Question 1

The NASA mission(s)that landed on Mars in 1976 was (were)the:

Accepted Answer

A) Voyagers. 
B) Magellan lander. 
C) Vikings 1 and 2. 
D) Venera 14. 
E) Galileo probe. 
A) Voyagers. 
B) Magellan lander. 
C) Vikings 1 and 2. 
D) Venera 14. 
E) Galileo probe.

Question 2

Olympus Mons is the tallest (volcanic)mountain in the entire solar system. Explain how Marscan have mountains taller than the ones on Earth.

Accepted Answer

Due to Mars's smaller mass and

Question 3

Where is most of the water on Mars believed to be?

Accepted Answer

In the polar caps an

Question 4

Mars's magnetic field is so weak because:

Accepted Answer

A) it spins much slower than Earth does. 
B) its core may no longer be molten. 
C) its core contains less iron than our own. 
D) All of the above are correct. 
E) Both B and C are probable. 
A) it spins much slower than Earth does. 
B) its core may no longer be molten. 
C) its core contains less iron than our own. 
D) All of the above are correct. 
E) Both B and C are probable.

Question 5

Mars appears red due to ________ on its surface.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Mars appears red due to ________ on...

Question 6

What role did solar radiation play in the loss of Mars's atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

The ultraviolet from the Sun s

Question 7

The most striking valley in the solar system is:

Accepted Answer

A) the Grand Canyon in Arizona. 
B) Gwenivere on Venus. 
C) the Discovery Scarp of Mercury. 
D) Valles Marineris on Mars. 
E) Valhalla on Callisto. 
A) the Grand Canyon in Arizona. 
B) Gwenivere on Venus. 
C) the Discovery Scarp of Mercury. 
D) Valles Marineris on Mars. 
E) Valhalla on Callisto.

Question 8

The main constituent of the Martian atmosphere is:

Accepted Answer

A) hydrogen. 
B) helium. 
C) methane. 
D) carbon dioxide. 
E) nitrogen. 
A) hydrogen. 
B) helium. 
C) methane. 
D) carbon dioxide. 
E) nitrogen.

Question 9

Evidence of liquid water in Mars's distant past suggests that it had a substantial atmospherecompared to what it has presently. What happened to its water vapor?

Accepted Answer

A) The carbon dioxide in its atmosphere dissolved in the water and combined with surface rocks. 
B) Its atmosphere was mostly hydrogen and helium. Mars's gravity is too weak to hold them. 
C) The water vapor has frozen out into the polar ice caps and permafrost as Mars has cooled. 
D) Mars initially had such a large greenhouse effect that the atmosphere became quite hot andslowly escaped. 
E) It has now all been lost in space, including the carbon dioxide and water vapor. 
A) The carbon dioxide in its atmosphere dissolved in the water and combined with surface rocks. 
B) Its atmosphere was mostly hydrogen and helium. Mars's gravity is too weak to hold them. 
C) The water vapor has frozen out into the polar ice caps and permafrost as Mars has cooled. 
D) Mars initially had such a large greenhouse effect that the atmosphere became quite hot andslowly escaped. 
E) It has now all been lost in space, including the carbon dioxide and water vapor.

Question 10

Why does Mars appear red from Earth's surface?

Accepted Answer

The soil on Mars contains larg

Question 11

Evidence for a permafrost layer of ice just a few meters below the surface of Mars include:

Accepted Answer

A) outflow channels and ancient river deltas. 
B) "hydrated" chemical compounds found on surface rocks. 
C) carbonate rock layers that are in low abundance. 
D) "fluidized ejecta" craters. 
E) river channels and flood plains that look identical to such features on Earth. 
A) outflow channels and ancient river deltas. 
B) "hydrated" chemical compounds found on surface rocks. 
C) carbonate rock layers that are in low abundance. 
D) "fluidized ejecta" craters. 
E) river channels and flood plains that look identical to such features on Earth.

Question 12

The Earth's orbital eccentricity does not play a major role in our seasons, for perihelion occursin January. Is this true on Mars also?

Accepted Answer

No, the more eccentric orbit of Mars mea

Question 13

The polar caps and dust storms of Mars can be seen with Earth-based amateur telescopes.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

The magnetic field of Mars was first detected by the Mars Global Surveyor.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

The large canyon of Mars, Valles Marineris, is a(n)________ produced when the entireTharsis region bulged outward causing the surface to split.

Accepted Answer

rift valle

Question 16

The difference between the Grand Canyon and the Valles Marineris is:

Accepted Answer

A) the Grand Canyon was formed by water. 
B) the Valles Marineris is much larger than the Grand Canyon. 
C) the Valles Marineris has tectonic features surrounding it. 
D) the Valles Marineris has craters in and around it. 
E) all of the above. 
A) the Grand Canyon was formed by water. 
B) the Valles Marineris is much larger than the Grand Canyon. 
C) the Valles Marineris has tectonic features surrounding it. 
D) the Valles Marineris has craters in and around it. 
E) all of the above.

Question 17

The low surface gravity helps Martian volcanoes grow to great heights.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

Mars is often called a "midway world," similar in some respects to Earth, and in others to ourMoon. Explain.

Accepted Answer

Like our Moon, much of Mars is ancient c

Question 19

Seasonal changes in the darker surface features of Mars are due to ________ and ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Seasonal changes in the darker surface features...

Question 20

It used to be thought that both of Mars's moons were captured asteroids. Information fromMars Express and Mars Global Surveyor has led to the conclusion that Phobos may have formedby a different process. Briefly describe that process.

Accepted Answer

Phobos may have form

Exam 10: Mars: a Near Miss for Life

The NASA mission(s)that landed on Mars in 1976 was (were)the:

Olympus Mons is the tallest (volcanic)mountain in the entire solar system. Explain how Marscan have mountains taller than the ones on Earth.

Where is most of the water on Mars believed to be?

Mars's magnetic field is so weak because:

Mars appears red due to ________ on its surface.

What role did solar radiation play in the loss of Mars's atmosphere?

The most striking valley in the solar system is:

The main constituent of the Martian atmosphere is:

Evidence of liquid water in Mars's distant past suggests that it had a substantial atmospherecompared to what it has presently. What happened to its water vapor?

Why does Mars appear red from Earth's surface?

Evidence for a permafrost layer of ice just a few meters below the surface of Mars include:

The Earth's orbital eccentricity does not play a major role in our seasons, for perihelion occursin January. Is this true on Mars also?

The polar caps and dust storms of Mars can be seen with Earth-based amateur telescopes.

The magnetic field of Mars was first detected by the Mars Global Surveyor.

The large canyon of Mars, Valles Marineris, is a(n)________ produced when the entireTharsis region bulged outward causing the surface to split.

The difference between the Grand Canyon and the Valles Marineris is:

The low surface gravity helps Martian volcanoes grow to great heights.

Mars is often called a "midway world," similar in some respects to Earth, and in others to ourMoon. Explain.

Seasonal changes in the darker surface features of Mars are due to ________ and ________.

It used to be thought that both of Mars's moons were captured asteroids. Information fromMars Express and Mars Global Surveyor has led to the conclusion that Phobos may have formedby a different process. Briefly describe that process.

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

Filters

Seasonal changes in the darker surface features of Mars are due to and .