Question 1

To what does the term plutino refer?

Accepted Answer

A)  satellite, or moon, of Pluto 
B)  icy object orbiting the Sun in the region of Pluto 
C)  object in the Oort cloud similar in size to Pluto but orbiting much farther from the Sun 
D)  object in the Kuiper belt of comet nuclei beyond the orbit of Pluto 
A)  satellite, or moon, of Pluto 
B)  icy object orbiting the Sun in the region of Pluto 
C)  object in the Oort cloud similar in size to Pluto but orbiting much farther from the Sun 
D)  object in the Kuiper belt of comet nuclei beyond the orbit of Pluto

Question 2

What is the approximate orbital period of a comet nucleus that orbits the Sun on the outer fringes of the Oort cloud?

Accepted Answer

A)  10 million years 
B)  10,000 years 
C)  100,000 years 
D)  1000 years 
A)  10 million years 
B)  10,000 years 
C)  100,000 years 
D)  1000 years

Question 3

What is the origin of iron meteorites?

Accepted Answer

A)  Since they are iron, they must have been produced within the nearby supernova which that exploded 4.6 billion years ago and caused the collapse which resulted in our solar nebula. 
B)  Since iron has a high condensation temperature, theyse must have been formed in orbits very close to the sun. They were probably drawn outward by the pull of the Jovian planets when they were in the inner solar system (Nice model). 
C)  Iron is formed in various chemical reactions, but only at very low temperatures. So these meteoroids must have been formed in the outer solar system and drifted toward the Sun along with the Jovian planets. 
D)  They came from the core of an asteroid which had differentiated due to the heat of radioactive materials within it. 
A)  Since they are iron, they must have been produced within the nearby supernova which that exploded 4.6 billion years ago and caused the collapse which resulted in our solar nebula. 
B)  Since iron has a high condensation temperature, theyse must have been formed in orbits very close to the sun. They were probably drawn outward by the pull of the Jovian planets when they were in the inner solar system (Nice model). 
C)  Iron is formed in various chemical reactions, but only at very low temperatures. So these meteoroids must have been formed in the outer solar system and drifted toward the Sun along with the Jovian planets. 
D)  They came from the core of an asteroid which had differentiated due to the heat of radioactive materials within it.

Question 4

What mechanism controls the direction in which a comet''s ion tail is aligned in space?

Accepted Answer

A)  the gravitational attraction of the tail material toward the giant planet Jupiter 
B)  the flow of solar wind past the comet''s head 
C)  the tail''s direction of motion because the tail simply trails behind the comet in its orbit 
D)  the gravitational attraction of the tail material toward the Sun 
A)  the gravitational attraction of the tail material toward the giant planet Jupiter 
B)  the flow of solar wind past the comet''s head 
C)  the tail''s direction of motion because the tail simply trails behind the comet in its orbit 
D)  the gravitational attraction of the tail material toward the Sun

Question 5

Jupiter''s orbital period is approximately 12 years.Based on this number,you would be most MOST likely to find an asteroid belt asteroid with a period of how many years?

Accepted Answer

A)  4 
B)  6 
C)  7.3 
D)  24 
A)  4 
B)  6 
C)  7.3 
D)  24

Question 6

What technique has allowed scientists to determine the relative sizes of Pluto and Charon?

Accepted Answer

A)  imaging by the Voyager spacecraft in 1989 
B)  direct photography using adaptive-optics telescopes on the EarthEarth in 1995 
C)  occultation of this planet by the EarthEarth''s Moon during the 1980s 
D)  eclipses of the planet''s surface by its moon, Charon, during 1985-1990, viewed from the EarthEarth 
A)  imaging by the Voyager spacecraft in 1989 
B)  direct photography using adaptive-optics telescopes on the EarthEarth in 1995 
C)  occultation of this planet by the EarthEarth''s Moon during the 1980s 
D)  eclipses of the planet''s surface by its moon, Charon, during 1985-1990, viewed from the EarthEarth

Question 7

What is considered to be the most MOST likely origin of the comets in the Oort cloud?

Accepted Answer

A)  The comets in the Oort cloud formed in the Oort cloud more or less where we see them today. 
B)  The comets in the Oort cloud formed in interstellar clouds and were captured by the Sun. 
C)  The comets in the Oort cloud formed near the orbits of Uranus and Neptune and were flung outward by the gravitational influence of these two planets. 
D)  The comets in the Oort cloud formed near the orbit of Jupiter and were flung outward by Jupiter''s immense gravitational pull. 
A)  The comets in the Oort cloud formed in the Oort cloud more or less where we see them today. 
B)  The comets in the Oort cloud formed in interstellar clouds and were captured by the Sun. 
C)  The comets in the Oort cloud formed near the orbits of Uranus and Neptune and were flung outward by the gravitational influence of these two planets. 
D)  The comets in the Oort cloud formed near the orbit of Jupiter and were flung outward by Jupiter''s immense gravitational pull.

Question 8

The longest period for a comet that can be considered a Jupiter family comet is 20 years.If the perihelion of such a comet''s orbit is very close to the Sun,where is aphelion?

Accepted Answer

A)  between the orbits of Jupiter and Saturn 
B)  between the orbits of Saturn and Uranus 
C)  between the orbits of Uranus and Neptune 
D)  in the Kuiper Belt 
A)  between the orbits of Jupiter and Saturn 
B)  between the orbits of Saturn and Uranus 
C)  between the orbits of Uranus and Neptune 
D)  in the Kuiper Belt

Question 9

Rocks laid down at around the time of the Permian/Triassic mass extinction 250 million years ago contain a surprising amount of fullerenes (football-shaped carbon molecules).What evidence is there that the fullerenes came from outer space?

Accepted Answer

A)  The isotope ratio of carbon¹³ to carbon¹² is too great for the fullerenes to have originated on the EarthEarth. 
B)  The fullerenes show evidence of having been irradiated by the solar wind for millions of years. 
C)  Gases trapped inside the fullerenes could have come only from stars. 
D)  The rocks in which the fullerenes are found contain decay products of short-lived radioactive aluminum isotopes that are believed to be produced only in supernovae (explosions of stars). 
A)  The isotope ratio of carbon¹³ to carbon¹² is too great for the fullerenes to have originated on the EarthEarth. 
B)  The fullerenes show evidence of having been irradiated by the solar wind for millions of years. 
C)  Gases trapped inside the fullerenes could have come only from stars. 
D)  The rocks in which the fullerenes are found contain decay products of short-lived radioactive aluminum isotopes that are believed to be produced only in supernovae (explosions of stars).

Question 10

What causes a meteor shower?

Accepted Answer

A)  If Earth happens to be near a comet when it breaks up, we will see a shower as debris enters Earth''s atmosphere. 
B)  Earth passes through the orbit of a comet. If the comet happens to be nearby, the normal ejecta from the nucleus will cause a shower. 
C)  Earth passes through the tail of a comet. 
D)  Earth passes through the orbit of a former comet that has become strewn with debris. This enters our atmosphere and causes showers. 
A)  If Earth happens to be near a comet when it breaks up, we will see a shower as debris enters Earth''s atmosphere. 
B)  Earth passes through the orbit of a comet. If the comet happens to be nearby, the normal ejecta from the nucleus will cause a shower. 
C)  Earth passes through the tail of a comet. 
D)  Earth passes through the orbit of a former comet that has become strewn with debris. This enters our atmosphere and causes showers.

Question 11

An asteroid is:

Accepted Answer

A)  a small, easily recognizable group of stars within a constellation. 
B)  a planetesimal moving in an orbit around the Sun. 
C)  another name for the nucleus of a comet, a volatile object that moves around the Sun in a long, elliptical orbit. 
D)  a meteorite before it enters the atmosphere and plunges to the EarthEarth. 
A)  a small, easily recognizable group of stars within a constellation. 
B)  a planetesimal moving in an orbit around the Sun. 
C)  another name for the nucleus of a comet, a volatile object that moves around the Sun in a long, elliptical orbit. 
D)  a meteorite before it enters the atmosphere and plunges to the EarthEarth.

Question 12

Most of the asteroids of the solar system move around the Sun between the orbits of which 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 13

Asteroids whose orbits carry them across the EarthEarth''s orbit are known as:

Accepted Answer

A)  Kirkwood asteroids. 
B)  Amor asteroids. 
C)  Trojan asteroids. 
D)  Apollo asteroids. 
A)  Kirkwood asteroids. 
B)  Amor asteroids. 
C)  Trojan asteroids. 
D)  Apollo asteroids.

Question 14

The Kirkwood gaps are caused by:

Accepted Answer

A)  large asteroids moving in circular orbits within the asteroid belt, which sweep out and collect smaller objects in their path. 
B)  large asteroids whose orbits carry them periodically through the asteroid belt, where they sweep out a path and leave it devoid of asteroids. 
C)  the gravitational pull of Jupiter, which nudges asteroids into new orbits. 
D)  large asteroids on the outer fringe of the asteroid belt, which gravitationally affect the paths of smaller objects within the belt. 
A)  large asteroids moving in circular orbits within the asteroid belt, which sweep out and collect smaller objects in their path. 
B)  large asteroids whose orbits carry them periodically through the asteroid belt, where they sweep out a path and leave it devoid of asteroids. 
C)  the gravitational pull of Jupiter, which nudges asteroids into new orbits. 
D)  large asteroids on the outer fringe of the asteroid belt, which gravitationally affect the paths of smaller objects within the belt.

Question 15

What is the likely connection between the metal iridium and the demise of the EarthEarth''s dinosaur population?

Accepted Answer

A)  Iridium, which is found in abundance on Earth''s surface, is poisonous to reptiles. 
B)  Iridium is found beneath Earth''s crust. Meteor impacts during the dinosaur age probably exposed and uncovered enough of it to poison the dinosaurs. 
C)  Iridium is found in meteorites but is rare on the EarthEarth. The existence of a worldwide layer of it suggests a large meteor impact during the dinosaur age. The impact probably raised enough dust to block out sunlight and kill the dinosaurs. 
D)  Iridium is highly radioactive. Its presence in a geologic layer dating to the dinosaur age suggests that natural radioactivity reached dangerous levels at that time, and the dinosaurs died from overexposure. 
A)  Iridium, which is found in abundance on Earth''s surface, is poisonous to reptiles. 
B)  Iridium is found beneath Earth''s crust. Meteor impacts during the dinosaur age probably exposed and uncovered enough of it to poison the dinosaurs. 
C)  Iridium is found in meteorites but is rare on the EarthEarth. The existence of a worldwide layer of it suggests a large meteor impact during the dinosaur age. The impact probably raised enough dust to block out sunlight and kill the dinosaurs. 
D)  Iridium is highly radioactive. Its presence in a geologic layer dating to the dinosaur age suggests that natural radioactivity reached dangerous levels at that time, and the dinosaurs died from overexposure.

Question 16

The size of the largest asteroid,Ceres,compared with the largest mare or impact basin on the Moon,Mare Imbrium,is:

Accepted Answer

A)  not comparable because all asteroids are very small objects (1 km diameter), whereas most maria are large (100-1000 km diameter). 
B)  much smaller, only about 1/3 the size. 
C)  very similar, about 1000 km across. 
D)  much larger, by a factor of more than 2. 
A)  not comparable because all asteroids are very small objects (1 km diameter), whereas most maria are large (100-1000 km diameter). 
B)  much smaller, only about 1/3 the size. 
C)  very similar, about 1000 km across. 
D)  much larger, by a factor of more than 2.

Question 17

The total number of asteroids orbiting the Sun among the planets is estimated to be:

Accepted Answer

A)  several thousand. 
B)  hundreds of billions. 
C)  more than a million. 
D)  a few hundred. 
A)  several thousand. 
B)  hundreds of billions. 
C)  more than a million. 
D)  a few hundred.

Question 18

The metal that is relatively abundant in meteorites but is generally rare on the EarthEarth has been found in specific layers of clay throughout the world,and its study is helping to evaluate the effect of meteor impacts on the EarthEarth''s climate and its inhabitants in recent geological time (e.g.,dinosaurs).This metal is:

Accepted Answer

A)  iron. 
B)  nickel. 
C)  cobalt. 
D)  iridium. 
A)  iron. 
B)  nickel. 
C)  cobalt. 
D)  iridium.

Question 19

Perhaps the most MOST interesting and puzzling material to be found inside rocks that have come from outer space is:

Accepted Answer

A)  water. 
B)  radioactive material. 
C)  pure iron. 
D)  amino acids, or proteins. 
A)  water. 
B)  radioactive material. 
C)  pure iron. 
D)  amino acids, or proteins.

Question 20

In order of abundance,from most abundant to least abundant,the occurrence of meteorite impacts ("falls")is believed to be:

Accepted Answer

A)  stony, iron, stony- iron. 
B)  stony- iron, iron, stony. 
C)  iron, stony- iron, stony. 
D)  stony, stony- iron, iron. 
A)  stony, iron, stony- iron. 
B)  stony- iron, iron, stony. 
C)  iron, stony- iron, stony. 
D)  stony, stony- iron, iron.

To what does the term plutino refer?

What is the approximate orbital period of a comet nucleus that orbits the Sun on the outer fringes of the Oort cloud?

What is the origin of iron meteorites?

What mechanism controls the direction in which a comet''s ion tail is aligned in space?

Jupiter''s orbital period is approximately 12 years.Based on this number,you would be most MOST likely to find an asteroid belt asteroid with a period of how many years?

What technique has allowed scientists to determine the relative sizes of Pluto and Charon?

What is considered to be the most MOST likely origin of the comets in the Oort cloud?

The longest period for a comet that can be considered a Jupiter family comet is 20 years.If the perihelion of such a comet''s orbit is very close to the Sun,where is aphelion?

Rocks laid down at around the time of the Permian/Triassic mass extinction 250 million years ago contain a surprising amount of fullerenes (football-shaped carbon molecules).What evidence is there that the fullerenes came from outer space?

What causes a meteor shower?

An asteroid is:

Most of the asteroids of the solar system move around the Sun between the orbits of which planets?

Asteroids whose orbits carry them across the EarthEarth''s orbit are known as:

The Kirkwood gaps are caused by:

What is the likely connection between the metal iridium and the demise of the EarthEarth''s dinosaur population?

The size of the largest asteroid,Ceres,compared with the largest mare or impact basin on the Moon,Mare Imbrium,is:

The total number of asteroids orbiting the Sun among the planets is estimated to be:

Perhaps the most MOST interesting and puzzling material to be found inside rocks that have come from outer space is:

In order of abundance,from most abundant to least abundant,the occurrence of meteorite impacts ("falls")is believed to be:

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

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Exam 8: Vagabonds of the Solar System

To what does the term plutino refer?

What is the approximate orbital period of a comet nucleus that orbits the Sun on the outer fringes of the Oort cloud?

What is the origin of iron meteorites?

What mechanism controls the direction in which a comet''s ion tail is aligned in space?

Jupiter''s orbital period is approximately 12 years.Based on this number,you would be most MOST likely to find an asteroid belt asteroid with a period of how many years?

What technique has allowed scientists to determine the relative sizes of Pluto and Charon?

What is considered to be the most MOST likely origin of the comets in the Oort cloud?

The longest period for a comet that can be considered a Jupiter family comet is 20 years.If the perihelion of such a comet''s orbit is very close to the Sun,where is aphelion?

Rocks laid down at around the time of the Permian/Triassic mass extinction 250 million years ago contain a surprising amount of fullerenes (football-shaped carbon molecules).What evidence is there that the fullerenes came from outer space?

What causes a meteor shower?

An asteroid is:

Most of the asteroids of the solar system move around the Sun between the orbits of which planets?

Asteroids whose orbits carry them across the EarthEarth''s orbit are known as:

The Kirkwood gaps are caused by:

What is the likely connection between the metal iridium and the demise of the EarthEarth''s dinosaur population?

The size of the largest asteroid,Ceres,compared with the largest mare or impact basin on the Moon,Mare Imbrium,is:

The total number of asteroids orbiting the Sun among the planets is estimated to be:

Perhaps the most MOST interesting and puzzling material to be found inside rocks that have come from outer space is:

In order of abundance,from most abundant to least abundant,the occurrence of meteorite impacts ("falls")is believed to be:

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