Question 1

Saturn's rings are much brighter than the rings of the other giant planets because

Accepted Answer

A)  Saturn is closer to the Sun and receives a higher flux of sunlight. 
B)  the material in Saturn's rings is made mostly of ice rather than rock. 
C)  Saturn's rings have over 100 times the density of other ring systems. 
D)  Saturn's rings are tilted by a larger angle relative to our line of sight. 
E)  the material in Saturn's rings is much hotter than material in other ring systems. 
A)  Saturn is closer to the Sun and receives a higher flux of sunlight. 
B)  the material in Saturn's rings is made mostly of ice rather than rock. 
C)  Saturn's rings have over 100 times the density of other ring systems. 
D)  Saturn's rings are tilted by a larger angle relative to our line of sight. 
E)  the material in Saturn's rings is much hotter than material in other ring systems.

Question 2

How do astronomers take such detailed, close-up pictures of ring systems?

Accepted Answer

A)  They send satellites to the outer planets to take pictures for us. 
B)  They take them using backyard telescopes, just like Galileo did. 
C)  They take them using the largest optical telescopes on Earth. 
D)  They have astronauts in space take pictures of them. 
E)  They wait until the planet is closest to Earth and use the Hubble Space Telescope. 
A)  They send satellites to the outer planets to take pictures for us. 
B)  They take them using backyard telescopes, just like Galileo did. 
C)  They take them using the largest optical telescopes on Earth. 
D)  They have astronauts in space take pictures of them. 
E)  They wait until the planet is closest to Earth and use the Hubble Space Telescope.

Question 3

What can we conclude from a random distribution of volcanoes on a moon, and why?

Accepted Answer

We can conclude there is little or no pl

Question 4

Describe three methods that can be used to discover rings around other planets.

Accepted Answer

(1)Direct viewing of bright rings (such

Question 5

The color of a moon's surface contains clues as to its age.What is the typical relationship between surface color and surface age, and why does this relationship exist?

Accepted Answer

Darker surfaces are typically older,and

Question 6

Ring material

Accepted Answer

A)  is made primarily of fine dust. 
B)  has always orbited the giant planets. 
C)  reflects more than 75 percent of the light that falls on it. 
D)  must constantly be renewed or the rings fade. 
E)  is made primarily of kilometer-sized rocks. 
A)  is made primarily of fine dust. 
B)  has always orbited the giant planets. 
C)  reflects more than 75 percent of the light that falls on it. 
D)  must constantly be renewed or the rings fade. 
E)  is made primarily of kilometer-sized rocks.

Question 7

Which of the following is a characteristic of irregular moons?

Accepted Answer

A)  They revolve around their planets in the same direction as the planets rotate. 
B)  They are often large (up to as big as Earth's Moon). 
C)  They are usually tidally locked to their parent planets. 
D)  They have elliptical and inclined orbits. 
E)  They formed in an accretion disk around their parent planet. 
A)  They revolve around their planets in the same direction as the planets rotate. 
B)  They are often large (up to as big as Earth's Moon). 
C)  They are usually tidally locked to their parent planets. 
D)  They have elliptical and inclined orbits. 
E)  They formed in an accretion disk around their parent planet.

Question 8

Name two properties of moons that are in tidally locked orbits.

Accepted Answer

(1)They always keep the same side facing

Question 9

Which of the following moons shows no signs of geological activity at any point in its history?

Accepted Answer

A)  Callisto 
B)  Triton 
C)  Europa 
D)  Enceladus 
E)  Io 
A)  Callisto 
B)  Triton 
C)  Europa 
D)  Enceladus 
E)  Io

Question 10

The varied colors found on Io's surface are due to the presence of various molecules containing

Accepted Answer

A)  sulfur. 
B)  silicon. 
C)  iron. 
D)  mercury. 
E)  magnesium. 
A)  sulfur. 
B)  silicon. 
C)  iron. 
D)  mercury. 
E)  magnesium.

Question 11

Which of the following is a possible way to renew particles in a ring system?

Accepted Answer

A)  volcanic eruptions on the parent gas giant 
B)  a collision between moons or other objects near the ring system 
C)  comet tails getting trapped in the planet's orbit 
D)  a planet's gravity drawing particles from the nearby interstellar medium 
E)  none of these 
A)  volcanic eruptions on the parent gas giant 
B)  a collision between moons or other objects near the ring system 
C)  comet tails getting trapped in the planet's orbit 
D)  a planet's gravity drawing particles from the nearby interstellar medium 
E)  none of these

Question 12

Why do we suspect that the inner planets do not have rings?

Accepted Answer

They lack both a renewing sour

Question 13

Describe the origin of Saturn's Encke Gap, shown in the figure below.

Accepted Answer

The Encke Gap in Saturn's A Ring is caus

Question 14

What is the escape velocity from Europa, whose radius is 1,600 km and mass is 5 * 1022 kg?

Accepted Answer

A)  27 km/s 
B)  7.0 km/s 
C)  2.0 km/s 
D)  15 km/s 
E)  0.3 km/s 
A)  27 km/s 
B)  7.0 km/s 
C)  2.0 km/s 
D)  15 km/s 
E)  0.3 km/s

Question 15

Explain how pictures such as the one in the figure below are taken.Where must the camera be in relation to the planet and the Sun? Why do the rings appear so bright from this direction?

Accepted Answer

This picture was taken using the techniq

Question 16

Do we expect a planet's rings to last forever? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

Because ring particles collide over time

Question 17

How do particles from the moon Enceladus wind up in Saturn's E ring?

Accepted Answer

A)  Volcanoes erupt and expel silicates into space. 
B)  Water geysers erupt from the surface and expel them into space. 
C)  Cosmic rays bombard the surface rock on Enceladus and expel it into space. 
D)  A collision with a co-orbiting moon knocks rocky debris into orbit around Saturn. 
E)  Strong winds from Saturn blow material off of Enceladus's surface. 
A)  Volcanoes erupt and expel silicates into space. 
B)  Water geysers erupt from the surface and expel them into space. 
C)  Cosmic rays bombard the surface rock on Enceladus and expel it into space. 
D)  A collision with a co-orbiting moon knocks rocky debris into orbit around Saturn. 
E)  Strong winds from Saturn blow material off of Enceladus's surface.

Question 18

Suppose astronomers discovered rings around an Earth-sized planet orbiting a distant star.Explain how these rings could exist.

Accepted Answer

Rings require a source of material and/o

Question 19

Braided rings, scalloped edges, gaps, knots, and kinks can all be caused by

Accepted Answer

A)  moons with highly inclined orbits. 
B)  shepherd moons. 
C)  gravitation interactions between the ring materials themselves. 
D)  sunlight reflecting off different materials. 
E)  strong magnetic fields. 
A)  moons with highly inclined orbits. 
B)  shepherd moons. 
C)  gravitation interactions between the ring materials themselves. 
D)  sunlight reflecting off different materials. 
E)  strong magnetic fields.

Question 20

Saturn's rings disappear from sight every

Accepted Answer

A)  40 years. 
B)  25 years. 
C)  15 years. 
D)  8 years. 
E)  6 months. 
A)  40 years. 
B)  25 years. 
C)  15 years. 
D)  8 years. 
E)  6 months.

Exam 11: Planetary Moons and Rings

Saturn's rings are much brighter than the rings of the other giant planets because

How do astronomers take such detailed, close-up pictures of ring systems?

What can we conclude from a random distribution of volcanoes on a moon, and why?

Describe three methods that can be used to discover rings around other planets.

The color of a moon's surface contains clues as to its age.What is the typical relationship between surface color and surface age, and why does this relationship exist?

Ring material

Which of the following is a characteristic of irregular moons?

Name two properties of moons that are in tidally locked orbits.

Which of the following moons shows no signs of geological activity at any point in its history?

The varied colors found on Io's surface are due to the presence of various molecules containing

Which of the following is a possible way to renew particles in a ring system?

Why do we suspect that the inner planets do not have rings?

Describe the origin of Saturn's Encke Gap, shown in the figure below.

What is the escape velocity from Europa, whose radius is 1,600 km and mass is 5 * 1022 kg?

Explain how pictures such as the one in the figure below are taken.Where must the camera be in relation to the planet and the Sun? Why do the rings appear so bright from this direction?

Do we expect a planet's rings to last forever? Why or why not?

How do particles from the moon Enceladus wind up in Saturn's E ring?

Suppose astronomers discovered rings around an Earth-sized planet orbiting a distant star.Explain how these rings could exist.

Braided rings, scalloped edges, gaps, knots, and kinks can all be caused by

Saturn's rings disappear from sight every

Thinking Like an Astronomer

Patterns in the Skymotions of Earth and the Moon

Motion of Astronomical Bodies

Gravity and Orbits

Light

The Tools of the Astronomer

The Formation of Planetary Systems

The Terrestrial Planets and Earths Moon

Atmospheres of the Terrestrial Planets

Worlds of Gas and Liquidthe Giant Planets

Dwarf Planets and Small Solar System Bodies

Taking the Measure of Stars

Our Starthe Sun

The Interstellar Medium and Star Formation

Evolution of Low-Mass Stars

Evolution of High-Mass Stars

Relativity and Black Holes

Galaxies

The Milky Waya Normal Spiral Galaxy

The Expanding Universe

Cosmology

Large-Scale Structure in the Universe

Life

Filters

What is the escape velocity from Europa, whose radius is 1,600 km and mass is 5 * 10²² kg?