Astronomy Intercession Test 2
Sunspots are regions of lower temperature in the photosphere of the Sun. True/False
True
The Galileo Probe dropped into the atmosphere of Jupiter. True/False
True
The energy caused by the sun is caused by thermonuclear fusion. True/False
True
The greenhouse effect heats a planet because infrared radiation is trapped. True/False
True
The understanding of plate tectonics has come to be the unifying theory of geology. True/False
True
Uranus and Neptune are fairly similar in terms of size, internal structure, and color. True/False
True
Mercury has no appreciable atmosphere. True/False
True
Olympus Mons was probably created by magma rising through the same vent for millions of years. True/False
True
At what point in its orbit does Jupiter appear to be brightest when viewed from Earth? Opposition Its brightness does not vary with orbital position because of its almost circular orbit. Conjunction When Earth-Jupiter line is at a right angle to the Sun-Jupiter line
A
Continental drift on Earth is a result of large-scale circulation of partly molten or plastic rock in Earth's interior. water percolating down through geological fault zones, acting as a lubricant. the momentum of impacts from giant asteroids or planetoids hitting the early Earth. flexing of Earth's surface by lunar and solar tides.
A
Hot-spot volcanism is a process that produces gigantic volcanoes on Venus and Mars but produces chains of smaller volcanoes on Earth (e.g., the Hawaiian Islands). produces dome-shaped rises on Venus and Mars and mid-ocean ridges on Earth (e.g., the Mid-Atlantic Ridge). does not operate on Venus or Mars but produces subduction zones on Earth (e.g., along the west coast of North and South America). produces large rift valleys on Mars, Venus, and Earth (e.g., the Great Rift Valley of Africa).
A
How can we characterize the rotation of the Sun? Differential rotation, with the equator rotating faster than the poles Like a solid body (all parts rotating equally) In a banded pattern, with alternating bands of fast and slow rotation Differential rotation, with the equator rotating more slowly than the poles
A
One of the striking features of the overall surface of Mars is the two very distinct hemispheres, one of them lower and smoother than its counterpart and almost free of craters. the presence of active volcanoes and lava flows over the whole surface, including near to the poles, where these flows melt the icecaps regularly. the remarkable similarity of surface features across the whole of the planet, including uniform distribution of craters and ancient river valleys. the uniform distribution of water-ice frost over the whole surface, hidden in the shade of rocks, in both winter and summer.
A
The Great Red Spot is a large, long-lived, high-pressure storm in Jupiter's atmosphere. the colored polar cap of Jupiter. clouds of dust-laden gas upwelling above the top of a massive mountain or a volcano on the planet's surface. a type of storm in Jupiter's atmosphere that can last for a few months at a time before disappearing.
A
The blue-green appearance of Uranus is caused by the atmosphere of methane gas, which preferentially absorbs the red parts of the solar spectrum. the reflection of blue light by the ice crystals on the planet's surface and in its atmosphere. the color of the surface of the planet. scattering of light from the dust in the thick atmosphere.
A
The name "Pangaea" refers to the supercontinent that split into the present North and South America, Europe, and Africa. tectonic plate on which most of North America is riding. ocean that covered most of North America millions of years ago. outer life-bearing layer of Earth, including the soil, oceans, and atmosphere.
A
The neutrino is a tiny particle that interacts very weakly with matter, with extremely low or zero mass and no charge. another name for the neutron, a component of almost all atomic nuclei, with a mass close to the proton and no charge. another name for a photon of very high energy, i.e., short wavelength electromagnetic radiation, with great penetrating power. a massive but very elusive nuclear particle that carries most of the energy generated in the core of the Sun to the surface, but that then decays to release electromagnetic radiation (i.e., light).
A
To form the present structure of Earth, which of the following mechanisms is most likely to have taken place while Earth was molten? a)Heavy elements sank to the center under gravity, while lighter materials rose to the surface and solidified into rocks. b)Lighter elements sank to the center leaving the heavier material to form the rocky surface after cooling. c)Hydrogen and helium became highly compressed by gravity and sank to the core below a layer of heavier rocky material. d)All materials were thoroughly mixed by convection in the molten state, and Earth remained mixed as it cooled.
A
Triton, the largest satellite of Neptune, has a surface of ice with frozen lakes, plumes of escaping gas, and few craters. a densely cratered surface of ice, with at least one ringed structure indicating an ancient asteroid impact. a surface of ice in which ancient, densely cratered regions are surrounded by interconnecting systems of parallel ridges. a thick atmosphere that hides the surface from view.
A
What are the Van Allen belts? Two donut-shaped regions of high-energy charged particles in Earth's magnetosphere. An oval-shaped region around each of Earth's magnetic poles where charged particles collide with ions in Earth's atmosphere. The inner and outer parts of the asteroid belt. Regions of high ion concentration in Earth's upper atmosphere, where radio waves are reflected back toward the surface of Earth.
A
What is the basic structure of Earth's interior? Solid iron inner core, molten iron outer core, rocky mantle, lighter rocky crust Molten iron inner core, molten rocky outer core, solid rocky mantle, lighter rocky crust Molten iron core, molten rocky mantle, solid rocky crust Molten iron inner core, solid iron outer core, rocky mantle, lighter rocky crust
A
What is the name of a large loop of bright gas extending outward from the edge of the Sun (often seen during total solar eclipses)? A prominence A spicule A sunspot A filament
A
What is the physical appearance of Jupiter as seen from Earth or a spacecraft? A series of dark belts and light zones parallel to the equator A uniform bluish color with a high-level haze V-shaped cloud forms around the equator, indicative of rapid winds Uniform red-colored dust clouds over cratered surface
A
Which of the moons of the giant planets is known to have a significant atmosphere? Titan, a moon of Saturn Callisto, a moon of Jupiter Triton, a moon of Neptune Europa, a moon of Jupiter
A
Why can permanent liquid water not exist on Mars today? Both atmospheric pressure and surface temperature are too low, and any water would be in the form of ice or vapor. The surface of Mars is too porous to allow water to remain on the surface. Water would react with the CO2 in the atmosphere to form carbonic acid, which would react quickly with the rocks on Mars to destroy the water. Surface temperatures are too high, since at the low Martian atmospheric pressure, water would just boil away at the present Martian temperatures.
A
Why do transverse seismic S waves not traverse Earth's deep interior? They cannot travel through the liquid part of the core. Earth is not transparent to these electromagnetic waves. They cannot travel through the dense, solid core. They are surface waves and travel only along the surface of Earth.
A
A positron is a positively charged neutrino. a positively charged electron. a charged neutron. a positively charged particle with intermediate mass between a proton and an electron.
B
Earth's magnetic field is generated by permanent magnetism in Earth's crustal rocks. electric currents in Earth's core. electric currents in Earth's mantle. the flow of electrons and ions in Earth's magnetosphere.
B
Earth's magnetosphere is the molten core, whose motions produce the magnetic field. region beyond the atmosphere, where the magnetic field protects us from solar wind. atmospheric layer between the stratosphere and thermosphere, where motions are governed by the magnetic field. region in the crust near each magnetic pole.
B
Most of the craters on the Moon were formed by slumping of the surface following the outflow of lava from below the region. bombardment by interplanetary meteoritic material. wind and water erosion of mountains and hills in the distant past. volcanic action; the craters are the old calderas of volcanoes.
B
Sunspots appear dark because they are coronal holes. are cooler than the surrounding surface. are regions from which the light is prevented from escaping by strong magnetic fields. have a different chemical composition than the surrounding surface.
B
The auroral display of northern and southern lights in the atmosphere is caused by reflection of sunlight from the ice in the polar regions. solar wind electrons hitting the high atmosphere after being accelerated by the magnetosphere. sunlight scattered by very high atmospheric clouds. fluorescence from solar ultraviolet light.
B
The large amount of free oxygen in Earth's present atmosphere is primarily a result of splitting of CO2 into carbon and oxygen by solar ultraviolet light. a biological process such as photosynthesis. the outgassing by volcanoes and other geological processes. CO2 becoming dissolved in the oceans, releasing O2.
B
The long and high mountain ranges found in the centers of several major oceans on Earth, such as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, are caused by continuous and steady erosion of the seabed on either side of the mountains by powerful sea currents flowing across the oceans, such as the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic. lava upflow as the tectonic plates on the seafloor split apart and separate. the rebounding of the surface of Earth in the centers of the large craters that became the ocean basins after the impacts of the large planetesimals or asteroids early in Earth's history. upthrust and buckling caused by seafloor motions from the continents toward the ocean centers, equivalent to the production of continental mountain ranges such as the Rockies.
B
The particles in Saturn's rings are composed of a mixture of iron and nickel. water ice or rock coated with water ice. ammonia and methane ice, possibly with rocky centers. rocks with the reflectivity of dark asphalt.
B
The photosphere is the level of the Sun from which most of the visible radiation we see originates. The temperature of the base of the Sun's photosphere is roughly 600 K. 6000 K. 60,000 K. one million K.
B
The smooth, dark maria on the Moon are areas that were still molten at the time of the early, heavy bombardment. immense impact basins that are smooth because they were covered by lava flows after a period of heavy bombardment early in the Moon's history. immense impact basins that are smooth because earlier craters were wiped out by shock waves from the impacts. regions that are as old as the cratered highlands but escaped a period of heavy bombardment by being on the "wrong" side of the Moon.
B
The two most important processes by which energy is transported from the core of the Sun to the photosphere are conduction and convection. radiation and convection. radiation and conduction. radiation and neutrino emission.
B
Which satellite of Jupiter is volcanically active? Europa Io Callisto Ganymede
B
Nuclear fusion is the combining of electrons with nuclei to produce atoms and release energy. the combining of hydrogen atoms to produce hydrogen molecules, H2, and energy. the process of fusing together light nuclei (e.g., hydrogen) to produce heavier nuclei (e.g., helium) and energy. the splitting of heavier nuclei to produce lighter nuclei and energy.
C
One of the principle difficulties in establishing the theory of continental drift (the idea that tectonic plates drift around on Earth's surface) was identifying a source of energy capable of powering such movement. What do we now believe to be the source of such energy? Radioactive decay Heat trapped by the greenhouse effect Hot material welling up from Earth's interior The tidal pull of the Moon and the Sun
C
The Sun has existed for a very long time without change in its size, appearance, or behavior. This means that it must be in hydrostatic equilibrium. Under these conditions, which two parameters must be in exact balance within the Sun? Numbers of hydrogen and helium nuclei Hydrogen gas pressure and helium gas pressure Inward force of gravity and outward gas pressure Magnetic field and force of gravity
C
The lifetime of the Great Red Spot appears to be similar to that of a sunspot that it resembles—about 2 to 4 weeks between successive appearances. one Jupiter orbital period—about 12 years between successive appearances, because the spot is produced by tidal effects from interaction with other planets. at least 300 years, from visual records. well over 2000 years, from ancient Greek records.
C
Water may have been discovered recently on the Moon in the form of fluid water flowing in deep protected tunnels, some of which have collapsed to form rilles on the lunar surface. thin, hazy clouds overlying the dark polar regions, where they are shaded from the Sun's heat. ice, in deep craters at the north and south poles, perpetually shaded from sunlight. permafrost embedded in the centers of the large, dark maria, the color showing.
C
What do we understand about the presence of H2O on Venus? There has probably never been a significant amount of water on Venus. In the past, the atmosphere of Venus held significant amounts of water vapor, but it has always been too hot for liquid water to exist on the surface. Oceans of liquid water once existed on the surface, but these evaporated and the water vapor was dissociated by ultraviolet radiation from the Sun. Oceans of liquid water once existed, but this water is now locked up in various rocks on the surface.
C
What is believed to be the basic structure of the interior of Uranus? Rocky core, thick layer of water, thin gaseous atmosphere Iron core, thick layer of rock, thin gaseous atmosphere Rocky core, thick layer of water, thick layer of liquid hydrogen, thin gaseous atmosphere Rocky core, thick layer of liquid hydrogen, thin gaseous atmosphere
C
What is the Sun's energy source? Primordial heat left over from the release of gravitational energy when the Sun first formed Radioactivity Thermonuclear fusion in the core Heat released by gravitational contraction
C
What is the Sun's photosphere? The middle layer of the Sun's atmosphere he lowest layer of the Sun's atmosphere The envelope of convective mass motion in the outer interior of the Sun The upper layer of the Sun's atmosphere
C
Where is the Cassini division found in our solar system? between two band systems on the visible "surface" of Jupiter between two major groups of asteroids in the asteroid belt between two major ring systems around Saturn between the terrestrial and the Jovian planets
C
Which of the following techniques is used by geologists and geophysicists to probe the structure of Earth's core and mantle? Direct sampling of the core by deep drilling through the ocean floor Extrapolation of surface features (e.g., mountain chains) into the deep interior Study of the deflection of seismic waves produced by earthquakes X-ray analysis from satellites
C
Which planet is characterized by a blue-green appearance, with dark storms and white, high-altitude methane clouds? Saturn Jupiter Neptune Uranus
C
An astronomer detects a new feature in Jupiter's atmosphere. Subsequent observation shows that this feature is brighter than its surroundings when observed in infrared light. We can conclude that this feature is a localized storm feature. region of higher density in the ammonium hydrosulfide layer. region of high-altitude clouds created by upwardly moving winds. deeper layer observed through a hole in Jupiter's clouds.
D
On Earth, the majority of earthquakes occur along the zone of maximum tidal stress around the equator. in the arctic and antarctic regions. in the centers of tectonic plates (e.g., North American continent). along the boundaries of major tectonic plates.
D
Saturn is less massive than Jupiter but has almost the same size. Why is this? Saturn's interior is hotter than that of Jupiter. Saturn is composed of lighter material than Jupiter. Saturn is rotating faster than Jupiter, and the increased centrifugal force results in a larger size. The smaller mass exerts less gravitational force and is unable to compress the mass as much as in Jupiter.
D
The Viking Lander spacecraft measured a steadily decreasing atmospheric pressure soon after landing on Mars. What was found to be the cause of this observation? The spacecraft was slowly outgassing contaminant gases it had carried from Earth. The spacecraft had melted a significant region of permafrost with its descent rockets and the resulting vapor was slowly dissipating. The planet's atmosphere was slowly returning to normal after a massive influx of gas from a recent volcanic eruption. Atmospheric CO2 was freezing out into "dry ice" as colder temperatures signaled the onset of the Martian winter.
D
The best images of the overall topology of Venus have been produced by visible wavelength images from cameras on board an orbiting spacecraft. photography from the Hubble Space Telescope at UV wavelengths to which the Venus atmosphere and clouds are transparent. imaging cameras on board two spacecraft that soft-landed on the surface of Venus. reflection of microwave and short radio wave radiation from the surface by an orbiting spacecraft
D
The corona of the Sun has a temperature of about 10 K, because it merges with cold interstellar space. about the same as the photosphere—about 6000 K. noticeably less than the photosphere—about 1000 to 2000 K. of 1 to 2 million K.
D
The deepest central cores of the interiors of Jupiter and Saturn are thought to be composed of methane, ammonia, and water vapor. liquid metallic hydrogen. magnetized iron. rock.
D
The granulation pattern seen on the surface of the Sun results from heating of the photosphere by solar flares. the differential rotation of the Sun. strong magnetic fields cooling the gas in certain regions. convection of gas in the region under the photosphere.
D
The greenhouse effect, which heats a planet's surface above the predicted equilibrium surface temperature for the planet without an atmosphere, is far less effective on Mars than on Earth. Why is this? The Martian surface temperature is very low, and this reduces the effectiveness of the greenhouse effect. There is less energy being conducted upward from the Martian interior to the surface of Mars because of the thickness of its crust compared to that of Earth. The Martian atmosphere contains no gases that can absorb solar radiation. The Martian atmosphere is very thin and traps less infrared radiation from the surface.
D
The heating of the interior of Jupiter's large moon Io, in order to produce volcanic activity, is probably caused by its original heat of formation. radioactive elements in its surface. nuclear fission within its interior. tidal distortion by Jupiter and its other moons.
D
The mechanism at work when energy is transmitted by convection is the successive exchange of radiant energy between atoms. the passage of radiation through a gas. the fusion of hydrogen nuclei into helium nuclei. the mass motion of hot gases.
D
The total time that the Sun will spend converting hydrogen to helium in its core is less than 1 million years. at least 200 billion years (2 · 1011) years. about 4.5 million years. about 10 billion years (1010 years).
D
We need the ozone layer because it allows long-distance radio communication by reflecting radio waves back to Earth's surface. protects us from the solar wind. provides a convenient dumping site for chlorofluorocarbon chemicals that are harmful to life. shields us from harmful solar ultraviolet radiation.
D
What observing technique was being used when Saturn's rings were originally discovered? momentary occultation of starlight as the planet moved in front of a star spacecraft photography ground-based photography visual observations through a telescope
D
What significant evidence exists for the idea that large quantities of water once flowed on the planet Mars? Clouds and frost forming above and around the Viking spacecraft, released by the heat of the descent rockets Frozen but dust-covered lakes inside ancient craters A network of relatively straight canals linking polar and equatorial regions Deep, winding canyons and flood plains
D
Which of Jupiter's satellites is characterized by an exceptionally smooth, icy surface, few craters, and many streaks and cracks? Ganymede Callisto Io Europa
D
Which particular chemical associated with volcanic emissions has been detected by various techniques in amounts that appear to vary significantly over short time scales, indicating the presence of active volcanoes on Venus at the present time? Carbon in CO2 and CO Ammonia and methane gases Silicon and silicate dusts Sulfur and sulfur compounds
D
Aurorae are most commonly observed at the equator of the Earth. True/False
False
Energy moves almost as fast as the speed of light from the core of the Sun to the surface. True/False
False
Mars's atmosphere causes an enormous surface temperature because of a runaway greenhouse effect True/False
False
Oxygen is the most abundant element in the atmosphere. True/False
False
Scientists are not concerned about the biological contamination of Jupiter's moon, Europa. True/False
False
The Earth's gravitational field protects life from the Sun's subatomic particles. True/False
False
The Great Red Spot can be seen in the Northern hemisphere of Saturn. True/False
False
The rings of Uranus were not discovered until a spacecraft flew by and took images from the other size of the planet. True/False
False
The surface temperature of the Sun is approximately 15 million Kelvin. True/False
False
The temperature continually decreases as you increase in elevation through Earth's atmosphere. True/False
False
There are a large number of craters on Jupiter's moon, Io. True/False
False
Images from the Huygens probe showed that liquids flowed on Titan like water on Earth. True/False
True