Astronomy: Module 11 Quiz

Which of the following is NOT one of the largest moons in the Solar System?

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

Pluto's big satellite is called

Charon

The satellite whose surface is characterized by a smooth icy crust with a complex network of cracks is:

Europa

The four large moons of Jupiter were first discovered by:

Galileo with his early telescope

The largest satellite (moon) in the solar system is:

Ganymede

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 heated by tidal forces from Jupiter

The world in the solar system that is most active volcanically is:

Io

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.

Pluto

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

The satellite which has the thickest atmosphere (so thick that it's quite a surprise for a satellite) is:

Titan

Which of the following is NOT a way that the moon Titan probably resembles the Earth?

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

The rings of the outer planets consist of

billions of chunks (of various sizes) that all orbit the equator of each planet

When astronomers say that Ganymede is a differentiated body, they mean that it:

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

What features are abundant on Callisto and Ganymede and almost absent on Europa and Io?

impact craters

Which element plays the same role on Titan as water does on Earth (existing as gas, liquid, and solid)?

methane

The majority of the moons orbiting the outer (jovian) planets are:

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

What method was used to discover Pluto in 1929-1930?

take pairs of photographs several days apart and "blink" them

What is the cause of its many volcanic/geyser-like eruptions on the moon Io?

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

Saturn's ring particles are composed mainly of:

water ice

What evidence can you give that shows the surface of Jupiter's moon Europa must be relatively young?

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