Question 1

Why is the star Zeta Leporis,in Lepus the Hare,an object of particular interest?

Accepted Answer

A)  Zeta Leporis is still in the nebular stage; it is only a few hundred million years old. 
B)  Zeta Leporis appears to have an Earthlike planet. 
C)  Zeta Leporis is believed to have passed near the Sun early in the history of the solar system, causing gravitational disruptions that affect the orbits of the asteroids. 
D)  Zeta Leporis appears to have an asteroid belt of its own. 
A)  Zeta Leporis is still in the nebular stage; it is only a few hundred million years old. 
B)  Zeta Leporis appears to have an Earthlike planet. 
C)  Zeta Leporis is believed to have passed near the Sun early in the history of the solar system, causing gravitational disruptions that affect the orbits of the asteroids. 
D)  Zeta Leporis appears to have an asteroid belt of its own.

Question 2

What is unique about the Pluto-Charon system,compared with all other planets in the solar system?

Accepted Answer

A)  Both Pluto and Charon are volcanically active, with lava flows and vents of sulfur dioxide gas. 
B)  Charon is an icy moon, but it is in orbit around a giant planet made mostly of liquid hydrogen. 
C)  Pluto has only one satellite. 
D)  Both Pluto and Charon are in synchronous rotation, so each object maintains the same face toward the other object at all times. 
A)  Both Pluto and Charon are volcanically active, with lava flows and vents of sulfur dioxide gas. 
B)  Charon is an icy moon, but it is in orbit around a giant planet made mostly of liquid hydrogen. 
C)  Pluto has only one satellite. 
D)  Both Pluto and Charon are in synchronous rotation, so each object maintains the same face toward the other object at all times.

Question 3

The existence of distinct and separate types of meteorites,stony,stony- iron,and iron,is probably a result of:

Accepted Answer

A)  differentiation of material in molten asteroid interiors, with the iron sinking to the core, followed by fragmentation and separation of the iron core and rocky shell. 
B)  preferential accretion of iron particles to other iron particles because of their magnetic properties, leaving stony particles to accrete separately. 
C)  different amounts of heating and "erosion" of the outer layers of meteorites as they pass through Earth''s atmosphere; the irons lose their outer rocky shells. 
D)  their formation in different parts of the early solar nebula, with stones condensing closer to the Sun and irons condensing farther away from the Sun. 
A)  differentiation of material in molten asteroid interiors, with the iron sinking to the core, followed by fragmentation and separation of the iron core and rocky shell. 
B)  preferential accretion of iron particles to other iron particles because of their magnetic properties, leaving stony particles to accrete separately. 
C)  different amounts of heating and "erosion" of the outer layers of meteorites as they pass through Earth''s atmosphere; the irons lose their outer rocky shells. 
D)  their formation in different parts of the early solar nebula, with stones condensing closer to the Sun and irons condensing farther away from the Sun.

Question 4

Asteroids whose elliptical orbits have perihelia inside the orbit of Mars but outside the orbit of the EarthEarth are called _____ asteroids.

Accepted Answer

A)  Apollo 
B)  Trojan 
C)  Hirayama family 
D)  Amor 
A)  Apollo 
B)  Trojan 
C)  Hirayama family 
D)  Amor

Question 5

The Kirkwood gaps (see Figure 8-11,Comins,Discovering the Essential Universe,6th ed.)are in the:

Accepted Answer

A)  asteroid belt at places where there are very few asteroids. 
B)  rings of Saturn, where there is less material than at other radii. 
C)  spectrum of hydrogen gas, where light has been absorbed by molecules first identified by Kirkwood. 
D)  equatorial region of the Sun, where no sunspots are found. 
A)  asteroid belt at places where there are very few asteroids. 
B)  rings of Saturn, where there is less material than at other radii. 
C)  spectrum of hydrogen gas, where light has been absorbed by molecules first identified by Kirkwood. 
D)  equatorial region of the Sun, where no sunspots are found.

Question 6

Which of the following statements about asteroids is NOT true?

Accepted Answer

A)  Only a minority of all asteroids are in the asteroid belt. 
B)  Some asteroids have orbits that carry them inside the EarthEarth''s orbit. 
C)  Some asteroids occupy the same orbit as Jupiter. 
D)  The total mass of all asteroids is much smaller than the mass of the EarthEarth. 
A)  Only a minority of all asteroids are in the asteroid belt. 
B)  Some asteroids have orbits that carry them inside the EarthEarth''s orbit. 
C)  Some asteroids occupy the same orbit as Jupiter. 
D)  The total mass of all asteroids is much smaller than the mass of the EarthEarth.

Question 7

What is unusual about the asteroid Karin?

Accepted Answer

A)  Karin is the Apollo asteroid that comes closest to the EarthEarth. 
B)  Karin was the first of the Trojan asteroids to be discovered. 
C)  Karin sits at the stable Lagrange point in the EarthEarth''s orbit. 
D)  Karin is the largest asteroid in a cluster of asteroids that all orbit the Sun together. 
A)  Karin is the Apollo asteroid that comes closest to the EarthEarth. 
B)  Karin was the first of the Trojan asteroids to be discovered. 
C)  Karin sits at the stable Lagrange point in the EarthEarth''s orbit. 
D)  Karin is the largest asteroid in a cluster of asteroids that all orbit the Sun together.

Question 8

A small particle of rock orbiting the Sun would be called a:

Accepted Answer

A)  meteor. 
B)  micrometer. 
C)  meteorite. 
D)  meteoroid. 
A)  meteor. 
B)  micrometer. 
C)  meteorite. 
D)  meteoroid.

Question 9

What is the orbital sidereal period of a Trojan asteroid? (See Figure 8-16 and Appendix,Table C-1,Comins,Discovering the Essential Universe,6th Ed.)

Accepted Answer

A)  It is difficult to be specific because all Trojan asteroids have different orbital periods, depending on their masses. 
B)  5.9 years, the same as most asteroids in the asteroid belt 
C)  11.86 years 
D)  1.88 years 
A)  It is difficult to be specific because all Trojan asteroids have different orbital periods, depending on their masses. 
B)  5.9 years, the same as most asteroids in the asteroid belt 
C)  11.86 years 
D)  1.88 years

Question 10

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 11

When a piece of space debris enters the EarthEarth''s atmosphere,it makes a bright streak.There are several names for this flash of light.,Wwhich of the following is not NOT one of these?

Accepted Answer

A)  a shooting star 
B)  a fireball 
C)  a bolide 
D)  a meteroid 
A)  a shooting star 
B)  a fireball 
C)  a bolide 
D)  a meteroid

Question 12

What is the typical distance between asteroids in the asteroid belt?

Accepted Answer

A)  6000 km 
B)  1.2 AU 
C)  25 km 
D)  10 million km 
A)  6000 km 
B)  1.2 AU 
C)  25 km 
D)  10 million km

Question 13

A typical comet in an elliptical orbit around the Sun will lose what fraction of its mass by melting each time it passes close to the Sun (i.e.,at each perihelion passage)?

Accepted Answer

A)  1/1000 
B)  very small fraction, less than 1/10,000 
C)  1/10 
D)  1/100 
A)  1/1000 
B)  very small fraction, less than 1/10,000 
C)  1/10 
D)  1/100

Question 14

The Chicxulub Crater,believed by many scientists to have been created by the impact that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs,is:

Accepted Answer

A)  an eroded, water-filled depression in the Canadian Shield area of northern Quebec. 
B)  hidden under the Yucatán Peninsula and adjacent Carribbean Sea. 
C)  a prominent landmark in northern Arizona. 
D)  a large, round valley with a central peak high in the Andes Mountains. 
A)  an eroded, water-filled depression in the Canadian Shield area of northern Quebec. 
B)  hidden under the Yucatán Peninsula and adjacent Carribbean Sea. 
C)  a prominent landmark in northern Arizona. 
D)  a large, round valley with a central peak high in the Andes Mountains.

Question 15

The number of known asteroids rose sharply in the 1890s.What was the cause of this increase?

Accepted Answer

A)  The technique of astrophotography was introduced. 
B)  The first very large telescopes were built. 
C)  Better theoretical predictions of where to look for asteroids became available. 
D)  A series of collisions involving large objects between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter resulted in many more asteroids being formed. 
A)  The technique of astrophotography was introduced. 
B)  The first very large telescopes were built. 
C)  Better theoretical predictions of where to look for asteroids became available. 
D)  A series of collisions involving large objects between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter resulted in many more asteroids being formed.

Question 16

Of the followingWhich objects in the solar system,which one has the greatest orbital inclination (orbit at the greatest angle to that of the EarthEarth)?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mercury 
B)  Mars 
C)  Jupiter 
D)  Pluto 
A)  Mercury 
B)  Mars 
C)  Jupiter 
D)  Pluto

Question 17

Pluto is not NOT believed to have an unusually large:

Accepted Answer

A)  spin rate. 
B)  satellite (relative to its own size). 
C)  orbital eccentricity.. 
D)  orbital inclination. 
A)  spin rate. 
B)  satellite (relative to its own size). 
C)  orbital eccentricity.. 
D)  orbital inclination.

Question 18

The astronomical event that is now thought to have occurred some 65 million years ago,resulting in the death of a large fraction of all living species and leaving a layer of clay containing an enhanced concentration of a rare metal,iridium,in the geological record in rocks throughout the EarthEarth was a(n):

Accepted Answer

A)  extraordinary solar eruption or flare. 
B)  very large volcanic eruption on the EarthEarth. 
C)  supernova that exploded relatively close to the solar system. 
D)  asteroid impact on Earth. 
A)  extraordinary solar eruption or flare. 
B)  very large volcanic eruption on the EarthEarth. 
C)  supernova that exploded relatively close to the solar system. 
D)  asteroid impact on Earth.

Question 19

Of the followingWhich objects in the solar system,which one has the greatest orbital eccentricity and therefore the most MOST elliptical orbit?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mercury 
B)  Mars 
C)  the EarthEarth 
D)  Pluto 
A)  Mercury 
B)  Mars 
C)  the EarthEarth 
D)  Pluto

Question 20

Which of the following characteristics of carbonaceous chondrites is unusual compared with other meteorites?

Accepted Answer

A)  Carbonaceous chondrites never show Widmanstätten patterns. 
B)  Carbonaceous chondrites contain water-a sure sign that they have never melted. 
C)  Carbonaceous chondrites show a fusion crust-a sure sign of short-lived, rapid heating. 
D)  Carbonaceous chondrites contain rocky material-a sure sign that they come from a differentiated asteroid. 
A)  Carbonaceous chondrites never show Widmanstätten patterns. 
B)  Carbonaceous chondrites contain water-a sure sign that they have never melted. 
C)  Carbonaceous chondrites show a fusion crust-a sure sign of short-lived, rapid heating. 
D)  Carbonaceous chondrites contain rocky material-a sure sign that they come from a differentiated asteroid.

Why is the star Zeta Leporis,in Lepus the Hare,an object of particular interest?

What is unique about the Pluto-Charon system,compared with all other planets in the solar system?

The existence of distinct and separate types of meteorites,stony,stony- iron,and iron,is probably a result of:

Asteroids whose elliptical orbits have perihelia inside the orbit of Mars but outside the orbit of the EarthEarth are called _____ asteroids.

The Kirkwood gaps (see Figure 8-11,Comins,Discovering the Essential Universe,6th ed.)are in the:

Which of the following statements about asteroids is NOT true?

What is unusual about the asteroid Karin?

A small particle of rock orbiting the Sun would be called a:

What is the orbital sidereal period of a Trojan asteroid? (See Figure 8-16 and Appendix,Table C-1,Comins,Discovering the Essential Universe,6th Ed.)

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

When a piece of space debris enters the EarthEarth''s atmosphere,it makes a bright streak.There are several names for this flash of light.,Wwhich of the following is not NOT one of these?

What is the typical distance between asteroids in the asteroid belt?

A typical comet in an elliptical orbit around the Sun will lose what fraction of its mass by melting each time it passes close to the Sun (i.e.,at each perihelion passage)?

The Chicxulub Crater,believed by many scientists to have been created by the impact that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs,is:

The number of known asteroids rose sharply in the 1890s.What was the cause of this increase?

Of the followingWhich objects in the solar system,which one has the greatest orbital inclination (orbit at the greatest angle to that of the EarthEarth)?

Pluto is not NOT believed to have an unusually large:

Of the followingWhich objects in the solar system,which one has the greatest orbital eccentricity and therefore the most MOST elliptical orbit?

Which of the following characteristics of carbonaceous chondrites is unusual compared with other meteorites?

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

Why is the star Zeta Leporis,in Lepus the Hare,an object of particular interest?

What is unique about the Pluto-Charon system,compared with all other planets in the solar system?

The existence of distinct and separate types of meteorites,stony,stony- iron,and iron,is probably a result of:

Asteroids whose elliptical orbits have perihelia inside the orbit of Mars but outside the orbit of the EarthEarth are called _____ asteroids.

The Kirkwood gaps (see Figure 8-11,Comins,Discovering the Essential Universe,6th ed.)are in the:

Which of the following statements about asteroids is NOT true?

What is unusual about the asteroid Karin?

A small particle of rock orbiting the Sun would be called a:

What is the orbital sidereal period of a Trojan asteroid? (See Figure 8-16 and Appendix,Table C-1,Comins,Discovering the Essential Universe,6th Ed.)

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

When a piece of space debris enters the EarthEarth''s atmosphere,it makes a bright streak.There are several names for this flash of light.,Wwhich of the following is not NOT one of these?

What is the typical distance between asteroids in the asteroid belt?

A typical comet in an elliptical orbit around the Sun will lose what fraction of its mass by melting each time it passes close to the Sun (i.e.,at each perihelion passage)?

The Chicxulub Crater,believed by many scientists to have been created by the impact that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs,is:

The number of known asteroids rose sharply in the 1890s.What was the cause of this increase?

Of the followingWhich objects in the solar system,which one has the greatest orbital inclination (orbit at the greatest angle to that of the EarthEarth)?

Pluto is not NOT believed to have an unusually large:

Of the followingWhich objects in the solar system,which one has the greatest orbital eccentricity and therefore the most MOST elliptical orbit?

Which of the following characteristics of carbonaceous chondrites is unusual compared with other meteorites?

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