Question 1

Which planet has a system of smaller moons with highly elliptical orbits and one large moon that orbits in a retrograde direction?

Accepted Answer

A)  Jupiter 
B)  Neptune 
C)  Saturn 
D)  Uranus 
A)  Jupiter 
B)  Neptune 
C)  Saturn 
D)  Uranus

Question 2

The ocean water that is believed to occur below the surface of Jupiter's moon Europa is kept unfrozen by heat from

Accepted Answer

A)  absorption at this level in the moon of solar UV and visible radiation. 
B)  radioactive decay of heavy elements in the moon's core. 
C)  electric currents flowing in this conducting liquid, induced by the motion of the moon through Jupiter's magnetic field. 
D)  tidal distortions of the moon by the combined gravity of Jupiter and the other moons. 
A)  absorption at this level in the moon of solar UV and visible radiation. 
B)  radioactive decay of heavy elements in the moon's core. 
C)  electric currents flowing in this conducting liquid, induced by the motion of the moon through Jupiter's magnetic field. 
D)  tidal distortions of the moon by the combined gravity of Jupiter and the other moons.

Question 3

What did the Cassini spacecraft recently observe about the belts, zones, and ovals in Jupiter's atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

A)  Cooler material (white ovals, dark belts) is generally rising. 
B)  Warmer material (brown ovals, white zones) is generally sinking. 
C)  White clouds have been seen rising in the dark belts. 
D)  Ovals occur in pairs, a white one and a brown one together. 
A)  Cooler material (white ovals, dark belts) is generally rising. 
B)  Warmer material (brown ovals, white zones) is generally sinking. 
C)  White clouds have been seen rising in the dark belts. 
D)  Ovals occur in pairs, a white one and a brown one together.

Question 4

Which is the biggest planet in the solar system?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 5

The magnetosphere of Jupiter is

Accepted Answer

A)  a region of charged particles extending along the orbit of the satellite Io, forming a ring around Jupiter. 
B)  the magnetized hydrogen in the inner regions of Jupiter just outside the solid core, where the planet's magnetic field is produced. 
C)  a narrow layer in Jupiter's atmosphere, just above the cloud tops, in which intense electric currents flow and generate the planet's magnetic field. 
D)  a large space around Jupiter in which its magnetic field has excluded the solar wind but that is filled with high-energy charged particles. 
A)  a region of charged particles extending along the orbit of the satellite Io, forming a ring around Jupiter. 
B)  the magnetized hydrogen in the inner regions of Jupiter just outside the solid core, where the planet's magnetic field is produced. 
C)  a narrow layer in Jupiter's atmosphere, just above the cloud tops, in which intense electric currents flow and generate the planet's magnetic field. 
D)  a large space around Jupiter in which its magnetic field has excluded the solar wind but that is filled with high-energy charged particles.

Question 6

The infrared camera of the Hubble Space Telescope was able to see through the haze layers of the atmosphere of Uranus to show

Accepted Answer

A)  a system of Jupiterlike bands and zones above which are giant and constantly changing methane clouds. 
B)  a deeper but somewhat structured haze layer consisting of methane and ethane gases. 
C)  light zones and dark reddish belts circling the planet parallel to the equator, interspersed with dark spots and light ovals. 
D)  volcanoes on the planet's surface spewing out vast quantities of sulfurous gases into the atmosphere. 
A)  a system of Jupiterlike bands and zones above which are giant and constantly changing methane clouds. 
B)  a deeper but somewhat structured haze layer consisting of methane and ethane gases. 
C)  light zones and dark reddish belts circling the planet parallel to the equator, interspersed with dark spots and light ovals. 
D)  volcanoes on the planet's surface spewing out vast quantities of sulfurous gases into the atmosphere.

Question 7

There is a torus of material around Jupiter surrounding the orbit of Io. This torus consists of

Accepted Answer

A)  large chunks of material that never formed into a ring. 
B)  charged particles ejected from Io's geysers. 
C)  fine dust particles, like the rings. 
D)  charged particles ejected from Jupiter's aurorae. 
A)  large chunks of material that never formed into a ring. 
B)  charged particles ejected from Io's geysers. 
C)  fine dust particles, like the rings. 
D)  charged particles ejected from Jupiter's aurorae.

Question 8

What effect did the fragments of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 have on the atmosphere of Jupiter?

Accepted Answer

A)  The fragments created dark patches that lasted for months. 
B)  The fragments created white clouds of ammonia and water ice crystals that lasted for several days. 
C)  The fragments disrupted the atmospheric circulation of light and dark zones for almost a month. 
D)  The fragments had no lasting effect beyond the initial bursts of hot gas. 
A)  The fragments created dark patches that lasted for months. 
B)  The fragments created white clouds of ammonia and water ice crystals that lasted for several days. 
C)  The fragments disrupted the atmospheric circulation of light and dark zones for almost a month. 
D)  The fragments had no lasting effect beyond the initial bursts of hot gas.

Question 9

In which of these solar system bodies is plate tectonics still active?

Accepted Answer

A)  Europa 
B)  Io 
C)  Mars 
D)  Venus 
A)  Europa 
B)  Io 
C)  Mars 
D)  Venus

Question 10

Suppose an observer is viewing the rings of Saturn from Earth, and they are seen edge-on. How long must the observer wait until the rings are again edge-on? (Saturn's orbital period is 29 years.)

Accepted Answer

A)  6 months 
B)  1 year 
C)  14.5 years 
D)  29 years 
A)  6 months 
B)  1 year 
C)  14.5 years 
D)  29 years

Question 11

Recent estimates suggest that the overall mass distribution between atomic components of Jupiter is

Accepted Answer

A)  50 percent hydrogen and 50 percent helium. 
B)  almost 100 percent hydrogen. 
C)  75 percent hydrogen, 24 percent helium, and 1 percent heavier elements. 
D)  86 percent hydrogen, 13 percent helium, and 1 percent heavier elements. 
A)  50 percent hydrogen and 50 percent helium. 
B)  almost 100 percent hydrogen. 
C)  75 percent hydrogen, 24 percent helium, and 1 percent heavier elements. 
D)  86 percent hydrogen, 13 percent helium, and 1 percent heavier elements.

Question 12

Jupiter's atmosphere has three prominent cloud layers: NH3 (ammonia), NH4SH (ammonium hydrosulfide), and H2O (water vapor). How do the cloud layers in the atmosphere of Saturn compare to this?

Accepted Answer

A)  The two atmospheres are virtually identical. 
B)  The layers in Saturn's atmosphere are very similar, but they are more spread out because of Saturn's lesser gravity. 
C)  Saturn is much colder because it is farther from the Sun and because it does not give out as much energy from gravitational contraction as does Jupiter. This temperature difference has reversed the order of the layers in comparison with Jupiter. 
D)  Saturn is a very different planet, and its atmosphere does not resemble that of Jupiter at all. 
A)  The two atmospheres are virtually identical. 
B)  The layers in Saturn's atmosphere are very similar, but they are more spread out because of Saturn's lesser gravity. 
C)  Saturn is much colder because it is farther from the Sun and because it does not give out as much energy from gravitational contraction as does Jupiter. This temperature difference has reversed the order of the layers in comparison with Jupiter. 
D)  Saturn is a very different planet, and its atmosphere does not resemble that of Jupiter at all.

Question 13

In order of increasing density, the Jovian planets are

Accepted Answer

A)  Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, and Jupiter. 
B)  Saturn, Uranus, Jupiter, and Neptune. 
C)  Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, and Jupiter. 
D)  Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. 
A)  Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, and Jupiter. 
B)  Saturn, Uranus, Jupiter, and Neptune. 
C)  Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, and Jupiter. 
D)  Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

Question 14

The rings of Saturn orbit the planet as

Accepted Answer

A)  a solid body. 
B)  five separate, solid rings. 
C)  individual particles, all with periods shorter than the periods of the large moons of Saturn. 
D)  individual particles, all with periods longer than the periods of the large moons of Saturn. 
A)  a solid body. 
B)  five separate, solid rings. 
C)  individual particles, all with periods shorter than the periods of the large moons of Saturn. 
D)  individual particles, all with periods longer than the periods of the large moons of Saturn.

Question 15

What size are the particles making up Saturn's rings?

Accepted Answer

A)  a few micrometers in diameter (dust grains) 
B)  up to about 1 mm in diameter ("snowflakes") 
C)  up to about 10 cm in diameter 
D)  up to about 10 m in diameter 
A)  a few micrometers in diameter (dust grains) 
B)  up to about 1 mm in diameter ("snowflakes") 
C)  up to about 10 cm in diameter 
D)  up to about 10 m in diameter

Question 16

Which spacecraft was the MOST recent to reach Jupiter?

Accepted Answer

A)  Hubble Space Telescope 
B)  Galileo 
C)  Pioneer 
D)  Voyager 
A)  Hubble Space Telescope 
B)  Galileo 
C)  Pioneer 
D)  Voyager

Question 17

Saturn is less massive than Jupiter but has almost the same radius. Explain.

Accepted Answer

A)  The smaller mass exerts less gravitational force and is unable to compress the material as much as in Jupiter. 
B)  Saturn is rotating faster than Jupiter, and the increased centrifugal force results in a larger size. 
C)  Saturn's interior is hotter than that of Jupiter. 
D)  Saturn is composed of lighter material than Jupiter. 
A)  The smaller mass exerts less gravitational force and is unable to compress the material as much as in Jupiter. 
B)  Saturn is rotating faster than Jupiter, and the increased centrifugal force results in a larger size. 
C)  Saturn's interior is hotter than that of Jupiter. 
D)  Saturn is composed of lighter material than Jupiter.

Question 18

Which planet has wide, bright rings that are easily visible from Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  Neptune 
B)  Venus 
C)  Jupiter 
D)  Saturn 
A)  Neptune 
B)  Venus 
C)  Jupiter 
D)  Saturn

Question 19

In the rings of Saturn, there are two main rings, the outer A ring and the inner B ring. How do the particles in these rings move relative to each other?

Accepted Answer

A)  Particles in the A ring move more slowly than those in the B ring. 
B)  Speeds of the particles in all rings are the same because mutual gravitational forces between them ensure that they move as a solid disk. 
C)  Speeds of the particles vary because of attraction by the Sun, so A particles sometimes move faster and at other times B particles move faster. 
D)  Particles in the A ring move faster than particles in the B ring because they are farther from the planet. 
A)  Particles in the A ring move more slowly than those in the B ring. 
B)  Speeds of the particles in all rings are the same because mutual gravitational forces between them ensure that they move as a solid disk. 
C)  Speeds of the particles vary because of attraction by the Sun, so A particles sometimes move faster and at other times B particles move faster. 
D)  Particles in the A ring move faster than particles in the B ring because they are farther from the planet.

Question 20

The discoverer of the planet Uranus was

Accepted Answer

A)  William Herschel. 
B)  Galileo Galilei. 
C)  Clyde Tombaugh. 
D)  Edmund Halley. 
A)  William Herschel. 
B)  Galileo Galilei. 
C)  Clyde Tombaugh. 
D)  Edmund Halley.

Which planet has a system of smaller moons with highly elliptical orbits and one large moon that orbits in a retrograde direction?

The ocean water that is believed to occur below the surface of Jupiter's moon Europa is kept unfrozen by heat from

What did the Cassini spacecraft recently observe about the belts, zones, and ovals in Jupiter's atmosphere?

Which is the biggest planet in the solar system?

The magnetosphere of Jupiter is

The infrared camera of the Hubble Space Telescope was able to see through the haze layers of the atmosphere of Uranus to show

There is a torus of material around Jupiter surrounding the orbit of Io. This torus consists of

What effect did the fragments of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 have on the atmosphere of Jupiter?

In which of these solar system bodies is plate tectonics still active?

Suppose an observer is viewing the rings of Saturn from Earth, and they are seen edge-on. How long must the observer wait until the rings are again edge-on? (Saturn's orbital period is 29 years.)

Recent estimates suggest that the overall mass distribution between atomic components of Jupiter is

Jupiter's atmosphere has three prominent cloud layers: NH₃ (ammonia), NH₄SH (ammonium hydrosulfide), and H₂O (water vapor). How do the cloud layers in the atmosphere of Saturn compare to this?

In order of increasing density, the Jovian planets are

The rings of Saturn orbit the planet as

What size are the particles making up Saturn's rings?

Which spacecraft was the MOST recent to reach Jupiter?

Saturn is less massive than Jupiter but has almost the same radius. Explain.

Which planet has wide, bright rings that are easily visible from Earth?

In the rings of Saturn, there are two main rings, the outer A ring and the inner B ring. How do the particles in these rings move relative to each other?

The discoverer of the planet Uranus was

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

Vagabonds of the Solar System

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 9: The Outer Planets

Which planet has a system of smaller moons with highly elliptical orbits and one large moon that orbits in a retrograde direction?

The ocean water that is believed to occur below the surface of Jupiter's moon Europa is kept unfrozen by heat from

What did the Cassini spacecraft recently observe about the belts, zones, and ovals in Jupiter's atmosphere?

Which is the biggest planet in the solar system?

The magnetosphere of Jupiter is

The infrared camera of the Hubble Space Telescope was able to see through the haze layers of the atmosphere of Uranus to show

There is a torus of material around Jupiter surrounding the orbit of Io. This torus consists of

What effect did the fragments of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 have on the atmosphere of Jupiter?

In which of these solar system bodies is plate tectonics still active?

Suppose an observer is viewing the rings of Saturn from Earth, and they are seen edge-on. How long must the observer wait until the rings are again edge-on? (Saturn's orbital period is 29 years.)

Recent estimates suggest that the overall mass distribution between atomic components of Jupiter is

Jupiter's atmosphere has three prominent cloud layers: NH3 (ammonia), NH4SH (ammonium hydrosulfide), and H2O (water vapor). How do the cloud layers in the atmosphere of Saturn compare to this?

In order of increasing density, the Jovian planets are

The rings of Saturn orbit the planet as

What size are the particles making up Saturn's rings?

Which spacecraft was the MOST recent to reach Jupiter?

Saturn is less massive than Jupiter but has almost the same radius. Explain.

Which planet has wide, bright rings that are easily visible from Earth?

In the rings of Saturn, there are two main rings, the outer A ring and the inner B ring. How do the particles in these rings move relative to each other?

The discoverer of the planet Uranus was

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

Vagabonds of the Solar System

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

Jupiter's atmosphere has three prominent cloud layers: NH₃ (ammonia), NH₄SH (ammonium hydrosulfide), and H₂O (water vapor). How do the cloud layers in the atmosphere of Saturn compare to this?