Question 1

The ________ hemisphere of Mars is lower, smoother, and younger than the other one.

Accepted Answer

northern

Question 2

What is the evidence that suggests the past and present existence of surface water on Mars?

Accepted Answer

Runoff channels from old rivers and outflow channels from catastrophic flooding in thedistant past. Recent mudflows down the sides of some canyons and crater walls suggestoccasional eruptions of liquid water persist to this day, as imaged by the Global Surveyor. TheRovers in 2004 also found clear evidence of sedimentary rocks formed under water at both thelanding sites, on opposite sides of the globe.

Question 3

The Curiosity rover has detected evidence of what kind(s)of chemical activity in Mars'ssoil?

Accepted Answer

A) organic carbon chemistry 
B) helium and hydrogen 
C) photosynthesis 
D) water, sulfur and chlorine-containing minerals 
E) minerals containing sulfur or produced by reactions with sulfuric acid 
A) organic carbon chemistry 
B) helium and hydrogen 
C) photosynthesis 
D) water, sulfur and chlorine-containing minerals 
E) minerals containing sulfur or produced by reactions with sulfuric acid D

Question 4

Mars has an axial tilt more like the Earth's than any other planet in our solar system.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

The first successful landers on the surface of Mars were:

Accepted Answer

A) Mariners 4 and 5 in 1965. 
B) Vikings 1 and 2 in 1976. 
C) Voyagers 1 and 2 in 1979. 
D) Pathfinder and Sojourner in 1997. 
E) Spirit and Opportunity in 2004. 
A) Mariners 4 and 5 in 1965. 
B) Vikings 1 and 2 in 1976. 
C) Voyagers 1 and 2 in 1979. 
D) Pathfinder and Sojourner in 1997. 
E) Spirit and Opportunity in 2004.

Question 6

Rank these magnetic fields, from weakest to strongest.

Accepted Answer

A) Venus, Mars, Mercury, Earth 
B) Mars, Mercury, Venus, Earth 
C) Earth, Venus, Mars, Mercury 
D) the Moon, Mercury, Mars, Venus 
E) Mars, Venus, Earth, Mercury 
A) Venus, Mars, Mercury, Earth 
B) Mars, Mercury, Venus, Earth 
C) Earth, Venus, Mars, Mercury 
D) the Moon, Mercury, Mars, Venus 
E) Mars, Venus, Earth, Mercury

Question 7

The seasonal changes on Mars create:

Accepted Answer

A) remarkable changes in size of the two dry ice polar caps. 
B) changes in the dark features noted from Earth by telescopes long ago. 
C) huge dust storms that can enshroud the planet's disk. 
D) great changes in the barometric pressure as the atmosphere freezes and sublimes. 
E) All of these are correct. 
A) remarkable changes in size of the two dry ice polar caps. 
B) changes in the dark features noted from Earth by telescopes long ago. 
C) huge dust storms that can enshroud the planet's disk. 
D) great changes in the barometric pressure as the atmosphere freezes and sublimes. 
E) All of these are correct.

Question 8

Mars's magnetic field is most similar to:

Accepted Answer

A) the Sun's magnetic field. 
B) Mercury's magnetic field. 
C) Earth's magnetic field. 
D) Earth's Moon's magnetic field. 
E) Jupiter's magnetic field. 
A) the Sun's magnetic field. 
B) Mercury's magnetic field. 
C) Earth's magnetic field. 
D) Earth's Moon's magnetic field. 
E) Jupiter's magnetic field.

Question 9

Unlike Earth, Mars's seasons are affected (enhanced and diminished)by the distance betweenMars and the Sun. This is because:

Accepted Answer

A) Earth is closer to the Sun to begin with. 
B) an Earth year is shorter. 
C) Mars is tilted more on its axis than Earth is. 
D) the orbit of Mars is significantly more elliptical. 
E) Mars gets closer to the Sun than the Earth does. 
A) Earth is closer to the Sun to begin with. 
B) an Earth year is shorter. 
C) Mars is tilted more on its axis than Earth is. 
D) the orbit of Mars is significantly more elliptical. 
E) Mars gets closer to the Sun than the Earth does.

Question 10

Because it can support huge Olympus Mons, and does not show tectonics on the scale ofEarth, we conclude the crust of Mars must be ________ than ours.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Because it can support huge Olympus Mons,...

Question 11

Olympus Mons and Maxwell Mons are both:

Accepted Answer

A) large features on the surface of Mars. 
B) features visible from Earth. 
C) dormant volcanoes. 
D) shield volcanoes. 
E) the two largest known volcanoes in the solar system. 
A) large features on the surface of Mars. 
B) features visible from Earth. 
C) dormant volcanoes. 
D) shield volcanoes. 
E) the two largest known volcanoes in the solar system.

Question 12

How can Mars, a planet with so little atmosphere, have so much wind?

Accepted Answer

The major component of Mars's atmosphere

Question 13

One piece of evidence against the possibility of water on Mars is:

Accepted Answer

A) the current lack of water on Mars. 
B) the fact that the polar ice caps are made of carbon dioxide ice. 
C) the volcanic activity on Mars. 
D) the few carbonate rock layers that would have formed on the bottoms of oceans. 
E) the "hydrated" chemical compounds found on surface rocks all over the planet. 
A) the current lack of water on Mars. 
B) the fact that the polar ice caps are made of carbon dioxide ice. 
C) the volcanic activity on Mars. 
D) the few carbonate rock layers that would have formed on the bottoms of oceans. 
E) the "hydrated" chemical compounds found on surface rocks all over the planet.

Question 14

Mars is best viewed from Earth when it is at:

Accepted Answer

A) perihelion. 
B) opposition. 
C) conjunction. 
D) aphelion. 
E) none of the above. 
A) perihelion. 
B) opposition. 
C) conjunction. 
D) aphelion. 
E) none of the above.

Question 15

Mars and Mercury are similar in size, and Mercury is even denser. Why then is it that Marshas more atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

Its location is too close to t

Question 16

The seasonal polar caps on Mars, which grow and shrink over the year, are primarily carbondioxide.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

The density of Mars is very similar to that of the other terrestrial planets.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

That the Tharsis region on Mars has so few craters:

Accepted Answer

A) proves tectonic activity is taking place. 
B) is due to the regions very low elevation. 
C) suggests it is the youngest region on the planet. 
D) suggests it is at the center of a particularly strong magnetic field. 
E) is due to annual flooding and water erosion. 
A) proves tectonic activity is taking place. 
B) is due to the regions very low elevation. 
C) suggests it is the youngest region on the planet. 
D) suggests it is at the center of a particularly strong magnetic field. 
E) is due to annual flooding and water erosion.

Question 19

Which statement about Mars's two moons is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

A) Both are in retrograde orbits. 
B) Both rotate synchronously, keeping one face turned towards Mars. 
C) Phobos is larger than Deimos. 
D) Phobos revolves around Mars in less than a Martian day. 
E) Both are very dark, heavily cratered bodies. 
A) Both are in retrograde orbits. 
B) Both rotate synchronously, keeping one face turned towards Mars. 
C) Phobos is larger than Deimos. 
D) Phobos revolves around Mars in less than a Martian day. 
E) Both are very dark, heavily cratered bodies.

Question 20

While Mars is half as big as the Earth in diameter, its surface gravity is only about 40% asstrong as the 1 g we experience here on Earth.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Exam 10: Mars: a Near Miss for Life

The ________ hemisphere of Mars is lower, smoother, and younger than the other one.

What is the evidence that suggests the past and present existence of surface water on Mars?

The Curiosity rover has detected evidence of what kind(s)of chemical activity in Mars'ssoil?

Mars has an axial tilt more like the Earth's than any other planet in our solar system.

The first successful landers on the surface of Mars were:

Rank these magnetic fields, from weakest to strongest.

The seasonal changes on Mars create:

Mars's magnetic field is most similar to:

Unlike Earth, Mars's seasons are affected (enhanced and diminished)by the distance betweenMars and the Sun. This is because:

Because it can support huge Olympus Mons, and does not show tectonics on the scale ofEarth, we conclude the crust of Mars must be ________ than ours.

Olympus Mons and Maxwell Mons are both:

How can Mars, a planet with so little atmosphere, have so much wind?

One piece of evidence against the possibility of water on Mars is:

Mars is best viewed from Earth when it is at:

Mars and Mercury are similar in size, and Mercury is even denser. Why then is it that Marshas more atmosphere?

The seasonal polar caps on Mars, which grow and shrink over the year, are primarily carbondioxide.

The density of Mars is very similar to that of the other terrestrial planets.

That the Tharsis region on Mars has so few craters:

Which statement about Mars's two moons is FALSE?

While Mars is half as big as the Earth in diameter, its surface gravity is only about 40% asstrong as the 1 g we experience here on Earth.

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

Jupiter: Giant of the Solar System

Saturn: Spectacular Rings and Mysterious Moons

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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