Question 1

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 2

The reason the rings of Saturn exist is because

Accepted Answer

A)  the ring material lies within the Roche limit of Saturn. 
B)  the gravitational influence of Titan confines them to those orbits. 
C)  the eruptions of Mimas' volcanoes are keeping them supplied with ice. 
D)  there has not been sufficient time for the ring particles to form a moon. 
E)  Saturn's rapid rotation is spinning material away from its equator, out into space. 
A)  the ring material lies within the Roche limit of Saturn. 
B)  the gravitational influence of Titan confines them to those orbits. 
C)  the eruptions of Mimas' volcanoes are keeping them supplied with ice. 
D)  there has not been sufficient time for the ring particles to form a moon. 
E)  Saturn's rapid rotation is spinning material away from its equator, out into space.

Question 3

The cratered surfaces of Saturn's moons may look like our moons, but in reality they are made chiefly of ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The cratered surfaces of Saturn's moons may...

Question 4

Why are Saturn's rings so noticeable?

Accepted Answer

A)  They are made of metallic hydrogen. 
B)  They are made of lots of fresh, bright icy particles from a recent breakup. 
C)  The particles in the rings are highly polished from numerous collisions with other particles. 
D)  They are made of nitrogen frost, like the bright surface of Triton. 
E)  Saturn is so bright, the rings reflect a lot of light from both Saturn and the Sun. 
A)  They are made of metallic hydrogen. 
B)  They are made of lots of fresh, bright icy particles from a recent breakup. 
C)  The particles in the rings are highly polished from numerous collisions with other particles. 
D)  They are made of nitrogen frost, like the bright surface of Triton. 
E)  Saturn is so bright, the rings reflect a lot of light from both Saturn and the Sun.

Question 5

Radiation darkening explains why

Accepted Answer

A)  there are so many dark craters on the jovian moons. 
B)  Uranus' moons are darker than Saturn's. 
C)  Earth's Moon is made of rock, but jovian moons are icy. 
D)  Iapetus has a two-faced appearance. 
A)  there are so many dark craters on the jovian moons. 
B)  Uranus' moons are darker than Saturn's. 
C)  Earth's Moon is made of rock, but jovian moons are icy. 
D)  Iapetus has a two-faced appearance.

Question 6

At Titan, the weather is driven by phase changes of ________ gas into liquid or solid forms.

Accepted Answer

The answer of At Titan, the weather is driven by...

Question 7

Saturn's two shepherd moons herd the particles in the F ring.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

The large moons of Jupiter have low densities suggesting compositions that are a mixture of rocky materials and ________.

Accepted Answer

liquid wat

Question 9

Pluto is visible to the naked eye on extremely dark nights.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

When a formal definition of a planet in the solar system was adopted, Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet. What characteristic of planets does not describe Pluto?

Accepted Answer

A)  Planets orbit the sun. 
B)  Planets are approximately spherical. 
C)  Planets have cleared the neighborhood around their orbit. 
D)  Planets orbit in ellipses with low eccentricity. 
E)  Planets orbit in or very near the ecliptic plane. 
A)  Planets orbit the sun. 
B)  Planets are approximately spherical. 
C)  Planets have cleared the neighborhood around their orbit. 
D)  Planets orbit in ellipses with low eccentricity. 
E)  Planets orbit in or very near the ecliptic plane.

Question 11

Of the Galilean moons, the one with striking grooved terrain and icy tectonic features as well as older craters is

Accepted Answer

A)  Amalthea. 
B)  Io. 
C)  Europa. 
D)  Ganymede. 
E)  Callisto. 
A)  Amalthea. 
B)  Io. 
C)  Europa. 
D)  Ganymede. 
E)  Callisto.

Question 12

What are comets made of?

Accepted Answer

A)  Silicates and rocky dust 
B)  Metallic dust particles 
C)  Dark colored complex hydrocarbons 
D)  Methane, ammonia, and water ice 
E)  All of the above 
A)  Silicates and rocky dust 
B)  Metallic dust particles 
C)  Dark colored complex hydrocarbons 
D)  Methane, ammonia, and water ice 
E)  All of the above

Question 13

The rings of Uranus were discovered from Earth when the planet passed in front of a star.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

What makes Mimas a distinct moon?

Accepted Answer

A)  It suffered a huge meteorite impact that must have nearly shattered it. 
B)  It helps maintain a wide apparent gap in Saturn's rings, known as Encke's Division. 
C)  It has a rich atmosphere that may resemble that of the early Earth. 
D)  It is the largest of Saturn's moons. 
E)  The leading hemisphere is very dark, while the back side is bright ice. 
A)  It suffered a huge meteorite impact that must have nearly shattered it. 
B)  It helps maintain a wide apparent gap in Saturn's rings, known as Encke's Division. 
C)  It has a rich atmosphere that may resemble that of the early Earth. 
D)  It is the largest of Saturn's moons. 
E)  The leading hemisphere is very dark, while the back side is bright ice.

Question 15

The Kuiper Belt objects have orbits that

Accepted Answer

A)  carry them thousands of AU beyond the Sun. 
B)  stay out just beyond Neptune and close to the ecliptic. 
C)  stay sixty degrees ahead of or behind Jupiter. 
D)  cross the orbit of Mars at perihelion. 
E)  cross the orbit of Earth at perihelion. 
A)  carry them thousands of AU beyond the Sun. 
B)  stay out just beyond Neptune and close to the ecliptic. 
C)  stay sixty degrees ahead of or behind Jupiter. 
D)  cross the orbit of Mars at perihelion. 
E)  cross the orbit of Earth at perihelion.

Question 16

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 17

When initially discovered by Voyager 2, Neptune's rings appeared as ring arcs, and are more clumpy and less regular than most other rings.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

We now recognize that the largest Kuiper Belt Object could be ________, discovered almost a century ago.

Accepted Answer

The answer of We now recognize that the largest Kuiper...

Question 19

On Io, volcanic eruptions, such as those from Prometheus, can send material how far above the surface?

Accepted Answer

A)  150 km or more 
B)  2-3 km 
C)  A few meters 
D)  Just far enough to get a surface flow 
E)  Nowhere-volcanoes are not found on moons. 
A)  150 km or more 
B)  2-3 km 
C)  A few meters 
D)  Just far enough to get a surface flow 
E)  Nowhere-volcanoes are not found on moons.

Question 20

Most of the midsized jovian moons show heavy cratering.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

The Oort Cloud is thought to be

The reason the rings of Saturn exist is because

The cratered surfaces of Saturn's moons may look like our moons, but in reality they are made chiefly of ________.

Why are Saturn's rings so noticeable?

Radiation darkening explains why

At Titan, the weather is driven by phase changes of ________ gas into liquid or solid forms.

Saturn's two shepherd moons herd the particles in the F ring.

The large moons of Jupiter have low densities suggesting compositions that are a mixture of rocky materials and ________.

Pluto is visible to the naked eye on extremely dark nights.

When a formal definition of a planet in the solar system was adopted, Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet. What characteristic of planets does not describe Pluto?

Of the Galilean moons, the one with striking grooved terrain and icy tectonic features as well as older craters is

What are comets made of?

The rings of Uranus were discovered from Earth when the planet passed in front of a star.

What makes Mimas a distinct moon?

The Kuiper Belt objects have orbits that

The orbits of most comets

When initially discovered by Voyager 2, Neptune's rings appeared as ring arcs, and are more clumpy and less regular than most other rings.

We now recognize that the largest Kuiper Belt Object could be ________, discovered almost a century ago.

On Io, volcanic eruptions, such as those from Prometheus, can send material how far above the surface?

Most of the midsized jovian moons show heavy cratering.

The Night Sky

Light and Telescopes

The Solar System

Earth and Its Moon

The Eight Planets

Formation of Planetary Systems

The Sun

Measuring the Stars

Star Formation and Evolution

Stellar Explosions

Black Holes

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies

Cosmology and the Universe

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Exam 6: Small Bodies in the Solar System

The Oort Cloud is thought to be

The reason the rings of Saturn exist is because

The cratered surfaces of Saturn's moons may look like our moons, but in reality they are made chiefly of ________.

Why are Saturn's rings so noticeable?

Radiation darkening explains why

At Titan, the weather is driven by phase changes of ________ gas into liquid or solid forms.

Saturn's two shepherd moons herd the particles in the F ring.

The large moons of Jupiter have low densities suggesting compositions that are a mixture of rocky materials and ________.

Pluto is visible to the naked eye on extremely dark nights.

When a formal definition of a planet in the solar system was adopted, Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet. What characteristic of planets does not describe Pluto?

Of the Galilean moons, the one with striking grooved terrain and icy tectonic features as well as older craters is

What are comets made of?

The rings of Uranus were discovered from Earth when the planet passed in front of a star.

What makes Mimas a distinct moon?

The Kuiper Belt objects have orbits that

The orbits of most comets

When initially discovered by Voyager 2, Neptune's rings appeared as ring arcs, and are more clumpy and less regular than most other rings.

We now recognize that the largest Kuiper Belt Object could be ________, discovered almost a century ago.

On Io, volcanic eruptions, such as those from Prometheus, can send material how far above the surface?

Most of the midsized jovian moons show heavy cratering.

The Night Sky

Light and Telescopes

The Solar System

Earth and Its Moon

The Eight Planets

Formation of Planetary Systems

The Sun

Measuring the Stars

Star Formation and Evolution

Stellar Explosions

Black Holes

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies

Cosmology and the Universe

Filters