Question 1

What causes a meteor shower?

Accepted Answer

A)  If Earth happens to be near a comet when it breaks up, a meteor shower as debris enters Earth's atmosphere will be observed. 
B)  Earth passes through the orbit of a comet. If the comet happens to be nearby, the normal ejecta from the nucleus will cause a meteor shower. 
C)  Earth passes through the tail of a comet. 
D)  Earth passes through the orbit of a former comet. The debris strewn through this orbit enters Earth's atmosphere and causes meteor showers. 
A)  If Earth happens to be near a comet when it breaks up, a meteor shower as debris enters Earth's atmosphere will be observed. 
B)  Earth passes through the orbit of a comet. If the comet happens to be nearby, the normal ejecta from the nucleus will cause a meteor shower. 
C)  Earth passes through the tail of a comet. 
D)  Earth passes through the orbit of a former comet. The debris strewn through this orbit enters Earth's atmosphere and causes meteor showers.

Question 2

What is unique about the Pluto-Charon system, compared with all other planets and dwarf planets in the solar system?

Accepted Answer

A)  Both Pluto and Charon are volcanically active, with lava flows and vents of sulfur dioxide gas. 
B)  Charon is an icy moon, but it is in orbit around a giant planet made mostly of liquid hydrogen. 
C)  Pluto has only one satellite. 
D)  Both Pluto and Charon are in synchronous rotation, so each object maintains the same face toward the other object at all times. 
A)  Both Pluto and Charon are volcanically active, with lava flows and vents of sulfur dioxide gas. 
B)  Charon is an icy moon, but it is in orbit around a giant planet made mostly of liquid hydrogen. 
C)  Pluto has only one satellite. 
D)  Both Pluto and Charon are in synchronous rotation, so each object maintains the same face toward the other object at all times.

Question 3

Recent calculations show that the Tunguska explosion in Siberia in 1908 was probably caused by a

Accepted Answer

A)  large stony meteorite about 1 m across striking the ground at a high speed. 
B)  small nuclear explosion. 
C)  small comet nucleus about 1 km across suddenly vaporizing in the atmosphere. 
D)  small stony asteroid about 80 m across exploding well above the ground. 
A)  large stony meteorite about 1 m across striking the ground at a high speed. 
B)  small nuclear explosion. 
C)  small comet nucleus about 1 km across suddenly vaporizing in the atmosphere. 
D)  small stony asteroid about 80 m across exploding well above the ground.

Question 4

Computer simulations of the formation of the solar system show that the material in the vicinity of the asteroid belt is NOT in the form of one large planet because

Accepted Answer

A)  most of the material originally in the asteroid belt crashed into Mars, creating the heavily cratered terrain seen there. 
B)  a violent collision destroyed two protoplanets, the debris from which became the asteroid belt. 
C)  this region is where the gravitational field of the Sun is exactly balanced by that of Jupiter. 
D)  Jupiter's gravitational pull prevented them from coalescing into a planet. 
A)  most of the material originally in the asteroid belt crashed into Mars, creating the heavily cratered terrain seen there. 
B)  a violent collision destroyed two protoplanets, the debris from which became the asteroid belt. 
C)  this region is where the gravitational field of the Sun is exactly balanced by that of Jupiter. 
D)  Jupiter's gravitational pull prevented them from coalescing into a planet.

Question 5

What has been discovered in some meteorites that suggests that the formation of the Sun and solar system might have been triggered by a supernova explosion?

Accepted Answer

A)  decay products of short-lived radioactive elements, which only could have been produced in intense nuclear reactions 
B)  super-pure iron, produced only in nuclear reactions 
C)  fusion crusts around most meteorites, indicating that they were heated intensely at some time in their history 
D)  amino acids, which can be produced only in very specific conditions 
A)  decay products of short-lived radioactive elements, which only could have been produced in intense nuclear reactions 
B)  super-pure iron, produced only in nuclear reactions 
C)  fusion crusts around most meteorites, indicating that they were heated intensely at some time in their history 
D)  amino acids, which can be produced only in very specific conditions

Question 6

An impact that took place at about the time of the extinction of the dinosaurs (and may in fact have caused their extinction) is believed to have created

Accepted Answer

A)  Meteor Crater in Arizona. 
B)  Manicouagan Crater in Quebec. 
C)  Hudson Bay in northern Canada. 
D)  Chicxulub Crater in the Yucatán Peninsula. 
A)  Meteor Crater in Arizona. 
B)  Manicouagan Crater in Quebec. 
C)  Hudson Bay in northern Canada. 
D)  Chicxulub Crater in the Yucatán Peninsula.

Question 7

Widmanstätten patterns are a test for which kind of meteorite?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 8

Compared to the planets in the solar system, the dwarf planet Pluto is

Accepted Answer

A)  similar to the Jovian planets in composition, although it is much smaller in size. 
B)  similar to the terrestrial planets in composition, although it is much smaller in size. 
C)  similar to the terrestrial planets in composition, although it is much larger in size. 
D)  a real oddity, denser than the Jovian planets but lighter than the terrestrial planets. 
A)  similar to the Jovian planets in composition, although it is much smaller in size. 
B)  similar to the terrestrial planets in composition, although it is much smaller in size. 
C)  similar to the terrestrial planets in composition, although it is much larger in size. 
D)  a real oddity, denser than the Jovian planets but lighter than the terrestrial planets.

Question 9

A meteor shower results from

Accepted Answer

A)  material ejected by a massive impact on the Moon; Earth's gravity attracts it toward Earth. 
B)  material reentering Earth's atmosphere after being ejected into space by violent volcanic eruptions on Earth. 
C)  Earth passing through debris of an old comet. 
D)  a small piece of rock fragmenting as it passes through Earth's atmosphere. 
A)  material ejected by a massive impact on the Moon; Earth's gravity attracts it toward Earth. 
B)  material reentering Earth's atmosphere after being ejected into space by violent volcanic eruptions on Earth. 
C)  Earth passing through debris of an old comet. 
D)  a small piece of rock fragmenting as it passes through Earth's atmosphere.

Question 10

What metal is crucial to identifying meteorite impacts in the geologic record?

Accepted Answer

A)  iron 
B)  nickel 
C)  cobalt 
D)  iridium 
A)  iron 
B)  nickel 
C)  cobalt 
D)  iridium

Question 11

Which of these solar system objects has the greatest orbital eccentricity and therefore the MOST elliptical orbit?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mercury 
B)  Mars 
C)  Earth 
D)  Pluto 
A)  Mercury 
B)  Mars 
C)  Earth 
D)  Pluto

Question 12

Jupiter's orbital period is approximately 12 years. Based on this number, astronomers would be MOST likely to find an asteroid belt asteroid with a period of how many years?

Accepted Answer

A)  4 
B)  6 
C)  7.3 
D)  24 
A)  4 
B)  6 
C)  7.3 
D)  24

Question 13

How could astronomers detect a large asteroid if it were heading straight for Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  The asteroid would appear as a slowly brightening starlike object where no star was previously charted, with a redshifted solar spectrum of reflected light. 
B)  The asteroid would appear as a short trail against the background stars on a sky-tracked long-exposure photograph, and its spectrum would show no Doppler shift. 
C)  The asteroid would appear as a slowly brightening point of light where no star had previously been charted, and the spectrum of sunlight reflected from it would be blueshifted by the Doppler effect. 
D)  The asteroid would appear as a slowly brightening and growing diffuse sphere of light where no star was charted because of light scattered from the dust and gas surrounding it, and it would show a blueshifted spectrum. 
A)  The asteroid would appear as a slowly brightening starlike object where no star was previously charted, with a redshifted solar spectrum of reflected light. 
B)  The asteroid would appear as a short trail against the background stars on a sky-tracked long-exposure photograph, and its spectrum would show no Doppler shift. 
C)  The asteroid would appear as a slowly brightening point of light where no star had previously been charted, and the spectrum of sunlight reflected from it would be blueshifted by the Doppler effect. 
D)  The asteroid would appear as a slowly brightening and growing diffuse sphere of light where no star was charted because of light scattered from the dust and gas surrounding it, and it would show a blueshifted spectrum.

Question 14

The measured diameter of the core of Comet Halley is closest to

Accepted Answer

A)  10 km. 
B)  106 km. 
C)  107 km. 
D)  100 m. 
A)  10 km. 
B)  106 km. 
C)  107 km. 
D)  100 m.

Question 15

Which of these events will NOT significantly change the orbit of a comet?

Accepted Answer

A)  The comet has a collision with another body in the Kuiper belt. 
B)  The comet passes close to a major planet. 
C)  The comet is influenced by a number of smaller bodies (planets, asteroids, etc.), which it passes while in the inner solar system. 
D)  As it nears the Sun, the blast of the material streaming away to form its tails can change its direction. 
A)  The comet has a collision with another body in the Kuiper belt. 
B)  The comet passes close to a major planet. 
C)  The comet is influenced by a number of smaller bodies (planets, asteroids, etc.), which it passes while in the inner solar system. 
D)  As it nears the Sun, the blast of the material streaming away to form its tails can change its direction.

Question 16

Suppose a comet is observed to have a surface of pure ice with very little dust and rock on its surface. What can be said about this comet?

Accepted Answer

A)  The comet originated in the Kuiper belt rather than the Oort cloud. 
B)  The comet is probably making its first passage near the Sun. 
C)  The comet is very old, having made many trips around the Sun. 
D)  The comet is part of the family of Kreutz comets. 
A)  The comet originated in the Kuiper belt rather than the Oort cloud. 
B)  The comet is probably making its first passage near the Sun. 
C)  The comet is very old, having made many trips around the Sun. 
D)  The comet is part of the family of Kreutz comets.

Question 17

The collision of the Deep Impact probe with the nucleus of Comet Tempel 1 in 2005 revealed the nucleus as a "rubble pile," held together by

Accepted Answer

A)  cohesive forces much stronger than those holding rocks together on Earth. 
B)  frozen ices. 
C)  gravitation. 
D)  a fusion crust. 
A)  cohesive forces much stronger than those holding rocks together on Earth. 
B)  frozen ices. 
C)  gravitation. 
D)  a fusion crust.

Question 18

In the orbits of which of the planets do Lagrange points occur?

Accepted Answer

A)  all planets 
B)  Jupiter; only Jupiter is massive enough to produce a Lagrange point. 
C)  Jupiter and the planets beyond it; a Lagrange point must be a certain distance from its planet, and only the orbits of Jupiter and the planets beyond it are large enough to accommodate a Lagrange point. 
D)  only the planets with moons 
A)  all planets 
B)  Jupiter; only Jupiter is massive enough to produce a Lagrange point. 
C)  Jupiter and the planets beyond it; a Lagrange point must be a certain distance from its planet, and only the orbits of Jupiter and the planets beyond it are large enough to accommodate a Lagrange point. 
D)  only the planets with moons

Question 19

A piece of rock from outer space that reaches Earth's surface after surviving a fiery passage through Earth's atmosphere is known as a(n)

Accepted Answer

A)  meteoroid. 
B)  asteroid. 
C)  meteor. 
D)  meteorite. 
A)  meteoroid. 
B)  asteroid. 
C)  meteor. 
D)  meteorite.

Question 20

The total number of asteroids orbiting the Sun in the main belt is estimated to be

Accepted Answer

A)  several thousand. 
B)  hundreds of billions. 
C)  more than ten million. 
D)  a few hundred. 
A)  several thousand. 
B)  hundreds of billions. 
C)  more than ten million. 
D)  a few hundred.

What causes a meteor shower?

What is unique about the Pluto-Charon system, compared with all other planets and dwarf planets in the solar system?

Recent calculations show that the Tunguska explosion in Siberia in 1908 was probably caused by a

Computer simulations of the formation of the solar system show that the material in the vicinity of the asteroid belt is NOT in the form of one large planet because

What has been discovered in some meteorites that suggests that the formation of the Sun and solar system might have been triggered by a supernova explosion?

An impact that took place at about the time of the extinction of the dinosaurs (and may in fact have caused their extinction) is believed to have created

Widmanstätten patterns are a test for which kind of meteorite?

Compared to the planets in the solar system, the dwarf planet Pluto is

A meteor shower results from

What metal is crucial to identifying meteorite impacts in the geologic record?

Which of these solar system objects has the greatest orbital eccentricity and therefore the MOST elliptical orbit?

Jupiter's orbital period is approximately 12 years. Based on this number, astronomers would be MOST likely to find an asteroid belt asteroid with a period of how many years?

How could astronomers detect a large asteroid if it were heading straight for Earth?

The measured diameter of the core of Comet Halley is closest to

Which of these events will NOT significantly change the orbit of a comet?

Suppose a comet is observed to have a surface of pure ice with very little dust and rock on its surface. What can be said about this comet?

The collision of the Deep Impact probe with the nucleus of Comet Tempel 1 in 2005 revealed the nucleus as a "rubble pile," held together by

In the orbits of which of the planets do Lagrange points occur?

A piece of rock from outer space that reaches Earth's surface after surviving a fiery passage through Earth's atmosphere is known as a(n)

The total number of asteroids orbiting the Sun in the main belt is estimated to be

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 causes a meteor shower?

What is unique about the Pluto-Charon system, compared with all other planets and dwarf planets in the solar system?

Recent calculations show that the Tunguska explosion in Siberia in 1908 was probably caused by a

Computer simulations of the formation of the solar system show that the material in the vicinity of the asteroid belt is NOT in the form of one large planet because

What has been discovered in some meteorites that suggests that the formation of the Sun and solar system might have been triggered by a supernova explosion?

An impact that took place at about the time of the extinction of the dinosaurs (and may in fact have caused their extinction) is believed to have created

Widmanstätten patterns are a test for which kind of meteorite?

Compared to the planets in the solar system, the dwarf planet Pluto is

A meteor shower results from

What metal is crucial to identifying meteorite impacts in the geologic record?

Which of these solar system objects has the greatest orbital eccentricity and therefore the MOST elliptical orbit?

Jupiter's orbital period is approximately 12 years. Based on this number, astronomers would be MOST likely to find an asteroid belt asteroid with a period of how many years?

How could astronomers detect a large asteroid if it were heading straight for Earth?

The measured diameter of the core of Comet Halley is closest to

Which of these events will NOT significantly change the orbit of a comet?

Suppose a comet is observed to have a surface of pure ice with very little dust and rock on its surface. What can be said about this comet?

The collision of the Deep Impact probe with the nucleus of Comet Tempel 1 in 2005 revealed the nucleus as a "rubble pile," held together by

In the orbits of which of the planets do Lagrange points occur?

A piece of rock from outer space that reaches Earth's surface after surviving a fiery passage through Earth's atmosphere is known as a(n)

The total number of asteroids orbiting the Sun in the main belt is estimated to be

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