Question 1

The runoff channels on Mars were most likely formed by:

Accepted Answer

A) melting underground ice. 
B) catastrophic, but rare flooding. 
C) the annual melting of the polar ice caps. 
D) glaciers. 
E) rain that was part of a water cycle. 
A) melting underground ice. 
B) catastrophic, but rare flooding. 
C) the annual melting of the polar ice caps. 
D) glaciers. 
E) rain that was part of a water cycle.

Question 2

Which of these is NOT now on the surface of Mars?

Accepted Answer

A) Mars Global Surveyor 
B) Viking 1 
C) Pathfinder 
D) Sojourner 
E) Spirit 
A) Mars Global Surveyor 
B) Viking 1 
C) Pathfinder 
D) Sojourner 
E) Spirit

Question 3

Where on Mars did Mars Odyssey's gamma-ray spectrometer find evidence of subsurfaceice?

Accepted Answer

A) at the equator 
B) on Olympus Mons 
C) at high latitudes 
D) the Gale Crater 
E) Valles Marineris 
A) at the equator 
B) on Olympus Mons 
C) at high latitudes 
D) the Gale Crater 
E) Valles Marineris

Question 4

Most of the dark regions on Mars visible from Earth are:

Accepted Answer

A) features like the Valles Marineris. 
B) lava flows from active volcanoes. 
C) mountainous regions. 
D) the seasonal growth of vegetation on the planet. 
E) volcanic planes like the lunar maria. 
A) features like the Valles Marineris. 
B) lava flows from active volcanoes. 
C) mountainous regions. 
D) the seasonal growth of vegetation on the planet. 
E) volcanic planes like the lunar maria.

Question 5

One of the most unexpected aspects of Mars's atmosphere is:

Accepted Answer

A) that it is 95% carbon dioxide. 
B) that its troposphere changes altitude. 
C) that it is cloudless. 
D) that it contains water vapor clouds. 
E) that it has such a low density. 
A) that it is 95% carbon dioxide. 
B) that its troposphere changes altitude. 
C) that it is cloudless. 
D) that it contains water vapor clouds. 
E) that it has such a low density.

Question 6

Where do the names for the moons of Mars (Phobos and Deimos)come from?

Accepted Answer

A) the founders of Rome 
B) the twins depicted in the constellation Gemini 
C) the names of their discoverers 
D) the sons of Ares and Aphrodite 
E) the names of the dogs of Orion 
A) the founders of Rome 
B) the twins depicted in the constellation Gemini 
C) the names of their discoverers 
D) the sons of Ares and Aphrodite 
E) the names of the dogs of Orion

Question 7

The NASA lander which deployed the first rover, Sojourner, in 1997 was:

Accepted Answer

A) Mars Rover. 
B) Global Surveyor. 
C) Viking 2. 
D) South Polar Lander. 
E) Pathfinder. 
A) Mars Rover. 
B) Global Surveyor. 
C) Viking 2. 
D) South Polar Lander. 
E) Pathfinder.

Question 8

Mars's mass is only a tenth of the Earth's, and its density is also less than the Earth's.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

Mars undergoes seasons because of its eccentric orbit that carries it to widely differentdistances from the Sun, and because of its axial tilt which is similar to the Earth's.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

The Tharsis Bulge on Mars is roughly the size of:

Accepted Answer

A) Mexico. 
B) Asia. 
C) Texas. 
D) North America. 
E) New York City. 
A) Mexico. 
B) Asia. 
C) Texas. 
D) North America. 
E) New York City.

Question 11

Why do oppositions of Mars stir such interest among amateur astronomers?

Accepted Answer

Mars is small, and most of the time so d

Question 12

The largest difference between Mars's northern and southern hemispheres is that:

Accepted Answer

A) the southern appears older, with more impact craters. 
B) the northern has all the outflows and must have been much hotter. 
C) the northern is higher overall, despite some high volcanoes in the south. 
D) the southern has a polar cap, but none ever forms in the north. 
E) the southern is much darker, with large mare-like basaltic lava flows. 
A) the southern appears older, with more impact craters. 
B) the northern has all the outflows and must have been much hotter. 
C) the northern is higher overall, despite some high volcanoes in the south. 
D) the southern has a polar cap, but none ever forms in the north. 
E) the southern is much darker, with large mare-like basaltic lava flows.

Question 13

Describe the primary difference between the northern and southern hemispheres on Mars.

Accepted Answer

The northern hemisphere is pri

Question 14

Of all the planets, only ________ has surface features easily seen from Earth with evenamateur telescopes.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Of all the planets, only ________ has...

Question 15

The largest and deepest impact basin found on Mars is:

Accepted Answer

A) Olympus. 
B) Caloris. 
C) Hellas. 
D) Tharsis. 
E) Meridani. 
A) Olympus. 
B) Caloris. 
C) Hellas. 
D) Tharsis. 
E) Meridani.

Question 16

The ________ hemisphere of Mars appears older and more heavily cratered.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The ________ hemisphere of Mars appears older...

Question 17

When the huge polar caps on Mars form every winter, they are made chiefly of ________.

Accepted Answer

dry ice (f

Question 18

What makes the view of Mars in the summer of 2003 so spectacular?

Accepted Answer

A) There were huge dust storms that made the planet appear much brighter than usual. 
B) The feature known as Olympus Mons erupted spewing ash into the Martian atmosphere. 
C) Mars had an angular size comparable to the full Moon. 
D) Mars was both at perihelion and opposition, creating the perfect viewing conditions fromEarth. 
E) Earth's atmosphere was amazingly clear everywhere for months making the view ofspectacular Mars available to everyone. 
A) There were huge dust storms that made the planet appear much brighter than usual. 
B) The feature known as Olympus Mons erupted spewing ash into the Martian atmosphere. 
C) Mars had an angular size comparable to the full Moon. 
D) Mars was both at perihelion and opposition, creating the perfect viewing conditions fromEarth. 
E) Earth's atmosphere was amazingly clear everywhere for months making the view ofspectacular Mars available to everyone.

Question 19

Valles Marineris is the most striking example of a(n):

Accepted Answer

A) impact crater. 
B) shield volcano. 
C) oceanic trench. 
D) rift valley. 
E) scarp. 
A) impact crater. 
B) shield volcano. 
C) oceanic trench. 
D) rift valley. 
E) scarp.

Question 20

Because of its axial tilt and more elliptical orbit, Mars's polar caps change size even more thando the Earth's.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Exam 10: Mars: a Near Miss for Life

The runoff channels on Mars were most likely formed by:

Which of these is NOT now on the surface of Mars?

Where on Mars did Mars Odyssey's gamma-ray spectrometer find evidence of subsurfaceice?

Most of the dark regions on Mars visible from Earth are:

One of the most unexpected aspects of Mars's atmosphere is:

Where do the names for the moons of Mars (Phobos and Deimos)come from?

The NASA lander which deployed the first rover, Sojourner, in 1997 was:

Mars's mass is only a tenth of the Earth's, and its density is also less than the Earth's.

Mars undergoes seasons because of its eccentric orbit that carries it to widely differentdistances from the Sun, and because of its axial tilt which is similar to the Earth's.

The Tharsis Bulge on Mars is roughly the size of:

Why do oppositions of Mars stir such interest among amateur astronomers?

The largest difference between Mars's northern and southern hemispheres is that:

Describe the primary difference between the northern and southern hemispheres on Mars.

Of all the planets, only ________ has surface features easily seen from Earth with evenamateur telescopes.

The largest and deepest impact basin found on Mars is:

The ________ hemisphere of Mars appears older and more heavily cratered.

When the huge polar caps on Mars form every winter, they are made chiefly of ________.

What makes the view of Mars in the summer of 2003 so spectacular?

Valles Marineris is the most striking example of a(n):

Because of its axial tilt and more elliptical orbit, Mars's polar caps change size even more thando the Earth's.

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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