Question 1

For which of the following descriptions would you identify a rock as a fallen meteorite?

Accepted Answer

A)  basalt rock full of hollow spaces, shiny and dark colored, with fine details on its surface 
B)  rock containing large, transparent crystals of common salt embedded in sandstone 
C)  layered rock consisting mainly of limestone 
D)  irregular and very heavy solid iron rock with a distinctive crystal structure throughout its interior 
A)  basalt rock full of hollow spaces, shiny and dark colored, with fine details on its surface 
B)  rock containing large, transparent crystals of common salt embedded in sandstone 
C)  layered rock consisting mainly of limestone 
D)  irregular and very heavy solid iron rock with a distinctive crystal structure throughout its interior

Question 2

The Oort cloud is:

Accepted Answer

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

Question 3

The nucleus of Comet Tempel 1 has been described as a "rubble pile,",a loose accumulation of material held together by gravity.In this,it is similar to:

Accepted Answer

A)  Charon, the satellite of Pluto. 
B)  Miranda, the satellite of Uranus. 
C)  the dwarf planet Ceres. 
D)  Vesta, a large asteroid. 
A)  Charon, the satellite of Pluto. 
B)  Miranda, the satellite of Uranus. 
C)  the dwarf planet Ceres. 
D)  Vesta, a large asteroid.

Question 4

The most MOST common meteorites to hit the EarthEarth are:

Accepted Answer

A)  carbonaceous chondrites. 
B)  iron meteorites. 
C)  stony- iron meteorites. 
D)  stony meteorites. 
A)  carbonaceous chondrites. 
B)  iron meteorites. 
C)  stony- iron meteorites. 
D)  stony meteorites.

Question 5

What is the net force on a Trojan asteroid?

Accepted Answer

A)  zero 
B)  the same as the net force on Jupiter 
C)  slightly less than the net force on Jupiter if it is 60 degrees ahead of Jupiter in its orbit, and slightly more if it is 60 degrees behind 
D)  enough to give it the same acceleration as Jupiter 
A)  zero 
B)  the same as the net force on Jupiter 
C)  slightly less than the net force on Jupiter if it is 60 degrees ahead of Jupiter in its orbit, and slightly more if it is 60 degrees behind 
D)  enough to give it the same acceleration as Jupiter

Question 6

Meteoroid is the term used to describe a solid particle that:

Accepted Answer

A)  is drifting around in space. 
B)  has fallen to the EarthEarth from space. 
C)  burns up as it falls through the EarthEarth''s atmosphere. 
D)  originated on the Moon but was knocked onto the EarthEarth by a massive impact. 
A)  is drifting around in space. 
B)  has fallen to the EarthEarth from space. 
C)  burns up as it falls through the EarthEarth''s atmosphere. 
D)  originated on the Moon but was knocked onto the EarthEarth by a massive impact.

Question 7

A meteor shower occurs when:

Accepted Answer

A)  the head of a comet hits the EarthEarth''s atmosphere. 
B)  a meteor disintegrates in the EarthEarth''s atmosphere. 
C)  Earth passes through the asteroid belt. 
D)  Earth passes through a swarm of dust particles in space. 
A)  the head of a comet hits the EarthEarth''s atmosphere. 
B)  a meteor disintegrates in the EarthEarth''s atmosphere. 
C)  Earth passes through the asteroid belt. 
D)  Earth passes through a swarm of dust particles in space.

Question 8

At the end of the Permian era 250 million years ago,70% of all species living on land and 90% of all species living in the oceans disappeared.What is believed to have been the cause of this massive extinction?

Accepted Answer

A)  global warming from volcanic gases released during the breakup of the Gondwanaland supercontinent 
B)  a nearby supernova (the explosion and total destruction of a star) 
C)  devastating impact by an asteroid 
D)  a "snowball Earth" episode in which global cooling caused the EarthEarth''s ocean surfaces to freeze and glaciers to cover the continents 
A)  global warming from volcanic gases released during the breakup of the Gondwanaland supercontinent 
B)  a nearby supernova (the explosion and total destruction of a star) 
C)  devastating impact by an asteroid 
D)  a "snowball Earth" episode in which global cooling caused the EarthEarth''s ocean surfaces to freeze and glaciers to cover the continents

Question 9

How are space probes to the outer planets such as Jupiter protected from being obliterated by collisions with asteroids in the asteroid belt?

Accepted Answer

A)  They aren''t. We lose only one out of every four spacecraft to collisions with asteroids, so it is cheaper to take our chances. 
B)  The spacecraft are equipped with cameras to detect asteroids so that they can be directed safely around them. 
C)  The spacecraft are sent in an inclined orbit that arcs above or below the asteroid belt, then crosses the ecliptic again near Jupiter. 
D)  They aren''t. Asteroids are so far apart that the spacecraft just sail through. 
A)  They aren''t. We lose only one out of every four spacecraft to collisions with asteroids, so it is cheaper to take our chances. 
B)  The spacecraft are equipped with cameras to detect asteroids so that they can be directed safely around them. 
C)  The spacecraft are sent in an inclined orbit that arcs above or below the asteroid belt, then crosses the ecliptic again near Jupiter. 
D)  They aren''t. Asteroids are so far apart that the spacecraft just sail through.

Question 10

A meteor shower results from:

Accepted Answer

A)  material ejected by a massive impact on the Moon; the EarthEarth''s gravity attracts it toward the EarthEarth. 
B)  material reentering the EarthEarth''s atmosphere after being ejected into space by violent volcanic eruptions on the EarthEarth. 
C)  the EarthEarth passing through debris of an old comet. 
D)  a small piece of rock fragmenting as it passes through the EarthEarth''s atmosphere. 
A)  material ejected by a massive impact on the Moon; the EarthEarth''s gravity attracts it toward the EarthEarth. 
B)  material reentering the EarthEarth''s atmosphere after being ejected into space by violent volcanic eruptions on the EarthEarth. 
C)  the EarthEarth passing through debris of an old comet. 
D)  a small piece of rock fragmenting as it passes through the EarthEarth''s atmosphere.

Question 11

A few of the largest asteroids appear to be spherical.How do you think they got this way?

Accepted Answer

A)  The visible outer atmospheres of these large asteroids are spherical, even though the underlying surfaces are irregular. 
B)  The largest asteroids solidified from spherical gas clouds in their early history and retained this shape. 
C)  Repeated collisions with other asteroids have worn the largest asteroids down to spheres. 
D)  Self-gravity was sufficient to pull the largest asteroids into a spherical shape during their early history. 
A)  The visible outer atmospheres of these large asteroids are spherical, even though the underlying surfaces are irregular. 
B)  The largest asteroids solidified from spherical gas clouds in their early history and retained this shape. 
C)  Repeated collisions with other asteroids have worn the largest asteroids down to spheres. 
D)  Self-gravity was sufficient to pull the largest asteroids into a spherical shape during their early history.

Question 12

The two Lagrange points in the Jupiter-Sun planetary system are:

Accepted Answer

A)  positions in space at Jupiter''s orbital distance from the Sun where the combined gravitational forces from the Sun and Jupiter produce an equilibrium point at which asteroids can become trapped. 
B)  points at high latitudes on Jupiter where auroras (called Lagrange auroras on Jupiter) occur most frequently. 
C)  areas in the asteroid belt where gravitational interaction of Jupiter with asteroids disturbs their orbits and causes a Kirkwood gap. 
D)  an area between the Sun and Jupiter where the gravitational forces on an object from these massive bodies are equal and opposite. 
A)  positions in space at Jupiter''s orbital distance from the Sun where the combined gravitational forces from the Sun and Jupiter produce an equilibrium point at which asteroids can become trapped. 
B)  points at high latitudes on Jupiter where auroras (called Lagrange auroras on Jupiter) occur most frequently. 
C)  areas in the asteroid belt where gravitational interaction of Jupiter with asteroids disturbs their orbits and causes a Kirkwood gap. 
D)  an area between the Sun and Jupiter where the gravitational forces on an object from these massive bodies are equal and opposite.

Question 13

A chunk of rock and metal 10 km in diameter orbiting the Sun would be called a(n):

Accepted Answer

A)  asteroid. 
B)  comet. 
C)  moon. 
D)  meteoroid. 
A)  asteroid. 
B)  comet. 
C)  moon. 
D)  meteoroid.

Question 14

Dust grains released by the melting of ice in a comet nucleus:

Accepted Answer

A)  drift away from the Sun along magnetic field lines, outlining the structure of the field. 
B)  become a straight, highly structured, and very variable tail blown away from the comet by the solar wind. 
C)  become a cloud around the nucleus, the coma, scattering sunlight very efficiently at blue wavelengths. 
D)  become a uniform, curved tail moving away from the comet under radiation pressure from sunlight. 
A)  drift away from the Sun along magnetic field lines, outlining the structure of the field. 
B)  become a straight, highly structured, and very variable tail blown away from the comet by the solar wind. 
C)  become a cloud around the nucleus, the coma, scattering sunlight very efficiently at blue wavelengths. 
D)  become a uniform, curved tail moving away from the comet under radiation pressure from sunlight.

Question 15

Asteroids that orbit the Sun in the stable Lagrange points in Jupiter''s orbit are known as:

Accepted Answer

A)  adenoids. 
B)  Apollo asteroids. 
C)  Trojans. 
D)  Jupitoids. 
A)  adenoids. 
B)  Apollo asteroids. 
C)  Trojans. 
D)  Jupitoids.

Question 16

What is the specific mechanism by which the Chicxulub impact is believed to have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs and many other species 65 million years ago?

Accepted Answer

A)  Iridium poisoning due to fallout of meteoritic material destroyed a large fraction of the creatures within several days of the impact. 
B)  Dust thrown up by the impact blotted out the Sun and disrupted the food chain over a period of several years. 
C)  The incoming asteroid contained alien biological material that destroyed susceptible species within a few weeks of the impact. 
D)  Shock waves and tsunamis (tidal waves) killed the majority of living creatures within a few minutes of the impact. 
A)  Iridium poisoning due to fallout of meteoritic material destroyed a large fraction of the creatures within several days of the impact. 
B)  Dust thrown up by the impact blotted out the Sun and disrupted the food chain over a period of several years. 
C)  The incoming asteroid contained alien biological material that destroyed susceptible species within a few weeks of the impact. 
D)  Shock waves and tsunamis (tidal waves) killed the majority of living creatures within a few minutes of the impact.

Question 17

Carbonaceous chondrite meteorites have been found to contain all of the following except oneEXCEPT ONE.Which has not been foundis the exception?

Accepted Answer

A)  small glass-rich beads called chondrules 
B)  minerals that contain water 
C)  amino acids 
D)  interior rock that has obviously been melted and re-solidified. 
A)  small glass-rich beads called chondrules 
B)  minerals that contain water 
C)  amino acids 
D)  interior rock that has obviously been melted and re-solidified.

Question 18

Jupiter''s orbital period is approximately 12 years.If it were exactly 12 years,which of the following periods would NOT produce an effective resonance with Jupiter?

Accepted Answer

A)  3.0 years 
B)  6.0 years 
C)  5.1 years 
D)  8.0 years 
A)  3.0 years 
B)  6.0 years 
C)  5.1 years 
D)  8.0 years

Question 19

What did tThe Stardust probe that visited Comet Wild 2 and found all but one of the following.What did it notNOT find?

Accepted Answer

A)  craters 
B)  gas jets 
C)  possible fossilized life- forms like those found in the Mars meteorites 
D)  amino acids 
A)  craters 
B)  gas jets 
C)  possible fossilized life- forms like those found in the Mars meteorites 
D)  amino acids

Question 20

Most meteorites show evidence of having melted or of being fragments of asteroids that were once differentiated by heat.Carbonaceous chondrites,however,are believed to have never melted.Which one of the following sentences is NOT a reason we believe carbonaceous chondrites have never melted?

Accepted Answer

A)  Carbonaceous chondrites contain complex carbon compounds that would have been broken down into simpler compounds by high heat. 
B)  The minerals in carbonaceous chondrites contain as much as 20% water. The water would have been driven out if the minerals had been heated. 
C)  Amino acids that are occasionally found in carbonaceous chondrites would have been destroyed by melting. 
D)  Carbonaceous chondrites do not show fusion crusts after passage through the EarthEarth''s atmosphere. 
A)  Carbonaceous chondrites contain complex carbon compounds that would have been broken down into simpler compounds by high heat. 
B)  The minerals in carbonaceous chondrites contain as much as 20% water. The water would have been driven out if the minerals had been heated. 
C)  Amino acids that are occasionally found in carbonaceous chondrites would have been destroyed by melting. 
D)  Carbonaceous chondrites do not show fusion crusts after passage through the EarthEarth''s atmosphere.

For which of the following descriptions would you identify a rock as a fallen meteorite?

The Oort cloud is:

The nucleus of Comet Tempel 1 has been described as a "rubble pile,",a loose accumulation of material held together by gravity.In this,it is similar to:

The most MOST common meteorites to hit the EarthEarth are:

What is the net force on a Trojan asteroid?

Meteoroid is the term used to describe a solid particle that:

A meteor shower occurs when:

At the end of the Permian era 250 million years ago,70% of all species living on land and 90% of all species living in the oceans disappeared.What is believed to have been the cause of this massive extinction?

How are space probes to the outer planets such as Jupiter protected from being obliterated by collisions with asteroids in the asteroid belt?

A meteor shower results from:

A few of the largest asteroids appear to be spherical.How do you think they got this way?

The two Lagrange points in the Jupiter-Sun planetary system are:

A chunk of rock and metal 10 km in diameter orbiting the Sun would be called a(n):

Dust grains released by the melting of ice in a comet nucleus:

Asteroids that orbit the Sun in the stable Lagrange points in Jupiter''s orbit are known as:

What is the specific mechanism by which the Chicxulub impact is believed to have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs and many other species 65 million years ago?

Carbonaceous chondrite meteorites have been found to contain all of the following except oneEXCEPT ONE.Which has not been foundis the exception?

Jupiter''s orbital period is approximately 12 years.If it were exactly 12 years,which of the following periods would NOT produce an effective resonance with Jupiter?

What did tThe Stardust probe that visited Comet Wild 2 and found all but one of the following.What did it notNOT find?

Most meteorites show evidence of having melted or of being fragments of asteroids that were once differentiated by heat.Carbonaceous chondrites,however,are believed to have never melted.Which one of the following sentences is NOT a reason we believe carbonaceous chondrites have never melted?

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

For which of the following descriptions would you identify a rock as a fallen meteorite?

The Oort cloud is:

The nucleus of Comet Tempel 1 has been described as a "rubble pile,",a loose accumulation of material held together by gravity.In this,it is similar to:

The most MOST common meteorites to hit the EarthEarth are:

What is the net force on a Trojan asteroid?

Meteoroid is the term used to describe a solid particle that:

A meteor shower occurs when:

At the end of the Permian era 250 million years ago,70% of all species living on land and 90% of all species living in the oceans disappeared.What is believed to have been the cause of this massive extinction?

How are space probes to the outer planets such as Jupiter protected from being obliterated by collisions with asteroids in the asteroid belt?

A meteor shower results from:

A few of the largest asteroids appear to be spherical.How do you think they got this way?

The two Lagrange points in the Jupiter-Sun planetary system are:

A chunk of rock and metal 10 km in diameter orbiting the Sun would be called a(n):

Dust grains released by the melting of ice in a comet nucleus:

Asteroids that orbit the Sun in the stable Lagrange points in Jupiter''s orbit are known as:

What is the specific mechanism by which the Chicxulub impact is believed to have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs and many other species 65 million years ago?

Carbonaceous chondrite meteorites have been found to contain all of the following except oneEXCEPT ONE.Which has not been foundis the exception?

Jupiter''s orbital period is approximately 12 years.If it were exactly 12 years,which of the following periods would NOT produce an effective resonance with Jupiter?

What did tThe Stardust probe that visited Comet Wild 2 and found all but one of the following.What did it notNOT find?

Most meteorites show evidence of having melted or of being fragments of asteroids that were once differentiated by heat.Carbonaceous chondrites,however,are believed to have never melted.Which one of the following sentences is NOT a reason we believe carbonaceous chondrites have never melted?

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