Question 1

Which of the following objects was farthest from the Sun in 1990?

Accepted Answer

A)  Pluto 
B)  Charon 
C)  Neptune 
D)  Uranus 
A)  Pluto 
B)  Charon 
C)  Neptune 
D)  Uranus

Question 2

The Deep Impact mission sent an impactor crashing into Comet Tempel 1.What happened?

Accepted Answer

A)  The impactor disappeared into the rubble and regolith covering the comet''s nucleus without leaving a trace. 
B)  The impactor incinerated in the comet''s coma and never reached the nucleus. 
C)  The comet was shattered into many small fragments. 
D)  The collision caused a huge cloud of debris, but 90% of it was pulled back to the surface by the nucleus'' gravity. 
A)  The impactor disappeared into the rubble and regolith covering the comet''s nucleus without leaving a trace. 
B)  The impactor incinerated in the comet''s coma and never reached the nucleus. 
C)  The comet was shattered into many small fragments. 
D)  The collision caused a huge cloud of debris, but 90% of it was pulled back to the surface by the nucleus'' gravity.

Question 3

The asteroid belt exists between the orbits of the planets:

Accepted Answer

A)  the EarthEarth and Mars. 
B)  Jupiter and Saturn. 
C)  Venus and the EarthEarth. 
D)  Mars and Jupiter. 
A)  the EarthEarth and Mars. 
B)  Jupiter and Saturn. 
C)  Venus and the EarthEarth. 
D)  Mars and Jupiter.

Question 4

How large does the coma,or gas cloud surrounding a comet nucleus,become when it reaches its closest point to the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A)  only 10 km, but it glows brightly in sunlight 
B)  about 10⁶ km, as big as the Sun 
C)  about 10⁸ km, close to the size of Mercury''s orbit 
D)  about 10⁷ km, close to 1/10 of Mercury''s orbit 
A)  only 10 km, but it glows brightly in sunlight 
B)  about 10⁶ km, as big as the Sun 
C)  about 10⁸ km, close to the size of Mercury''s orbit 
D)  about 10⁷ km, close to 1/10 of Mercury''s orbit

Question 5

When compared with the diameter of Earth''s Moon,the diameters of the biggest asteroids are:

Accepted Answer

A)  very much smaller (less than 1/10). 
B)  about the same size. 
C)  very much larger, by a factor of at least 5. 
D)  between 1/10 and 1/3 as large. 
A)  very much smaller (less than 1/10). 
B)  about the same size. 
C)  very much larger, by a factor of at least 5. 
D)  between 1/10 and 1/3 as large.

Question 6

The gas and ion tail of a comet:

Accepted Answer

A)  is always blown away from the comet in the anti-Sun direction by the solar wind. 
B)  always lies in the ecliptic plane because a comet is a part of the solar system. 
C)  lies between the comet and the Sun because of gravitational attraction. 
D)  always trails along the orbital path, being left behind by the comet. 
A)  is always blown away from the comet in the anti-Sun direction by the solar wind. 
B)  always lies in the ecliptic plane because a comet is a part of the solar system. 
C)  lies between the comet and the Sun because of gravitational attraction. 
D)  always trails along the orbital path, being left behind by the comet.

Question 7

Compared with the coma,or the visible fuzzy ball,of a comet 10⁶ km in diameter,the diameter of the nucleus of the comet is:

Accepted Answer

A)  about 1/100, or 10,000 km. 
B)  about the size of the largest asteroid, 1/1000, or 1000 km. 
C)  extremely small, 1/10⁸, or 10 m. 
D)  very small, about 1/10⁵, or 10 km. 
A)  about 1/100, or 10,000 km. 
B)  about the size of the largest asteroid, 1/1000, or 1000 km. 
C)  extremely small, 1/10⁸, or 10 m. 
D)  very small, about 1/10⁵, or 10 km.

Question 8

The number of times a typical comet can pass close to the Sun (i.e.,the number of orbits the comet can complete)before it is completely vaporized or destroyed is about:

Accepted Answer

A)  1 million. 
B)  1000. 
C)  1. 
D)  100. 
A)  1 million. 
B)  1000. 
C)  1. 
D)  100.

Question 9

Stony meteorites:

Accepted Answer

A)  are very much like ordinary silicate rocks. 
B)  contain large quantities of carbon and water and even hydrocarbons and amino acids. 
C)  have solid iron cores surrounded by rocky silicate shells. 
D)  are made of solid iron and small quantities of nickel and cobalt. 
A)  are very much like ordinary silicate rocks. 
B)  contain large quantities of carbon and water and even hydrocarbons and amino acids. 
C)  have solid iron cores surrounded by rocky silicate shells. 
D)  are made of solid iron and small quantities of nickel and cobalt.

Question 10

What is the relationship between the Kirkwood gaps in the asteroid belt and the Cassini division in the rings of Saturn?

Accepted Answer

A)  Both the Kirkwood gaps and the Cassini division are caused by large objects passing through swarms of smaller objects, sweeping out gaps in the swarms. 
B)  Both the Kirkwood gaps and the Cassini division were discovered by observers from the same group; Kirkwood and Cassini both worked at the same observatory. 
C)  Both the Kirkwood gaps and the Cassini division are caused by disruptions of the orbits of small objects by larger planets or moons. In both cases, the orbital distance of small objects in the gaps is related by simple fractions to the orbital distance to the disturbing object. 
D)  Both the Kirkwood gaps and the Cassini division are caused by disruptions of the orbits of small objects by larger planets or moons. In both cases, the periods of the small objects are simple fractions of those of the larger disturbing object. 
A)  Both the Kirkwood gaps and the Cassini division are caused by large objects passing through swarms of smaller objects, sweeping out gaps in the swarms. 
B)  Both the Kirkwood gaps and the Cassini division were discovered by observers from the same group; Kirkwood and Cassini both worked at the same observatory. 
C)  Both the Kirkwood gaps and the Cassini division are caused by disruptions of the orbits of small objects by larger planets or moons. In both cases, the orbital distance of small objects in the gaps is related by simple fractions to the orbital distance to the disturbing object. 
D)  Both the Kirkwood gaps and the Cassini division are caused by disruptions of the orbits of small objects by larger planets or moons. In both cases, the periods of the small objects are simple fractions of those of the larger disturbing object.

Question 11

In the orbits of which of the planets do Lagrange points occur?

Accepted Answer

A)  all the planets 
B)  Jupiter; only Jupiter because it is the only planet is massive enough to produce a Lagrange point 
C)  Jupiter and the planets beyond it because ; a Lagrange point must be a certain distance from its planet, and only the orbits of Jupiter and the planets beyond it are large enough to accommodate a Lagrange point 
D)  only the planets with moons 
A)  all the planets 
B)  Jupiter; only Jupiter because it is the only planet is massive enough to produce a Lagrange point 
C)  Jupiter and the planets beyond it because ; a Lagrange point must be a certain distance from its planet, and only the orbits of Jupiter and the planets beyond it are large enough to accommodate a Lagrange point 
D)  only the planets with moons

Question 12

Pluto''s mass was poorly known before 1978.What happened in that year to change this?

Accepted Answer

A)  The Hubble Space Telescope was launched. 
B)  The new Keck II telescopes became operational. 
C)  Charon was discovered. 
D)  The return echo of a radar pulse, sent many years before, .returned to Earth, allowing a Doppler shift measurement of its rotation rate. 
A)  The Hubble Space Telescope was launched. 
B)  The new Keck II telescopes became operational. 
C)  Charon was discovered. 
D)  The return echo of a radar pulse, sent many years before, .returned to Earth, allowing a Doppler shift measurement of its rotation rate.

Question 13

The Kuiper belt is:

Accepted Answer

A)  another name for the asteroid belt. 
B)  a flat or donut-shaped distribution of distant comets around the Sun, extending out about 500 AU. 
C)  a spherical distribution of distant comets around the Sun, extending out about 50,000 AU. 
D)  a random distribution of short-period comets extending from inside the orbit of Jupiter to approximately the orbit of Neptune. 
A)  another name for the asteroid belt. 
B)  a flat or donut-shaped distribution of distant comets around the Sun, extending out about 500 AU. 
C)  a spherical distribution of distant comets around the Sun, extending out about 50,000 AU. 
D)  a random distribution of short-period comets extending from inside the orbit of Jupiter to approximately the orbit of Neptune.

Question 14

The orbits of comets are:

Accepted Answer

A)  primarily in the plane of the ecliptic and can extend far out beyond the orbit of Pluto. 
B)  randomly oriented in the solar system and confined to distances closer to the Sun than approximately the orbit of Pluto. 
C)  primarily in the plane of the ecliptic and confined to distances closer to the Sun than approximately the orbit of Pluto. 
D)  randomly oriented in the solar system and can extend far beyond the orbit of Pluto. 
A)  primarily in the plane of the ecliptic and can extend far out beyond the orbit of Pluto. 
B)  randomly oriented in the solar system and confined to distances closer to the Sun than approximately the orbit of Pluto. 
C)  primarily in the plane of the ecliptic and confined to distances closer to the Sun than approximately the orbit of Pluto. 
D)  randomly oriented in the solar system and can extend far beyond the orbit of Pluto.

Question 15

What fraction of the material arriving on the EarthEarth from outer space is in the form of iron meteorites?

Accepted Answer

A)  50% 
B)  a few % 
C)  95% 
D)  10 to 20% 
A)  50% 
B)  a few % 
C)  95% 
D)  10 to 20%

Question 16

The Allende meteorite contained an abundance of ²⁶Mg,an isotope of magnesium.What is the significance?

Accepted Answer

A)  Magnesium has a high melting point, so the asteroid of which Allende was originally a part must have formed in the inner part of the solar system. 
B)  ²⁶Mg is radioactive, and the sample was probably produced in a nearby supernova explosion about the time the solar system was formed. 
C)  ²⁶Mg is the stable product of the decay of radioactive ²⁶Al. The ²⁶Al from which the ²⁶Mg formed was probably produced in a nearby supernova explosion about the time the solar system was formed. 
D)  This discovery suggests that heavy elements such as magnesium were more abundant in the early Kuiper belt than we had originally thought. 
A)  Magnesium has a high melting point, so the asteroid of which Allende was originally a part must have formed in the inner part of the solar system. 
B)  ²⁶Mg is radioactive, and the sample was probably produced in a nearby supernova explosion about the time the solar system was formed. 
C)  ²⁶Mg is the stable product of the decay of radioactive ²⁶Al. The ²⁶Al from which the ²⁶Mg formed was probably produced in a nearby supernova explosion about the time the solar system was formed. 
D)  This discovery suggests that heavy elements such as magnesium were more abundant in the early Kuiper belt than we had originally thought.

Question 17

Results of the Dawn flyby of asteroid Vesta reveal that it is characterized by all of the following except oneEXCEPT ONE.Which is not a characteristic of Vestais the exception?

Accepted Answer

A)  It shows chemical differentiation. 
B)  It is orbited by its own satellite. 
C)  Its hemispheres show different amounts of cratering. 
D)  It possesses at least one very tall mountain. 
A)  It shows chemical differentiation. 
B)  It is orbited by its own satellite. 
C)  Its hemispheres show different amounts of cratering. 
D)  It possesses at least one very tall mountain.

Question 18

The images of the Deep Impact encounter with Comet Tempel 1 in 2005 (see Figure 8-32,Comins: Discovering the Essential Universe,6th ed.)show the nucleus looking like a solid piece of rock and not like a fiery comet with a glowing tail.Why is the glowing gas we usually associate with a comet absent?

Accepted Answer

A)  This is an unsolved mystery and one of the reasons this comet was chosen for investigation. 
B)  Comet Tempel 1 is a very old comet, and almost all of the volatile material is gone. 
C)  A comet evolves glowing gases only when it is near the Sun, and Comet Tempel 1 never gets close enough to the Sun to evolve a tail. 
D)  Comet Tempel 1 is, in fact, a solid rock and shows no evidence of ice. 
A)  This is an unsolved mystery and one of the reasons this comet was chosen for investigation. 
B)  Comet Tempel 1 is a very old comet, and almost all of the volatile material is gone. 
C)  A comet evolves glowing gases only when it is near the Sun, and Comet Tempel 1 never gets close enough to the Sun to evolve a tail. 
D)  Comet Tempel 1 is, in fact, a solid rock and shows no evidence of ice.

Question 19

All of the following characteristics have been observed in asteroids except oneEXCEPT ONE.Which one is the exception?

Accepted Answer

A)  regolith 
B)  craters 
C)  satellites 
D)  magnetic field 
A)  regolith 
B)  craters 
C)  satellites 
D)  magnetic field

Question 20

The ionized gas tail of a comet is always aligned along the:

Accepted Answer

A)  comet-Sun line. 
B)  line between the comet and the nearest planet to it in its orbital motion. 
C)  comet''s direction of motion. 
D)  celestial equator. 
A)  comet-Sun line. 
B)  line between the comet and the nearest planet to it in its orbital motion. 
C)  comet''s direction of motion. 
D)  celestial equator.

Which of the following objects was farthest from the Sun in 1990?

The Deep Impact mission sent an impactor crashing into Comet Tempel 1.What happened?

The asteroid belt exists between the orbits of the planets:

How large does the coma,or gas cloud surrounding a comet nucleus,become when it reaches its closest point to the Sun?

When compared with the diameter of Earth''s Moon,the diameters of the biggest asteroids are:

The gas and ion tail of a comet:

Compared with the coma,or the visible fuzzy ball,of a comet 10⁶ km in diameter,the diameter of the nucleus of the comet is:

The number of times a typical comet can pass close to the Sun (i.e.,the number of orbits the comet can complete)before it is completely vaporized or destroyed is about:

Stony meteorites:

What is the relationship between the Kirkwood gaps in the asteroid belt and the Cassini division in the rings of Saturn?

In the orbits of which of the planets do Lagrange points occur?

Pluto''s mass was poorly known before 1978.What happened in that year to change this?

The Kuiper belt is:

The orbits of comets are:

What fraction of the material arriving on the EarthEarth from outer space is in the form of iron meteorites?

The Allende meteorite contained an abundance of ²⁶Mg,an isotope of magnesium.What is the significance?

Results of the Dawn flyby of asteroid Vesta reveal that it is characterized by all of the following except oneEXCEPT ONE.Which is not a characteristic of Vestais the exception?

The images of the Deep Impact encounter with Comet Tempel 1 in 2005 (see Figure 8-32,Comins: Discovering the Essential Universe,6th ed.)show the nucleus looking like a solid piece of rock and not like a fiery comet with a glowing tail.Why is the glowing gas we usually associate with a comet absent?

All of the following characteristics have been observed in asteroids except oneEXCEPT ONE.Which one is the exception?

The ionized gas tail of a comet is always aligned along the:

Discovering the Night Sky

Gravitation and the Waltz of the Planets

Light and Telescopes

Formation of the Solar System and Other Planetary Systems

Exoplanets

The Terrestrial Planets and Their Moons

The Outer Planets and Their Moons

The Sun: Our Extraordinary Ordinary Star

Characterizing Stars

The Lives of the Stars From Birth Through Middle Age

The Deaths and Remnants of Stars

The Galaxies

Cosmology

Astrobiology

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Exam 8: Vagabonds of the Solar System

Which of the following objects was farthest from the Sun in 1990?

The Deep Impact mission sent an impactor crashing into Comet Tempel 1.What happened?

The asteroid belt exists between the orbits of the planets:

How large does the coma,or gas cloud surrounding a comet nucleus,become when it reaches its closest point to the Sun?

When compared with the diameter of Earth''s Moon,the diameters of the biggest asteroids are:

The gas and ion tail of a comet:

Compared with the coma,or the visible fuzzy ball,of a comet 10⁶ km in diameter,the diameter of the nucleus of the comet is:

The number of times a typical comet can pass close to the Sun (i.e.,the number of orbits the comet can complete)before it is completely vaporized or destroyed is about:

Stony meteorites:

What is the relationship between the Kirkwood gaps in the asteroid belt and the Cassini division in the rings of Saturn?

In the orbits of which of the planets do Lagrange points occur?

Pluto''s mass was poorly known before 1978.What happened in that year to change this?

The Kuiper belt is:

The orbits of comets are:

What fraction of the material arriving on the EarthEarth from outer space is in the form of iron meteorites?

The Allende meteorite contained an abundance of ²⁶Mg,an isotope of magnesium.What is the significance?

Results of the Dawn flyby of asteroid Vesta reveal that it is characterized by all of the following except oneEXCEPT ONE.Which is not a characteristic of Vestais the exception?

The images of the Deep Impact encounter with Comet Tempel 1 in 2005 (see Figure 8-32,Comins: Discovering the Essential Universe,6th ed.)show the nucleus looking like a solid piece of rock and not like a fiery comet with a glowing tail.Why is the glowing gas we usually associate with a comet absent?

All of the following characteristics have been observed in asteroids except oneEXCEPT ONE.Which one is the exception?

The ionized gas tail of a comet is always aligned along the:

Discovering the Night Sky

Gravitation and the Waltz of the Planets

Light and Telescopes

Formation of the Solar System and Other Planetary Systems

Exoplanets

The Terrestrial Planets and Their Moons

The Outer Planets and Their Moons

The Sun: Our Extraordinary Ordinary Star

Characterizing Stars

The Lives of the Stars From Birth Through Middle Age

The Deaths and Remnants of Stars

The Galaxies

Cosmology

Astrobiology

Filters