Question 1

A useful technique for estimating the shapes of many asteroids has been

Accepted Answer

A)  measurement by many closely spaced observers of occultations of stars by asteroids. 
B)  direct photography of the asteroid's shape from Earth. 
C)  photography from spacecraft, such as Galileo. 
D)  measurement of brightness variations caused by asteroid rotation. 
A)  measurement by many closely spaced observers of occultations of stars by asteroids. 
B)  direct photography of the asteroid's shape from Earth. 
C)  photography from spacecraft, such as Galileo. 
D)  measurement of brightness variations caused by asteroid rotation.

Question 2

Haumea is all of these EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

A)  a trans-Neptunian object. 
B)  a dwarf planet. 
C)  a Kuiper belt object. 
D)  an asteroid. 
A)  a trans-Neptunian object. 
B)  a dwarf planet. 
C)  a Kuiper belt object. 
D)  an asteroid.

Question 3

Asteroids whose elliptical orbits have perihelia inside the orbit of Mars but outside the orbit of Earth are called ???????_____ asteroids.

Accepted Answer

A)  Apollo 
B)  Trojan 
C)  Hirayama family 
D)  Amor 
A)  Apollo 
B)  Trojan 
C)  Hirayama family 
D)  Amor

Question 4

When a piece of space debris enters Earth's atmosphere it makes a bright streak. Which of these is NOT a name for this flash of light?

Accepted Answer

A)  shooting star 
B)  fireball 
C)  bolide 
D)  meteoroid 
A)  shooting star 
B)  fireball 
C)  bolide 
D)  meteoroid

Question 5

Stony meteorites

Accepted Answer

A)  are very much like ordinary silicate rocks. 
B)  contain large quantities of carbon and water and even hydrocarbons and amino acids. 
C)  have solid iron cores surrounded by rocky silicate shells. 
D)  are made of solid iron and small quantities of nickel and cobalt. 
A)  are very much like ordinary silicate rocks. 
B)  contain large quantities of carbon and water and even hydrocarbons and amino acids. 
C)  have solid iron cores surrounded by rocky silicate shells. 
D)  are made of solid iron and small quantities of nickel and cobalt.

Question 6

Pluto is believed to have

Accepted Answer

A)  no atmosphere at all. 
B)  a thick atmosphere of carbon dioxide. 
C)  a thin atmosphere of water vapor. 
D)  a thin atmosphere containing some nitrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide. 
A)  no atmosphere at all. 
B)  a thick atmosphere of carbon dioxide. 
C)  a thin atmosphere of water vapor. 
D)  a thin atmosphere containing some nitrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide.

Question 7

A typical comet in an elliptical orbit around the Sun will lose what fraction of its mass by melting each time it passes close to the Sun (i.e., at each perihelion passage)?

Accepted Answer

A)  1/1000 
B)  very small fraction, less than 1/10,000 
C)  1/10 
D)  1/100 
A)  1/1000 
B)  very small fraction, less than 1/10,000 
C)  1/10 
D)  1/100

Question 8

Asteroids whose orbits carry them across Earth's orbit are known as

Accepted Answer

A)  Kirkwood asteroids. 
B)  Amor asteroids. 
C)  Trojan asteroids. 
D)  Apollo asteroids. 
A)  Kirkwood asteroids. 
B)  Amor asteroids. 
C)  Trojan asteroids. 
D)  Apollo asteroids.

Question 9

The Kirkwood gaps are in the

Accepted Answer

A)  asteroid belt at places where there are very few asteroids. 
B)  rings of Saturn, where there is less material than at other radii. 
C)  spectrum of hydrogen gas, where light has been absorbed by molecules first identified by Kirkwood. 
D)  equatorial region of the Sun, where no sunspots are found. 
A)  asteroid belt at places where there are very few asteroids. 
B)  rings of Saturn, where there is less material than at other radii. 
C)  spectrum of hydrogen gas, where light has been absorbed by molecules first identified by Kirkwood. 
D)  equatorial region of the Sun, where no sunspots are found.

Question 10

A chunk of rock and metal 10 km in diameter orbiting the Sun would be called a(n)

Accepted Answer

A)  asteroid. 
B)  comet. 
C)  moon. 
D)  meteoroid. 
A)  asteroid. 
B)  comet. 
C)  moon. 
D)  meteoroid.

Question 11

The orbits of periodic comets

Accepted Answer

A)  are confined to distances closer to the Sun than the orbit of Pluto and are mostly in the ecliptic plane. 
B)  can extend far beyond the orbit of Pluto and are primarily in the ecliptic plane. 
C)  are confined to distances closer to the Sun than the orbit of Pluto and are oriented randomly in the solar system. 
D)  can extend far out beyond the orbit of Pluto and can be oriented in any direction in the solar system. 
A)  are confined to distances closer to the Sun than the orbit of Pluto and are mostly in the ecliptic plane. 
B)  can extend far beyond the orbit of Pluto and are primarily in the ecliptic plane. 
C)  are confined to distances closer to the Sun than the orbit of Pluto and are oriented randomly in the solar system. 
D)  can extend far out beyond the orbit of Pluto and can be oriented in any direction in the solar system.

Question 12

The Widmanstätten pattern found in many iron meteorites consists of

Accepted Answer

A)  a myriad of small iron crystals formed when the rock cooled quickly in the vacuum of space. 
B)  small holes created by the heating and partial melting of the meteorite as it entered Earth's atmosphere. 
C)  fracture lines created by the original impact that knocked the meteoroid off the parent asteroid. 
D)  large crystals formed as the iron cooled slowly over many millions of years. 
A)  a myriad of small iron crystals formed when the rock cooled quickly in the vacuum of space. 
B)  small holes created by the heating and partial melting of the meteorite as it entered Earth's atmosphere. 
C)  fracture lines created by the original impact that knocked the meteoroid off the parent asteroid. 
D)  large crystals formed as the iron cooled slowly over many millions of years.

Question 13

The huge hydrogen cloud that surrounds the nucleus of a comet, discovered by its UV emission, has a typical diameter of about

Accepted Answer

A)  1/2 au. 
B)  2 *107 km. 
C)  2 au. 
D)  106 km. 
A)  1/2 au. 
B)  2 *107 km. 
C)  2 au. 
D)  106 km.

Question 14

The first satellite discovered in orbit about Pluto was Charon. What is unusual about this moon?

Accepted Answer

A)  Charon is the only moon in the solar system known to have an atmosphere. 
B)  Charon is much warmer than it should be, given its position in the solar system. 
C)  Compared with planet-satellite systems in the rest of the solar system, Charon is very large and very close to Pluto. 
D)  Charon is geologically active. 
A)  Charon is the only moon in the solar system known to have an atmosphere. 
B)  Charon is much warmer than it should be, given its position in the solar system. 
C)  Compared with planet-satellite systems in the rest of the solar system, Charon is very large and very close to Pluto. 
D)  Charon is geologically active.

Question 15

How would a typical asteroid appear on a time exposure photograph of the sky as it orbited the Sun if the camera were tracking the background stars?

Accepted Answer

A)  The asteroid would look like a star, a small extra dot not shown on star charts of this area of the sky. 
B)  The asteroid would look like a small, diffuse patch against the sharp images of stars because of the dust and gas surrounding it. 
C)  The asteroid would produce a flash of light as it crossed the field of view of the camera. 
D)  The asteroid would produce a short trail as it moved slowly against the background stars. 
A)  The asteroid would look like a star, a small extra dot not shown on star charts of this area of the sky. 
B)  The asteroid would look like a small, diffuse patch against the sharp images of stars because of the dust and gas surrounding it. 
C)  The asteroid would produce a flash of light as it crossed the field of view of the camera. 
D)  The asteroid would produce a short trail as it moved slowly against the background stars.

Question 16

The Widmanstätten pattern of crystals found in many iron meteorites is evidence that the meteorites

Accepted Answer

A)  cooled slowly over many millions of years. 
B)  cooled quickly, in only a few years at most. 
C)  have suffered highly energetic collisions with asteroids or other meteorites. 
D)  have been subject to periodic heating by close approaches to the Sun. 
A)  cooled slowly over many millions of years. 
B)  cooled quickly, in only a few years at most. 
C)  have suffered highly energetic collisions with asteroids or other meteorites. 
D)  have been subject to periodic heating by close approaches to the Sun.

Question 17

What is a Hirayama family of asteroids?

Accepted Answer

A)  group of asteroids that have nearly identical orbits 
B)  either of two groups of asteroids that orbit at Jupiter's distance from the Sun 
C)  group of asteroids that have identical spectra and therefore identical compositions 
D)  group of asteroids that have orbits that cross Earth's orbit but remain outside Venus's orbit 
A)  group of asteroids that have nearly identical orbits 
B)  either of two groups of asteroids that orbit at Jupiter's distance from the Sun 
C)  group of asteroids that have identical spectra and therefore identical compositions 
D)  group of asteroids that have orbits that cross Earth's orbit but remain outside Venus's orbit

Question 18

Which of these biochemical materials have been found and identified in carbonaceous chondrites that have hit Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  living viruses 
B)  amino acids, or proteins 
C)  lichens and mosses 
D)  fossilized single-cell organisms 
A)  living viruses 
B)  amino acids, or proteins 
C)  lichens and mosses 
D)  fossilized single-cell organisms

Question 19

For which of these descriptions would one identify a rock as a fallen meteorite?

Accepted Answer

A)  basalt rock full of hollow spaces, shiny and dark colored, with fine details on its surface 
B)  rock containing large, transparent crystals of common salt embedded in sandstone 
C)  layered rock consisting mainly of limestone 
D)  irregular and very heavy solid iron rock with a distinctive crystal structure throughout its interior 
A)  basalt rock full of hollow spaces, shiny and dark colored, with fine details on its surface 
B)  rock containing large, transparent crystals of common salt embedded in sandstone 
C)  layered rock consisting mainly of limestone 
D)  irregular and very heavy solid iron rock with a distinctive crystal structure throughout its interior

Question 20

A comet's tail always points from the comet head

Accepted Answer

A)  toward the nearest planet because of gravitational attraction for the tail material. 
B)  toward the Sun because of gravitational attraction. 
C)  away from the Sun. 
D)  in a direction along its orbital path, always behind the comet. 
A)  toward the nearest planet because of gravitational attraction for the tail material. 
B)  toward the Sun because of gravitational attraction. 
C)  away from the Sun. 
D)  in a direction along its orbital path, always behind the comet.

A useful technique for estimating the shapes of many asteroids has been

Haumea is all of these EXCEPT

Asteroids whose elliptical orbits have perihelia inside the orbit of Mars but outside the orbit of Earth are called ???????_____ asteroids.

When a piece of space debris enters Earth's atmosphere it makes a bright streak. Which of these is NOT a name for this flash of light?

Stony meteorites

Pluto is believed to have

A typical comet in an elliptical orbit around the Sun will lose what fraction of its mass by melting each time it passes close to the Sun (i.e., at each perihelion passage)?

Asteroids whose orbits carry them across Earth's orbit are known as

The Kirkwood gaps are in the

A chunk of rock and metal 10 km in diameter orbiting the Sun would be called a(n)

The orbits of periodic comets

The Widmanstätten pattern found in many iron meteorites consists of

The huge hydrogen cloud that surrounds the nucleus of a comet, discovered by its UV emission, has a typical diameter of about

The first satellite discovered in orbit about Pluto was Charon. What is unusual about this moon?

How would a typical asteroid appear on a time exposure photograph of the sky as it orbited the Sun if the camera were tracking the background stars?

The Widmanstätten pattern of crystals found in many iron meteorites is evidence that the meteorites

What is a Hirayama family of asteroids?

Which of these biochemical materials have been found and identified in carbonaceous chondrites that have hit Earth?

For which of these descriptions would one identify a rock as a fallen meteorite?

A comet's tail always points from the comet head

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

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Exam 10: Vagabonds of the Solar System

A useful technique for estimating the shapes of many asteroids has been

Haumea is all of these EXCEPT

Asteroids whose elliptical orbits have perihelia inside the orbit of Mars but outside the orbit of Earth are called ???????_____ asteroids.

When a piece of space debris enters Earth's atmosphere it makes a bright streak. Which of these is NOT a name for this flash of light?

Stony meteorites

Pluto is believed to have

A typical comet in an elliptical orbit around the Sun will lose what fraction of its mass by melting each time it passes close to the Sun (i.e., at each perihelion passage)?

Asteroids whose orbits carry them across Earth's orbit are known as

The Kirkwood gaps are in the

A chunk of rock and metal 10 km in diameter orbiting the Sun would be called a(n)

The orbits of periodic comets

The Widmanstätten pattern found in many iron meteorites consists of

The huge hydrogen cloud that surrounds the nucleus of a comet, discovered by its UV emission, has a typical diameter of about

The first satellite discovered in orbit about Pluto was Charon. What is unusual about this moon?

How would a typical asteroid appear on a time exposure photograph of the sky as it orbited the Sun if the camera were tracking the background stars?

The Widmanstätten pattern of crystals found in many iron meteorites is evidence that the meteorites

What is a Hirayama family of asteroids?

Which of these biochemical materials have been found and identified in carbonaceous chondrites that have hit Earth?

For which of these descriptions would one identify a rock as a fallen meteorite?

A comet's tail always points from the comet head

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