Question 1

Suppose you could float in space just a few meters above Saturn's rings.What would you see as you looked down on the rings?

Accepted Answer

A) a solid,shiny surface,looking much like a piece of a DVD but a lot bigger 
B) countless icy particles,ranging in size from dust grains to large boulders 
C) dozens of large "moonlets" made of metal and rock,each a few kilometers across 
D) Nothing-up close,the rings would be so completely invisible that you'd have no way to know they are there.They can be seen only from a distance. 
A) a solid,shiny surface,looking much like a piece of a DVD but a lot bigger 
B) countless icy particles,ranging in size from dust grains to large boulders 
C) dozens of large "moonlets" made of metal and rock,each a few kilometers across 
D) Nothing-up close,the rings would be so completely invisible that you'd have no way to know they are there.They can be seen only from a distance.

Question 2

Which statement about Saturn's rings is not true?

Accepted Answer

A) The large gap known as the Cassini Division is shaped by an orbital resonance with the moon Mimas,which orbits well outside the rings. 
B) Some features of the rings are shaped by small moons that actually orbit within the ring system. 
C) The rings are so thin that they essentially disappear from view when seen edge-on. 
D) The rings must look much the same today as they did shortly after Saturn formed. 
A) The large gap known as the Cassini Division is shaped by an orbital resonance with the moon Mimas,which orbits well outside the rings. 
B) Some features of the rings are shaped by small moons that actually orbit within the ring system. 
C) The rings are so thin that they essentially disappear from view when seen edge-on. 
D) The rings must look much the same today as they did shortly after Saturn formed.

Question 3

What is the Great Red Spot?

Accepted Answer

A) a hurricane that comes and goes on Jupiter 
B) a long-lived,high-pressure storm on Jupiter 
C) a place where reddish particles from Io impact Jupiter's surface 
D) a region on Jupiter where the temperature is so high that the gas glows with red visible light 
A) a hurricane that comes and goes on Jupiter 
B) a long-lived,high-pressure storm on Jupiter 
C) a place where reddish particles from Io impact Jupiter's surface 
D) a region on Jupiter where the temperature is so high that the gas glows with red visible light

Question 4

Which of the following best explains why many jovian moons have been more geologically active than the Moon or Mercury?

Accepted Answer

A) Jovian moons are made mostly of ice that can melt or deform at lower temperatures than can the rock and metal that make up the Moon and Mercury. 
B) The jovian moons are considerably larger than the Moon and Mercury and therefore have retained much more internal heat. 
C) The jovian moons probably have far more internal heat generated by radioactive decay than do the Moon or Mercury. 
D) Because of their greater distances from the Sun,the jovian moons receive much less heat from the Sun. 
A) Jovian moons are made mostly of ice that can melt or deform at lower temperatures than can the rock and metal that make up the Moon and Mercury. 
B) The jovian moons are considerably larger than the Moon and Mercury and therefore have retained much more internal heat. 
C) The jovian moons probably have far more internal heat generated by radioactive decay than do the Moon or Mercury. 
D) Because of their greater distances from the Sun,the jovian moons receive much less heat from the Sun.

Question 5

Use these choices for the following questions.
-Which of the above applies to Io?

Accepted Answer

A) the most volcanically active body in the solar system 
B) thought to have a deep,subsurface ocean of liquid water 
C) probably a captured moon 
D) the target of the Huygens probe,which landed on the surface in 2005 
E) the largest moon in the solar system 
A) the most volcanically active body in the solar system 
B) thought to have a deep,subsurface ocean of liquid water 
C) probably a captured moon 
D) the target of the Huygens probe,which landed on the surface in 2005 
E) the largest moon in the solar system

Question 6

Which of the following planets cannot be seen with the naked eye?

Accepted Answer

A) Venus 
B) Mars 
C) Jupiter 
D) Saturn 
E) Neptune 
A) Venus 
B) Mars 
C) Jupiter 
D) Saturn 
E) Neptune

Question 7

Describe the leading scenarios for the origin of the planetary rings.What makes us think that ring systems must be continually replenished?

Accepted Answer

Within two to three radii of any planet,

Question 8

It is very cold,but otherwise quite comfortable.You breathe deeply.Although there is no oxygen (not to worry-your life-support belt will take care of that problem),the air pressure is quite tolerable and seems almost Earth-like (because it is mostly nitrogen).Your vista might even include such breathtaking sights as an ocean of liquid methane before you,and snow-capped (methane snow)mountains behind (although the atmosphere is very smoggy and the visibility consequently is limited).Your solar day is about 16 Earth days long.A large,ringed object seems to hang in your sky,never rising or setting;however,it goes through phases from new to full and back to new again with the same 16-day period as the rising and setting of the Sun.

Accepted Answer

You are on Titan,a moon of Saturn.Saturn

Question 9

Which planet may have helium rain in its interior,and what does this rain do?

Accepted Answer

A) Uranus,where it makes the ground wet. 
B) Neptune,where it is restructuring the planet's interior. 
C) Jupiter,where it may be an energy source for the Great Red Spot. 
D) Saturn,where it generates heat as it falls downward. 
A) Uranus,where it makes the ground wet. 
B) Neptune,where it is restructuring the planet's interior. 
C) Jupiter,where it may be an energy source for the Great Red Spot. 
D) Saturn,where it generates heat as it falls downward.

Question 10

What is "ice geology"? Give an example illustrating why it is important in the outer solar system.

Accepted Answer

Ice geology is the formation of surface

Question 11

The belts and zones of Jupiter are

Accepted Answer

A) alternating bands of rising and falling air at different latitudes. 
B) cyclonic and anticyclonic storms. 
C) names for different cloud layers on Jupiter. 
D) alternating regions of charged particles in Jupiter's magnetic field. 
E) the thermosphere and stratosphere respectively. 
A) alternating bands of rising and falling air at different latitudes. 
B) cyclonic and anticyclonic storms. 
C) names for different cloud layers on Jupiter. 
D) alternating regions of charged particles in Jupiter's magnetic field. 
E) the thermosphere and stratosphere respectively.

Question 12

Why do astronomers believe that Triton is a captured moon?

Accepted Answer

A) Triton orbits Neptune in a direction opposite that of Neptune's rotation. 
B) Triton is very small and potato-shaped,which is common of captured moons. 
C) Triton is too large to have been formed in the "miniature solar nebula" thought to have surrounded Neptune in its very early history. 
D) Triton appears to be made mostly of ice. 
A) Triton orbits Neptune in a direction opposite that of Neptune's rotation. 
B) Triton is very small and potato-shaped,which is common of captured moons. 
C) Triton is too large to have been formed in the "miniature solar nebula" thought to have surrounded Neptune in its very early history. 
D) Triton appears to be made mostly of ice.

Question 13

How much energy does Jupiter emit compared with how much it receives from the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A) It emits 10 times as much. 
B) It emits twice as much. 
C) It emits half as much. 
D) It emits 10 percent as much. 
E) It emits 1 percent as much. 
A) It emits 10 times as much. 
B) It emits twice as much. 
C) It emits half as much. 
D) It emits 10 percent as much. 
E) It emits 1 percent as much.

Question 14

Why does Titan have such a nitrogen-rich atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

A) It was formed that way in the solar nebula. 
B) The nitrogen comes from the breakup of ammonia (NH₃)by solar radiation and subsequent thermal escape of the hydrogen. 
C) The nitrogen was formed from the chemical reaction of sulphuric acid with surface rocks. 
D) Through the impact of nitrogen rich comets during the early solar system. 
E) The nitrogen was created through a chain of fusion reactions in Titan's core. 
A) It was formed that way in the solar nebula. 
B) The nitrogen comes from the breakup of ammonia (NH₃)by solar radiation and subsequent thermal escape of the hydrogen. 
C) The nitrogen was formed from the chemical reaction of sulphuric acid with surface rocks. 
D) Through the impact of nitrogen rich comets during the early solar system. 
E) The nitrogen was created through a chain of fusion reactions in Titan's core.

Question 15

Use these choices for the following questions.
-Which of the above applies to Titan?

Accepted Answer

A) the most volcanically active body in the solar system 
B) thought to have a deep,subsurface ocean of liquid water 
C) probably a captured moon 
D) the target of the Huygens probe,which landed on the surface in 2005 
E) the largest moon in the solar system 
A) the most volcanically active body in the solar system 
B) thought to have a deep,subsurface ocean of liquid water 
C) probably a captured moon 
D) the target of the Huygens probe,which landed on the surface in 2005 
E) the largest moon in the solar system

Question 16

What is Jupiter's Great Red Spot?

Accepted Answer

A) the place where reddish particles from Io impact Jupiter's surface 
B) a hurricane that comes and goes on Jupiter 
C) a large mountain peak poking up above the clouds 
D) a long-lived,high-pressure storm 
E) the place where Jupiter's aurora is most visible 
A) the place where reddish particles from Io impact Jupiter's surface 
B) a hurricane that comes and goes on Jupiter 
C) a large mountain peak poking up above the clouds 
D) a long-lived,high-pressure storm 
E) the place where Jupiter's aurora is most visible

Question 17

Uranus continues to generate internal heat through gravitational contraction.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

How many more times is the atmospheric pressure in Jupiter's core greater than the atmospheric pressure at Earth's surface?

Accepted Answer

A) 10 thousand 
B) 100 thousand 
C) 1 million 
D) 10 million 
E) 100 million 
A) 10 thousand 
B) 100 thousand 
C) 1 million 
D) 10 million 
E) 100 million

Question 19

Which of the jovian planets have rings?

Accepted Answer

A) Jupiter 
B) Saturn 
C) Uranus 
D) Neptune 
E) all of the above 
A) Jupiter 
B) Saturn 
C) Uranus 
D) Neptune 
E) all of the above

Question 20

Which moon is considered likely to have a deep,subsurface ocean of liquid water?

Accepted Answer

A) Europa 
B) Io 
C) Miranda 
D) Triton 
A) Europa 
B) Io 
C) Miranda 
D) Triton

Exam 11: Jovian Planet Systems

Suppose you could float in space just a few meters above Saturn's rings.What would you see as you looked down on the rings?

Which statement about Saturn's rings is not true?

What is the Great Red Spot?

Which of the following best explains why many jovian moons have been more geologically active than the Moon or Mercury?

Use these choices for the following questions. -Which of the above applies to Io?

Which of the following planets cannot be seen with the naked eye?

Describe the leading scenarios for the origin of the planetary rings.What makes us think that ring systems must be continually replenished?

Which planet may have helium rain in its interior,and what does this rain do?

What is "ice geology"? Give an example illustrating why it is important in the outer solar system.

The belts and zones of Jupiter are

Why do astronomers believe that Triton is a captured moon?

How much energy does Jupiter emit compared with how much it receives from the Sun?

Why does Titan have such a nitrogen-rich atmosphere?

Use these choices for the following questions. -Which of the above applies to Titan?

What is Jupiter's Great Red Spot?

Uranus continues to generate internal heat through gravitational contraction.

How many more times is the atmospheric pressure in Jupiter's core greater than the atmospheric pressure at Earth's surface?

Which of the jovian planets have rings?

Which moon is considered likely to have a deep,subsurface ocean of liquid water?

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