Question 1

Why is Jupiter denser than Saturn?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is made of a different composition than Saturn, including a higher proportion of hydrogen compounds and rocks. 
B)  The extra mass of Jupiter compresses its interior to a greater extent than that of Saturn. 
C)  Its core is much larger than Saturn's. 
D)  It has a greater proportion of helium to hydrogen compared to Saturn. 
E)  Scientists do not know why this is so. 
A)  It is made of a different composition than Saturn, including a higher proportion of hydrogen compounds and rocks. 
B)  The extra mass of Jupiter compresses its interior to a greater extent than that of Saturn. 
C)  Its core is much larger than Saturn's. 
D)  It has a greater proportion of helium to hydrogen compared to Saturn. 
E)  Scientists do not know why this is so. B

Question 2

The Huygens probe took numerous pictures as it descended to Titan's surface in 2005. What did the pictures show?

Accepted Answer

A)  Features or erosion, including what appeared to be dry river valleys and lakebeds 
B)  Primitive life forms 
C)  A densely cratered surface 
D)  Lava flows of molten basalt 
A)  Features or erosion, including what appeared to be dry river valleys and lakebeds 
B)  Primitive life forms 
C)  A densely cratered surface 
D)  Lava flows of molten basalt A

Question 3

What mechanism is most responsible for generating the internal heat of Io that drives its volcanic activity?

Accepted Answer

A)  accretion 
B)  radioactive decay 
C)  differentiation 
D)  tidal heating 
E)  bombardment 
A)  accretion 
B)  radioactive decay 
C)  differentiation 
D)  tidal heating 
E)  bombardment D

Question 4

How do the size and mass of Jupiter's core compare to the size and mass of Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is the same size and mass. 
B)  It is about 10 times larger both in size and mass. 
C)  It is about 10 times larger in size and the same mass. 
D)  It is about the same size but is 10 times more massive. 
E)  Jupiter doesn't have a core-it is made entirely from hydrogen and helium. 
A)  It is the same size and mass. 
B)  It is about 10 times larger both in size and mass. 
C)  It is about 10 times larger in size and the same mass. 
D)  It is about the same size but is 10 times more massive. 
E)  Jupiter doesn't have a core-it is made entirely from hydrogen and helium.

Question 5

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 6

Which of the following best describes the composition of the particles forming Saturn's rings?

Accepted Answer

A)  Water ice 
B)  Metallic grains 
C)  Methane ice 
D)  Volcanic rock 
E)  Hydrogen and helium 
A)  Water ice 
B)  Metallic grains 
C)  Methane ice 
D)  Volcanic rock 
E)  Hydrogen and helium

Question 7

Suppose the jovian planet atmospheres were composed 100 percent of hydrogen and helium rather than 98 percent of hydrogen and helium. How would the atmospheres be different in terms of color and weather?

Accepted Answer

Without ingredients besides hy

Question 8

Which moon did the Huygens spacecraft land on?

Accepted Answer

A)  Ganymede 
B)  Callisto 
C)  Europa 
D)  Titan 
E)  Triton 
A)  Ganymede 
B)  Callisto 
C)  Europa 
D)  Titan 
E)  Triton

Question 9

Why are there no impact craters on the surface of Io?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is too small to have been bombarded by planetesimals in the early solar system. 
B)  Jupiter's strong gravity attracted the planetesimals more strongly than Io and thus none landed on its surface. 
C)  Io did have impact craters but they have all been buried in lava flows. 
D)  Any craters that existed have been eroded through the strong winds on Io's surface. 
E)  Io's thick atmosphere obscures the view of the craters. 
A)  It is too small to have been bombarded by planetesimals in the early solar system. 
B)  Jupiter's strong gravity attracted the planetesimals more strongly than Io and thus none landed on its surface. 
C)  Io did have impact craters but they have all been buried in lava flows. 
D)  Any craters that existed have been eroded through the strong winds on Io's surface. 
E)  Io's thick atmosphere obscures the view of the craters.

Question 10

What is the Cassini division of Saturn's rings?

Accepted Answer

A)  a dark ring, visible from Earth, composed of dark, dusty particles 
B)  a large gap, visible from Earth, produced by an orbital resonance with the moon Mimas 
C)  the imaginary circle marking the halfway point of Saturn's rings 
D)  the widest ring of Saturn, located between two large ring gaps 
E)  the most opaque ring of Saturn, made of highly reflective ice particles 
A)  a dark ring, visible from Earth, composed of dark, dusty particles 
B)  a large gap, visible from Earth, produced by an orbital resonance with the moon Mimas 
C)  the imaginary circle marking the halfway point of Saturn's rings 
D)  the widest ring of Saturn, located between two large ring gaps 
E)  the most opaque ring of Saturn, made of highly reflective ice particles

Question 11

According to our theory of solar system formation, why did Uranus and Neptune end up to be much less massive than Jupiter and Saturn?

Accepted Answer

A)  Particles in the solar nebula were more spread out at greater distances, so that accretion took longer and there was less time to pull in gas before the solar wind cleared the nebula. 
B)  Ices were able to condense at the distance of Jupiter and Saturn, but only rock and metal could condense at the distances of Uranus and Neptune. 
C)  The colder gas in the outer regions of the solar nebula had less gravity and therefore could not gather up into such large balls as it could closer in. 
D)  The size differences are thought to be a random coincidence. 
A)  Particles in the solar nebula were more spread out at greater distances, so that accretion took longer and there was less time to pull in gas before the solar wind cleared the nebula. 
B)  Ices were able to condense at the distance of Jupiter and Saturn, but only rock and metal could condense at the distances of Uranus and Neptune. 
C)  The colder gas in the outer regions of the solar nebula had less gravity and therefore could not gather up into such large balls as it could closer in. 
D)  The size differences are thought to be a random coincidence.

Question 12

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 Kuiper Belt object 
D) the target of the Huygens probe, which landed on its surface. 
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 Kuiper Belt object 
D) the target of the Huygens probe, which landed on its surface. 
E) the largest moon in the solar system

Question 13

What did the Huygens probe photograph as it landed on Titan?

Accepted Answer

A)  dry, featureless plains 
B)  a water world of frozen ice sheets 
C)  a pockmarked surface covered with volcanos 
D)  hills, valleys and rivers 
E)  nothing; there was zero visibility due to the methane smog 
A)  dry, featureless plains 
B)  a water world of frozen ice sheets 
C)  a pockmarked surface covered with volcanos 
D)  hills, valleys and rivers 
E)  nothing; there was zero visibility due to the methane smog

Question 14

Which of the following statements comparing the jovian interiors is not thought to be true?

Accepted Answer

A)  They all have the same exact set of internal layers, though these layers differ in size. 
B)  They all have cores of roughly the same mass. 
C)  They all have cores that contain at least some rock and metal. 
D)  Deep inside them, they all have pressures far higher than that found on the bottom of the ocean on Earth. 
A)  They all have the same exact set of internal layers, though these layers differ in size. 
B)  They all have cores of roughly the same mass. 
C)  They all have cores that contain at least some rock and metal. 
D)  Deep inside them, they all have pressures far higher than that found on the bottom of the ocean on Earth.

Question 15

Which of the following gases is not a significant ingredient of the jovian planet atmospheres?

Accepted Answer

A)  Carbon dioxide 
B)  Hydrogen 
C)  Helium 
D)  Water 
A)  Carbon dioxide 
B)  Hydrogen 
C)  Helium 
D)  Water

Question 16

What atmospheric constituent is responsible for the blue color of Uranus and Neptune?

Accepted Answer

A)  Methane 
B)  Hydrogen 
C)  Water 
D)  Ammonia 
A)  Methane 
B)  Hydrogen 
C)  Water 
D)  Ammonia

Question 17

Explain how the resonance among Io, Europa, and Ganymede makes their orbits slightly elliptical.

Accepted Answer

For every orbit that Ganymede completes

Question 18

Which of the following statements about Titan is not true?

Accepted Answer

A)  It may have an ocean of liquid ethane. 
B)  Its atmosphere is mostly nitrogen. 
C)  Its temperature is too cold for liquid water to exist. 
D)  Its surface is hidden from view by its thick atmosphere. 
E)  It is the coldest moon in the solar system. 
A)  It may have an ocean of liquid ethane. 
B)  Its atmosphere is mostly nitrogen. 
C)  Its temperature is too cold for liquid water to exist. 
D)  Its surface is hidden from view by its thick atmosphere. 
E)  It is the coldest moon in the solar system.

Question 19

What is the Great Red Spot?

Accepted Answer

A)  A long-lived, high-pressure storm on Jupiter 
B)  A hurricane that comes and goes 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 long-lived, high-pressure storm on Jupiter 
B)  A hurricane that comes and goes 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 20

Why are Saturn's rings so thin?

Accepted Answer

A)  Saturn's gravity prevents particles from migrating upwards out of the rings. 
B)  The "gap" moons shepherd the particles and maintain its thin profile. 
C)  Any particle in the ring with an orbital tilt would collide with other ring particles, flattening its orbit. 
D)  Solar radiation pressure keeps particles pressed into the rings. 
E)  The current thinness is a short-lived phenomenon that is special to this time. 
A)  Saturn's gravity prevents particles from migrating upwards out of the rings. 
B)  The "gap" moons shepherd the particles and maintain its thin profile. 
C)  Any particle in the ring with an orbital tilt would collide with other ring particles, flattening its orbit. 
D)  Solar radiation pressure keeps particles pressed into the rings. 
E)  The current thinness is a short-lived phenomenon that is special to this time.

Why is Jupiter denser than Saturn?

The Huygens probe took numerous pictures as it descended to Titan's surface in 2005. What did the pictures show?

What mechanism is most responsible for generating the internal heat of Io that drives its volcanic activity?

How do the size and mass of Jupiter's core compare to the size and mass of Earth?

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

Which of the following best describes the composition of the particles forming Saturn's rings?

Suppose the jovian planet atmospheres were composed 100 percent of hydrogen and helium rather than 98 percent of hydrogen and helium. How would the atmospheres be different in terms of color and weather?

Which moon did the Huygens spacecraft land on?

Why are there no impact craters on the surface of Io?

What is the Cassini division of Saturn's rings?

According to our theory of solar system formation, why did Uranus and Neptune end up to be much less massive than Jupiter and Saturn?

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

What did the Huygens probe photograph as it landed on Titan?

Which of the following statements comparing the jovian interiors is not thought to be true?

Which of the following gases is not a significant ingredient of the jovian planet atmospheres?

What atmospheric constituent is responsible for the blue color of Uranus and Neptune?

Explain how the resonance among Io, Europa, and Ganymede makes their orbits slightly elliptical.

Which of the following statements about Titan is not true?

What is the Great Red Spot?

Why are Saturn's rings so thin?

Our Place in the Universe

Discovering the Universe for Yourself

The Science of Astronomy

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

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Formation of Planetary Systems: Our Solar System and Beyond

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

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Exam 8: Jovian Planet Systems

Why is Jupiter denser than Saturn?

The Huygens probe took numerous pictures as it descended to Titan's surface in 2005. What did the pictures show?

What mechanism is most responsible for generating the internal heat of Io that drives its volcanic activity?

How do the size and mass of Jupiter's core compare to the size and mass of Earth?

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

Which of the following best describes the composition of the particles forming Saturn's rings?

Suppose the jovian planet atmospheres were composed 100 percent of hydrogen and helium rather than 98 percent of hydrogen and helium. How would the atmospheres be different in terms of color and weather?

Which moon did the Huygens spacecraft land on?

Why are there no impact craters on the surface of Io?

What is the Cassini division of Saturn's rings?

According to our theory of solar system formation, why did Uranus and Neptune end up to be much less massive than Jupiter and Saturn?

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

What did the Huygens probe photograph as it landed on Titan?

Which of the following statements comparing the jovian interiors is not thought to be true?

Which of the following gases is not a significant ingredient of the jovian planet atmospheres?

What atmospheric constituent is responsible for the blue color of Uranus and Neptune?

Explain how the resonance among Io, Europa, and Ganymede makes their orbits slightly elliptical.

Which of the following statements about Titan is not true?

What is the Great Red Spot?

Why are Saturn's rings so thin?

Our Place in the Universe

Discovering the Universe for Yourself

The Science of Astronomy

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

Light: the Cosmic Messenger

Formation of Planetary Systems: Our Solar System and Beyond

Earth and the Terrestrial Worlds

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

Our Star

Surveying the Stars

Star Stuff

Bizarre Stellar Graveyard

Our Galaxy

Galaxies and the Foundation of Modern Cosmology

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

The Beginning of Time

Life in the Universe

Filters