Question 1

What is the likely connection between the metal iridium and the demise of Earth's dinosaur population?

Accepted Answer

A)  Iridium, which is found in abundance on Earth's surface, is poisonous to reptiles. 
B)  Iridium is found beneath Earth's crust. Meteor impacts during the dinosaur age probably exposed and uncovered enough of it to poison the dinosaurs. 
C)  Iridium is found in meteorites but is rare on Earth. The existence of a worldwide layer of it suggests a large meteor impact during the dinosaur age. The impact probably raised enough dust to block out sunlight and kill the dinosaurs. 
D)  Iridium is highly radioactive. Its presence in a geologic layer dating to the dinosaur age suggests that natural radioactivity reached dangerous levels at that time, and the dinosaurs died from overexposure. 
A)  Iridium, which is found in abundance on Earth's surface, is poisonous to reptiles. 
B)  Iridium is found beneath Earth's crust. Meteor impacts during the dinosaur age probably exposed and uncovered enough of it to poison the dinosaurs. 
C)  Iridium is found in meteorites but is rare on Earth. The existence of a worldwide layer of it suggests a large meteor impact during the dinosaur age. The impact probably raised enough dust to block out sunlight and kill the dinosaurs. 
D)  Iridium is highly radioactive. Its presence in a geologic layer dating to the dinosaur age suggests that natural radioactivity reached dangerous levels at that time, and the dinosaurs died from overexposure.

Question 2

The average sidereal period for an asteroid moving around the Sun in the asteroid belt, according to Kepler's law, is

Accepted Answer

A)  46.8 years. 
B)  2.8 years. 
C)  4.68 years. 
D)  1.99 years. 
A)  46.8 years. 
B)  2.8 years. 
C)  4.68 years. 
D)  1.99 years.

Question 3

Some of the definitions of the different types of objects in the solar system overlap. Which one of these pairs does NOT overlap? That is, if an object can be described by one of the labels, it cannot be described by the other.

Accepted Answer

A)  dwarf planet and asteroid 
B)  dwarf planet and Kuiper belt object 
C)  satellite and Kuiper belt object 
D)  meteoroid and planet 
A)  dwarf planet and asteroid 
B)  dwarf planet and Kuiper belt object 
C)  satellite and Kuiper belt object 
D)  meteoroid and planet

Question 4

The ecliptic is the plane defining Earth's orbit around the Sun. The orbits of most other objects in the solar system generally lie fairly close to the ecliptic. Which of these objects often have orbits that do NOT generally lie close to the ecliptic?

Accepted Answer

A)  Trojan asteroids 
B)  asteroid belt asteroids 
C)  comets 
D)  Kuiper belt objects 
A)  Trojan asteroids 
B)  asteroid belt asteroids 
C)  comets 
D)  Kuiper belt objects

Question 5

What is the magnitude of the net force on a Trojan asteroid?

Accepted Answer

A)  zero 
B)  the same as the net force on Jupiter 
C)  slightly less than the net force on Jupiter if it is 60 degrees ahead of Jupiter in its orbit, and slightly more if it is 60 degrees behind 
D)  enough to give it the same acceleration as Jupiter 
A)  zero 
B)  the same as the net force on Jupiter 
C)  slightly less than the net force on Jupiter if it is 60 degrees ahead of Jupiter in its orbit, and slightly more if it is 60 degrees behind 
D)  enough to give it the same acceleration as Jupiter

Question 6

Which are the MOST common types of meteoroids in space?

Accepted Answer

A)  stony irons 
B)  stones 
C)  irons 
D)  carbonaceous chondrites 
A)  stony irons 
B)  stones 
C)  irons 
D)  carbonaceous chondrites

Question 7

How often would an observer standing on Pluto's surface see the satellite Charon rise above the horizon each day?

Accepted Answer

A)  once each 6-hour day as Pluto rotates on its axis 
B)  twice each 6-hour day because Charon is in a retrograde orbit 
C)  once every 2 days because Charon orbits in the same direction Pluto rotates but more slowly 
D)  never-Charon is a synchronous satellite with an orbital period exactly equal to Pluto's rotation period 
A)  once each 6-hour day as Pluto rotates on its axis 
B)  twice each 6-hour day because Charon is in a retrograde orbit 
C)  once every 2 days because Charon orbits in the same direction Pluto rotates but more slowly 
D)  never-Charon is a synchronous satellite with an orbital period exactly equal to Pluto's rotation period

Question 8

Which of these is NOT a reason to believe asteroids have collisions with each other?

Accepted Answer

A)  Astronomers have observed satellites of asteroids that appear to have been captured after collisions. 
B)  Almost all of the asteroids orbit the Sun in the same direction. 
C)  There are several families of asteroids with very similar orbits. 
D)  Astronomers have observed asteroids that appear to be two lobes connected by a narrow collar, as though two asteroids had collided and stuck together. 
A)  Astronomers have observed satellites of asteroids that appear to have been captured after collisions. 
B)  Almost all of the asteroids orbit the Sun in the same direction. 
C)  There are several families of asteroids with very similar orbits. 
D)  Astronomers have observed asteroids that appear to be two lobes connected by a narrow collar, as though two asteroids had collided and stuck together.

Question 9

Most comet nuclei are believed to be

Accepted Answer

A)  carbonaceous chondrite meteorites-carbon material-ignited by sunlight and resulting in long smoke trails. 
B)  pieces of dusty ice left over from the formation of the solar system. 
C)  pieces of dirty ice ejected from the surface of the icy satellites of the outer planets by asteroid impacts. 
D)  pieces of rock or iron chipped from asteroids by impacts. 
A)  carbonaceous chondrite meteorites-carbon material-ignited by sunlight and resulting in long smoke trails. 
B)  pieces of dusty ice left over from the formation of the solar system. 
C)  pieces of dirty ice ejected from the surface of the icy satellites of the outer planets by asteroid impacts. 
D)  pieces of rock or iron chipped from asteroids by impacts.

Question 10

How are space probes to the outer planets such as Jupiter protected from being obliterated by collisions with asteroids in the asteroid belt?

Accepted Answer

A)  They aren't. Only one out of every four spacecraft is lost to collisions with asteroids, so it is less expensive to take this risk. 
B)  The spacecraft are equipped with cameras to detect asteroids so that they can be directed safely around them. 
C)  The spacecraft are sent in an inclined orbit that arcs above or below the asteroid belt, and then they cross the ecliptic again near Jupiter. 
D)  They aren't. Asteroids are so far apart that the spacecraft just sail through. 
A)  They aren't. Only one out of every four spacecraft is lost to collisions with asteroids, so it is less expensive to take this risk. 
B)  The spacecraft are equipped with cameras to detect asteroids so that they can be directed safely around them. 
C)  The spacecraft are sent in an inclined orbit that arcs above or below the asteroid belt, and then they cross the ecliptic again near Jupiter. 
D)  They aren't. Asteroids are so far apart that the spacecraft just sail through.

Question 11

Most meteorites show evidence of having melted or of being fragments of asteroids that were once differentiated by heat. Carbonaceous chondrites, however, are believed to have never melted. Which one of these is NOT a reason to believe carbonaceous chondrites have never melted?

Accepted Answer

A)  Carbonaceous chondrites contain complex carbon compounds that would have been broken down into simpler compounds by high heat. 
B)  The minerals in carbonaceous chondrites contain as much as 20% water. The water would have been driven out if the minerals had been heated. 
C)  Amino acids that are occasionally found in carbonaceous chondrites would have been destroyed by melting. 
D)  Carbonaceous chondrites do not show fusion crusts after passage through Earth's atmosphere. 
A)  Carbonaceous chondrites contain complex carbon compounds that would have been broken down into simpler compounds by high heat. 
B)  The minerals in carbonaceous chondrites contain as much as 20% water. The water would have been driven out if the minerals had been heated. 
C)  Amino acids that are occasionally found in carbonaceous chondrites would have been destroyed by melting. 
D)  Carbonaceous chondrites do not show fusion crusts after passage through Earth's atmosphere.

Question 12

The nucleus of Comet Tempel 1 has been described as a "rubble pile," a loose accumulation of material held together by gravity. It is similar to

Accepted Answer

A)  Charon, the satellite of Pluto. 
B)  Miranda, the satellite of Uranus. 
C)  the dwarf planet Ceres. 
D)  Vesta, a large asteroid. 
A)  Charon, the satellite of Pluto. 
B)  Miranda, the satellite of Uranus. 
C)  the dwarf planet Ceres. 
D)  Vesta, a large asteroid.

Question 13

The size of the coma or gas cloud surrounding the comet nucleus as it reaches its closest point to the Sun can be as large as about

Accepted Answer

A)  105 km. 
B)  10 km. 
C)  107 km. 
D)  106 km. 
A)  105 km. 
B)  10 km. 
C)  107 km. 
D)  106 km.

Question 14

What fraction of the material arriving on Earth from outer space is in the form of iron meteorites?

Accepted Answer

A)  50 percent 
B)  a few percent 
C)  95 percent 
D)  10 to 20 percent 
A)  50 percent 
B)  a few percent 
C)  95 percent 
D)  10 to 20 percent

Question 15

Which of these is LEAST similar in size to Pluto?

Accepted Answer

A)  Ceres 
B)  Mercury 
C)  Makemake 
D)  Eris 
A)  Ceres 
B)  Mercury 
C)  Makemake 
D)  Eris

Question 16

If all the material in the asteroid belt were to be combined to produce a planet, how big would it be?

Accepted Answer

A)  about 1500 km in diameter, less than half the diameter of the Moon 
B)  only a few kilometers in diameter, similar to an average mountain on Earth 
C)  about the size of Earth, with a diameter of about 13,000 km 
D)  about the size of Mercury, with a diameter of about 5000 km 
A)  about 1500 km in diameter, less than half the diameter of the Moon 
B)  only a few kilometers in diameter, similar to an average mountain on Earth 
C)  about the size of Earth, with a diameter of about 13,000 km 
D)  about the size of Mercury, with a diameter of about 5000 km

Question 17

The luminous trails of small dust particles that are completely vaporized in Earth's atmosphere result from

Accepted Answer

A)  auroral flashes. 
B)  meteorites. 
C)  meteors. 
D)  meteoroids. 
A)  auroral flashes. 
B)  meteorites. 
C)  meteors. 
D)  meteoroids.

Question 18

Pluto is NOT believed to have an unusually large

Accepted Answer

A)  number of craters. 
B)  satellite (relative to its own size). 
C)  orbital eccentricity. 
D)  orbital inclination. 
A)  number of craters. 
B)  satellite (relative to its own size). 
C)  orbital eccentricity. 
D)  orbital inclination.

What is the likely connection between the metal iridium and the demise of Earth's dinosaur population?

The average sidereal period for an asteroid moving around the Sun in the asteroid belt, according to Kepler's law, is

Some of the definitions of the different types of objects in the solar system overlap. Which one of these pairs does NOT overlap? That is, if an object can be described by one of the labels, it cannot be described by the other.

The ecliptic is the plane defining Earth's orbit around the Sun. The orbits of most other objects in the solar system generally lie fairly close to the ecliptic. Which of these objects often have orbits that do NOT generally lie close to the ecliptic?

What is the magnitude of the net force on a Trojan asteroid?

Which are the MOST common types of meteoroids in space?

How often would an observer standing on Pluto's surface see the satellite Charon rise above the horizon each day?

Which of these is NOT a reason to believe asteroids have collisions with each other?

Most comet nuclei are believed to be

How are space probes to the outer planets such as Jupiter protected from being obliterated by collisions with asteroids in the asteroid belt?

Most meteorites show evidence of having melted or of being fragments of asteroids that were once differentiated by heat. Carbonaceous chondrites, however, are believed to have never melted. Which one of these is NOT a reason to believe carbonaceous chondrites have never melted?

The nucleus of Comet Tempel 1 has been described as a "rubble pile," a loose accumulation of material held together by gravity. It is similar to

The size of the coma or gas cloud surrounding the comet nucleus as it reaches its closest point to the Sun can be as large as about

What fraction of the material arriving on Earth from outer space is in the form of iron meteorites?

Which of these is LEAST similar in size to Pluto?

If all the material in the asteroid belt were to be combined to produce a planet, how big would it be?

The luminous trails of small dust particles that are completely vaporized in Earth's atmosphere result from

Pluto is NOT believed to have an unusually large

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

What is the likely connection between the metal iridium and the demise of Earth's dinosaur population?

The average sidereal period for an asteroid moving around the Sun in the asteroid belt, according to Kepler's law, is

Some of the definitions of the different types of objects in the solar system overlap. Which one of these pairs does NOT overlap? That is, if an object can be described by one of the labels, it cannot be described by the other.

The ecliptic is the plane defining Earth's orbit around the Sun. The orbits of most other objects in the solar system generally lie fairly close to the ecliptic. Which of these objects often have orbits that do NOT generally lie close to the ecliptic?

What is the magnitude of the net force on a Trojan asteroid?

Which are the MOST common types of meteoroids in space?

How often would an observer standing on Pluto's surface see the satellite Charon rise above the horizon each day?

Which of these is NOT a reason to believe asteroids have collisions with each other?

Most comet nuclei are believed to be

How are space probes to the outer planets such as Jupiter protected from being obliterated by collisions with asteroids in the asteroid belt?

Most meteorites show evidence of having melted or of being fragments of asteroids that were once differentiated by heat. Carbonaceous chondrites, however, are believed to have never melted. Which one of these is NOT a reason to believe carbonaceous chondrites have never melted?

The nucleus of Comet Tempel 1 has been described as a "rubble pile," a loose accumulation of material held together by gravity. It is similar to

The size of the coma or gas cloud surrounding the comet nucleus as it reaches its closest point to the Sun can be as large as about

What fraction of the material arriving on Earth from outer space is in the form of iron meteorites?

Which of these is LEAST similar in size to Pluto?

If all the material in the asteroid belt were to be combined to produce a planet, how big would it be?

The luminous trails of small dust particles that are completely vaporized in Earth's atmosphere result from

Pluto is NOT believed to have an unusually large

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