dwarf planet in the solar system has the moon with the largest diameter compared with the diameter of the planet or dwarf planet itself?

Accepted Answer

A)  Earth 
B)  Saturn 
C)  Neptune 
D)  Pluto 
A)  Earth 
B)  Saturn 
C)  Neptune 
D)  Pluto D

Question 3

A shooting star is a

Accepted Answer

A)  violently erupting star ejecting matter rapidly away from it into interstellar space. 
B)  near-neighbor star moving rapidly across Earth's field of view. 
C)  large asteroid disintegrating near the Sun. 
D)  small piece of rocky or metallic debris burning up and glowing as it enters Earth's atmosphere. 
A)  violently erupting star ejecting matter rapidly away from it into interstellar space. 
B)  near-neighbor star moving rapidly across Earth's field of view. 
C)  large asteroid disintegrating near the Sun. 
D)  small piece of rocky or metallic debris burning up and glowing as it enters Earth's atmosphere. D

Question 4

Which of these statements about asteroids is NOT true?

Accepted Answer

A)  Only a minority of all asteroids are in the asteroid belt. 
B)  Some asteroids have orbits that carry them inside Earth's orbit. 
C)  Some asteroids occupy the same orbit as Jupiter. 
D)  The total mass of all asteroids is much smaller than the mass of Earth. 
A)  Only a minority of all asteroids are in the asteroid belt. 
B)  Some asteroids have orbits that carry them inside Earth's orbit. 
C)  Some asteroids occupy the same orbit as Jupiter. 
D)  The total mass of all asteroids is much smaller than the mass of Earth.

Question 5

Which of these was NOT a result of the 1908 Tunguska Event?

Accepted Answer

A)  a huge dust cloud 
B)  a loud explosion 
C)  a huge shock wave 
D)  a large crater 
A)  a huge dust cloud 
B)  a loud explosion 
C)  a huge shock wave 
D)  a large crater

Question 6

What astronomical event is thought to have led to the mass extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago?

Accepted Answer

A)  extraordinary solar eruption or flare 
B)  very large volcanic eruption on Earth 
C)  supernova that exploded relatively close to the solar system 
D)  asteroid impact on Earth 
A)  extraordinary solar eruption or flare 
B)  very large volcanic eruption on Earth 
C)  supernova that exploded relatively close to the solar system 
D)  asteroid impact on Earth

Question 7

What is the largest known asteroid in the solar system?

Accepted Answer

A)  Phobos 
B)  Gaspra 
C)  Ceres 
D)  Pallas 
A)  Phobos 
B)  Gaspra 
C)  Ceres 
D)  Pallas

Question 8

The dwarf planet Pluto appears to be composed of

Accepted Answer

A)  rock and iron. 
B)  a mixture of rock and ice. 
C)  gases such as methane and ammonia, possibly with a small, liquid core. 
D)  the very lightest elements, hydrogen and helium. 
A)  rock and iron. 
B)  a mixture of rock and ice. 
C)  gases such as methane and ammonia, possibly with a small, liquid core. 
D)  the very lightest elements, hydrogen and helium.

Question 9

What kind of orbit is traced by the Trojan asteroids as they move around the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A)  elliptical orbits that carry them from outside Neptune's orbit to inside the orbit of Jupiter 
B)  long, elliptical orbits that cross the orbit of Earth 
C)  circular orbits at Jupiter's orbital distance, at angles of ±60° away from the planet 
D)  circular orbits at about 2.8 au from the Sun, within the asteroid belt 
A)  elliptical orbits that carry them from outside Neptune's orbit to inside the orbit of Jupiter 
B)  long, elliptical orbits that cross the orbit of Earth 
C)  circular orbits at Jupiter's orbital distance, at angles of ±60° away from the planet 
D)  circular orbits at about 2.8 au from the Sun, within the asteroid belt

Question 10

Comet tails are the result of

Accepted Answer

A)  sublimation and evaporation of ices from the comet core. 
B)  sunlight glinting on the central icy comet core. 
C)  interplanetary dust collected by the comet as it moves in its orbit. 
D)  interplanetary material streaming into the comet because of its gravity. 
A)  sublimation and evaporation of ices from the comet core. 
B)  sunlight glinting on the central icy comet core. 
C)  interplanetary dust collected by the comet as it moves in its orbit. 
D)  interplanetary material streaming into the comet because of its gravity.

Question 11

What defines a comet as a long-period comet?

Accepted Answer

A)  The comet makes only one pass near the Sun and then leaves the solar system forever. 
B)  The comet falls in from the Oort cloud rather than from the Kuiper belt. 
C)  The comet has a period longer than 1000 years. 
D)  The comet has a period longer than 200 years. 
A)  The comet makes only one pass near the Sun and then leaves the solar system forever. 
B)  The comet falls in from the Oort cloud rather than from the Kuiper belt. 
C)  The comet has a period longer than 1000 years. 
D)  The comet has a period longer than 200 years.

Question 12

The period of Comet Halley is approximately 76 years. Its perihelion position is 0.6 au from the Sun, so its aphelion distance from the Sun is approximately

Accepted Answer

A)  1.2 au. 
B)  17 au. 
C)  35 au. 
D)  75 au. 
A)  1.2 au. 
B)  17 au. 
C)  35 au. 
D)  75 au.

Question 13

The gas and ion tail of a comet

Accepted Answer

A)  are always blown away from the comet in the anti-Sun direction by the solar wind. 
B)  always lie in the ecliptic plane because a comet is a part of the solar system. 
C)  lie between the comet and the Sun because of gravitational attraction. 
D)  always trail along the orbital path, being left behind by the comet. 
A)  are always blown away from the comet in the anti-Sun direction by the solar wind. 
B)  always lie in the ecliptic plane because a comet is a part of the solar system. 
C)  lie between the comet and the Sun because of gravitational attraction. 
D)  always trail along the orbital path, being left behind by the comet.

Question 14

The Pluto-Charon system moves in which way in its mutual motion?

Accepted Answer

A)  Charon orbits Pluto with exactly Pluto's rotation period. 
B)  Charon orbits Pluto once while Pluto rotates twice. 
C)  There is no relationship between rotation period of Pluto and orbital period of Charon. 
D)  Charon orbits Pluto twice while Pluto rotates once. 
A)  Charon orbits Pluto with exactly Pluto's rotation period. 
B)  Charon orbits Pluto once while Pluto rotates twice. 
C)  There is no relationship between rotation period of Pluto and orbital period of Charon. 
D)  Charon orbits Pluto twice while Pluto rotates once.

Question 15

If an asteroid were found to be orbiting in a circular path around the Sun at the same distance as Jupiter (5.2 au), what would be its orbital period compared with that of Jupiter, which is 11.86 years?

Accepted Answer

A)  about 10 times as long as Jupiter's period, or 118.6 years, because the Sun's gravitational force is much smaller on such a small object 
B)  about 1/10 of Jupiter's period because it is a much smaller object 
C)  same as Jupiter's period, 11.86 years 
D)  exactly 1/2 of Jupiter's period, or 5.93 years, because it would be in a synchronous orbit with Jupiter 
A)  about 10 times as long as Jupiter's period, or 118.6 years, because the Sun's gravitational force is much smaller on such a small object 
B)  about 1/10 of Jupiter's period because it is a much smaller object 
C)  same as Jupiter's period, 11.86 years 
D)  exactly 1/2 of Jupiter's period, or 5.93 years, because it would be in a synchronous orbit with Jupiter

Question 16

Asteroids that orbit the Sun in the stable Lagrange points in Jupiter's orbit are known as

Accepted Answer

A)  adenoids. 
B)  Apollo asteroids. 
C)  Trojans. 
D)  Jupitoids. 
A)  adenoids. 
B)  Apollo asteroids. 
C)  Trojans. 
D)  Jupitoids.

Question 17

Comet tails always point away from the Sun. This observation led Ludwig Biermann to predict the existence of the

Accepted Answer

A)  hydrogen envelope around the comet nucleus. 
B)  solar wind. 
C)  solar corona. 
D)  solar magnetic field. 
A)  hydrogen envelope around the comet nucleus. 
B)  solar wind. 
C)  solar corona. 
D)  solar magnetic field.

Question 18

The Oort cloud is

Accepted Answer

A)  a random distribution of short-period comets extending from inside the orbit of Jupiter to approximately the orbit of Neptune. 
B)  another name for the asteroid belt. 
C)  a flat or doughnut-shaped distribution of distant comets around the Sun, extending out about 500 au. 
D)  a spherical distribution of distant comets around the Sun, extending out about 50,000 au. 
A)  a random distribution of short-period comets extending from inside the orbit of Jupiter to approximately the orbit of Neptune. 
B)  another name for the asteroid belt. 
C)  a flat or doughnut-shaped distribution of distant comets around the Sun, extending out about 500 au. 
D)  a spherical distribution of distant comets around the Sun, extending out about 50,000 au.

Question 19

What is a trans-Neptunian object?

Accepted Answer

A)  a solar system object that may impact Neptune in the next billion years 
B)  a moon of Neptune 
C)  a solar system object that orbits the Sun with a semimajor axis larger than Neptune's 
D)  an exoplanet roughly the same mass as Neptune 
A)  a solar system object that may impact Neptune in the next billion years 
B)  a moon of Neptune 
C)  a solar system object that orbits the Sun with a semimajor axis larger than Neptune's 
D)  an exoplanet roughly the same mass as Neptune

Question 20

The ionized gas tail of a comet is always aligned along the

Accepted Answer

A)  comet-Sun line. 
B)  line between the comet and the nearest planet to it in its orbital motion. 
C)  comet's direction of motion. 
D)  celestial equator. 
A)  comet-Sun line. 
B)  line between the comet and the nearest planet to it in its orbital motion. 
C)  comet's direction of motion. 
D)  celestial equator.

The number of known asteroids rose sharply in the 1890s. What caused this?

Which planet or dwarf planet in the solar system has the moon with the largest diameter compared with the diameter of the planet or dwarf planet itself?

A shooting star is a

Which of these statements about asteroids is NOT true?

Which of these was NOT a result of the 1908 Tunguska Event?

What astronomical event is thought to have led to the mass extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago?

What is the largest known asteroid in the solar system?

The dwarf planet Pluto appears to be composed of

What kind of orbit is traced by the Trojan asteroids as they move around the Sun?

Comet tails are the result of

What defines a comet as a long-period comet?

The period of Comet Halley is approximately 76 years. Its perihelion position is 0.6 au from the Sun, so its aphelion distance from the Sun is approximately

The gas and ion tail of a comet

The Pluto-Charon system moves in which way in its mutual motion?

If an asteroid were found to be orbiting in a circular path around the Sun at the same distance as Jupiter (5.2 au), what would be its orbital period compared with that of Jupiter, which is 11.86 years?

Asteroids that orbit the Sun in the stable Lagrange points in Jupiter's orbit are known as

Comet tails always point away from the Sun. This observation led Ludwig Biermann to predict the existence of the

The Oort cloud is

What is a trans-Neptunian object?

The ionized gas tail of a comet is always aligned along the

Discovering the Night Sky

Gravitation and the Motion of the Planets

Light and Telescopes

Atomic Physics and Spectra

Exoplanets and the Formation of Planetary Systems

Formation of the Solar System

Earth and the Moon

The Other Terrestrial Planets

The Outer Planets

The Sun: Our Extraordinary Star

Characterizing Stars

The Lives of Stars From Birth Through Middle Age

The Death of Stars

Black Holes: Matters of Gravity

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies

Quasars and Other Active Galaxies

Cosmology

Astrobiology

Filters

Exam 10: Vagabonds of the Solar System

The number of known asteroids rose sharply in the 1890s. What caused this?

Which planet or dwarf planet in the solar system has the moon with the largest diameter compared with the diameter of the planet or dwarf planet itself?

A shooting star is a

Which of these statements about asteroids is NOT true?

Which of these was NOT a result of the 1908 Tunguska Event?

What astronomical event is thought to have led to the mass extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago?

What is the largest known asteroid in the solar system?

The dwarf planet Pluto appears to be composed of

What kind of orbit is traced by the Trojan asteroids as they move around the Sun?

Comet tails are the result of

What defines a comet as a long-period comet?

The period of Comet Halley is approximately 76 years. Its perihelion position is 0.6 au from the Sun, so its aphelion distance from the Sun is approximately

The gas and ion tail of a comet

The Pluto-Charon system moves in which way in its mutual motion?

If an asteroid were found to be orbiting in a circular path around the Sun at the same distance as Jupiter (5.2 au), what would be its orbital period compared with that of Jupiter, which is 11.86 years?

Asteroids that orbit the Sun in the stable Lagrange points in Jupiter's orbit are known as

Comet tails always point away from the Sun. This observation led Ludwig Biermann to predict the existence of the

The Oort cloud is

What is a trans-Neptunian object?

The ionized gas tail of a comet is always aligned along the

Discovering the Night Sky

Gravitation and the Motion of the Planets

Light and Telescopes

Atomic Physics and Spectra

Exoplanets and the Formation of Planetary Systems

Formation of the Solar System

Earth and the Moon

The Other Terrestrial Planets

The Outer Planets

The Sun: Our Extraordinary Star

Characterizing Stars

The Lives of Stars From Birth Through Middle Age

The Death of Stars

Black Holes: Matters of Gravity

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies

Quasars and Other Active Galaxies

Cosmology

Astrobiology

Filters