Question 1

What are Saturn's rings?

Accepted Answer

A) a great disk of liquid helium 
B) large rocky boulders moving in orbit around Saturn 
C) a glowing, flat magnetospheric auroral display 
D) a solid thin disk of material encircling Saturn 
E) small icy particles moving in orbit around Saturn 
A) a great disk of liquid helium 
B) large rocky boulders moving in orbit around Saturn 
C) a glowing, flat magnetospheric auroral display 
D) a solid thin disk of material encircling Saturn 
E) small icy particles moving in orbit around Saturn

Question 2

Saturn has a hexagonal ________ near its north pole.

Accepted Answer

jet stream

Question 3

What makes Mimas a distinct moon?

Accepted Answer

A) It suffered a huge meteorite impact that must have nearly shattered it. 
B) It helps maintain a wide apparent gap in Saturn's rings, known as Encke's Division. 
C) It has a rich atmosphere that may resemble that of the early Earth. 
D) It is the largest of Saturn's moons. 
E) The leading hemisphere is very dark, while the back side is bright ice. 
A) It suffered a huge meteorite impact that must have nearly shattered it. 
B) It helps maintain a wide apparent gap in Saturn's rings, known as Encke's Division. 
C) It has a rich atmosphere that may resemble that of the early Earth. 
D) It is the largest of Saturn's moons. 
E) The leading hemisphere is very dark, while the back side is bright ice.

Question 4

Most of the moons of Saturn have rocky, cratered surfaces, like Deimos and Phobos.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

Saturn is less dense than water.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

Telesto and Calypso share an orbit with ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Telesto and Calypso share an orbit with...

Question 7

Which of Saturn's medium moons has ongoing geological activity?

Accepted Answer

A) Titan 
B) Rhea 
C) Tethys 
D) Enceladus 
E) None; only large moons have geological activity. 
A) Titan 
B) Rhea 
C) Tethys 
D) Enceladus 
E) None; only large moons have geological activity.

Question 8

What evidence suggests that Enceladus has ongoing geological activity?

Accepted Answer

A) Voyager 2 photographed liquid nitrogen geysers 10 kilometers tall. 
B) Lack of impact craters on much of its surface, evidence of ice flows from possible volcanicactivity, and geysers that supply material for the E-ring. 
C) Voyager 1 showed sulfur eruptions all over its pizza-pie colored surface. 
D) Enceladus is located within Saturn's Roche limit, and ready to blow up. 
E) Enceladus undergoes severe tidal stresses from its resonance with Titan. 
A) Voyager 2 photographed liquid nitrogen geysers 10 kilometers tall. 
B) Lack of impact craters on much of its surface, evidence of ice flows from possible volcanicactivity, and geysers that supply material for the E-ring. 
C) Voyager 1 showed sulfur eruptions all over its pizza-pie colored surface. 
D) Enceladus is located within Saturn's Roche limit, and ready to blow up. 
E) Enceladus undergoes severe tidal stresses from its resonance with Titan.

Question 9

Helium is more abundant at Saturn than at Jupiter.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

Saturn is noticeably oblate because:

Accepted Answer

A) it has strong magnetic fields that deform its shape. 
B) its powerful gravity acts stronger on the closer poles than the distant equator. 
C) it is a fluid body that is spinning rapidly. 
D) it is tidally distorted by the pulls for its satellite system. 
E) All of the above are correct. 
A) it has strong magnetic fields that deform its shape. 
B) its powerful gravity acts stronger on the closer poles than the distant equator. 
C) it is a fluid body that is spinning rapidly. 
D) it is tidally distorted by the pulls for its satellite system. 
E) All of the above are correct.

Question 11

Why are Saturn's rings so noticeable?

Accepted Answer

A) They are made of metallic hydrogen. 
B) They are made of lots of fresh, bright icy particles from a recent breakup. 
C) The particles in the rings are highly polished from numerous collisions with other particles. 
D) They are made of nitrogen frost, like the bright surface of Triton. 
E) Saturn is so bright, the rings reflect a lot of light from both Saturn and the Sun. 
A) They are made of metallic hydrogen. 
B) They are made of lots of fresh, bright icy particles from a recent breakup. 
C) The particles in the rings are highly polished from numerous collisions with other particles. 
D) They are made of nitrogen frost, like the bright surface of Triton. 
E) Saturn is so bright, the rings reflect a lot of light from both Saturn and the Sun.

Question 12

Why was it thought that Titan may have oceans of methane?

Accepted Answer

A) Titan's atmosphere contains traces of methane. Similarly, Earth's atmosphere contains tracesof water vapor. So, scientists thought Titan should have methane oceans. 
B) The atmospheric pressure at Titan's surface and its surface temperature are such that methaneshould be liquid on Titan's surface. 
C) The abundance of hydrocarbons in the atmosphere of Titan led scientists to believe that Titanhad an abundance of methane on its surface. 
D) Titan's atmosphere is like Earth's (mostly nitrogen), but its temperature is too low for water tobe in the liquid phase. The only other possible liquid was methane. 
E) Since Saturn has methane ice in its atmosphere, methane should be abundant in this region ofthe solar system. The sheer abundance of methane in the region led scientists to hypothesizemethane oceans on Titan. 
A) Titan's atmosphere contains traces of methane. Similarly, Earth's atmosphere contains tracesof water vapor. So, scientists thought Titan should have methane oceans. 
B) The atmospheric pressure at Titan's surface and its surface temperature are such that methaneshould be liquid on Titan's surface. 
C) The abundance of hydrocarbons in the atmosphere of Titan led scientists to believe that Titanhad an abundance of methane on its surface. 
D) Titan's atmosphere is like Earth's (mostly nitrogen), but its temperature is too low for water tobe in the liquid phase. The only other possible liquid was methane. 
E) Since Saturn has methane ice in its atmosphere, methane should be abundant in this region ofthe solar system. The sheer abundance of methane in the region led scientists to hypothesizemethane oceans on Titan.

Question 13

Compared to Jupiter, the motions observed in Saturn's atmosphere are:

Accepted Answer

A) faster with fewer zone-belt alternations. 
B) slower with fewer zone-belt alternations. 
C) faster with more zone-belt alternations. 
D) slower with more zone-belt alterations. 
E) nearly identical. 
A) faster with fewer zone-belt alternations. 
B) slower with fewer zone-belt alternations. 
C) faster with more zone-belt alternations. 
D) slower with more zone-belt alterations. 
E) nearly identical.

Question 14

What is the space probe that is currently orbiting Saturn and is responsible for numerousdiscoveries of storms and weather patterns in Saturn's atmosphere called?

Accepted Answer

A) Galileo 
B) Encke 
C) New Horizons 
D) Cassini 
E) Messenger 
A) Galileo 
B) Encke 
C) New Horizons 
D) Cassini 
E) Messenger

Question 15

Contrast the probes dispatched by Galileo and Cassini in destinations.

Accepted Answer

Galileo's probe fell into the

Question 16

Shepherd satellites are defined as:

Accepted Answer

A) satellites in the coma of a comet. 
B) moons that confine a narrow ring. 
C) a type of moon that orbits another moon. 
D) moons that follow the exact orbit of another, larger, moon. 
E) moons that orbit inside the system of rings. 
A) satellites in the coma of a comet. 
B) moons that confine a narrow ring. 
C) a type of moon that orbits another moon. 
D) moons that follow the exact orbit of another, larger, moon. 
E) moons that orbit inside the system of rings.

Question 17

Describe Enceladus's jets, and how do they affect Enceladus's appearance?

Accepted Answer

Enceladus has jets of water and organic

Question 18

A moon that goes inside the Roche Limit will:

Accepted Answer

A) get heated by the strong magnetic fields. 
B) collide with a major satellite. 
C) escape its planet's gravity. 
D) be torn apart by the planet's tidal forces. 
E) become a planet. 
A) get heated by the strong magnetic fields. 
B) collide with a major satellite. 
C) escape its planet's gravity. 
D) be torn apart by the planet's tidal forces. 
E) become a planet.

Question 19

Saturn's storms are most analogous to:

Accepted Answer

A) hurricanes on Earth. 
B) sunspots. 
C) Jupiter's Great Red Spot. 
D) thunderstorms on Earth. 
A) hurricanes on Earth. 
B) sunspots. 
C) Jupiter's Great Red Spot. 
D) thunderstorms on Earth.

Question 20

What are Titan's lakes made of?

Accepted Answer

Ethane (75%), methan

Exam 12: Saturn: Spectacular Rings and Mysterious Moons

What are Saturn's rings?

Saturn has a hexagonal ________ near its north pole.

What makes Mimas a distinct moon?

Most of the moons of Saturn have rocky, cratered surfaces, like Deimos and Phobos.

Saturn is less dense than water.

Telesto and Calypso share an orbit with ________.

Which of Saturn's medium moons has ongoing geological activity?

What evidence suggests that Enceladus has ongoing geological activity?

Helium is more abundant at Saturn than at Jupiter.

Saturn is noticeably oblate because:

Why are Saturn's rings so noticeable?

Why was it thought that Titan may have oceans of methane?

Compared to Jupiter, the motions observed in Saturn's atmosphere are:

What is the space probe that is currently orbiting Saturn and is responsible for numerousdiscoveries of storms and weather patterns in Saturn's atmosphere called?

Contrast the probes dispatched by Galileo and Cassini in destinations.

Shepherd satellites are defined as:

Describe Enceladus's jets, and how do they affect Enceladus's appearance?

A moon that goes inside the Roche Limit will:

Saturn's storms are most analogous to:

What are Titan's lakes made of?

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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