Question 1

Phobos and Deimos are probably captured comet nuclei.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

If water caused the huge outflow channels on Mars, what was the most likely process thatformed them?

Accepted Answer

A) rainfall from the hydrosphere 
B) catastrophic but rare flooding 
C) annual melting of the seasonal ice caps 
D) large comets that struck Mars 
E) heat from the impact of the large asteroid that made Hellas 
A) rainfall from the hydrosphere 
B) catastrophic but rare flooding 
C) annual melting of the seasonal ice caps 
D) large comets that struck Mars 
E) heat from the impact of the large asteroid that made Hellas

Question 3

The surface of Mars is surprisingly smooth and featureless.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 4

Why was the summer of 2003 a fine time for Mars observers?

Accepted Answer

A) The Mars Rovers returned live images from the surface. 
B) The skies were unusually clear and calm. 
C) Mars's north pole was tilted to face the Earth head-on. 
D) Mars was closer to us than it has been in over 50,000 years. 
E) Mars was even brighter than Venus for several weeks. 
A) The Mars Rovers returned live images from the surface. 
B) The skies were unusually clear and calm. 
C) Mars's north pole was tilted to face the Earth head-on. 
D) Mars was closer to us than it has been in over 50,000 years. 
E) Mars was even brighter than Venus for several weeks.

Question 5

Which hemisphere on Mars is believed to be older, and what is the evidence?

Accepted Answer

The southern hemisphere is older and hig

Question 6

Why does Mars appear fainter than Venus, as seen from Earth?

Accepted Answer

A) because of its red color 
B) because its two moons block the light from getting to Earth 
C) because it is often eclipsed by Jupiter 
D) because it is smaller, farther away and less reflective 
E) because it doesn't have water on its surface 
A) because of its red color 
B) because its two moons block the light from getting to Earth 
C) because it is often eclipsed by Jupiter 
D) because it is smaller, farther away and less reflective 
E) because it doesn't have water on its surface

Question 7

Atmospheric pressure on Mars is roughly half that of Earth's at sea level.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

What piece of evidence suggests that the Martian moons did NOT form with Mars?

Accepted Answer

A) Their composition is significantly different from Mars and the terrestrial planets. 
B) They have ages that are much younger than Mars. 
C) They have circular orbits above the Martian equator. 
D) They rotate synchronously, with one side tidally fixed toward Mars. 
E) They are both irregularly shaped and are heavily cratered. 
A) Their composition is significantly different from Mars and the terrestrial planets. 
B) They have ages that are much younger than Mars. 
C) They have circular orbits above the Martian equator. 
D) They rotate synchronously, with one side tidally fixed toward Mars. 
E) They are both irregularly shaped and are heavily cratered.

Question 9

Suppose Mars had turned out to be significantly smaller than its current size, say about thesize of the Moon. How would this have affected the number of geological features due to each ofthe four major geological processes?

Accepted Answer

Decreased erosion, as the atmosphere wou

Question 10

How long is a day on Mars?

Accepted Answer

A) 243 Earth days 
B) about 4.2 Earth days 
C) 24 hours, 36 minutes 
D) 23 hours, 56 minutes 
E) 9 hours, 55 minutes 
A) 243 Earth days 
B) about 4.2 Earth days 
C) 24 hours, 36 minutes 
D) 23 hours, 56 minutes 
E) 9 hours, 55 minutes

Question 11

Why are telescopic observers so obsessed with observing Mars?

Accepted Answer

The red color attracted our attention in

Question 12

How many moons does Mars have?

Accepted Answer

A) none 
B) one 
C) two 
D) three 
E) four 
A) none 
B) one 
C) two 
D) three 
E) four

Question 13

How does the axial tilt of Mars compare with our own?

Accepted Answer

A) Like Jupiter, Mars always keeps its equator pointing at the Sun. 
B) It is about half our own, 12 degrees. 
C) It is almost identical to the Earth. 
D) Like Saturn, it's about 27 degrees. 
E) Like Uranus, it is 98 degrees and flopped over on its side. 
A) Like Jupiter, Mars always keeps its equator pointing at the Sun. 
B) It is about half our own, 12 degrees. 
C) It is almost identical to the Earth. 
D) Like Saturn, it's about 27 degrees. 
E) Like Uranus, it is 98 degrees and flopped over on its side.

Question 14

Curiosity found that water used to exist in the Gale Crater in the form of ________ and________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Curiosity found that water used to exist...

Question 15

What property of Mars is responsible for producing the great heights of its volcanoes?

Accepted Answer

A) Its cold temperatures allow the magma to freeze faster. 
B) Its thick crust can support larger peaks, and lower surface gravity does not pull them down asmuch as on Earth. 
C) Mars has more radioactive material than the Earth. 
D) Its higher surface gravity allows higher peaks to form. 
E) Its volcanoes are made of sulfur, like Io's. 
A) Its cold temperatures allow the magma to freeze faster. 
B) Its thick crust can support larger peaks, and lower surface gravity does not pull them down asmuch as on Earth. 
C) Mars has more radioactive material than the Earth. 
D) Its higher surface gravity allows higher peaks to form. 
E) Its volcanoes are made of sulfur, like Io's.

Question 16

Running water continues to be the major erosive factor of Mars today.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

Running water played a major role in shaping Mars in ancient times.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

Organic compounds have not been found on Mars, as of 2016.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

In 2014, Curiosity took rock samples that found:

Accepted Answer

A) uranium compounds. 
B) organic compounds. 
C) that Mars's soil was no different than Earth's. 
D) only compounds of silicon, oxygen, and iron. 
A) uranium compounds. 
B) organic compounds. 
C) that Mars's soil was no different than Earth's. 
D) only compounds of silicon, oxygen, and iron.

Question 20

Our Moon and Mars both have very different hemispheres. Compare them and explain whythis occurred in each case.

Accepted Answer

The far side of our Moon and southern he

Exam 10: Mars: a Near Miss for Life

Phobos and Deimos are probably captured comet nuclei.

If water caused the huge outflow channels on Mars, what was the most likely process thatformed them?

The surface of Mars is surprisingly smooth and featureless.

Why was the summer of 2003 a fine time for Mars observers?

Which hemisphere on Mars is believed to be older, and what is the evidence?

Why does Mars appear fainter than Venus, as seen from Earth?

Atmospheric pressure on Mars is roughly half that of Earth's at sea level.

What piece of evidence suggests that the Martian moons did NOT form with Mars?

Suppose Mars had turned out to be significantly smaller than its current size, say about thesize of the Moon. How would this have affected the number of geological features due to each ofthe four major geological processes?

How long is a day on Mars?

Why are telescopic observers so obsessed with observing Mars?

How many moons does Mars have?

How does the axial tilt of Mars compare with our own?

Curiosity found that water used to exist in the Gale Crater in the form of ________ and________.

What property of Mars is responsible for producing the great heights of its volcanoes?

Running water continues to be the major erosive factor of Mars today.

Running water played a major role in shaping Mars in ancient times.

Organic compounds have not been found on Mars, as of 2016.

In 2014, Curiosity took rock samples that found:

Our Moon and Mars both have very different hemispheres. Compare them and explain whythis occurred in each case.

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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Curiosity found that water used to exist in the Gale Crater in the form of and.