Astronomy Final Practice Questions (UNIT 10: Smaller Solar System Objects)

What is the approximate cutoff in orbital period between long period comets and short period comets? A. 200 years B. 50 years C. 100 years D. 500 years

A. 200 years

Asteroids can have moons. A. True B. False

A. True

A moon must be spherical in shape. A. True B. False

B. False

What direction does the tail of a comet point? A. Along the orbital path of the comet B. Towards the Sun C. Away from the Earth D. Away from the Sun

D. Away from the Sun

Which of the dwarf planets is located in the Main Asteroid belt? A. Eris B. Haumea C. Makemake D. Ceres

D. Ceres

Which of the dwarf planets was the first object to be found? (Use the graph in notes) A. Pluto B. Eris C. Makemake D. Ceres E. Haumea

D. Ceres

Four moons are in orbital resonance 1:2:4:6, A:B:C:D. If the closest moon to the planet has an orbital period of 10 days then how long is moon C's orbital period? A. 15 days B. 10 days C. 60 days D. 5 days E. 30 days

A. 15 days

Four planets have an orbital resonance of 3:4:6:8, A:B:C:D. If planet B has an orbital period of 144 days then what is the orbital period of planet A? A. 192 days B. 144 days C. 38 days D. 96 days E. 72 days

A. 192 days

Which best describes the orbital path of Pluto? A. Both highly eccentric and highly inclined B. Highly eccentric but in the same oribital plane as the planets C. Small eccentricity and in the plane of the planets D. A similar small eccentricity to the planets but a high inclination

A. Both highly eccentric and highly inclined

A new set of moons is found around a planet to have a resonance of 1:3:5, A:B:C. The moons are simply labled A, B and C for this exercise. Which moon is closests to the planet based on the resonance stated? A. C B. A C. B

A. C

Which of the current dwarf planets was formerly classified as a planet and an asteroid in the past? A. Ceres B. Pluto C. Eris D. Makemake

A. Ceres

Where does the light we see from the ion tail of a comet come from? A. Emission photons from the atoms in the gas B. Photons emitted from the temperature of the comet C. Light from the sun reflecting off the particles

A. Emission photons from the atoms in the gas

Which of the dwarf planets have moons? (Use the graph in notes) Choose all that apply A. Eris B. Pluto C. Makemake D. Ceres E. Haumea

A. Eris B. Pluto E. Haumea

What does it mean for an object to "clear its orbit"? A. Its mass is much greater than the combined mass of all other objects in a similar orbit B. There are no other objects in a similar orbit C. It has the largest mass of any other object in a similar orbit D. The object has at least 25% of the mass of all objects in a similar orbit.

A. Its mass is much greater than the combined mass of all other objects in a similar orbit

Which planets orbit do the Greek and Trojan asteroids share? A. Jupiter B. Mercury C. Mars D. Earth

A. Jupiter

Where are most short period comets believed to originate from and spend most of their time? A. Kuiper belt B. Oort cloud C. Sharing the orbit of Jupiter D. Main asteroid belt

A. Kuiper belt

What is frozen on the surface of Pluto that is also the gas that makes up a large portion of Earth's atmosphere? A. Nitrogen B. Hydrogen C. Helium D. Methane

A. Nitrogen

Regular moons are often tidally locked to their planet. What does it mean for a moon to be tidally locked to the planet? A. One side of the moon always faces towards the planet B. The moons inclination is 0 degrees C. The moons orbit is a perfect circle D. The moon creates tides on the surface of the planet

A. One side of the moon always faces towards the planet

Where are most long period comets believed to originate from and spend most of their time? A. Oort cloud B. Main asteroid belt C. Kuiper belt D. Sharing Jupiters orbit

A. Oort cloud

What does the acronym PDCO stand for in the context of asteroids and comets? A. Planetary Defense Coordination Office B. Potential Direct Collision Observation C. Proposed Directions for Comet Observations D. Public Database Comets Online

A. Planetary Defense Coordination Office

Which best describes the atmosphere of Pluto? A. Pluto has a thin atmosphere when close to the Sun in its orbit B. Pluto has a thin atmosphere when it is farthest from the Sun in its orbit C. Pluto has no atmosphere or exosphere D. Pluto has an exosphere like Mercury

A. Pluto has a thin atmosphere when close to the Sun in its orbit

What is the source of the material we see burn up during a meteor shower? A. The dust and particles left behind by comets B. Volanic material falling back to the Earth C. The remnants of asteroids colliding with the moon D. Solar wind particles

A. The dust and particles left behind by comets

Which best describes the trend of size vs number of asteroids? A. There are a lot of very small asteroids and a few larger asteroids B. There are a lot of large asteroids and a few small asteroids C. There is an equal number of small and large asteroids

A. There are a lot of very small asteroids and a few larger asteroids

Which best describes the relationship between Pluto and its moon, Charon? A. They are tidally locked to each other and orbit a point outside the radius of both. B. The system is just like Earth and the Moon, with Charon tidally locked to Pluto and Pluto rotating so all sides of Pluto will see Charon C. Pluto and Charon are the same size and orbit a point directly between them while rotating freely D Charon orbits a point near the center of Pluto and both rotate freely

A. They are tidally locked to each other and orbit a point outside the radius of both.

Moons can be geologically active. A. True B. False

A. True

What is the name of the effect created by the heating and cooling of an asteroids surface as it rotates relative to the sun and can make predictions about its future orbital path difficult? A. Yarkovsky effect B. Einstein effect C. Radiative effect D. Newton effect

A. Yarkovsky effect

How many moons currently orbit the planets and dwarf planet Pluto? A. about 290 B. about 16 C. about 50 D. about 120

A. about 290

What creates the patterns in the ring systems of the giant planets? A. resonances with the planet's moons B. resonances with the other planets in the solar system C. interactions with the planet's magnetic field D. manmade gaps created by our spacecraft

A. resonances with the planets moons

Who is credited with the discovery of Pluto? A.Clyde Tombaugh B. Albert Einstein C. Johann Gottfried Galle D. Isaac Newton

A.Clyde Tombaugh

Given the orbital resonance A:B: C, 1:3:7. Match the letter with the corresponding resonance number. A: B: C:

A: 1 B: 3 C: 7

While the qualifications for a regular moon vs an irregular moon are not set by specific numbers we can look at some quantified properties of moons and identify them based on the spirit of the definition. Given orbital parameters of some moons identify them as regular or irregular moons. A Eccentricity: 0.7, Inclination: 50 degrees, prograde motion. Classification: B Eccentricity: 0.03, Inclination: 6 degrees, prograde motion. Classification: C Eccentricity: 0.5, Inclination: 7 degrees, retrograde motion. Classification:

A: Irregular B: Regular C: Irregular

Halleys comet has an orbital period of about 75 years and was last at perihelion in 1986. When will Halleys comet be at perihelion again and thus be visible from Earth with the naked eye? A. 2037 B. 2061 C. 2154 D. 2028

B. 2061

Using the video or your own research what was the ultimate fate of Rosetta? A. Rosetta crashed into the Sun B. A crash landing on the comet C. Rosetta now travels on a path out of the solar system D. Rosetta continues to orbit the comet but without power

B. A crash landing on the comet

Given that Occultation is the blocking of starlight by an object. What do we call an occultation of the Sun by the Moon as viewed from Earth? A. A lunar eclipse B. A solar eclipse C. A new moon D. A full moon

B. A solar eclipse

According to the simulation lesson, what would a 'dead' comet, one with all its ices removed, be classified as? A. A husk B. An asteroid C. A cometella D. It would still be called a comet

B. An asteroid

Which statement best matches the IAU definition of a moon? A. An object that orbits a planet or dwarf planet B. An object that orbits another object that is not the Sun in the solar system. C. A spherical object in the solar system D. An object that orbits one of the 8 planets

B. An object that orbits another object that is not the Sun in the solar system.

What does it mean for a region of the asteroid belt to be in 2:1 resonance with Jupiter? A. Asteroids in that region would orbit 4 times for every orbit of Jupiter B. Asteroids in that region would orbit twice for every orbit of Jupiter C. Asteroids in that region would orbit once for every 2 orbits of Jupiter

B. Asteroids in that region would orbit twice for every orbit of Jupiter

Which type of asteroid has not undergone differentiation? A. S type B. C type C. M type

B. C type

Which dwarf planet is closest to the Sun? (Use the graph in notes) A. Eris B. Ceres C. Makemake D. Pluto

B. Ceres

Where does the material for the E ring of Saturn come from? A. From volcanic eruptions of Io B. Cryovolcanic activity on the moon Enceladus C. From material ejected when asteroids collide with Enceladus D. From solar wind particles captured in Jupiter's magnetic field

B. Cryovolcanic activity on the moon Enceladus

Which of the current dwarf planets instigated the creation of the new category of objects of dwarf planets? A. Makemake B. Eris C. Ceres D. Pluto

B. Eris

An asteroid is spherical in shape. A. True B. False

B. False

Where do meteor showers get their name? A. From the comet the particles of the meteor shower came from B. From the constellation the radiant of the meteor shower appears to be in C. From the scientist who first documented it D. From the constellation the sun is residing in at the time of the meteor shower

B. From the constellation the radiant of the meteor shower appears to be in

Which of the Gallilean moons show ongoing eruptions at the surface? Choose all that apply. A. Callisto B. Io C. Europa D. Ganymede

B. Io C. Europa

Which of Keplers laws tells us that comets spend most of their time far from the Sun? A. Keplers 3rd law B. Keplers 2nd law C. Keplers 1st law

B. Keplers 2nd law

Which of these properties does a dwarf planet meet? Choose all that apply. A. Cleared its orbit B. Orbits the Sun C. Spherical in shape

B. Orbits the Sun C. Spherical in shape

According to the Asteroids 101 lesson in the Eyes on Asteroids simulation, what is the current number of known asteroids? A. Over 5,418,000 B. Over 1,328,000 C. About 50,000 D. About 800

B. Over 1,328,000

What is the special name for Saturn's moons, Prometheus and Pandora, related to their interaction with the rings of Saturn? A. Resonant moons B. Shephard moons C. Source moons D. Roche moons

B. Shephard moons

Which best explains the source of light for the dust tail that we observe? A. Emission photons from the excited atoms B. Sunlight reflecting off the emitted particles C. Thermal photons from the heating of the comet

B. Sunlight reflecting off the emitted particles

In general, how do the orbits of the trojan asteroids compare to the orbit of Jupiter? A. They have the same eccentricity and inclination B. They are both more eccentric and more inclined C. They have the same eccentricity but are highly inclined D. They are more eccentric but have the same inclination

B. They are both more eccentric and more inclined

Where does Io get the energy to be geologically active? A. Ongoing collisions with other smaller moons B. Tidal forces from Jupiter C. Gravitational lensing of the Sun D. An overabundance of ratioactive isotopes

B. Tidal forces from Jupiter

Which planets have at least one moon? Choose all that apply. A. Mercury B. Uranus C. Saturn D. Jupiter E. Mars F. Earth G. Neptune H. Venus

B. Uranus C. Saturn D. Jupiter E. Mars F. Earth G. Neptune

Which of the planets currently have ring systems? A. Mercury B. Uranus C. Saturn D. Jupiter E. Mars F. Earth G. Neptune H. Venus

B. Uranus C. Saturn D. Jupiter G. Neptune

When are you most likely to see a comet with a tail? A. When the comet is at aphelion B. When the comet is at perihelion

B. When the comet is at perihelion

What is the best way to view the darker rings of the giant planets? A. With a light source behind the observer so the light will reflect off the rings B. With a light source behind the planet that the rings will block or diffract the light C. With a light source between the observer and the rings for the light to both reflect and refract

B. With a light source behind the planet that the rings will block or diffract the light

What is the underlying physics process that determines an asteroids composition and classification? A. diffraction B. differentiation C. radiation D. chondration

B. differentiation

Lo is able to remain geologically active due to the tidal forces from Jupiter and its resonance with Europa and Ganymede, keeping it in an eccentric orbit. Recall that Io:Europa: Ganymede has a 4:2:1 resonance. How many orbits does Io complete in the time it takes Ganymede to complete 1 orbit? A. 2 B. 8 C. 4 D. 1

C. 4

A planet has 4 moons in resonance 1:2:3:5, A:B:C:D. Which moon is farthest from the planet? A. D B. B C. A D. C

C. A

Notice that Eris is 68 times further from the Sun than the Earth, in other words located at 68 AU from the Sun. Recall that it takes 8 minutes for light to reach the Earth from the Sun. Using those two pieces of information how long does it take for the light from the sun to reach Eris? A. Around 1 hour B. Around 45 hours C. Around 9 hours D. Around 4 hours

C. Around 9 hours

At what part of its orbit is a comet most likely to have a visible tail? A. At aphelion B. A comet always has a tail C. At perihelion

C. At perihelion

What direction do the tails of a comet always initially point? A. Along the orbital path of the comet B. Towards the Sun C. Away from the Sun D. Away from the Earth

C. Away from the Sun

Which requirement to be a full planet do dwarf planets not meet? A. Orbiting the Sun B. Shape defined by hydrostatic equilibrium C. Clearing their orbit

C. Clearing their orbit

Which dwarf planet has a large oblateness due to its rapid rotation? A. Ceres B. Eris C. Haumea D. Pluto

C. Haumea

Where are 4 of the 5 currently confirmed dwarf planets located? A. Between the orbits of Mercury and Venus B. In the Main Asteroid belt C. In the Kuiper belt D. Between the orbits of Saturn and Uranus

C. In the Kuiper belt

How does the orbit of Ceres compare to that of the planets? A. It has a much larger eccentricity and inclination B. It has a similar inclination but larger eccentricity C. It has a similar eccentricity but larger inclination D. It has similar eccentricity and inclination as the planets

C. It has a similar eccentricity but larger inclination

Which planet's ring system can be easily seen from Earth with a simple telescope? A. Mercury B. Uranus C. Saturn D. Jupiter E. Mars F. Earth G. Neptune H. Venus

C. Saturn

What unfortunate event occured that caused Philae to not land where scientists had hoped? A. The surface was icier than expected B. The wrong units were used in a calculation C. The harpoons did not fire D. A sudden gas eruption occured on the surface

C. The harpoons did not fire

According to Keplers 3rd law and our understanding of resonance. What does a section of ring particles mean to be in 2:1, ring: moon, resonance with a moon? A. The moon contains twice as much mass as the ring particles B. The moon is twice as far from the planet as the ring particles C. The section of the ring will complete 2 orbits for every 1 orbit of the moon D. The moon is moving twice as fast as the ring particles

C. The section of ring will complete 2 orbits for every 1 orbit of the moon

When was Pluto discovered? A. Pluto has been known since ancient times B. 1750 C. 1840 D. 1930

D. 1930

Recall the 4:2:1 resonance of Io:Europe: Ganymede. If Ganymede orbits in 172 hours, how long does it take Europa to complete 1 orbit? A. 21 hours B. 43 hours C. 344 hours D. 86 hours

D. 86 hours

Which dwarf planet has the shortest rotation period? (Use the graph in notes) A. Ceres B. Pluto C. Eris D. Haumea

D. Haumea

On Saturn's moon Titan, what material undergoes a similar process to the water cycle we see here on Earth? A. Hydrogen B. Helium C. Nitrogen D. Hydrocarbons

D. Hydrocarbons

What is believed to be the current source for the rings of giant planets? A. Solar wind particles B. Comets C. Eruptions from the planet surface D. Moons of those planets

D. Moons of those planets

Which spacecraft has provided most of the information we have about Pluto? A. Voyager 1 B. Voyager 2 C. Cassini D. New Horizons

D. New Horizons

Which object listed has the most water? A. Earth B. Europa C. Dione D. Titan

D. Titan

What are asteroids that are smaller than about 1 meter called? A. they have no name B. nuclei C. proto asteroids D. meteoroids

D. meteoroids

Continue to consider the 1:3:5 resonance of the moons A:B:C. If moon C is found to have an orbital period of 3 days, how long does it take moon A to orbit the planet? A. 5 days B. 30 days C. 1 day D. 3 days E. 15 days

E. 15 days

Three moons have an orbital resonance of 5:3:1. If the closest moon from the planet has an orbital period of 15 days, how long is the orbital period of the farthest moon from the planet? A. 5 days B. 45 days C. 10 days D. 3 days E. 75 days F. 15 days

E. 75 days

Match the location with the name of the object. (atmosphere, space, Earth's surface) Meteoroid: Meteor: Meteorite:

Meteoroid: space Meteor: atmosphere Meteorite: Earth's surface

Match the name to the description of the object. Very small asteroid-like object in space: Small natural object burning in an atmosphere: Remnants of a natural object from space on a planet's surface (meteor, meteoroid, meteorite)

meteroid meteor meteorite