Question 1

The reason that most extrasolar planets are found close to their parent stars is

Accepted Answer

A) the planets reflect more light the closer they are to the star. 
B) more of the starlight is blocked by the planet when it transits the star. 
C) the amount and frequency of the star's motion are both higher. 
D) the closer to a star,the hotter and therefore brighter the planet is. 
E) planets that are close to a star are heated up and therefore larger. 
A) the planets reflect more light the closer they are to the star. 
B) more of the starlight is blocked by the planet when it transits the star. 
C) the amount and frequency of the star's motion are both higher. 
D) the closer to a star,the hotter and therefore brighter the planet is. 
E) planets that are close to a star are heated up and therefore larger. C

Question 2

The composition of a planet can be determined by

Accepted Answer

A) the Doppler technique. 
B) astrometric measurements. 
C) transit observations. 
D) spectra. 
E) all of the above 
A) the Doppler technique. 
B) astrometric measurements. 
C) transit observations. 
D) spectra. 
E) all of the above D

Question 3

Why is it so difficult to take pictures of extrasolar planets?

Accepted Answer

A) Extrasolar planets give off light at different wavelengths than planets in our solar system. 
B) No telescope is powerful enough to detect the faint light from a distant planet. 
C) Their light is overwhelmed by the light from their star. 
D) Telescopes are too busy with other projects. 
A) Extrasolar planets give off light at different wavelengths than planets in our solar system. 
B) No telescope is powerful enough to detect the faint light from a distant planet. 
C) Their light is overwhelmed by the light from their star. 
D) Telescopes are too busy with other projects. C

Question 4

The signature of a planet is largest in transit measurements when the planet and star are lined up along the line of sight to the telescope.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

Calculate how much (as a percentage)an Earth transit would reduce the light from the Sun as viewed from a distant planetary system.

Accepted Answer

A planet of radius R blocks an area πR²

Question 6

A planet is detected via the Doppler technique.The velocity change of the star is a measure of

Accepted Answer

A) the planet's size and density. 
B) the planet's mass and orbital distance. 
C) the planet's mass and composition. 
D) the planet's orbital period and eccentricity. 
E) the planet's size and orbital distance. 
A) the planet's size and density. 
B) the planet's mass and orbital distance. 
C) the planet's mass and composition. 
D) the planet's orbital period and eccentricity. 
E) the planet's size and orbital distance.

Question 7

Which of the following statements is not true about the planets so far discovered around other stars?

Accepted Answer

A) Most of them are much more massive than Earth. 
B) Photographs reveal that most of them have atmospheres much like that of Jupiter. 
C) Many of them orbit closer to their star than Jupiter orbits the Sun. 
D) Many of them have been discovered by observing Doppler shifts in the spectra of the stars they orbit. 
A) Most of them are much more massive than Earth. 
B) Photographs reveal that most of them have atmospheres much like that of Jupiter. 
C) Many of them orbit closer to their star than Jupiter orbits the Sun. 
D) Many of them have been discovered by observing Doppler shifts in the spectra of the stars they orbit.

Question 8

Based on available data,what kind of objects in our solar system do most of the known extrasolar planets resemble?

Accepted Answer

A) jovian planets 
B) terrestrial planets 
C) Kuiper belt objects 
D) None of the above: most extrasolar planets apparently belong to some new category of object. 
A) jovian planets 
B) terrestrial planets 
C) Kuiper belt objects 
D) None of the above: most extrasolar planets apparently belong to some new category of object.

Question 9

Which of the following is a consequence of the discovery of hot Jupiters for understanding our own Solar System?

Accepted Answer

A) It shows that our Solar System is very unusual. 
B) It shows that our Solar System is very typical. 
C) It shows that we do not fully understand the formation of our Solar System. 
D) It shows that life in the Universe is rare. 
E) It shows that Jupiter is unusually cold. 
A) It shows that our Solar System is very unusual. 
B) It shows that our Solar System is very typical. 
C) It shows that we do not fully understand the formation of our Solar System. 
D) It shows that life in the Universe is rare. 
E) It shows that Jupiter is unusually cold.

Question 10

The Doppler technique for planet detection has found Earth-like planets around nearby Sun-like stars.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

What is astrometry?

Accepted Answer

A) measuring distances to stars 
B) searching for planets around stars 
C) measuring the positions of stars on the sky 
D) measuring the velocities of stars via the Doppler effect 
E) using metric units for distance (e.g.meters rather than light years) 
A) measuring distances to stars 
B) searching for planets around stars 
C) measuring the positions of stars on the sky 
D) measuring the velocities of stars via the Doppler effect 
E) using metric units for distance (e.g.meters rather than light years)

Question 12

Briefly describe the three most commonly used methods of indirect planet detection.

Accepted Answer

The Doppler technique measures the perio

Question 13

By itself,the Doppler technique provides a measure of a planet's

Accepted Answer

A) minimum mass. 
B) orbital radius. 
C) orbital eccentricity. 
D) all of the above 
A) minimum mass. 
B) orbital radius. 
C) orbital eccentricity. 
D) all of the above

Question 14

Which new idea has been added into our theory of solar system formation as a result of the discoveries of extrasolar planets?

Accepted Answer

A) In addition to the categories of terrestrial and jovian,there must be an "in-between" category of planet that has the mass of a jovian planet but the composition of a terrestrial planet. 
B) Jovian planets can migrate from the orbits in which they are born. 
C) In some star systems,it is possible for jovian planets to form in the inner solar system and terrestrial planets to form in the outer solar system. 
D) Some of the "exceptions to the rules" in our own solar system are likely to have been the result of giant impacts. 
A) In addition to the categories of terrestrial and jovian,there must be an "in-between" category of planet that has the mass of a jovian planet but the composition of a terrestrial planet. 
B) Jovian planets can migrate from the orbits in which they are born. 
C) In some star systems,it is possible for jovian planets to form in the inner solar system and terrestrial planets to form in the outer solar system. 
D) Some of the "exceptions to the rules" in our own solar system are likely to have been the result of giant impacts.

Question 15

A planet's density can be measured by combining

Accepted Answer

A) Doppler and astrometric observations. 
B) Doppler and transit observations. 
C) spectral observations of the planet's atmosphere. 
D) any method that measures the gravitational tug of the planet on the star. 
E) direct imaging from the new generation of space telescopes. 
A) Doppler and astrometric observations. 
B) Doppler and transit observations. 
C) spectral observations of the planet's atmosphere. 
D) any method that measures the gravitational tug of the planet on the star. 
E) direct imaging from the new generation of space telescopes.

Question 16

Viewed from afar,the transit of Earth would cause the Sun's brightness to dim by approximately one part in

Accepted Answer

A) 100. 
B) 1,000. 
C) 10,000. 
D) 100,000. 
E) a million. 
A) 100. 
B) 1,000. 
C) 10,000. 
D) 100,000. 
E) a million.

Question 17

Which of the following is not expected for a "hot Jupiter" that orbits 0.05 AU from its star?

Accepted Answer

A) cloudtop temperatures over 1000 K 
B) intense volcanism 
C) clouds made of rock dust 
D) density similar to or lower than Jupiter's 
A) cloudtop temperatures over 1000 K 
B) intense volcanism 
C) clouds made of rock dust 
D) density similar to or lower than Jupiter's

Question 18

Most of the planets discovered around other stars are more massive than Jupiter.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

Which planet search technique is currently best suited to finding Earth-like planets?

Accepted Answer

A) Doppler 
B) astrometric 
C) transit 
D) gravitational lensing 
E) combining all the above 
A) Doppler 
B) astrometric 
C) transit 
D) gravitational lensing 
E) combining all the above

Question 20

Transits of multiple planet systems can be analyzed to infer planetary masses.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Exam 13: Other Planetary Systems: The New Science of Distant Worlds

The reason that most extrasolar planets are found close to their parent stars is

The composition of a planet can be determined by

Why is it so difficult to take pictures of extrasolar planets?

The signature of a planet is largest in transit measurements when the planet and star are lined up along the line of sight to the telescope.

Calculate how much (as a percentage)an Earth transit would reduce the light from the Sun as viewed from a distant planetary system.

A planet is detected via the Doppler technique.The velocity change of the star is a measure of

Which of the following statements is not true about the planets so far discovered around other stars?

Based on available data,what kind of objects in our solar system do most of the known extrasolar planets resemble?

Which of the following is a consequence of the discovery of hot Jupiters for understanding our own Solar System?

The Doppler technique for planet detection has found Earth-like planets around nearby Sun-like stars.

What is astrometry?

Briefly describe the three most commonly used methods of indirect planet detection.

By itself,the Doppler technique provides a measure of a planet's

Which new idea has been added into our theory of solar system formation as a result of the discoveries of extrasolar planets?

A planet's density can be measured by combining

Viewed from afar,the transit of Earth would cause the Sun's brightness to dim by approximately one part in

Which of the following is not expected for a "hot Jupiter" that orbits 0.05 AU from its star?

Most of the planets discovered around other stars are more massive than Jupiter.

Which planet search technique is currently best suited to finding Earth-like planets?

Transits of multiple planet systems can be analyzed to infer planetary masses.

A Modern View of the Universe

Discovering the Universe for Yourself

The Science of Astronomy

Making Sense of the Universe: Understanding Motion, Energy, and Gravity

Light and Matter: Reading Messages from the Cosmos

Telescopes: Portals of Discovery

Our Planetary System

Formation of the Solar System

Planetary Geology: Earth and the Other Terrestrial Worlds

Planetary Atmospheres: Earth and the Other Terrestrial Worlds

Jovian Planet Systems

Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets: Their Nature, Orbits, and Impacts

Our Star

Surveying the Stars

Star Birth

Star Stuff

The Bizarre Stellar Graveyard

Our Galaxy

Galaxies and the Foundations of Modern Cosmology

Galaxy Evolution

The Birth of the Universe

Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe

Life in the Universe

Celestial Timekeeping and Navigation

Space and Time

Spacetime and Gravity

Building Blocks of the Universe

Filters