Question 1

Compare the days, seasons, and years of Mars and Earth.

Accepted Answer

The lengths of the days are very similar

Question 2

Mars's atmosphere is strongly affected by the solar wind.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 3

The outflow channels on Mars indicate a flood period in the history of Mars. During thistime, based on the width and depth of the remaining riverbed, it is thought that the flow rate musthave been:

Accepted Answer

A) just a small trickle, barely more than a stream of water. 
B) moderate, about the flow rate of the Ohio River. 
C) fairly large, about the flow rate of the current Colorado River. 
D) significantly large, about the flow rate of the Amazon River. 
E) enormous, as much as 100 times the flow rate of the Amazon River. 
A) just a small trickle, barely more than a stream of water. 
B) moderate, about the flow rate of the Ohio River. 
C) fairly large, about the flow rate of the current Colorado River. 
D) significantly large, about the flow rate of the Amazon River. 
E) enormous, as much as 100 times the flow rate of the Amazon River.

Question 4

The largest shield volcano yet discovered is:

Accepted Answer

A) Maxwell Mons on Venus. 
B) Kilimanjaro on Earth. 
C) Olympus Mons on Mars. 
D) Prometheus on Io. 
E) Caloris on Mercury. 
A) Maxwell Mons on Venus. 
B) Kilimanjaro on Earth. 
C) Olympus Mons on Mars. 
D) Prometheus on Io. 
E) Caloris on Mercury.

Question 5

Why do we know much more about the surface of Mars than that of Venus?

Accepted Answer

Venus has a thick cloud cover that preve

Question 6

How is the Mars Rover mission different from Global Surveyor mapping mission?

Accepted Answer

The Mars Rover mission landed

Question 7

Which of these were observed from Earth, prior to spacecraft missions to Mars?

Accepted Answer

A) seasonal changes in the polar caps 
B) eruptions of Mount Olympus 
C) dust storms capable of covering the entire planet 
D) Both A and C are correct. 
E) All of the above are correct. 
A) seasonal changes in the polar caps 
B) eruptions of Mount Olympus 
C) dust storms capable of covering the entire planet 
D) Both A and C are correct. 
E) All of the above are correct.

Question 8

The Mars Rovers found undisputed microfossils, proving life once existed on Mars.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

What is thought to be the reason that there are no small impact craters on Mars?

Accepted Answer

A) Like Venus, Mars's atmosphere is too thick and these meteorites do not survive to makeimpacts on the surface. 
B) The surface of Mars is too young to have impact craters. 
C) Due to the gravitational pull of Mars's moons, most small meteoroids are deflected and nevermake it to the surface. 
D) The wind blows small dust particles, eroding the surface of Mars, erasing small impact cratersfaster than they can form. 
E) None of the above. Mars has lots of small impact craters. 
A) Like Venus, Mars's atmosphere is too thick and these meteorites do not survive to makeimpacts on the surface. 
B) The surface of Mars is too young to have impact craters. 
C) Due to the gravitational pull of Mars's moons, most small meteoroids are deflected and nevermake it to the surface. 
D) The wind blows small dust particles, eroding the surface of Mars, erasing small impact cratersfaster than they can form. 
E) None of the above. Mars has lots of small impact craters.

Question 10

Which is the correct size order, from smallest to largest?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 11

Why is the southern hemisphere of Mars believed to be older than the northern?

Accepted Answer

A) The southern hemisphere is darker much like the lunar mare. 
B) The southern hemisphere is more heavily cratered. 
C) The northern hemisphere is higher, due to the Tharsis Bulge. 
D) The northern hemisphere leans more away from the Sun in winter. 
E) The south polar cap is much thicker than the north one. 
A) The southern hemisphere is darker much like the lunar mare. 
B) The southern hemisphere is more heavily cratered. 
C) The northern hemisphere is higher, due to the Tharsis Bulge. 
D) The northern hemisphere leans more away from the Sun in winter. 
E) The south polar cap is much thicker than the north one.

Question 12

Venus and Mars probably evolved differently from Earth because:

Accepted Answer

A) they are slightly bigger than Earth. 
B) they are more massive than Earth. 
C) they have thicker atmospheres than Earth. 
D) they formed sooner than Earth. 
E) they orbit at different distances from the Sun. 
A) they are slightly bigger than Earth. 
B) they are more massive than Earth. 
C) they have thicker atmospheres than Earth. 
D) they formed sooner than Earth. 
E) they orbit at different distances from the Sun.

Question 13

Is there evidence of life on Mars?

Accepted Answer

A) Yes, at least at the time the Allen Hills Meteorite was formed, since it has fossils. 
B) Yes, but it is only in the form of microbes found by Viking landers. 
C) Yes, just found as fossils in the sedimentary rocks examined by Spirit. 
D) No, nothing suggesting life has ever been discovered. 
E) We have confusing and uncertain results to date. 
A) Yes, at least at the time the Allen Hills Meteorite was formed, since it has fossils. 
B) Yes, but it is only in the form of microbes found by Viking landers. 
C) Yes, just found as fossils in the sedimentary rocks examined by Spirit. 
D) No, nothing suggesting life has ever been discovered. 
E) We have confusing and uncertain results to date.

Question 14

What causes the changing dark and light features visible on the Martian surface from Earth?

Accepted Answer

A) seasonal growth of vegetation 
B) the flooding of the network of canals from seasonal polar ice melting 
C) lava fields, similar to those found on the Moon 
D) highly cratered and eroded areas that are frequently covered and uncovered by dust 
E) huge storms like those on Jupiter with winds that often reach speeds of hundreds of kilometersper hour 
A) seasonal growth of vegetation 
B) the flooding of the network of canals from seasonal polar ice melting 
C) lava fields, similar to those found on the Moon 
D) highly cratered and eroded areas that are frequently covered and uncovered by dust 
E) huge storms like those on Jupiter with winds that often reach speeds of hundreds of kilometersper hour

Question 15

While the red color of the Martian surface testifies to the presence of lots of iron, the weakmagnetic field suggests it may not have a molten core anymore.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

The vast flood deposits support the hypothesis that Mars once had much running water.Assuming that Mars did have water once, what happened to it?

Accepted Answer

As Martian volcanism died down, the atmo

Question 17

The residual polar cap that does not vanish during the Martian summer is ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The residual polar cap that does not...

Question 18

Which of the following characterizes a shield volcano?

Accepted Answer

A) It sits above a hot spot in the planet's mantle. 
B) It is formed by moving tectonic plates. 
C) It will be smaller than cinder cones like Maxwell Mons on Venus. 
D) It erupts only briefly before subsiding forever. 
E) It cannot grow very large, for the plates are constantly moving. 
A) It sits above a hot spot in the planet's mantle. 
B) It is formed by moving tectonic plates. 
C) It will be smaller than cinder cones like Maxwell Mons on Venus. 
D) It erupts only briefly before subsiding forever. 
E) It cannot grow very large, for the plates are constantly moving.

Question 19

What physical feature of Mars is atypical compared with the other terrestrial planets?

Accepted Answer

A) its size 
B) its atmospheric content 
C) its surface composition 
D) its density 
E) its rotation rate 
A) its size 
B) its atmospheric content 
C) its surface composition 
D) its density 
E) its rotation rate

Question 20

If Mars's atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide, why isn't it as hot as Venus?

Accepted Answer

Although it has a carbon dioxi

Exam 10: Mars: a Near Miss for Life

Compare the days, seasons, and years of Mars and Earth.

Mars's atmosphere is strongly affected by the solar wind.

The outflow channels on Mars indicate a flood period in the history of Mars. During thistime, based on the width and depth of the remaining riverbed, it is thought that the flow rate musthave been:

The largest shield volcano yet discovered is:

Why do we know much more about the surface of Mars than that of Venus?

How is the Mars Rover mission different from Global Surveyor mapping mission?

Which of these were observed from Earth, prior to spacecraft missions to Mars?

The Mars Rovers found undisputed microfossils, proving life once existed on Mars.

What is thought to be the reason that there are no small impact craters on Mars?

Which is the correct size order, from smallest to largest?

Why is the southern hemisphere of Mars believed to be older than the northern?

Venus and Mars probably evolved differently from Earth because:

Is there evidence of life on Mars?

What causes the changing dark and light features visible on the Martian surface from Earth?

While the red color of the Martian surface testifies to the presence of lots of iron, the weakmagnetic field suggests it may not have a molten core anymore.

The vast flood deposits support the hypothesis that Mars once had much running water.Assuming that Mars did have water once, what happened to it?

The residual polar cap that does not vanish during the Martian summer is ________.

Which of the following characterizes a shield volcano?

What physical feature of Mars is atypical compared with the other terrestrial planets?

If Mars's atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide, why isn't it as hot as Venus?

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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