Chapter 17 Solar System

Approximately how much time elapses between new moon and full moon?

2 weeks

To what approximate length of time on the earth does the length of "day" at a given place on the moon correspond? The length of "night"?

2 weeks, 2 Weeks

Meteor craters are observed on the surface of which of the following? a.Mercury b.Venus c.Mars d.the moon

A,B,C,D

How do the orbits of comets compare in shape with the orbits of the planets?

All are ellipses but those of comets are long and narrow whereas those of planets are more nearly circular

Is there any evidence that an asteroid ever collided with the earth? Could such a collision occur in the future?

An asteroid apparently struck the Earth in what is now Mexico 65 million years ago. Yes.

What is believed to be the origin of the asteroids?

Asteroids are believed to be matter left over from the early Solar System that never became part of a large body because of the gravitational influence of nearby Jupiter

Mars has surface features that seem to be the result of erosion by running water. Why does the presence of many meteoroid craters in some of these regions suggest that the running water disappeared there long ago?

Because running water would fill craters with sediments and level their raised rims the presence of many meteoroid craters means that there has been no running water for a long time on such parts of the surface on Mars

Why are most meteorites found in Antarctica?

Conditions for both preservation and recognition our best there

What are thought to be the chief constituents of the giant planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune?

Hydrogen and helium

The interior of Jupiter's satellite Io is thought to be heated through being flexed by the gravitational pulls of Jupiter and two other satellites. Why is Io's interior believed to be hot?

IO has many active volcanoes

Why is ultraviolet radiation from the sun more of a hazard to life on Mars than on the earth?

In contrast to the Earth's atmosphere The Martian atmosphere is very thin and consist largely of carbon dioxide so there is little oxygen to form ozone that would absorb ultra Violet radiation

Why does Mars appear red?

Iron oxide in its soil

Which is the largest planet? The smallest? Which planet is nearest the sun?

Jupiter, Mercury, Mercury

On which planets would a person weigh less than on the earth? On which planets would a person weigh more?

Less: Mercury,Venus, Mars More: Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune

Which planets, if any, have no satellites?

Mercury and Venus

Why are Mercury and Venus always seen either around sunrise or around sunset?

Mercury and Venus are closer to the Sun than the Earth this hence an observer on the Earth always sees them in the facility of the sun. When one of them is East of the Sun it disappears below the horizon after the sun and is visible in the early evening when it is West of the Sun it rises above the horizon before the Sun and is visible in the early morning

Which planets are visible to the unaided eye?

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn

What has been the chief influence that shaped the lunar landscape during the past 3 billion years?

Meteoroid impacts

In what phase must the moon be at the time of a solar eclipse? At the time of a lunar eclipse?

New moon, Full moon

Is there any evidence that planets other than the earth today have crusts that consist of huge moving plates?

No

Saturn's satellite Titan has an atmosphere. Do any of the other planetary satellites also have atmospheres?

No

If the moon were smaller than it is, would total eclipses of the sun still occur? Would total eclipses of the moon still occur?

No, Yes

What is wrong with the statement that the moon is more useful to us than the sun because the moon provides illumination at night when it is needed most?

Not only does the Sun provide daylight but the light of the moon is reflected sunlight

Over 90 percent of the meteorites found after a known fall are stony, yet most of the meteorites in museums are iron. Why do you think this is so?

Stony meteorites resemble ordinary rocks where is iron ones are conspicuously aslo different also stony meteorites are more readily eroded than iron ones

The moon's maria are dark, relatively smooth regions conspicuous even to the naked eye. What is their nature?

The Maria are Approximately circular depressions covered with pulverized rock. They are apparently lava flows that were broken up by meteor impacts

Why is it believed that the moon's interior is different in composition from the earth's interior?

The average density of the moon is much less than that of the Earth. Part of the reason is the smaller total mass of the moon, Which reduces the pressure in its Interior. However this factor is not enough to account for the large difference in the densities. Tells the moon must have a different compositions from that of the Earth perhaps by virtue of a smaller portion of iron.

When a comet is close enough to the sun to be seen from the earth, stars are visible through both the comet's head and tail. What does this imply about the danger to the earth from a collision with a comet?

The density of a comet is extremely low when it is in the vicinity of the Earth and in collision most or all of the comet material would simply be absorbed in the upper atmosphere

How does Pluto compare in size with the moon? With the satellites of the other planets?

The moon and 6 other satellites are larger than Pluto

Why is it very unlikely that there is life on Mercury?

The sunlit side of Mercury is too hot and it's dark side is too cold for life to exist. Also Mercury has only a trace of an atmosphere and it contains only inert gas

Why are Mercury and Venus the only planets that show phases like those of the moon?

Their orbits are inside the Earth's orbit

What is believed to be the nature of the Great Red Spot on Jupiter?

They consist of swirling gasses and resembles a perminent hurricane in Jupiter's atmosphere. The red color maybe due to phosphorus

Give three reasons why Venus is a brighter object in the sky than Mars

Venus is closer to the Sun than Mars and hence receives more sunlight to reflect. It is larger than Mars so there is more reflecting area. Venus is surrounded by clouds whereas Mars has none and these clouds are better reflectors of sunlight then The Martian surface (the white polar ice caps on Mars are too small to make much difference in this respect)

Far fewer meteoroid craters of ancient origin have been observed on Venus than expected. Could running water have eroded the others? If not, what might be the reason?

Venus is too hot for liquid water to have existed on its surface. Lava flows may have flooded the surface and covered most of the ancient craters

Why are Saturn's rings believed to consist of small particles rather than being solid sheets of matter or thin gas clouds?

We can see stars through the rings the inner part of each ring moves faster than the outer part they reflect sunlight and radar signals too well to be gaseous finally space crafts have sent back photographs of the rings showing their structure

The smallest of the following planets is a.Mars b.Jupiter c.Saturn d.Uranus

a.Mars

A planet with virtually no atmosphere is a.Mercury b.Mars c.Jupiter d.Saturn

a.Mercury

The planet nearest the sun is a.Mercury b.Venus c.Saturn d.Neptune

a.Mercury

The planet whose surface most resembles that of the moon is a.Mercury b.Venus c.Jupiter d.Saturn

a.Mercury

The two planets of the solar system that do not have satellites are a.Mercury and Venus b.Mars and Saturn c.Jupiter and Neptune d.Neptune and Uranus

a.Mercury and Venus

Comet tails always a.are longest near the sun b.are shortest near the sun c.are of constant length d.point away from a comet's direction of motion

a.are longest near the sun

Meteor showers occur a.at the same times each year b.at random times c.in connection with solar eclipses d.in connection with lunar eclipses

a.at the same times each year

At new moon, the moon is a.between the earth and the sun b.on the opposite side of the earth from the sun c.on the opposite side of the sun from the earth d.to the side of a line between the earth and the sun

a.between the earth and the sun

Comets consist of a.leftover matter from the early solar system b.the debris of a shattered planet c.luminous gases d.particles from the solar wind

a.leftover matter from the early solar system

The average density of the moon is a.lower than that of the earth b.about the same as that of the earth c.higher than that of the earth d.unknown

a.lower than that of the earth

Eclipses of the sun occur at a.new moon b.first or last quarter c.full moon d.any time

a.new moon

An eclipse of the sun can occur a.only when the moon passes directly between the earth and the sun b.only when the sun passes directly between the earth and the moon c.only when the earth passes directly between the sun and the moon d.at any time

a.only when the moon passes directly between the earth and the sun

The majority of meteoroids consist of a.silicate minerals b.calcite c.iron d.nickel

a.silicate minerals

Relative to the oldest rocks that have been found on the moon, the oldest rocks found on the earth are a.younger b.about the same age c.somewhat older d.very much older

a.younger

The moon's diameter is about a. 1/10 that of the earth b. 1/4 that of the earth c.1/2 that of the earth d. 3/4 that of the earth

b. 1/4 that of the earth

The interior of the moon is probably entirely or almost entirely a. liquid b. solid c. gaseous d. hollow

b. solid

The time needed for the Apollo spacecraft to reach the moon was about a.3 h b.3 days c.3 weeks d.3 months

b.3 days

The largest of the following planets is a.Mars b.Jupiter c.Saturn d.Uranus

b.Jupiter

The largest known asteroid is about as far across as a.New York City b.Texas c.the United States d.the moon

b.Texas

A dense atmosphere of carbon dioxide is found on a.Mercury b.Venus c.Mars d.the moon

b.Venus

The planet closest to the earth in size and mass is a.Mercury b.Venus c.Mars d.Uranus

b.Venus

Comets a.follow orbits around the earth b.follow orbits around the sun c.move randomly through the solar system d.are the tracks left in the atmosphere by meteoroids

b.follow orbits around the sun

When visibility is good and there are no meteor showers, it is possible to see about 5 to 10 meteors per a.minute b.hour c.night d.week

b.hour

Most of the craters on the moon are probably the result of a.volcanic action b.meteoroid bombardment c.erosion d.collisions with asteroids

b.meteoroid bombardment

An asteroid 2 km or more across could cause a worldwide catastrophe. Such an asteroid is thought to collide with the earth an average of roughly every a.thousand years b.million years c.billion years d.10 billion years

b.million years

The surface of Titan, Saturn's largest moon, a.has many active volcanoes b.shows signs of erosion by flowing liquid c.is covered with liquid water d.is covered with water ice

b.shows signs of erosion by flowing liquid

Relative to the time the moon takes to circle the earth, the period of its rotation on its axis is a.shorter b.the same c.longer d.any of these, depending on the time of the year

b.the same

The largest of Jupiter's satellites is about the size of a.a large ship b.the moon c.Mercury d.the earth

c. Mercury

The dwarf planets have diameters of about a.1 km b.10 km c.1000 km d.that of the moon

c.1000 km

The durations of "day" and "night" at a given place on the moon each correspond to about a.1 day on earth b.1 week on earth c.2 weeks on earth d.4 weeks on earth

c.2 weeks on earth

An astronaut would weigh least on the surface of a.Venus b.Earth c.Mars d.Jupiter

c.Mars

Polar ice caps are found on a.Mercury b.Venus c.Mars d.Jupiter

c.Mars

Compared with the earth, Mars has a.a denser atmosphere b.more surface water c.a lower average surface temperature d.a shorter year

c.a lower average surface temperature

The moon's surface is a.perfectly smooth b.irregular but relatively smoother than the earth's surface c.about as irregular as the earth's surface d.much more irregular than the earth's surface

c.about as irregular as the earth's surface

The moon's surface shows no signs of a.volcanic action b.meteoroid bombardment c.ever having melted d.glacier erosion

c.ever having melted

Eclipses of the moon occur at a.new moon b.first or last quarter c.full moon d.any time

c.full moon

The moon's maria are a.bodies of water like the earth's oceans b.solid lava flows c.lava flows pulverized by meteoroid impacts d.hardened sediments

c.lava flows pulverized by meteoroid impacts

The asteroids probably consist largely of a.ice b.frozen methane c.silicate minerals d.metallic iron

c.silicate minerals

The planets are visible because a.their atmospheres are excited to luminescence by the solar wind b.they are hot enough to radiate light c.they reflect sunlight d.they reflect starlight

c.they reflect sunlight

The spacecraft that traveled to Mars did not find a.heavily cratered regions b.lava flows c.dust storms d.living things

d. living things

A planet that consists largely of hydrogen and helium is a.Mercury b.Venus c.Mars d.Jupiter

d.Jupiter

Of the following members of the solar system, the one that never exhibits phases to us is a.the moon b.Mercury c.Venus d.Mars

d.Mars

Of the following planets, the least conspicuous in the sky is a.Venus b.Mars c.Jupiter d.Neptune

d.Neptune

The planet with the longest year is a.Mercury b.Jupiter c.Saturn d.Neptune

d.Neptune

Meteoroids a.come from the sun b.come from the moon c.come from outside the solar system d.are members of the solar system

d.are members of the solar system

The rings of Saturn a.are gas clouds b.are sheets of liquid c.are sheets of solid rock d.consist of separate particles

d.consist of separate particles

Asteroids are found a.spread evenly throughout the solar system b.mainly in a belt between the earth and the moon c.mainly in a belt between the earth and Mars d.mainly in a belt between Mars and Jupiter

d.mainly in a belt between Mars and Jupiter