Question 1

Who was the first person to discover an asteroid?

Accepted Answer

A)  German astronomer Johann Bode 
B)  English astronomer Sir William Herschel 
C)  German mathematician Karl Friedrich Gauss 
D)  Italian astronomer Guiseppe Piazzi 
A)  German astronomer Johann Bode 
B)  English astronomer Sir William Herschel 
C)  German mathematician Karl Friedrich Gauss 
D)  Italian astronomer Guiseppe Piazzi

Question 2

Where do the Trojan asteroids orbit the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A)  in circular orbits at the same orbital distance as Jupiter 
B)  in circular orbits at the same orbital distance as the EarthEarth 
C)  in the asteroid belt, so-named because they are large 
D)  in elliptical orbits that cross the orbit of the EarthEarth 
A)  in circular orbits at the same orbital distance as Jupiter 
B)  in circular orbits at the same orbital distance as the EarthEarth 
C)  in the asteroid belt, so-named because they are large 
D)  in elliptical orbits that cross the orbit of the EarthEarth

Question 3

How would a typical asteroid appear on a time exposure photograph of the sky as it orbited the Sun if the camera were tracking the background stars?

Accepted Answer

A)  The asteroid would look like a star, a small extra dot not shown on star charts of this area of the sky. 
B)  The asteroid would look like a small, diffuse patch against the sharp images of stars because of the dust and gas surrounding it. 
C)  The asteroid would produce a flash of light as it crossed the field of view of the camera. 
D)  The asteroid would produce a short trail as it moved slowly against the background stars. 
A)  The asteroid would look like a star, a small extra dot not shown on star charts of this area of the sky. 
B)  The asteroid would look like a small, diffuse patch against the sharp images of stars because of the dust and gas surrounding it. 
C)  The asteroid would produce a flash of light as it crossed the field of view of the camera. 
D)  The asteroid would produce a short trail as it moved slowly against the background stars.

Question 4

Comet tails always point away from the Sun.This observation led Ludwig Biermann to predict the:

Accepted Answer

A)  hydrogen envelop around the comet nucleus. 
B)  solar wind. 
C)  solar corona. 
D)  solar magnetic field. 
A)  hydrogen envelop around the comet nucleus. 
B)  solar wind. 
C)  solar corona. 
D)  solar magnetic field.

Question 5

The collection of Trojan asteroids trapped at Jupiter''s Lagrange points was:

Accepted Answer

A)  a surprise when first discovered by the 5-meter Mount Palomar telescope. 
B)  a surprise when first discovered by the Hubble Space Telescope. 
C)  a surprise when first discovered by the Voyager 2 flyby mission. 
D)  predicted by the mathematician Lagrange in 1772. 
A)  a surprise when first discovered by the 5-meter Mount Palomar telescope. 
B)  a surprise when first discovered by the Hubble Space Telescope. 
C)  a surprise when first discovered by the Voyager 2 flyby mission. 
D)  predicted by the mathematician Lagrange in 1772.

Question 6

The stable Lagrange points associated with two objects in space are points where the combined gravitational force is:

Accepted Answer

A)  a minimum. 
B)  either a maximum or minimum. 
C)  a maximum. 
D)  zero. 
A)  a minimum. 
B)  either a maximum or minimum. 
C)  a maximum. 
D)  zero.

Question 7

Recent calculations show that the Tunguska explosion in Siberia in 1908 was probably caused by a:

Accepted Answer

A)  large stony meteorite about 1 m across striking the ground at a high speed. 
B)  small nuclear explosion. 
C)  small comet nucleus about 1 km across suddenly vaporizing in the atmosphere. 
D)  small stony asteroid about 80 m across exploding well above the ground. 
A)  large stony meteorite about 1 m across striking the ground at a high speed. 
B)  small nuclear explosion. 
C)  small comet nucleus about 1 km across suddenly vaporizing in the atmosphere. 
D)  small stony asteroid about 80 m across exploding well above the ground.

Question 8

The surfaces of Ida,Mathilde,and Eros,asteroids photographed by the Galileo and NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft (Figures 8-14,8-18a,and 8-19,Comins,Discovering the Essential Universe,6th ed.)are:

Accepted Answer

A)  densely covered with ancient large and small overlapping craters, similar to the surface of the highland areas of the Moon. 
B)  irregular, somewhat rounded, and moderately cratered. 
C)  covered with ice that is criss-crossed with cracks and systems of parallel grooves. 
D)  covered with young, sharp, jagged protrusions, due to fragmentation by collision with other asteroids, and few craters. 
A)  densely covered with ancient large and small overlapping craters, similar to the surface of the highland areas of the Moon. 
B)  irregular, somewhat rounded, and moderately cratered. 
C)  covered with ice that is criss-crossed with cracks and systems of parallel grooves. 
D)  covered with young, sharp, jagged protrusions, due to fragmentation by collision with other asteroids, and few craters.

Question 9

The major difference between the orbital paths of comets that we see in the inner solar system and those of the asteroids in the asteroid belt is that:

Accepted Answer

A)  comet orbits are mostly circular and in the ecliptic plane, whereas the asteroids have elliptical orbits inclined at random to the ecliptic plane. 
B)  asteroids orbit the Sun continuously, whereas all comets approach the Sun''s vicinity only once before leaving the solar system. 
C)  comets never approach nearer the Sun than approximately Jupiter''s orbit, whereas some asteroids approach very near to the Sun. 
D)  cometary orbits are highly elliptical and at random inclinations to the ecliptic plane compared with the circular orbits of asteroids in the ecliptic plane. 
A)  comet orbits are mostly circular and in the ecliptic plane, whereas the asteroids have elliptical orbits inclined at random to the ecliptic plane. 
B)  asteroids orbit the Sun continuously, whereas all comets approach the Sun''s vicinity only once before leaving the solar system. 
C)  comets never approach nearer the Sun than approximately Jupiter''s orbit, whereas some asteroids approach very near to the Sun. 
D)  cometary orbits are highly elliptical and at random inclinations to the ecliptic plane compared with the circular orbits of asteroids in the ecliptic plane.

Question 10

What is the purpose of the Genesis spacecraft?

Accepted Answer

A)  to land on an asteroid 
B)  to move alongside a bright comet nucleus 
C)  to collect some of the solar wind and return to Earth 
D)  to collect several small asteroids and return to Earth 
A)  to land on an asteroid 
B)  to move alongside a bright comet nucleus 
C)  to collect some of the solar wind and return to Earth 
D)  to collect several small asteroids and return to Earth

Question 11

What is the largest LARGEST moon of the dwarf planet Pluto called?

Accepted Answer

A)  Chiron 
B)  Callisto 
C)  Charon 
D)  Triton 
A)  Chiron 
B)  Callisto 
C)  Charon 
D)  Triton

Question 12

Based on its mean density,the dwarf planet Pluto appears to be composed of:

Accepted Answer

A)  rock and iron. 
B)  a mixture of rock and ice. 
C)  gases such as methane and ammonia, possibly with a small, liquid core. 
D)  the very lightest elements, hydrogen and helium. 
A)  rock and iron. 
B)  a mixture of rock and ice. 
C)  gases such as methane and ammonia, possibly with a small, liquid core. 
D)  the very lightest elements, hydrogen and helium.

Question 13

Each of the following is a characteristic of a sungrazing comet,except oneEXCEPT ONE.Which is the exception?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is destined to crash into the Sun and thus disappear. 
B)  It is one of the Kreutz family of comets. 
C)  It is part of the remnant of a comet which broke up a long time ago. 
D)  It will be broken into smaller pieces near perihelion. 
A)  It is destined to crash into the Sun and thus disappear. 
B)  It is one of the Kreutz family of comets. 
C)  It is part of the remnant of a comet which broke up a long time ago. 
D)  It will be broken into smaller pieces near perihelion.

Question 14

What defines a comet as a long-period comet?

Accepted Answer

A)  The comet makes only one pass near the Sun and then leaves the solar system forever. 
B)  The comet falls in from the Oort cloud rather than from the Kuiper belt. 
C)  The comet has a period longer than 1000 years. 
D)  The comet has a period longer than 200 years. 
A)  The comet makes only one pass near the Sun and then leaves the solar system forever. 
B)  The comet falls in from the Oort cloud rather than from the Kuiper belt. 
C)  The comet has a period longer than 1000 years. 
D)  The comet has a period longer than 200 years.

Question 15

A meteorite that recently fell to the EarthEarth was found to contain evidence of the existence earlier in its history of a short-lived radioactive isotope of aluminum,²⁶Al,which can be produced only under extremely energetic conditions and in nuclear reactions.What conclusion can be drawn from this observation?

Accepted Answer

A)  An energetic nuclear event, a supernova, occurred near the Sun, and it produced the ²⁶Al at about the time the meteorite was formed. 
B)  The meteorite became so hot on its descent through the EarthEarth''s atmosphere that it became radioactive, and the ²⁶Al was formed at that time. 
C)  The meteorite had probably passed through radioactive clouds in space and collected the ²⁶Al before hitting the EarthEarth. 
D)  Radioactivity occurs spontaneously in normal matter, so this finding is not surprising. 
A)  An energetic nuclear event, a supernova, occurred near the Sun, and it produced the ²⁶Al at about the time the meteorite was formed. 
B)  The meteorite became so hot on its descent through the EarthEarth''s atmosphere that it became radioactive, and the ²⁶Al was formed at that time. 
C)  The meteorite had probably passed through radioactive clouds in space and collected the ²⁶Al before hitting the EarthEarth. 
D)  Radioactivity occurs spontaneously in normal matter, so this finding is not surprising.

Question 16

Based on its mean density,the dwarf planet Pluto is:

Accepted Answer

A)  similar to the Jovian planets in composition, although it is much smaller in size. 
B)  similar to the terrestrial planets in composition, although it is much smaller in size. 
C)  similar to the terrestrial planets in composition, although it is much larger in size. 
D)  a real oddity, denser than the Jovian planets but lighter than the terrestrial planets. 
A)  similar to the Jovian planets in composition, although it is much smaller in size. 
B)  similar to the terrestrial planets in composition, although it is much smaller in size. 
C)  similar to the terrestrial planets in composition, although it is much larger in size. 
D)  a real oddity, denser than the Jovian planets but lighter than the terrestrial planets.

Question 17

Pluto is believed to have:

Accepted Answer

A)  no atmosphere at all. 
B)  a thick atmosphere of carbon dioxide. 
C)  a thin atmosphere of water vapor. 
D)  a thin atmosphere containing some nitrogen. 
A)  no atmosphere at all. 
B)  a thick atmosphere of carbon dioxide. 
C)  a thin atmosphere of water vapor. 
D)  a thin atmosphere containing some nitrogen.

Question 18

From which planet is the meteoritic material found recently in Antarctica believed to have come?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 19

Which of the following objects was discovered in the twentieth century?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 20

The Widmanstätten pattern of crystals found in many iron meteorites is evidence that the meteorites:

Accepted Answer

A)  cooled slowly over many millions of years. 
B)  cooled quickly, in only a few years at most. 
C)  have suffered highly energetic collisions with asteroids or other meteorites. 
D)  have been subject to periodic heating by close approaches to the Sun. 
A)  cooled slowly over many millions of years. 
B)  cooled quickly, in only a few years at most. 
C)  have suffered highly energetic collisions with asteroids or other meteorites. 
D)  have been subject to periodic heating by close approaches to the Sun.

Who was the first person to discover an asteroid?

Where do the Trojan asteroids orbit the Sun?

How would a typical asteroid appear on a time exposure photograph of the sky as it orbited the Sun if the camera were tracking the background stars?

Comet tails always point away from the Sun.This observation led Ludwig Biermann to predict the:

The collection of Trojan asteroids trapped at Jupiter''s Lagrange points was:

The stable Lagrange points associated with two objects in space are points where the combined gravitational force is:

Recent calculations show that the Tunguska explosion in Siberia in 1908 was probably caused by a:

The surfaces of Ida,Mathilde,and Eros,asteroids photographed by the Galileo and NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft (Figures 8-14,8-18a,and 8-19,Comins,Discovering the Essential Universe,6th ed.)are:

The major difference between the orbital paths of comets that we see in the inner solar system and those of the asteroids in the asteroid belt is that:

What is the purpose of the Genesis spacecraft?

What is the largest LARGEST moon of the dwarf planet Pluto called?

Based on its mean density,the dwarf planet Pluto appears to be composed of:

Each of the following is a characteristic of a sungrazing comet,except oneEXCEPT ONE.Which is the exception?

What defines a comet as a long-period comet?

Based on its mean density,the dwarf planet Pluto is:

Pluto is believed to have:

From which planet is the meteoritic material found recently in Antarctica believed to have come?

Which of the following objects was discovered in the twentieth century?

The Widmanstätten pattern of crystals found in many iron meteorites is evidence that the 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

Exam 8: Vagabonds of the Solar System

Who was the first person to discover an asteroid?

Where do the Trojan asteroids orbit the Sun?

How would a typical asteroid appear on a time exposure photograph of the sky as it orbited the Sun if the camera were tracking the background stars?

Comet tails always point away from the Sun.This observation led Ludwig Biermann to predict the:

The collection of Trojan asteroids trapped at Jupiter''s Lagrange points was:

The stable Lagrange points associated with two objects in space are points where the combined gravitational force is:

Recent calculations show that the Tunguska explosion in Siberia in 1908 was probably caused by a:

The surfaces of Ida,Mathilde,and Eros,asteroids photographed by the Galileo and NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft (Figures 8-14,8-18a,and 8-19,Comins,Discovering the Essential Universe,6th ed.)are:

The major difference between the orbital paths of comets that we see in the inner solar system and those of the asteroids in the asteroid belt is that:

What is the purpose of the Genesis spacecraft?

What is the largest LARGEST moon of the dwarf planet Pluto called?

Based on its mean density,the dwarf planet Pluto appears to be composed of:

Each of the following is a characteristic of a sungrazing comet,except oneEXCEPT ONE.Which is the exception?

What defines a comet as a long-period comet?

Based on its mean density,the dwarf planet Pluto is:

Pluto is believed to have:

From which planet is the meteoritic material found recently in Antarctica believed to have come?

Which of the following objects was discovered in the twentieth century?

The Widmanstätten pattern of crystals found in many iron meteorites is evidence that the 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