Question 1

On the basis of the recent interpretation of geological evidence,the impact of a 10-km-diameter asteroid on the surface of the EarthEarth would be very likely to:

Accepted Answer

A)  disrupt the global ecology and cause the extinction of a large percentage of all species living on the EarthEarth. 
B)  create significant damage near the impact site but have relatively little lasting worldwide effect. 
C)  shatter the EarthEarth into fragments. 
D)  completely destroy life on the EarthEarth. 
A)  disrupt the global ecology and cause the extinction of a large percentage of all species living on the EarthEarth. 
B)  create significant damage near the impact site but have relatively little lasting worldwide effect. 
C)  shatter the EarthEarth into fragments. 
D)  completely destroy life on the EarthEarth.

Question 2

The asteroid belt is believed by most astronomers to be composed of:

Accepted Answer

A)  rocky debris left over from the formation of the solar system. 
B)  genuine leather. 
C)  rather dirty ice balls similar to the nuclei of comets. 
D)  the remnants of a gaseous planet disrupted by a massive impact. 
A)  rocky debris left over from the formation of the solar system. 
B)  genuine leather. 
C)  rather dirty ice balls similar to the nuclei of comets. 
D)  the remnants of a gaseous planet disrupted by a massive impact.

Question 3

Suppose a comet is observed to have a surface of pure ice with very little dust and rock on its surface.What can we say about this comet?

Accepted Answer

A)  The comet originated in the Kuiper belt rather than the Oort cloud. 
B)  The comet is probably making its first passage near the Sun. 
C)  The comet is very old, having made many trips around the Sun. 
D)  The comet is part of the family of Kreutz comets. 
A)  The comet originated in the Kuiper belt rather than the Oort cloud. 
B)  The comet is probably making its first passage near the Sun. 
C)  The comet is very old, having made many trips around the Sun. 
D)  The comet is part of the family of Kreutz comets.

Question 4

The asteroid belt has a gap where few objects are found because of repeated gravitational disturbances from Jupiter.At what distance from the Sun will this gap be found if objects in the gap have a period one- third that of Jupiter? (Hint: Use Kepler''s law.)

Accepted Answer

A)  7.86 AU 
B)  3.28 AU 
C)  2.5 AU 
D)  2.6 AU 
A)  7.86 AU 
B)  3.28 AU 
C)  2.5 AU 
D)  2.6 AU

Question 5

By 1891,only about 300 asteroids had been discovered.After 1891,hundreds more were discovered quickly.What caused this increased discovery rate for asteroids?

Accepted Answer

A)  the invention of the telescope 
B)  the invention of photography 
C)  the advent of astrophotography 
D)  heightened interest in the solar system fueled by Percival Lowell and the Martian canals controversy 
A)  the invention of the telescope 
B)  the invention of photography 
C)  the advent of astrophotography 
D)  heightened interest in the solar system fueled by Percival Lowell and the Martian canals controversy

Question 6

A comet''s tail always:

Accepted Answer

A)  points toward the nearest planet, attracted by the planet''s gravity field as the comet passes by the planet. 
B)  trails behind the comet in its orbit and so points away from the Sun only while the comet is approaching the Sun. 
C)  points away from the Sun, regardless of the motion of the comet. 
D)  points toward the Sun because the tail is caused by jets of gases evaporated from the comet''s nucleus on the side heated by the Sun. 
A)  points toward the nearest planet, attracted by the planet''s gravity field as the comet passes by the planet. 
B)  trails behind the comet in its orbit and so points away from the Sun only while the comet is approaching the Sun. 
C)  points away from the Sun, regardless of the motion of the comet. 
D)  points toward the Sun because the tail is caused by jets of gases evaporated from the comet''s nucleus on the side heated by the Sun.

Question 7

What kind of orbit is traced by the Trojan asteroids as they move around the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A)  elliptical orbits that carry them from outside Neptune''s orbit to inside the orbit of Jupiter 
B)  long, elliptical orbits that cross the orbit of the EarthEarth 
C)  circular orbits at Jupiter''s orbital distance, at angles of ±60° away from the planet 
D)  circular orbits at about 2.8 AU from the Sun, within the asteroid belt 
A)  elliptical orbits that carry them from outside Neptune''s orbit to inside the orbit of Jupiter 
B)  long, elliptical orbits that cross the orbit of the EarthEarth 
C)  circular orbits at Jupiter''s orbital distance, at angles of ±60° away from the planet 
D)  circular orbits at about 2.8 AU from the Sun, within the asteroid belt

Question 8

Fullerenes ("buckeyballs")are spherical molecules composed exclusively of carbon atoms.What is their connection with meteoric impacts?

Accepted Answer

A)  Fullerenes are not produced naturally on Earth, so any fullerenes found here must have been carried here from space. 
B)  Fullerenes are not produced naturally on Earth, but they can be created in the tremendous heat and compression of a large meteoric impact. 
C)  Fullerenes with gas molecules trapped inside could only have been produced in supernova explosions. 
D)  Fullerenes with gas molecules trapped inside could only have been produced in the tremendous heat and compression of a large meteoric impact. 
A)  Fullerenes are not produced naturally on Earth, so any fullerenes found here must have been carried here from space. 
B)  Fullerenes are not produced naturally on Earth, but they can be created in the tremendous heat and compression of a large meteoric impact. 
C)  Fullerenes with gas molecules trapped inside could only have been produced in supernova explosions. 
D)  Fullerenes with gas molecules trapped inside could only have been produced in the tremendous heat and compression of a large meteoric impact.

Question 9

The nucleus of a typical comet is:

Accepted Answer

A)  irregular in shape, with a bright and very reflective, icy surface. 
B)  spherical, with a very smooth, dark surface. 
C)  irregular in shape, with a very dark and cratered surface. 
D)  spherical, smooth, and very light-colored, being composed mostly of ice. 
A)  irregular in shape, with a bright and very reflective, icy surface. 
B)  spherical, with a very smooth, dark surface. 
C)  irregular in shape, with a very dark and cratered surface. 
D)  spherical, smooth, and very light-colored, being composed mostly of ice.

Question 10

The aphelia (farthest distances from the Sun)of the orbits of periodic comets are:

Accepted Answer

A)  all located far beyond the orbit of Pluto. 
B)  mostly confined to the region between Mars and Jupiter, although some comets have orbits that reach beyond the orbit of Pluto. 
C)  always closer to the Sun than the orbit of Pluto. 
D)  located anywhere from inside the orbit of Pluto to as far as 100,000 AU from the Sun. 
A)  all located far beyond the orbit of Pluto. 
B)  mostly confined to the region between Mars and Jupiter, although some comets have orbits that reach beyond the orbit of Pluto. 
C)  always closer to the Sun than the orbit of Pluto. 
D)  located anywhere from inside the orbit of Pluto to as far as 100,000 AU from the Sun.

Question 11

The Pluto-Charon system moves in which way in its mutual motion?

Accepted Answer

A)  Charon orbits Pluto with exactly Pluto''s rotation period. 
B)  Charon orbits Pluto once while Pluto rotates twice. 
C)  There is no relationship between rotation period of Pluto and orbital period of Charon. 
D)  Charon orbits Pluto twice while Pluto rotates once. 
A)  Charon orbits Pluto with exactly Pluto''s rotation period. 
B)  Charon orbits Pluto once while Pluto rotates twice. 
C)  There is no relationship between rotation period of Pluto and orbital period of Charon. 
D)  Charon orbits Pluto twice while Pluto rotates once.

Question 12

Often,an asteroid viewed from Earth appears to change its brightness periodically because the:

Accepted Answer

A)  albedo is significantly different on one side than the other. 
B)  leading side is very dark and the trailing side is very bright like Iapetus, a satellite of Saturn. 
C)  asteroid is elongated, so it may present a larger or a smaller cross section to us as it rotates. 
D)  asteroid is simply passing through the shadow of another asteroid. 
A)  albedo is significantly different on one side than the other. 
B)  leading side is very dark and the trailing side is very bright like Iapetus, a satellite of Saturn. 
C)  asteroid is elongated, so it may present a larger or a smaller cross section to us as it rotates. 
D)  asteroid is simply passing through the shadow of another asteroid.

Question 13

The 1908 Tunguska event resulted in three of the following.Which one wasdid not NOT in a: result?

Accepted Answer

A)  a huge dust cloud. 
B)  a loud explosion. 
C)  a huge shock wave. 
D)  a large crater. 
A)  a huge dust cloud. 
B)  a loud explosion. 
C)  a huge shock wave. 
D)  a large crater.

Question 14

The collision of the Deep Impact probe with the nucleus of Comet Tempel 1 in 2005 revealed the nucleus as a "rubble pile," held together by:

Accepted Answer

A)  cohesive forces much stronger than those holding rocks together on the EarthEarth. 
B)  frozen ices. 
C)  gravitation. 
D)  a fusion crust. 
A)  cohesive forces much stronger than those holding rocks together on the EarthEarth. 
B)  frozen ices. 
C)  gravitation. 
D)  a fusion crust.

Question 15

If an asteroid were to be moving in a circular orbit around the Sun with an orbital period of 1/5 that of Jupiter,what would be the radius of its orbit?

Accepted Answer

A)  1.78 AU 
B)  15.2 AU 
C)  1.04 AU 
D)  3.65 AU 
A)  1.78 AU 
B)  15.2 AU 
C)  1.04 AU 
D)  3.65 AU

Question 16

Comet tails are the result of:

Accepted Answer

A)  melting and evaporation of ices from the comet core. 
B)  sunlight glinting on the central icy comet core. 
C)  interplanetary dust collected by the comet as it moves in its orbit. 
D)  interplanetary material streaming into the comet because of its gravity. 
A)  melting and evaporation of ices from the comet core. 
B)  sunlight glinting on the central icy comet core. 
C)  interplanetary dust collected by the comet as it moves in its orbit. 
D)  interplanetary material streaming into the comet because of its gravity.

Question 17

A stony meteorite would not NOT show evidence of which one of the following propertyies?

Accepted Answer

A)  carbonaceous chondrites 
B)  fusion crust 
C)  former deposits of a short-lived radioactive isotope of aluminum 
D)  Widmanstätten pattern 
A)  carbonaceous chondrites 
B)  fusion crust 
C)  former deposits of a short-lived radioactive isotope of aluminum 
D)  Widmanstätten pattern

Question 18

Interplanetary material:

Accepted Answer

A)  falls on the EarthEarth at the rate of several hundred tons per day, mostly as micrometeoroids. 
B)  occasionally hits the EarthEarth in the form of fairly large objects that form craters, but there is no continuous stream of incoming matter. 
C)  hits the EarthEarth at specific times of the year in the form of small particles that produce meteor showers, but interplanetary material does not fall on the EarthEarth at other times. 
D)  falls on the EarthEarth only very rarely in the form of single large objects, but these individual impacts can devastate parts of the EarthEarth and threaten life. 
A)  falls on the EarthEarth at the rate of several hundred tons per day, mostly as micrometeoroids. 
B)  occasionally hits the EarthEarth in the form of fairly large objects that form craters, but there is no continuous stream of incoming matter. 
C)  hits the EarthEarth at specific times of the year in the form of small particles that produce meteor showers, but interplanetary material does not fall on the EarthEarth at other times. 
D)  falls on the EarthEarth only very rarely in the form of single large objects, but these individual impacts can devastate parts of the EarthEarth and threaten life.

Question 19

What is Sedna?

Accepted Answer

A)  the largest object discovered beyond the orbit of Pluto 
B)  the bright comet to which we hope to send a rendezvous mission 
C)  the largest object in the asteroid belt 
D)  the largest of the Trojan asteroids 
A)  the largest object discovered beyond the orbit of Pluto 
B)  the bright comet to which we hope to send a rendezvous mission 
C)  the largest object in the asteroid belt 
D)  the largest of the Trojan asteroids

Question 20

MOSTost meteor showers occur when Earth moves through the:

Accepted Answer

A)  orbit of a comet (or of a former comet). 
B)  Kuiper belt. 
C)  asteroid belt. 
D)  Oort comet cloud. 
A)  orbit of a comet (or of a former comet). 
B)  Kuiper belt. 
C)  asteroid belt. 
D)  Oort comet cloud.

On the basis of the recent interpretation of geological evidence,the impact of a 10-km-diameter asteroid on the surface of the EarthEarth would be very likely to:

The asteroid belt is believed by most astronomers to be composed of:

Suppose a comet is observed to have a surface of pure ice with very little dust and rock on its surface.What can we say about this comet?

The asteroid belt has a gap where few objects are found because of repeated gravitational disturbances from Jupiter.At what distance from the Sun will this gap be found if objects in the gap have a period one- third that of Jupiter? (Hint: Use Kepler''s law.)

By 1891,only about 300 asteroids had been discovered.After 1891,hundreds more were discovered quickly.What caused this increased discovery rate for asteroids?

A comet''s tail always:

What kind of orbit is traced by the Trojan asteroids as they move around the Sun?

Fullerenes ("buckeyballs")are spherical molecules composed exclusively of carbon atoms.What is their connection with meteoric impacts?

The nucleus of a typical comet is:

The aphelia (farthest distances from the Sun)of the orbits of periodic comets are:

The Pluto-Charon system moves in which way in its mutual motion?

Often,an asteroid viewed from Earth appears to change its brightness periodically because the:

The 1908 Tunguska event resulted in three of the following.Which one wasdid not NOT in a: result?

The collision of the Deep Impact probe with the nucleus of Comet Tempel 1 in 2005 revealed the nucleus as a "rubble pile," held together by:

If an asteroid were to be moving in a circular orbit around the Sun with an orbital period of 1/5 that of Jupiter,what would be the radius of its orbit?

Comet tails are the result of:

A stony meteorite would not NOT show evidence of which one of the following propertyies?

Interplanetary material:

What is Sedna?

MOSTost meteor showers occur when Earth moves through 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

On the basis of the recent interpretation of geological evidence,the impact of a 10-km-diameter asteroid on the surface of the EarthEarth would be very likely to:

The asteroid belt is believed by most astronomers to be composed of:

Suppose a comet is observed to have a surface of pure ice with very little dust and rock on its surface.What can we say about this comet?

The asteroid belt has a gap where few objects are found because of repeated gravitational disturbances from Jupiter.At what distance from the Sun will this gap be found if objects in the gap have a period one- third that of Jupiter? (Hint: Use Kepler''s law.)

By 1891,only about 300 asteroids had been discovered.After 1891,hundreds more were discovered quickly.What caused this increased discovery rate for asteroids?

A comet''s tail always:

What kind of orbit is traced by the Trojan asteroids as they move around the Sun?

Fullerenes ("buckeyballs")are spherical molecules composed exclusively of carbon atoms.What is their connection with meteoric impacts?

The nucleus of a typical comet is:

The aphelia (farthest distances from the Sun)of the orbits of periodic comets are:

The Pluto-Charon system moves in which way in its mutual motion?

Often,an asteroid viewed from Earth appears to change its brightness periodically because the:

The 1908 Tunguska event resulted in three of the following.Which one wasdid not NOT in a: result?

The collision of the Deep Impact probe with the nucleus of Comet Tempel 1 in 2005 revealed the nucleus as a "rubble pile," held together by:

If an asteroid were to be moving in a circular orbit around the Sun with an orbital period of 1/5 that of Jupiter,what would be the radius of its orbit?

Comet tails are the result of:

A stony meteorite would not NOT show evidence of which one of the following propertyies?

Interplanetary material:

What is Sedna?

MOSTost meteor showers occur when Earth moves through 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