Exam 9: Small Bodies of the Solar System

What does the existence of M-type asteroids tell us about their origin?

The nucleus of the typical comet is approximately __________ in size.

The surface of the dwarf planet Eris has very high albedo and is covered with:

Consider three comets that have orbital periods of 10,100,and 1,000 years.Where would each of these comets likely originate,in the Oort Cloud or the Kuiper Belt? If you wanted to study material that was the best example of pristine Solar System material,which would you study?

Pluto is composed mostly of rock.

Suppose we discover a comet whose orbit was very highly eccentric,retrograde,had a very large tilt with respect to the ecliptic plane,and a period of 2,000 years.Where is the most likely place of origin for this comet?

Give the definitions of meteoroid,meteor,and meteorite,and clearly explain how they differ.

Which of the following is the BRIGHTEST part of a comet?

Eris and Ceres are examples of:

Like meteoroids and asteroids,cometary nuclei in the Oort Cloud undergo frequent collisions that often send them into the inner Solar System.

Which of the following does NOT describe comets in the Oort Cloud?

Some asteroids have moons just as planets do.

The varied colors found on Io's surface are due to the presence of various molecules containing:

The darkest asteroids are:

Which object has turned itself inside out numerous times,leading to lighter elements escaping,sulfur compounds composing the crust,and heavier elements making up the core?

What material has been seen erupting from the surface (see the image below)of the icy moon Enceladus,and why?

The mass of all the known asteroids combined would be as much as:

A comet having an orbit of 50 years would likely have come from the:

How do particles from Enceladus wind up in Saturn's E ring?

The minimum size of a meteoroid that is capable of surviving its passage through the Earth's atmosphere and hitting the ground is about as big as: