Question 1

The orbits of most asteroids:

Accepted Answer

A)  lie beyond Neptune. 
B)  lie entirely beyond the orbit of Mars. 
C)  cross the orbit of Mars. 
D)  cross the orbit of Earth. 
E)  cross the orbits of all four terrestrial planets. 
A)  lie beyond Neptune. 
B)  lie entirely beyond the orbit of Mars. 
C)  cross the orbit of Mars. 
D)  cross the orbit of Earth. 
E)  cross the orbits of all four terrestrial planets.

Question 2

The Oort Cloud is thought to be:

Accepted Answer

A)  the cloud of gas and dust from which our solar system formed. 
B)  a cloud of debris that occasionally encounters the Earth, causing a meteor shower. 
C)  the spherical cloud of comets and some larger icy bodies surrounding the outer solar system. 
D)  a cloud of asteroids moving between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. 
E)  the material in the ecliptic plane that creates the zodiacal light. 
A)  the cloud of gas and dust from which our solar system formed. 
B)  a cloud of debris that occasionally encounters the Earth, causing a meteor shower. 
C)  the spherical cloud of comets and some larger icy bodies surrounding the outer solar system. 
D)  a cloud of asteroids moving between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. 
E)  the material in the ecliptic plane that creates the zodiacal light.

Question 3

The orbits of most comets:

Accepted Answer

A)  are like the planets, fairly circular and in the ecliptic plane. 
B)  lie almost entirely beyond the orbit of Neptune. 
C)  have perihelions within the orbits of Mercury. 
D)  go no farther out than Pluto, then return to the Sun again. 
E)  are shorter than the 76 year period for Comet Halley. 
A)  are like the planets, fairly circular and in the ecliptic plane. 
B)  lie almost entirely beyond the orbit of Neptune. 
C)  have perihelions within the orbits of Mercury. 
D)  go no farther out than Pluto, then return to the Sun again. 
E)  are shorter than the 76 year period for Comet Halley.

Question 4

The Trojan asteroids have orbits that:

Accepted Answer

A)  are, on average, closer to the Sun than we are. 
B)  cross the orbit of Earth at perihelion. 
C)  cross the orbit of Mars, but not Earth, at perihelion. 
D)  stay sixty degrees ahead of or behind Jupiter. 
E)  stay out beyond Neptune. 
A)  are, on average, closer to the Sun than we are. 
B)  cross the orbit of Earth at perihelion. 
C)  cross the orbit of Mars, but not Earth, at perihelion. 
D)  stay sixty degrees ahead of or behind Jupiter. 
E)  stay out beyond Neptune.

Question 5

Describe the odd rotations of Pluto and Charon.

Accepted Answer

They are tidally fixed to keep

Question 6

How does Pluto's perihelion distance compare to Neptune's?

Accepted Answer

Pluto can come closer in its e

Question 7

Based on its orbit,give two reasons to revoke Pluto's planetary status.

Accepted Answer

It does not orbit in the eclip

Question 8

The asteroid Vesta seems to have once been volcanically active,amazing for its small size.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

What are the Kirkwood Gaps? What role does Jupiter play?

Accepted Answer

They are regions within the as

Question 10

Most asteroids are differentiated,as reflected by their spherical shapes.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

The type of asteroid that would appear darkest and reflect the least light is type:

Accepted Answer

A)  A. 
B)  B. 
C)  C. 
D)  D. 
E)  S. 
A)  A. 
B)  B. 
C)  C. 
D)  D. 
E)  S.

Question 12

Pluto's bulk density is:

Accepted Answer

A)  3,400 kg/m³, comparable to our Moon's. 
B)  2,100 kg/m³, similar to Callisto's mix of rock and ice. 
C)  1,200 kg/m³, like Mimas, made of almost pure ice. 
D)  700 kg/m³, like Saturn a mix of hydrogen and helium slush. 
E)  400 kg/m³, like Comet Halley's nucleus, a ice ball with many gas pockets. 
A)  3,400 kg/m³, comparable to our Moon's. 
B)  2,100 kg/m³, similar to Callisto's mix of rock and ice. 
C)  1,200 kg/m³, like Mimas, made of almost pure ice. 
D)  700 kg/m³, like Saturn a mix of hydrogen and helium slush. 
E)  400 kg/m³, like Comet Halley's nucleus, a ice ball with many gas pockets.

Question 13

What are Apollo asteroids?

Accepted Answer

Asteroids whose orbit crosses

Question 14

Long period comets are thought to reside mainly in the:

Accepted Answer

A)  asteroid belt. 
B)  Kirkwood gaps. 
C)  Kuiper Belt. 
D)  Oort Cloud. 
E)  Interstellar Medium. 
A)  asteroid belt. 
B)  Kirkwood gaps. 
C)  Kuiper Belt. 
D)  Oort Cloud. 
E)  Interstellar Medium.

Question 15

About how many potentially hazardous asteroids pass within 0.05 AU of the Earth per decade in modern times?

Accepted Answer

A)  None 
B)  10-20 
C)  200-300 
D)  5000-1000 
E)  A completely unknown quantity; it could easily be anywhere from just a few to millions. 
A)  None 
B)  10-20 
C)  200-300 
D)  5000-1000 
E)  A completely unknown quantity; it could easily be anywhere from just a few to millions.

Question 16

Rocky debris larger than 100 meters in diameter seen to be orbiting the Sun are called ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Rocky debris larger than 100 meters in...

Question 17

Scientists have proved that an asteroid or comet impact approximately 65 million years ago caused the extinction of the dinosaurs.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

How does Pluto's behavior at perihelion support its planetary status?

Accepted Answer

It develops a tempor

Question 19

Eros is the only asteroid upon which a spacecraft has landed.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

About what percent of all asteroids are C-type asteroids?

Accepted Answer

A)  5% 
B)  10% 
C)  15% 
D)  50% 
E)  75% 
A)  5% 
B)  10% 
C)  15% 
D)  50% 
E)  75%

Exam 14: Solar System Debris: Keys to Our Origin

The orbits of most asteroids:

The Oort Cloud is thought to be:

The orbits of most comets:

The Trojan asteroids have orbits that:

Describe the odd rotations of Pluto and Charon.

How does Pluto's perihelion distance compare to Neptune's?

Based on its orbit,give two reasons to revoke Pluto's planetary status.

The asteroid Vesta seems to have once been volcanically active,amazing for its small size.

What are the Kirkwood Gaps? What role does Jupiter play?

Most asteroids are differentiated,as reflected by their spherical shapes.

The type of asteroid that would appear darkest and reflect the least light is type:

Pluto's bulk density is:

What are Apollo asteroids?

Long period comets are thought to reside mainly in the:

About how many potentially hazardous asteroids pass within 0.05 AU of the Earth per decade in modern times?

Rocky debris larger than 100 meters in diameter seen to be orbiting the Sun are called ________.

Scientists have proved that an asteroid or comet impact approximately 65 million years ago caused the extinction of the dinosaurs.

How does Pluto's behavior at perihelion support its planetary status?

Eros is the only asteroid upon which a spacecraft has landed.

About what percent of all asteroids are C-type asteroids?

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: Earth's Sister Planet

Mars: A Near Miss for Life?

Jupiter: Giant of the Solar System

Saturn: Spectacular Rings and Mysterious Moons

Uranus and Neptune: The Outer Worlds of the Solar System

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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