Question 1

Which of the following methods has led to the most discoveries of massive planets orbiting near their parent stars?

Accepted Answer

A) detecting the starlight reflected off the planet 
B) detecting the infrared light emitted by the planet 
C) detecting the gravitational effect of an orbiting planet by looking for the Doppler shifts in the star's spectrum 
D) detecting the shift of the star's position against the sky due to the planet's gravitational pull 
E) detecting a planet ejected from a binary star system 
A) detecting the starlight reflected off the planet 
B) detecting the infrared light emitted by the planet 
C) detecting the gravitational effect of an orbiting planet by looking for the Doppler shifts in the star's spectrum 
D) detecting the shift of the star's position against the sky due to the planet's gravitational pull 
E) detecting a planet ejected from a binary star system

Question 2

The star 55 Cancri has a triple planetary system.From exoplanets.org,we find that the orbital period of the of the third,outermost planet (55 Cancri d)is 5360 days = 14.7 years.It produces a velocity offset in the star of 49.3 m/s.The star itself is spectral type G8V with mass 0.95 MSᵤn.Calculate the orbital distance and mass of 55 Cancri d.

Accepted Answer

Using the equations in mathematical insi

Question 3

Astronomers have discovered more planets around other stars than in our Solar System.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 4

Drag within the solar nebula is responsible for hot Jupiters.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

How do we think the "hot Jupiters" around other stars were formed?

Accepted Answer

A) They formed as gas giants close to the star in the same orbits that they are seen today. 
B) They formed as dense,rocky planets close to the star in the same orbits that they are seen today. 
C) They formed as gas giants beyond the frost line and then migrated inwards. 
D) Many planets were formed around the star but coalesced into a single planet close in. 
E) They spun off from the young star when it was rapidly rotating. 
A) They formed as gas giants close to the star in the same orbits that they are seen today. 
B) They formed as dense,rocky planets close to the star in the same orbits that they are seen today. 
C) They formed as gas giants beyond the frost line and then migrated inwards. 
D) Many planets were formed around the star but coalesced into a single planet close in. 
E) They spun off from the young star when it was rapidly rotating.

Question 6

In general,which type of planet would you expect to cause the largest Doppler shift in the spectrum of its star?

Accepted Answer

A) a massive planet that is close to its star 
B) a massive planet that is far from its star 
C) a low-mass planet that is close to its star 
D) a low-mass planet that is far from its star 
A) a massive planet that is close to its star 
B) a massive planet that is far from its star 
C) a low-mass planet that is close to its star 
D) a low-mass planet that is far from its star

Question 7

The Kepler mission has been able to measure dimmings of less than 0.01% in a star's brightness.This has allowed us to detect what size planets?

Accepted Answer

A) planets smaller than Earth 
B) planets Earth-size only 
C) only planets larger than Earth 
D) any size planet,as long as they are in binary star systems 
A) planets smaller than Earth 
B) planets Earth-size only 
C) only planets larger than Earth 
D) any size planet,as long as they are in binary star systems

Question 8

Process of Science: Name a testable hypothesis from nebular theory that was proven true in observations of extrasolar planets.Does this mean the theory is complete?

Accepted Answer

One consequence of nebular theory is tha

Question 9

How do we expect that the first Earth-sized extrasolar planets will be discovered (if they exist)?

Accepted Answer

A) by the transit technique from an observatory in space 
B) with photographs from a new generation of large,ground-based observatories 
C) by NASA's Terrestrial Planet Finder mission 
D) by the Doppler technique 
A) by the transit technique from an observatory in space 
B) with photographs from a new generation of large,ground-based observatories 
C) by NASA's Terrestrial Planet Finder mission 
D) by the Doppler technique

Question 10

Based on everything you have learned about the formation of our solar system,which of the following statements is probably not true?

Accepted Answer

A) Only a tiny percentage of stars are surrounded by spinning disks of gas during their formation. 
B) Planets always tend to orbit their star in the same direction and approximately the same plane. 
C) Other solar systems will also have planets in the two basic categories of terrestrial and jovian. 
D) Other planetary systems will have far more numerous asteroids and comets than actual planets. 
A) Only a tiny percentage of stars are surrounded by spinning disks of gas during their formation. 
B) Planets always tend to orbit their star in the same direction and approximately the same plane. 
C) Other solar systems will also have planets in the two basic categories of terrestrial and jovian. 
D) Other planetary systems will have far more numerous asteroids and comets than actual planets.

Question 11

Approximately how many other planetary systems have been discovered to date?

Accepted Answer

A) tens 
B) hundreds 
C) thousands 
D) tens of thousands 
E) millions 
A) tens 
B) hundreds 
C) thousands 
D) tens of thousands 
E) millions

Question 12

Once a planet forms in a disk-like nebula around a star,its orbit is fixed and will never change.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

If every star had an Earth-like planet in an Earth-like orbit,how many could be detected by a transit?

Accepted Answer

A) 1 in 2 
B) 1 in 20 
C) 1 in 200 
D) 1 in 2,000 
E) 1 in 20,000 
A) 1 in 2 
B) 1 in 20 
C) 1 in 200 
D) 1 in 2,000 
E) 1 in 20,000

Question 14

A planet's size can be determined by observing its transit across a star.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

Why is it so difficult to make a direct image of a planet around another star?

Accepted Answer

Compared to how far stars are from us,th

Question 16

What do models suggest make up the clouds on "hot Jupiters"?

Accepted Answer

A) ammonia 
B) methane 
C) water 
D) rock dust 
E) sodium 
A) ammonia 
B) methane 
C) water 
D) rock dust 
E) sodium

Question 17

Most of the planets discovered around other stars

Accepted Answer

A) are more massive than Earth and orbit very far from the star. 
B) are more massive than Earth and orbit very close to the star. 
C) are less massive than Earth and orbit very far from the star. 
D) are less massive than Earth and orbit very close to the star. 
E) are found around neutron stars. 
A) are more massive than Earth and orbit very far from the star. 
B) are more massive than Earth and orbit very close to the star. 
C) are less massive than Earth and orbit very far from the star. 
D) are less massive than Earth and orbit very close to the star. 
E) are found around neutron stars.

Question 18

As of 2008,most known extrasolar planets have been discovered by

Accepted Answer

A) the astrometric technique. 
B) the Doppler technique. 
C) the transit technique. 
D) the Hubble Space Telescope. 
A) the astrometric technique. 
B) the Doppler technique. 
C) the transit technique. 
D) the Hubble Space Telescope.

Question 19

The astrometric technique of planet detection works best for

Accepted Answer

A) large planets around nearby stars. 
B) massive planets around nearby stars. 
C) large planets around distant stars. 
D) massive planets around distant stars. 
E) planets in edge-on orbits. 
A) large planets around nearby stars. 
B) massive planets around nearby stars. 
C) large planets around distant stars. 
D) massive planets around distant stars. 
E) planets in edge-on orbits.

Question 20

The GAIA mission obtains astrometric data of stars with accuracy in some cases better than 10 microarcseconds.In terms of angular width,what is this equal to?

Accepted Answer

A) A human hair viewed from a distance of 20 miles 
B) A human hair viewed from a distance of 200 miles 
C) A human hair viewed from a distance of 2000 miles 
D) A human hair viewed from a distance of 20000 miles 
A) A human hair viewed from a distance of 20 miles 
B) A human hair viewed from a distance of 200 miles 
C) A human hair viewed from a distance of 2000 miles 
D) A human hair viewed from a distance of 20000 miles

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

Which of the following methods has led to the most discoveries of massive planets orbiting near their parent stars?

Astronomers have discovered more planets around other stars than in our Solar System.

Drag within the solar nebula is responsible for hot Jupiters.

How do we think the "hot Jupiters" around other stars were formed?

In general,which type of planet would you expect to cause the largest Doppler shift in the spectrum of its star?

The Kepler mission has been able to measure dimmings of less than 0.01% in a star's brightness.This has allowed us to detect what size planets?

Process of Science: Name a testable hypothesis from nebular theory that was proven true in observations of extrasolar planets.Does this mean the theory is complete?

How do we expect that the first Earth-sized extrasolar planets will be discovered (if they exist)?

Based on everything you have learned about the formation of our solar system,which of the following statements is probably not true?

Approximately how many other planetary systems have been discovered to date?

Once a planet forms in a disk-like nebula around a star,its orbit is fixed and will never change.

If every star had an Earth-like planet in an Earth-like orbit,how many could be detected by a transit?

A planet's size can be determined by observing its transit across a star.

Why is it so difficult to make a direct image of a planet around another star?

What do models suggest make up the clouds on "hot Jupiters"?

Most of the planets discovered around other stars

As of 2008,most known extrasolar planets have been discovered by

The astrometric technique of planet detection works best for

The GAIA mission obtains astrometric data of stars with accuracy in some cases better than 10 microarcseconds.In terms of angular width,what is this equal to?

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