Question 1

After the initial formation of the solar system, rocky debris:

Accepted Answer

A) was essentially absent, having been used up in the formation of the planets. 
B) was quickly vaporized by the heat of the young Sun. 
C) continued to bombard the planets and satellites for almost another billion years. 
D) was quickly swept out of the solar system by the Sun's T-Tauri wind. 
A) was essentially absent, having been used up in the formation of the planets. 
B) was quickly vaporized by the heat of the young Sun. 
C) continued to bombard the planets and satellites for almost another billion years. 
D) was quickly swept out of the solar system by the Sun's T-Tauri wind.

Question 2

In what fundamental way do lunar rocks differ from terrestrial rocks?

Accepted Answer

A) Lunar rocks are meteoric in origin. 
B) All lunar rocks are rich in calcium and aluminum. 
C) Lunar rocks contain no water within their crystal structure. 
D) Lunar rocks all originate in ancient lava flows. 
A) Lunar rocks are meteoric in origin. 
B) All lunar rocks are rich in calcium and aluminum. 
C) Lunar rocks contain no water within their crystal structure. 
D) Lunar rocks all originate in ancient lava flows.

Question 3

What is a transient lunar phenomenon?

Accepted Answer

A) It refers to those few times during the year that libration brings an unusual view of a small section of the back side of the Moon. 
B) It refers to a comet impact that results in a plume of water. 
C) The reference is to the Heavy Bombardment Era in the Moon's past. 
D) This occurs when a body with a 10-cm diameter, or so, strikes the Moon's surface and emits enough light to be seen from Earth. 
A) It refers to those few times during the year that libration brings an unusual view of a small section of the back side of the Moon. 
B) It refers to a comet impact that results in a plume of water. 
C) The reference is to the Heavy Bombardment Era in the Moon's past. 
D) This occurs when a body with a 10-cm diameter, or so, strikes the Moon's surface and emits enough light to be seen from Earth.

Question 4

The mountains on the Moon were mostly caused by:

Accepted Answer

A) tidal distortion and uplift. 
B) volcanic eruption and buildup similar to terrestrial volcanoes. 
C) impacts from meteoroids from outer space. 
D) collisions of crustal plates under tectonic motion. 
A) tidal distortion and uplift. 
B) volcanic eruption and buildup similar to terrestrial volcanoes. 
C) impacts from meteoroids from outer space. 
D) collisions of crustal plates under tectonic motion.

Question 5

Which was the first country to land humans on the Moon?

Accepted Answer

A) China 
B) France 
C) United States 
D) Soviet Union 
A) China 
B) France 
C) United States 
D) Soviet Union

Question 6

We believe the rate of bombardment of projectiles striking bodies in the inner solar system decreased steadily except for a sharp increase between 3.8 and 4.0 billion years ago. What is believed to be the cause of this increase?

Accepted Answer

A) The Sun flared up and disturbed the entire solar system. 
B) The planet that once existed between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter was torn apart leaving the asteroid belt and much new debris to bombard the inner planets. 
C) Jupiter and Saturn were moving to their present orbits, and their gravitational fields disturbed the asteroid belt and sent many objects into the inner solar system. 
D) The star Proxima Centauri (still the closest star to the Sun) passed close to the solar system and pulled many of the asteroids out of their orbits. 
A) The Sun flared up and disturbed the entire solar system. 
B) The planet that once existed between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter was torn apart leaving the asteroid belt and much new debris to bombard the inner planets. 
C) Jupiter and Saturn were moving to their present orbits, and their gravitational fields disturbed the asteroid belt and sent many objects into the inner solar system. 
D) The star Proxima Centauri (still the closest star to the Sun) passed close to the solar system and pulled many of the asteroids out of their orbits.

Question 7

What is a scarp?

Accepted Answer

A) a long wall formed when the Moon's surface cooled and shrank 
B) the peak in the center of a large crater 
C) an especially high crater wall 
D) a deep trench stretching hundreds of kilometers across the lunar surface 
A) a long wall formed when the Moon's surface cooled and shrank 
B) the peak in the center of a large crater 
C) an especially high crater wall 
D) a deep trench stretching hundreds of kilometers across the lunar surface

Question 8

The rotation period of the Moon on its axis with respect to space (its absolute rotation) is:

Accepted Answer

A) infinitely long, because the Moon never rotates. 
B) 27.3 days, the sidereal revolution period. 
C) 365.25 days, to match Earth's revolution period. 
D) 29.5 days, the synodic period. 
A) infinitely long, because the Moon never rotates. 
B) 27.3 days, the sidereal revolution period. 
C) 365.25 days, to match Earth's revolution period. 
D) 29.5 days, the synodic period.

Question 9

If the angular resolution of detail on astronomical objects is limited to about 0.5 arcsec by seeing fluctuations in Earth's atmosphere, what is the smallest lunar crater that can be seen from Earth? (Hint: Use the small-angle formula in Chapter 1, Universe, 11th ed.)

Accepted Answer

A) about 100 m 
B) about 3.8 km 
C) about 250 m 
D) about 1 km 
A) about 100 m 
B) about 3.8 km 
C) about 250 m 
D) about 1 km

Question 10

How long is a "lunar day," or the time between two successive sunrises or sunsets on the Moon?

Accepted Answer

A) about 1 month 
B) infinitely long, because the Moon does not rotate about its axis with respect to the Sun 
C) about 1 year 
D) about 1 day 
A) about 1 month 
B) infinitely long, because the Moon does not rotate about its axis with respect to the Sun 
C) about 1 year 
D) about 1 day

Question 11

The terminator on the Moon is a line:

Accepted Answer

A) joining north and south lunar poles, passing through the center of the largest mare, Imbrium, representing 0° of lunar longitude. 
B) between the near and far sides of the Moon. 
C) between the solar-illuminated and dark hemispheres. 
D) along the equator, between northern and southern hemispheres. 
A) joining north and south lunar poles, passing through the center of the largest mare, Imbrium, representing 0° of lunar longitude. 
B) between the near and far sides of the Moon. 
C) between the solar-illuminated and dark hemispheres. 
D) along the equator, between northern and southern hemispheres.

Question 12

Which one of the following influences has had the most effect on the "weathering" of the surface rocks of the Moon?

Accepted Answer

A) wind erosion by the fine dust particles 
B) bombardment by the solar wind 
C) expansion and contraction because of intense temperature changes 
D) meteoritic bombardment 
A) wind erosion by the fine dust particles 
B) bombardment by the solar wind 
C) expansion and contraction because of intense temperature changes 
D) meteoritic bombardment

Question 13

What difference, if any, would have resulted if the protoplanet that struck Earth had done so before Earth underwent chemical differentiation?

Accepted Answer

A) There would have been no difference at all. 
B) Chemical differentiation would have resulted in the Moon having an overall composition very similar to Earth's. 
C) Chemical differentiation would have resulted in the Moon's composition being like the core of Earth. 
D) Chemical differentiation would have resulted in the Moon's composition being like the mantle of Earth. 
A) There would have been no difference at all. 
B) Chemical differentiation would have resulted in the Moon having an overall composition very similar to Earth's. 
C) Chemical differentiation would have resulted in the Moon's composition being like the core of Earth. 
D) Chemical differentiation would have resulted in the Moon's composition being like the mantle of Earth.

Question 14

Which of the following statements is NOT true of the Moon?

Accepted Answer

A) It shows no evidence of ever having liquid water on its surface. 
B) Parts of its surface are completely saturated with craters (i.e., no uncratered surface left in these regions). 
C) It has extensive lava floodplains over most of its surface, near side and far side. 
D) It has large basins that were carved out by asteroid impacts. 
A) It shows no evidence of ever having liquid water on its surface. 
B) Parts of its surface are completely saturated with craters (i.e., no uncratered surface left in these regions). 
C) It has extensive lava floodplains over most of its surface, near side and far side. 
D) It has large basins that were carved out by asteroid impacts.

Question 15

The so-called maria, or "seas" on the lunar surface, do not and could not contain water because:

Accepted Answer

A) the water would boil and evaporate away rapidly in the vacuum of space. 
B) any water falling on the porous surface would soak into it. 
C) the water would have frozen into permafrost in the intense cold on the lunar surface. 
D) the water would react chemically with the surface rocks. 
A) the water would boil and evaporate away rapidly in the vacuum of space. 
B) any water falling on the porous surface would soak into it. 
C) the water would have frozen into permafrost in the intense cold on the lunar surface. 
D) the water would react chemically with the surface rocks.

Question 16

Which of the following is the structure for the interior of the Moon?

Accepted Answer

A) a core that is entirely solid 
B) a core that is entirely liquid 
C) a solid inner core and a fluid outer core 
D) a fluid inner core and a solid outer core 
A) a core that is entirely solid 
B) a core that is entirely liquid 
C) a solid inner core and a fluid outer core 
D) a fluid inner core and a solid outer core

Question 17

If you were on the Moon, how long would it take between two crossings of a star in the sky through your zenith?

Accepted Answer

A) infinite time, because the Moon does not rotate on its axis 
B) 27.3 days 
C) 23 hours 56 minutes 
D) 29.5 days 
A) infinite time, because the Moon does not rotate on its axis 
B) 27.3 days 
C) 23 hours 56 minutes 
D) 29.5 days

Question 18

If the rate at which the Moon is moving away from Earth remains approximately constant at 4 cm per year, how long will it take for the distance between Earth and the Moon to increase by 10%?

Accepted Answer

A) 1 billion years 
B) 10 billion years 
C) 10 million years 
D) 100 million years 
A) 1 billion years 
B) 10 billion years 
C) 10 million years 
D) 100 million years

Question 19

Lunar rocks brought back by Apollo astronauts and remote-controlled Russian spacecraft are basically:

Accepted Answer

A) igneous rocks, formed from cooling lava. 
B) metamorphic rocks, changed by pressure and heat from their original volcanic lava state. 
C) sedimentary rocks, with layered structure from repeated deposition and subsequent compression. 
D) a mixture of igneous, volcanic, and sedimentary rocks. 
A) igneous rocks, formed from cooling lava. 
B) metamorphic rocks, changed by pressure and heat from their original volcanic lava state. 
C) sedimentary rocks, with layered structure from repeated deposition and subsequent compression. 
D) a mixture of igneous, volcanic, and sedimentary rocks.

Question 20

If astronauts set up a permanent settlement at Tranquility Base on the Moon, how many times each year would Earth rise and set as seen by a resident of this base?

Accepted Answer

A) 13 times each year 
B) once each year 
C) never-Earth would remain essentially motionless in the sky. 
D) 12 times each year 
A) 13 times each year 
B) once each year 
C) never-Earth would remain essentially motionless in the sky. 
D) 12 times each year

Exam 10: Our Barren Moon

After the initial formation of the solar system, rocky debris:

In what fundamental way do lunar rocks differ from terrestrial rocks?

What is a transient lunar phenomenon?

The mountains on the Moon were mostly caused by:

Which was the first country to land humans on the Moon?

We believe the rate of bombardment of projectiles striking bodies in the inner solar system decreased steadily except for a sharp increase between 3.8 and 4.0 billion years ago. What is believed to be the cause of this increase?

What is a scarp?

The rotation period of the Moon on its axis with respect to space (its absolute rotation) is:

If the angular resolution of detail on astronomical objects is limited to about 0.5 arcsec by seeing fluctuations in Earth's atmosphere, what is the smallest lunar crater that can be seen from Earth? (Hint: Use the small-angle formula in Chapter 1, Universe, 11th ed.)

How long is a "lunar day," or the time between two successive sunrises or sunsets on the Moon?

The terminator on the Moon is a line:

Which one of the following influences has had the most effect on the "weathering" of the surface rocks of the Moon?

What difference, if any, would have resulted if the protoplanet that struck Earth had done so before Earth underwent chemical differentiation?

Which of the following statements is NOT true of the Moon?

The so-called maria, or "seas" on the lunar surface, do not and could not contain water because:

Which of the following is the structure for the interior of the Moon?

If you were on the Moon, how long would it take between two crossings of a star in the sky through your zenith?

If the rate at which the Moon is moving away from Earth remains approximately constant at 4 cm per year, how long will it take for the distance between Earth and the Moon to increase by 10%?

Lunar rocks brought back by Apollo astronauts and remote-controlled Russian spacecraft are basically:

If astronauts set up a permanent settlement at Tranquility Base on the Moon, how many times each year would Earth rise and set as seen by a resident of this base?

Astronomy and the Universe

Knowing the Heavens

Eclipses and the Motion of the Moon

Gravitation and the Waltz of the Planets

The Nature of Light

Optics and Telescopes

Comparative Planetology I: Our Solar System

Comparative Planetology II: the Origin of Our Solar System

The Living Earth

Mercury, Venus, and Mars: Terrestrial, yet Unique

Jupiter and Saturn: Lords of the Planets

Jupiter and Saturns Satellites of Fire and Ice

Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and the Kuiper Belt: Remote Worlds

Asteroids, Comets, and Impacts

Our Star, the Sun

The Nature of the Stars

The Birth of Stars

Stellar Evolution: on and After the Main Sequence

Stellar Evolution: The Death of Stars

Stellar Remnants: Neutron Stars and Black Holes

Our Galaxy

Galaxies

Quasars and Active Galaxies

Cosmology: The Origin and Evolution of the Universe

Exploring the Early Universe

The Search for Extraterrestrial Life

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