AST101 Chpt 12 Rings, Moons, and Pluto

The satellite whose surface is characterized by a smooth icy crust with a complex network of cracks is: ~ Europa ~ Callisto ~ Triton ~ Io ~ Ganymede

Europa

The four large moons of Jupiter were first discovered by: ~ ancient people, seeing Jupiter in dark, cloudless skies ~ Galileo with his early telescope ~ Isaac Newton with his improved telescope ~ William Herschel, in the 18th century ~ the Voyager spacecraft

Galileo with his early telescope

Mercury has a diameter of 4,800 km. Which of the Galilean moons of Jupiter is larger than Mercury? ~ Io ~ Europa ~ Callisto ~ Ganymede

Ganymede

The largest satellite (moon) in the solar system is: ~ Ganymede ~ Titan ~ Earth's Moon ~ Charon ~ Io

Ganymede

The Galilean satellites, in order of decreasing diameter, are: ~ Ganymede, Callisto, Io, Europa ~ Ganymede, Io, Callisto, Europa ~ Europa, Io, Callisto, Ganymede ~ Io,Europa, Callisto, Ganymede

Ganymede, Callisto, Io, Europa

The world in the solar system that is most active volcanically is: ~ Earth ~ Neptune ~ Io ~ Mars ~ Ganymede

Io

What features are abundant on Callisto and Ganymede and almost absent on Europa and Io? ~ volcanoes ~ markings that show the surface is made of ice ~ impact craters ~ lakes and pools of liquid ammonia ~ rings

impact craters

Phobos and Deimos most closely resemble: ~ Asteroids ~ Comets ~ Planets ~ Dwarf Planets

Asteroids

Which of the following is NOT one of the largest moons in the Solar System? ~ Titan (around Saturn) ~ Triton (around Neptune) ~ Ganymede (around Jupiter) ~ the Earth's Moon ~ Atlas (the shepherd moon near Saturn's A ring)

Atlas (the shepherd moon near Saturn's A ring)

The Galileo spacecraft measured that the moon Ganymede had a magnetic field, indicating that its interior was at least partly melted and warm. What do scientists think is the most likely reason for this? ~ Ganymede is so far away from Jupiter, it is an independent world, and can compress its core without interference ~ Ganymede has thousands of volcanoes, which then send material downward to heat up its interior ~ Ganymede is a relatively small moon, and therefore much easier to heat up than its neighbor moons ~ Ganymede is heated by tidal forces from Jupiter ~ Scientists have no idea what causes the inner part of Ganymede to be warm; this is an unsolved mystery

Ganymede is heated by tidal forces from Jupiter

Which factor or factors, more than any other, have allowed Titan to retain an atmosphere? ~Its many active volcanos continuously replenish the atmosphere with gas, which is continuously escaping into space. ~ The molecular constituents of its atmosphere are heavy and cannot therefore escape Titan's gravity. ~ Its surface temperature is too low to allow the nitrogen gas in its atmosphere to escape from Titan's gravitational force. ~ Its gravitational force has allowed it to acquire atmospheric gases from Saturn.

Its surface temperature is too low to allow the nitrogen gas in its atmosphere to escape from Titan's gravitational force.

The moon Triton orbits which of the planets? ~ Mars ~ Jupiter ~ Saturn ~ Uranus ~ Neptune

Neptune

Which planet has the biggest moon relative to its own size? Not the biggest moon in terms of kilometers, but the biggest as a percentage of the size of the planet it orbits. ~ Jupiter ~ Neptune ~ Uranus ~ Saturn ~ Pluto

Pluto

What factor, more than any other, do you think led to Jupiter having so many moons compared to the inner terrestrial planets? ~ The Sun is far enough away from Jupiter that its heat is insufficient to melt icy particles orbiting the planet; these particles coalesced to form moons. ~ Jupiter's rapid rotation was important in spinning off most of these moons from its surface. ~ Jupiter has an extensive atmosphere from which these moons have been formed. ~ The powerful gravitational field produced by Jupiter's large mass has allowed this planet to capture moons from the nearby asteroid belt.

The powerful gravitational field produced by Jupiter's large mass has allowed this planet to capture moons from the nearby asteroid belt.

What do astronomers think is the origin of the many irregular moons around the outer planets (irregular meaning they are orbiting backwards and/or have eccentric orbits)? ~ These moons were likely formed elsewhere and captured by the giant planets ~ These moons are fragments of a much larger moon around each planet that exploded ~ These moons were expelled by volcanoes on the surfaces of the giant planets ~ These moons had an early interaction with the rings of the giant planets and were moved to strange orbits as a result ~ Astronomers have no idea about why these irregular moons exist; it's a complete mystery

These moons were likely formed elsewhere and captured by the giant planets

The satellite which has the thickest atmosphere (so thick that it's quite a surprise for a satellite) is: ~ Triton ~ Titan ~ the Earth's Moon ~ Europa ~ Callisto

Titan

Which of the following is NOT a way that the moon Titan probably resembles the Earth? ~ it has a thick atmosphere ~ the main constituent of its atmosphere is nitrogen ~ sunlight interacts with the chemicals on the moon to create a rick mix of organic molecules ~ it has clouds in its atmosphere ~ at its surface the temperature and pressure are just right for water to exist in all three phases (gas, liquid, and ice)

at its surface the temperature and pressure are just right for water to exist in all three phases (gas, liquid, and ice)

When astronomers say that Ganymede is a differentiated body, they mean that it: ~ has a northern hemisphere which is different from its southern hemisphere ~ has more of the larger crater types than the smaller ones ~ has a magnetic field that is not centered on its axis of rotation ~ has a heavier core, surrounded by a lighter, icy mantle and crust ~ has a color that is surprising among outer solar system satellites

has a heavier core, surrounded by a lighter, icy mantle and crust

The lakes found in the north polar region of Titan are filled with liquid ~ water ~ ammonia ~ methane ~ nitrogen ~ you can't fool me, all the lakes on cold Titan are frozen solid; none are liquid

methane

Which element plays the same role on Titan as water does on Earth (existing as gas, liquid, and solid)? ~ carbon dioxide ~ methane ~ ammonia ~ hydrogen cyanide ~ propane

methane

Callisto, the fourth moon of Jupiter's, takes 17 days to orbit Jupiter. If I stand on the surface of Callisto and see Jupiter high in the sky over my head, and then wait 8.5 Earth days in the same spot, where will I see Jupiter? ~ you won't see it; it will only be visible from the other side of Callisto ~ setting in the west ~ overhead, where it was before ~ rising in the east ~ we need more information to give even a rough estimate of where Jupiter will be

overhead, where it was before

The majority of the moons orbiting the outer (jovian) planets are: ~ large moons, roughly the size of Pluto or Mercury ~ small moons orbiting in the same direction that their planet turns ~ much warmer than the planet they orbit ~ small moons orbiting in a retrograde direction (opposite to the direction their planet turns and orbits) ~not in good working order, since they were made in Bayonne, New Jersey

small moons orbiting in a retrograde direction (opposite to the direction their planet turns and orbits)

What is the cause of its many volcanic/geyser-like eruptions on the moon Io? ~ its surface is at the triple point of methane, where it can be gas/liquid/solid ~ Jupiter's magnetic field causes huge bolts of lightning to hit Io and heat the surface ~ the gravitational stress of being so close to Jupiter and its other large moons heats the Io's inside ~ there is a metallic magnetic layer inside Io which is explosive ~ inhabitants of Io are intercepting Earth TV transmissions; it's making them throw up

the gravitational stress of being so close to Jupiter and its other large moons heats the Io's inside

Which of the following statements about the geysers on the moon Triton is true? ~ they are caused by the impact of small comets on Triton's fragile surface ~ the geysers are sulfur volcanoes which stick out of Triton's crust ~ they involve plumes of nitrogen on the sunlit side of Triton ~ they are caused by collisions with the rings of Neptune ~ they are only visible when it is winter on Triton

they involve plumes of nitrogen on the sunlit side of Triton

For a while, after the space age began, astronomers did not know what the surface of Titan looks like, but today they do. Which of the following was NOT a method by which astronomers have learned about the surface of Titan? ~ using instruments of the Huygens spacecraft to take pictures as it was descending ~ using an infrared camera aboard Cassini to take images of the surface in infrared ~ using a radar instrument to penetrate the smog in Titan's atmosphere ~ using the Hubble Space Telescope in orbit to take a photo of Titan ~ taking a photograph of the surface from a spacecraft that landed on Titan

using the Hubble Space Telescope in orbit to take a photo of Titan

What evidence can you give that shows the surface of Jupiter's moon Europa must be relatively young? ~ there are thousands of active volcanoes on Europa's surface ~ we see very few craters compared to the surfaces of Callisto and Ganymede ~ radioactive rocks from Europa that have been brought back to Earth by our probes show that Europa is a young moon ~ the interior of Europa is made of metals like iron and nickel ~ Europa was not orbiting Jupiter when Galileo observed its moons, but now it is

we see very few craters compared to the surfaces of Callisto and Ganymede

Which of the jovian planets does NOT have any satellites? ~ Jupiter ~ Saturn ~ Uranus ~ Neptune ~ you can't fool me, all the jovian planets are accompanied by satellites

you can't fool me, all the jovian planets are accompanied by satellites