Question 1

The tail of a comet:

Accepted Answer

A)  is longest when the comet is closest to Jupiter; the tail is pulled out by Jupiter''s gravity. 
B)  remains constant in length throughout its complete orbital path. 
C)  is longest when the comet is closest to the Sun. 
D)  is longest when the comet is farthest from the Sun because it is then unaffected by sunlight. 
A)  is longest when the comet is closest to Jupiter; the tail is pulled out by Jupiter''s gravity. 
B)  remains constant in length throughout its complete orbital path. 
C)  is longest when the comet is closest to the Sun. 
D)  is longest when the comet is farthest from the Sun because it is then unaffected by sunlight.

Question 2

The measured diameter of the core of Comet Halley is about:

Accepted Answer

A)  10 km. 
B)  10⁶ km. 
C)  10⁷ km. 
D)  100 m. 
A)  10 km. 
B)  10⁶ km. 
C)  10⁷ km. 
D)  100 m.

Question 3

In 2013,a large meteoroid did considerable damage to the city of Chelyabinsk,Russia.MOSTost of the damage was caused by:

Accepted Answer

A)  fires started by hot meteorites raining down on the city. 
B)  breaking glass caused by the sonic boom and shock wave accompanying the meteoroid''s rapid passage through the atmosphere.. 
C)  meteorites striking objects on the ground. 
D)  contamination from hydrocarbons carried by the meteoroid. 
A)  fires started by hot meteorites raining down on the city. 
B)  breaking glass caused by the sonic boom and shock wave accompanying the meteoroid''s rapid passage through the atmosphere.. 
C)  meteorites striking objects on the ground. 
D)  contamination from hydrocarbons carried by the meteoroid.

Question 4

A comet''s tail always points from the comet head:

Accepted Answer

A)  toward the nearest planet because of gravitational attraction for the tail material. 
B)  toward the Sun because of gravitational attraction. 
C)  away from the Sun. 
D)  in a direction along its orbital path, always behind the comet. 
A)  toward the nearest planet because of gravitational attraction for the tail material. 
B)  toward the Sun because of gravitational attraction. 
C)  away from the Sun. 
D)  in a direction along its orbital path, always behind the comet.

Question 5

Stony- iron meteorites are believed to:

Accepted Answer

A)  have been ejected by volcanoes on Mars. 
B)  originate from differentiated asteroids (in which iron sank to the center). 
C)  be pieces of primordial solar system material, unaltered since the solar system formed. 
D)  originate from undifferentiated asteroids (same composition throughout). 
A)  have been ejected by volcanoes on Mars. 
B)  originate from differentiated asteroids (in which iron sank to the center). 
C)  be pieces of primordial solar system material, unaltered since the solar system formed. 
D)  originate from undifferentiated asteroids (same composition throughout).

Question 6

Which meteorites are believed to be samples of primordial solar nebula material?

Accepted Answer

A)  carbonaceous chondrites 
B)  stony- irons 
C)  meteorites showing Widmanstätten patterns when etched with acid 
D)  irons 
A)  carbonaceous chondrites 
B)  stony- irons 
C)  meteorites showing Widmanstätten patterns when etched with acid 
D)  irons

Question 7

How was the dwarf planet Pluto discovered?

Accepted Answer

A)  by prediction using Newton''s laws to account for the deviations from uniform orbits of Uranus and Neptune 
B)  by the infrared cameras on the IRAS spacecraft 
C)  by Voyager spacecraft cameras, which were used between planetary encounters to survey the planetary system 
D)  by searching photographs of the sky for an object that moved against the background of distant stars 
A)  by prediction using Newton''s laws to account for the deviations from uniform orbits of Uranus and Neptune 
B)  by the infrared cameras on the IRAS spacecraft 
C)  by Voyager spacecraft cameras, which were used between planetary encounters to survey the planetary system 
D)  by searching photographs of the sky for an object that moved against the background of distant stars

Question 8

A meteor shower,or the appearance of many more "shooting stars" at a particular time in the year from a specific sky direction,is related to which astronomical phenomenon?

Accepted Answer

A)  the passage of the EarthEarth through the remnants of an old comet 
B)  the passage of the EarthEarth through intense streams of solar wind 
C)  the EarthEarth''s passage through part of the asteroid belt 
D)  the EarthEarth''s passage through different parts of the spiral arms of the Galaxy 
A)  the passage of the EarthEarth through the remnants of an old comet 
B)  the passage of the EarthEarth through intense streams of solar wind 
C)  the EarthEarth''s passage through part of the asteroid belt 
D)  the EarthEarth''s passage through different parts of the spiral arms of the Galaxy

Question 9

What is the largest LARGEST known asteroid in our solar system?

Accepted Answer

A)  Phobos 
B)  Gaspra 
C)  Ceres 
D)  Pallas 
A)  Phobos 
B)  Gaspra 
C)  Ceres 
D)  Pallas

Question 10

What did we learn from the Deep Impact mission to Comet Tempel 1 in 2005?

Accepted Answer

A)  A comet of this size can be completely shattered by a rather minor impact. 
B)  Comet nuclei are highly radioactive. 
C)  The dust thrown up by the impact showed evidence of organic molecules. 
D)  The mission''s success or failure to collect samples will not be known until the spacecraft returns to Earth. 
A)  A comet of this size can be completely shattered by a rather minor impact. 
B)  Comet nuclei are highly radioactive. 
C)  The dust thrown up by the impact showed evidence of organic molecules. 
D)  The mission''s success or failure to collect samples will not be known until the spacecraft returns to Earth.

Question 11

An impact that took place at about the time of the extinction of the dinosaurs (and may in fact have caused their extinction)is believed to have created:

Accepted Answer

A)  Barringer Crater in Arizona. 
B)  Manicouagan Crater in Quebec. 
C)  Hudson Bay in northern Canada. 
D)  Chicxulub Crater in the Yucatán Peninsula. 
A)  Barringer Crater in Arizona. 
B)  Manicouagan Crater in Quebec. 
C)  Hudson Bay in northern Canada. 
D)  Chicxulub Crater in the Yucatán Peninsula.

Question 12

What is a Hirayama family of asteroids?

Accepted Answer

A)  a group of asteroids that have identical orbits 
B)  either of two groups of asteroids that orbit at Jupiter''s distance from the Sun 
C)  a group of asteroids that have identical spectra and therefore identical compositions 
D)  a group of asteroids that have orbits that cross the EarthEarth''s orbit but remain outside Venus''s orbit 
A)  a group of asteroids that have identical orbits 
B)  either of two groups of asteroids that orbit at Jupiter''s distance from the Sun 
C)  a group of asteroids that have identical spectra and therefore identical compositions 
D)  a group of asteroids that have orbits that cross the EarthEarth''s orbit but remain outside Venus''s orbit

Question 13

The Widmanstätten pattern found in many iron meteorites consists of:

Accepted Answer

A)  a myriad of small iron crystals formed when the rock cooled quickly in the vacuum of space. 
B)  small holes created by the heating and partial melting of the meteorite as it entered the EarthEarth''s atmosphere. 
C)  fracture lines created by the original impact that knocked the meteoroid off the parent asteroid. 
D)  large crystals formed as the iron cooled slowly over many millions of years. 
A)  a myriad of small iron crystals formed when the rock cooled quickly in the vacuum of space. 
B)  small holes created by the heating and partial melting of the meteorite as it entered the EarthEarth''s atmosphere. 
C)  fracture lines created by the original impact that knocked the meteoroid off the parent asteroid. 
D)  large crystals formed as the iron cooled slowly over many millions of years.

Question 14

The particular feature of a comet that exhibits the most structure and always points away from the Sun is its:

Accepted Answer

A)  hydrogen envelope. 
B)  ion or gas tail. 
C)  coma, or gas cloud. 
D)  dust tail. 
A)  hydrogen envelope. 
B)  ion or gas tail. 
C)  coma, or gas cloud. 
D)  dust tail.

Question 15

The ecliptic is the plane defining the EarthEarth''s orbit around the Sun.The orbits of most other objects in the solar system generally lie fairly close to the ecliptic.However,the orbits of which one of the following types of objects do NOT generally lie close to the ecliptic?

Accepted Answer

A)  Trojan asteroids 
B)  asteroid belt asteroids 
C)  comets 
D)  Kuiper belt objects 
A)  Trojan asteroids 
B)  asteroid belt asteroids 
C)  comets 
D)  Kuiper belt objects

Question 16

The luminous trails of small dust particles that are completely vaporized in the EarthEarth''s atmosphere are known as:

Accepted Answer

A)  auroral flashes. 
B)  meteorites. 
C)  meteors. 
D)  meteoroids. 
A)  auroral flashes. 
B)  meteorites. 
C)  meteors. 
D)  meteoroids.

Question 17

Visible comets originating in the Oort cloud do not NOT have orbits which that are:

Accepted Answer

A)  circular. 
B)  highly elliptical. 
C)  parabolic. 
D)  slightly hyperbolic. 
A)  circular. 
B)  highly elliptical. 
C)  parabolic. 
D)  slightly hyperbolic.

Question 18

Widmanstätten patterns are a test for which kind of meteorite?

Accepted Answer

A)  stones 
B)  stony- irons 
C)  irons 
D)  carbonaceous chondrites 
A)  stones 
B)  stony- irons 
C)  irons 
D)  carbonaceous chondrites

Question 19

If you were standing on Pluto,how often would you see the satellite Charon rise above the horizon each day?

Accepted Answer

A)  once each 6-hour day as Pluto rotates on its axis 
B)  twice each 6-hour day because Charon is in a retrograde orbit 
C)  once every 2 days because Charon orbits in the same direction Pluto rotates but more slowly 
D)  never because -Charon is a synchronous satellite with an orbital period exactly equal to Pluto''s rotation period 
A)  once each 6-hour day as Pluto rotates on its axis 
B)  twice each 6-hour day because Charon is in a retrograde orbit 
C)  once every 2 days because Charon orbits in the same direction Pluto rotates but more slowly 
D)  never because -Charon is a synchronous satellite with an orbital period exactly equal to Pluto''s rotation period

Question 20

How does the dust tail of a comet compare with its gas tail?

Accepted Answer

A)  Dust tails often appear blue and gas tails white. 
B)  Dust tails are straight, whereas gas tails are curved. 
C)  Dust tails are more massive than gas tails. 
D)  Dust tails point toward the Ssun, whereas gas tails point away. 
A)  Dust tails often appear blue and gas tails white. 
B)  Dust tails are straight, whereas gas tails are curved. 
C)  Dust tails are more massive than gas tails. 
D)  Dust tails point toward the Ssun, whereas gas tails point away.

The tail of a comet:

The measured diameter of the core of Comet Halley is about:

In 2013,a large meteoroid did considerable damage to the city of Chelyabinsk,Russia.MOSTost of the damage was caused by:

A comet''s tail always points from the comet head:

Stony- iron meteorites are believed to:

Which meteorites are believed to be samples of primordial solar nebula material?

How was the dwarf planet Pluto discovered?

A meteor shower,or the appearance of many more "shooting stars" at a particular time in the year from a specific sky direction,is related to which astronomical phenomenon?

What is the largest LARGEST known asteroid in our solar system?

What did we learn from the Deep Impact mission to Comet Tempel 1 in 2005?

An impact that took place at about the time of the extinction of the dinosaurs (and may in fact have caused their extinction)is believed to have created:

What is a Hirayama family of asteroids?

The Widmanstätten pattern found in many iron meteorites consists of:

The particular feature of a comet that exhibits the most structure and always points away from the Sun is its:

The ecliptic is the plane defining the EarthEarth''s orbit around the Sun.The orbits of most other objects in the solar system generally lie fairly close to the ecliptic.However,the orbits of which one of the following types of objects do NOT generally lie close to the ecliptic?

The luminous trails of small dust particles that are completely vaporized in the EarthEarth''s atmosphere are known as:

Visible comets originating in the Oort cloud do not NOT have orbits which that are:

Widmanstätten patterns are a test for which kind of meteorite?

If you were standing on Pluto,how often would you see the satellite Charon rise above the horizon each day?

How does the dust tail of a comet compare with its gas tail?

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

The tail of a comet:

The measured diameter of the core of Comet Halley is about:

In 2013,a large meteoroid did considerable damage to the city of Chelyabinsk,Russia.MOSTost of the damage was caused by:

A comet''s tail always points from the comet head:

Stony- iron meteorites are believed to:

Which meteorites are believed to be samples of primordial solar nebula material?

How was the dwarf planet Pluto discovered?

A meteor shower,or the appearance of many more "shooting stars" at a particular time in the year from a specific sky direction,is related to which astronomical phenomenon?

What is the largest LARGEST known asteroid in our solar system?

What did we learn from the Deep Impact mission to Comet Tempel 1 in 2005?

An impact that took place at about the time of the extinction of the dinosaurs (and may in fact have caused their extinction)is believed to have created:

What is a Hirayama family of asteroids?

The Widmanstätten pattern found in many iron meteorites consists of:

The particular feature of a comet that exhibits the most structure and always points away from the Sun is its:

The ecliptic is the plane defining the EarthEarth''s orbit around the Sun.The orbits of most other objects in the solar system generally lie fairly close to the ecliptic.However,the orbits of which one of the following types of objects do NOT generally lie close to the ecliptic?

The luminous trails of small dust particles that are completely vaporized in the EarthEarth''s atmosphere are known as:

Visible comets originating in the Oort cloud do not NOT have orbits which that are:

Widmanstätten patterns are a test for which kind of meteorite?

If you were standing on Pluto,how often would you see the satellite Charon rise above the horizon each day?

How does the dust tail of a comet compare with its gas tail?

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