Question 1

Saturn's orbital semi-major axis is almost twice Jupiter's.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  True

Question 2

One hemisphere of Enceladus has a much younger crust than the other, which is heavilycratered.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  True

Question 3

Compare the weather visible on the disks of Jupiter and Saturn.

Accepted Answer

Jupiter has much more striking belts and zones; Saturn is farther from the Sun, andgenerates much less internal heat than more active Jupiter. It also has thicker clouds thanJupiter's.

Question 4

While Galileo saw Saturn as a changing oval, the real nature of the rings was discovered by:

Accepted Answer

A) Halley. 
B) Newton. 
C) Lowell. 
D) Huygens. 
E) Cassini. 
A) Halley. 
B) Newton. 
C) Lowell. 
D) Huygens. 
E) Cassini.

Question 5

The reason the rings of Saturn exist is because:

Accepted Answer

A) the ring material lies within the Roche limit of Saturn. 
B) the gravitational influence of Titan confines them to those orbits. 
C) the eruptions of Mimas' volcanoes are keeping them supplied with ice. 
D) there has not been sufficient time for the ring particles to form a moon. 
E) Saturn's rapid rotation is spinning material away from its equator, out into space. 
A) the ring material lies within the Roche limit of Saturn. 
B) the gravitational influence of Titan confines them to those orbits. 
C) the eruptions of Mimas' volcanoes are keeping them supplied with ice. 
D) there has not been sufficient time for the ring particles to form a moon. 
E) Saturn's rapid rotation is spinning material away from its equator, out into space.

Question 6

Hurricane-like storms near Saturn's poles are called polar vortices.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

What element is notably deficient in Saturn's atmosphere, and why?

Accepted Answer

Helium seems to be c

Question 8

How did scientists use Titan to guide Cassini on a tour of Saturn's moon system?

Accepted Answer

Titan was used to give gravitational ass

Question 9

Saturn's rings are edge-on and vanish when it is at:

Accepted Answer

A) opposition. 
B) conjunction with the Sun. 
C) greatest elongation. 
D) equinox. 
E) solstice. 
A) opposition. 
B) conjunction with the Sun. 
C) greatest elongation. 
D) equinox. 
E) solstice.

Question 10

The most abundant element in Saturn's atmosphere is:

Accepted Answer

A) ammonia. 
B) hydrogen. 
C) helium. 
D) methane. 
E) nitrogen. 
A) ammonia. 
B) hydrogen. 
C) helium. 
D) methane. 
E) nitrogen.

Question 11

Saturn is almost as big as Jupiter, but only a third its mass.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

Saturn has several enduring major storm systems similar to Jupiter's Great Red Spot.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

If satellite A is in a 2:1 resonance with satellite B, this means that:

Accepted Answer

A) satellite A is twice as large as satellite B. 
B) satellite A moves twice as fast as satellite B. 
C) satellite A completes one orbit for every two orbits of satellite B. 
D) the orbit of satellite B takes twice as long to complete as that of satellite A. 
E) satellite B spins on its axis one time for every two orbits of satellite A. 
A) satellite A is twice as large as satellite B. 
B) satellite A moves twice as fast as satellite B. 
C) satellite A completes one orbit for every two orbits of satellite B. 
D) the orbit of satellite B takes twice as long to complete as that of satellite A. 
E) satellite B spins on its axis one time for every two orbits of satellite A.

Question 14

Saturn's cloud layer is over twice as thick as Jupiter's cloud layer.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

The effects of orbital resonances are seen dramatically in the structure of the rings of Saturn.Describe and explain these effects.

Accepted Answer

A ring particle with an orbital period t

Question 16

Saturn's rotation is fast and differential, much like Jupiter's.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

What did the Voyager mission discover about the main rings of Saturn?

Accepted Answer

A) There are hundreds of small moons in the ring system. 
B) They were less dense than the rings of Jupiter. 
C) There are several small moons inside the inner-most ring. 
D) The ring system is much thicker than originally believed. 
E) They are composed of tens of thousands of narrow ringlets. 
A) There are hundreds of small moons in the ring system. 
B) They were less dense than the rings of Jupiter. 
C) There are several small moons inside the inner-most ring. 
D) The ring system is much thicker than originally believed. 
E) They are composed of tens of thousands of narrow ringlets.

Question 18

Titan has oceans made chiefly of liquid ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Titan has oceans made chiefly of liquid...

Question 19

Storms on Saturn that start as white spots, then grow into bands of clouds are caused by:

Accepted Answer

A) an upwelling plume of warm gas. 
B) an abrupt cooling in the high atmosphere. 
C) water crystals. 
D) sulfur compounds. 
A) an upwelling plume of warm gas. 
B) an abrupt cooling in the high atmosphere. 
C) water crystals. 
D) sulfur compounds.

Question 20

What did the Huygens and Cassini probes find on the surface of Titan?

Accepted Answer

A) rocks and no water 
B) methane oceans 
C) an ocean and some lakes of ethane, methane, and other hydrocarbons 
D) lakes and oceans of water 
E) no methane, no water; just rocks 
A) rocks and no water 
B) methane oceans 
C) an ocean and some lakes of ethane, methane, and other hydrocarbons 
D) lakes and oceans of water 
E) no methane, no water; just rocks

Exam 12: Saturn: Spectacular Rings and Mysterious Moons

Saturn's orbital semi-major axis is almost twice Jupiter's.

One hemisphere of Enceladus has a much younger crust than the other, which is heavilycratered.

Compare the weather visible on the disks of Jupiter and Saturn.

While Galileo saw Saturn as a changing oval, the real nature of the rings was discovered by:

The reason the rings of Saturn exist is because:

Hurricane-like storms near Saturn's poles are called polar vortices.

What element is notably deficient in Saturn's atmosphere, and why?

How did scientists use Titan to guide Cassini on a tour of Saturn's moon system?

Saturn's rings are edge-on and vanish when it is at:

The most abundant element in Saturn's atmosphere is:

Saturn is almost as big as Jupiter, but only a third its mass.

Saturn has several enduring major storm systems similar to Jupiter's Great Red Spot.

If satellite A is in a 2:1 resonance with satellite B, this means that:

Saturn's cloud layer is over twice as thick as Jupiter's cloud layer.

The effects of orbital resonances are seen dramatically in the structure of the rings of Saturn.Describe and explain these effects.

Saturn's rotation is fast and differential, much like Jupiter's.

What did the Voyager mission discover about the main rings of Saturn?

Titan has oceans made chiefly of liquid ________.

Storms on Saturn that start as white spots, then grow into bands of clouds are caused by:

What did the Huygens and Cassini probes find on the surface of Titan?

Charting the Heavens: The Foundations of Astronomy

The Copernican Revolution: The Birth of Modern Science

Radiation: Information From the Cosmos

Spectroscopy: the Inner Workings of Atoms

Telescopes: The Tools of Astronomy

The Solar System: Comparative Planetology and Formation Models

Earth: Our Home in Space

The Moon and Mercury: Scorched and Battered Worlds

Venus: Earths Sister Planet

Mars: a Near Miss for Life

Jupiter: Giant of the Solar System

Uranus and Neptune: The Outer Worlds of the Solar System

Solar System Debris: Keys to Our Origin

Exoplanets: Planetary Systems Beyond Our Own

The Sun: Our Parent Star

The Stars: Giants, Dwarfs, and the Main Sequence

The Interstellar Medium: Gas and Dust Among the Stars

Star Formation: a Traumatic Birth

Stellar Evolution: The Life and Death of a Star

Stellar Explosions: Novae, Supernovae, and the Formation of the Elements

Neutron Stars and Black Holes: Strange States of Matter

The Milky Way Galaxy: a Spiral in Space

Galaxies: Building Blocks of the Universe

Galaxies and Dark Matter: The Large-Scale Structure of the Cosmos

Cosmology: The Big Bang and the Fate of the Universe

The Early Universe: Toward the Beginning of Time

Life in the Universe: Are We Alone

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