ASTRONOMY 103 Final EXAM
The fact that we observe neutrinos from the Sun provides direct evidence of (a) fusion in the Sun's core. (b) convection in the Sun's interior. (c) the existence of the solar wind.
A
What can we conclude about planets based on their surface area-to-volume ratio?
A. Smaller planets cool faster
Where did the Majority of the gases that make up the solar nebula come from?
A. The Big Bang
What is the longest-lasting internal heat source responsible for geological activity? (a) accretion (b) radioactive decay (c) sunlight
B
The number of comets in the Oort cloud is probably about?
B. a trillion
Compared to red light, blue light has higher frequency and (a) higher energy and shorter wavelength. (b) higher energy and longer wavelength. (c) lower energy and shorter wavelength.
A
Compared to the Sun, a star whose spectrum peaks in the infrared is (a) cooler. (b) hotter. (c) larger.
A
Consider the statement "There's no gravity in space." This statement is (a) completely false. (b) false if you are close to a planet or moon, but true in between the planets. (c) completely true
A
Fossil evidence suggests that life on Earth arose (a) almost immediately after Earth formed. (b) very soon after the end of the heavy bombardment. (c) about a billion years before the rise of the dinosaurs.
A
How big an object causes a typical "shooting star"? (a) a grain of sand or a small pebble (b) a boulder (c) an object the size of a car
A
How does the habitable zone around a star of spectral type G compare to that around a star of spectral type M? (a) It is larger. (b) It is hotter. (c) It is closer to its star
A
If the Moon were closer to Earth, high tides would (a) be higher than they are now. (b) be lower than they are now. (c) occur three or more times a day rather than twice a day.
A
If you heat a rock until it glows, its spectrum will be (a) a thermal radiation spectrum. (b) an absorption line spectrum. (c) an emission line spectrum.
A
Ionization is the process by which (a) electrons escape from atoms. (b) liquid material enters the gas phase. (c) molecules break apart into individual atoms.
A
Leftover ice-rich planetesimals are called (a) comets. (b) asteroids. (c) meteorites.
A
To make a rocket turn left, you need to (a) fire an engine that shoots out gas to the left. (b) fire an engine that shoots out gas to the right. (c) spin the rocket clockwise.
B
What causes the cycle of solar activity? (a) changes in the Sun's fusion rate (b) changes in the organization of the Sun's magnetic field (c) changes in the speed of the solar wind
B
Are there any exceptions to the rule that planets rotate with small axis tilts and in the same direction as they orbit the Sun? (a) No (b) Venus is the only exception. (c) Venus and Uranus are exceptions.
C
At the center of the Sun, fusion converts hydrogen into (a) plasma. (b) radiation and elements like carbon and nitrogen. (c) helium, energy, and neutrinos
C
Based on current data, planetary systems appear to be (a) extremely rare. (b) present around about 10% of all stars. (c) present around at least half of all stars.
C
Can an asteroid be pure metal? (a) No; all asteroids contain rock. (b) Yes; it must have formed where only metal could condense in the solar nebula. (c) Yes; it must be from the core of a shattered asteroid.
C
Compared to its angular momentum when it is farthest from the Sun, Earth's angular momentum when it is nearest to the Sun is (a) greater. (b) less. (c) the same.
C
Could we see a galaxy that is 50 billion light-years away? (a) Yes, if we had a big enough telescope. (b) No, because it would be beyond the bounds of our observable universe. (c) No, because a galaxy could not possibly be that far away.
C
Galileo's contribution to astronomy included (a) discovering the laws of planetary motion. (b) discovering the law of gravity. (c) making observations and conducting experiments that dispelled scientific objections to the Sun-centered model
C
How many of our solar system's large moons orbit their planets in the same direction as their planet rotates? (a) very few (b) about half (c) most
C
How many of the planets orbit the Sun in the same direction as Earth does? (a) a few (b) most (c) all
C
How many of the terrestrial worlds have lava plains or shallowsloped volcanoes? (a) one (b) three (c) five
C
Two stars that are in the same constellation (a) must both be part of the same cluster of stars in space. (b) must both have been discovered at about the same time. (c) may actually be very far away from each other.
C
Tycho Brahe's contribution to astronomy included (a) inventing the telescope. (b) proving that Earth orbits the Sun. (c) collecting data that enabled Kepler to discover the laws of planetary motion.
C
What causes the release of oxygen into Earth's atmosphere? (a) outgassing (b) vaporization (c) photosynthesis
C
What do we conclude if a planet has few impact craters of any size? (a) The planet was never bombarded by asteroids or comets. (b) Its atmosphere stopped impactors of all sizes. (c) Other geological processes have wiped out craters.
C
What does Pluto most resemble? (a) a terrestrial planet (b) a jovian planet (c) a comet
C
What does it mean if you see the color red in an x-ray image from the Chandra X-Ray Observatory? (a) The object is red in color. (b) The red parts are hotter than the blue parts. (c) It depends; the colors are chosen arbitrarily to represent something about the x-rays recorded by the telescope.
C
What is Jupiter's main ingredient? (a) rock and metal (b) hydrogen compounds (c) hydrogen and helium
C
What is the leading hypothesis for Venus's lack of water? (a) Venus formed closer to the Sun and accreted very little water. (b) Its water is locked away in the crust. (c) Its water molecules were broken apart, and hydrogen was lost to space.
C
What is the name of the rigid outer layer of a planet? (a) crust (b) mantle (c) lithosphere
C
What kind of light warms the stratosphere? (a) infrared (b) visible (c) ultraviolet
C
What's unusual about our Moon? (a) It's the only moon that orbits a terrestrial planet. (b) It's by far the largest moon in the solar system. (c) It's surprisingly large relative to the planet it orbits.
C
When we say that a planet has a highly eccentric orbit, we mean that (a) it is spiraling in toward the Sun. (b) its orbit is an ellipse with the Sun at one focus. (c) in some parts of its orbit it is much closer to the Sun than in other parts.
C
Where is most of the CO2 that has outgassed from Earth's volcanoes? (a) in the atmosphere (b) in space (c) in rocks
C
Which detection method or methods measure the gravitational tug of a planet on its star, allowing us to estimate planetary mass? (a) the transit method only (b) the Doppler method only (c) the astrometric and Doppler methods
C
Which have the most elliptical and tilted orbits? (a) asteroids (b) Kuiper belt comets (c) Oort cloud comets
C
Which lists the jovian planets in order of increasing distance from the Sun? (a) Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Pluto (b) Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune (c) Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
C
Which method could detect a planet in an orbit that is face-on to Earth? (a) Doppler method (b) transit method (c) astrometric method
C
Which of the following did not occur during the collapse of the solar nebula? (a) spinning faster (b) heating up (c) concentrating denser materials nearer the Sun
C
How does the strength of Jupiter's magnetic field compare to that of Earth's magnetic field?
C. Jupiter's magnetic field is about 20,000 times as strong as Earth's
What do asteroids and comets have in common?
C. Most are unchanged since their formation in the solar nebula.
Which statement about planetary rings is not true?
C. Saturn rings formed along with its moons 4.6 billion years ago
Which moon has the most substantial atmosphere?
C. Titan
What is a meteorite?
C. a fragment of an asteroid from the solar system that has fallen to Earth's surface
Approximately how many other planetary systems have been discovered to date?
C. a thousand
The Huygens probe took numerous pictures as it descended to Titan's surface in 2005. What did the pictures show?
C. features of erosion, including what appeared to be dry river valleys and lakebeds
The light radiated from the Sun's surface reaches Earth in about 8 minutes, but the energy of that light was released by fusion in the solar core about
E. a hundred thousand years ago
A rocky leftover planetesimal orbiting the Sun is
B. An asteroid
The SI Unit of weight is:
D. Newton(N)
How many of the five terrestrial worlds have surfaces being continually reshaped by plate tectonics? (a) one (b) two (c) three or more
A
Constellations are...
B. Groups of stars that only appear together from our vantage point, that will evolve over time
How does a Space X rocket take off?
B. Hot gas shoots out from the rocket and, by conservation of momentum, the rocket moves in the opposite direction.
What do we mean by the frost line when we discuss the formation of planets in the solar nebula?
B. It is a circle at a particular distance from the Sun, beyond which the temperature was low enough for ices to condense
What do we mean by the diffraction limit of a telescope?
B. It is the best angular resolution the telescope could achieve with perfect optical quality and in the absence of atmospheric distortion
Which of the following statements is not an observed pattern of motion in our solar system?
B. Most planets orbit at the same speed
The terrestrial planet cores contain mostly metal because
B. Radioactivity created metals in the core form the decay of uranium
Which of the following was not observed by Galileo?
B. Stellar Parallax
Which of the following statements best describes the two principal advantages of telescopes over eyes?
B. Telescopes can collect for more light with far better angular resolution
By mass, the most significant region of the Solar System is:
B. The Sun
Why is gas pressure near the surface of a planet greater than in the upper layers?
B. The weight of the upper layers of air push down on the lower layers, which increases their pressure and density
Which of the following is not a general characteristic of the four Jovian planets in our solar system?
B. They are higher in average density than are the terrestrial planets
How do we think the "hot Jupiters" around other stars are formed?
B. They formed as gas giants beyond the frost line and then migrated inwards.
Which of the following does not have ice in its polar regions?
B. Venus
Which of the following correctly describes the meridian in the sky?
B. a half-circle extending from your horizon due north, through your zenith, to your horizon due south
Comets with extremely elliptical orbits, like comets Hyakutake and Hale-Bopp,
B. come form the Oort cloud
The phase of matter in the Sun is
B. plasma
The astrometric technique looks for planets with careful measurements of a Star's
B. position in the sky
The composition of a planet's atmosphere be measured during a transit by analyzing
B. the excess absorption of starlight at specific wavelengths
A car is accelerating when it is (a) traveling on a straight, flat road at 50 miles per hour. (b) traveling on a straight uphill road at 30 miles per hour. (c) going around a circular track at a steady 100 miles per hour.
C
About how often does a 1-kilometer object strike Earth? (a) every year (b) every million years (c) every billion years
C
About what fraction of Earth's atmosphere is (a) 90% (b) 1% (c) less than 0.1%
C
According to current scientific understanding, the idea that the Milky Way Galaxy might be home to a civilization millions of years more advanced than ours is (a) a virtual certainty. (b) extremely unlikely. (c) one reasonable answer to Fermi's paradox.
C
According to the universal law of gravitation, what would happen to Earth if the Sun were somehow replaced by a black hole of the same mass? (a) Earth would be quickly sucked into the black hole. (b) Earth would slowly spiral into the black hole. (c) Earth's orbit would not change.
C
The largest volcano in the Solar System is located where?
E. Mars
At approximately, what time would a full moon be on your meridian?
E. Midnight
In which direction do hurricanes in the Southern Hemisphere rotate? (a) clockwise (b) counterclockwise (c) either direction
A
In winter, Earth's axis points toward the star Polaris. In spring, the axis points toward (a) Polaris. (b) Vega. (c) the Sun.
A
Which of the following has not been detected around other stars in the Galaxy?
E. None of the above
The release of trapped primordial gases from a planetary interior is called
E. Outgassing
The Caloris Basin is a giant, multi ringed impact crater on which world?
A Mercury
If there is going to be a total lunar eclipse tonight, then you know that (a) the Moon's phase is full. (b) the Moon's phase is new. (c) the Moon is unusually close to Earth
A
How many degrees are in an arcsecond?
.0003
If two objects are the same size but one object is 3 times hotter than the other object. The hotter object emits
81 times
A spectral line that appears at a wavelength of 321 nm in the laboratory appears at a wavelength of 328 nm in the spectrum of a distant object. We say that the object's spectrum is (a) redshifted. (b) blueshifted. (c) whiteshifted.
A
Based on computer models, when is planetary migration most likely to occur in a planetary system? (a) early in its history, when there is still a gaseous disk around the star (b) shortly after a stellar wind clears the gaseous disk away (c) late in its history, when asteroids and comets occasionally collide with planets
A
The theory of evolution is (a) a scientific theory backed by extensive evidence. (b) one of several competing scientific models that all seem equally successful in explaining the nature of life on Earth. (c) essentially just a guess about how life changes through time.
A
The total number of stars in the observable universe is roughly equivalent to (a) the number of grains of sand on all the beaches on Earth. (b) the number of grains of sand on Miami Beach. (c) infinity.
A
To achieve the same angular resolution as a visible-light telescope, a radio telescope would need to be (a) much larger. (b) slightly larger. (c) in space.
A
What is unusual about Triton? (a) It orbits its planet backward. (b) It does not keep the same face toward its planet. (c) It is the only moon with its own rings.
A
When it is summer in Australia, the season in the United States is (a) winter. (b) summer. (c) spring.
A
Where should you put a telescope designed for ultraviolet observations? (a) in Earth orbit (b) on an airplane (c) on a high mountaintop
A
Which terrestrial world has the most atmosphere? (a) Venus (b) Earth (c) Mars
A
Why do asteroids and comets differ in composition?
A. Asteroids formed inside the frost line, while comets formed outside.
The Earth's magnetic field is generated by:
A. Convection in the Earth's outer core, distorted by its rapid rotation
An exoplanets density can be measured by combining
A. Doppler and Astrometric observations
In what spatial order are celestial objects to make a solar eclipse?
A. Earth, Moon, Sun
A week after full moon, the Moon's phase is (a) first quarter. (b) third quarter. (c) new.
B
About how old is the solar system? (a) 4.5 million years (b) 4.5 billion years (c) 4.5 trillion years
B
According to Kepler's third law, (a) Mercury travels fastest in the part of its orbit in which it is closest to the Sun. (b) Jupiter orbits the Sun at a faster speed than Saturn. (c) all the planets have nearly circular orbits.
B
According to current understanding, the key requirement for life is (a) photosynthesis. (b) liquid water. (c) an ozone layer.
B
An astronomical unit is (a) any planet's average distance from the Sun. (b) Earth's average distance from the Sun. (c) any large astronomical distance.
B
Compared to their values on Earth, on another planet your (a) mass and weight would both be the same. (b) mass would be the same but your weight would be different. (c) weight would be the same but your mass would be different.
B
He developed a system for predicting planetary positions that remained in use for some 1,500 years.
A Ptolemy
The Doppler technique only provides a measure of the maximum mass of a planet because
C. only the motion of star toward the observer is measured, not the full motion.
The depth of the dip in a star's brightness due to the transit of a planet depends most directly
C. the planet's size
How do constellations change over time?
Change with position and time of the year
A net force acting on an object will always cause a change in the object's
D. momentum
How does the Sun generate energy today?
D. nuclear fusion
As of today, most known extrasolar planets have been discovered by
D. the transit technique
The four Galilean moons around Jupiter are
E. A mixture of rock and ice
In the asteroid impact theory of the extinction of the dinosaurs some 65 million years ago, the dinosaurs ( and over half of all the other species on Earth at that time) died off largely because
E. dust injected into the stratosphere from the impact absorbed visible light from the Sun, causing global temperatures to plummet.
A planet is detected via the Doppler technique. The repeating pattern of the stellar motion tells us
E. the orbital period of the planet
Which of the following planets does not have rings?
Gas giants all have rings
Angular momentum is defined as
Mass x Velocity x Radius
Which of the following is volcanically inactive today?
Moon, Unknown for Venus and Mars
What makes the Earth revolve around the Sun?
Sun's gravitational pull
Which of the following statements is not one of Newton's laws of motion?
What goes up must come down
What mechanism is most responsible for generating the internal heat of Io that drives the volcanic activity?
E. Tidal Heating
Beijing and Philadelphia have about the same latitude but different longitudes. Therefore, tonight's night sky in these two places will (a) look about the same. (b) have completely different sets of constellations. (c) have partially different sets of constellations.
A
Compared to an atom as a whole, an atomic nucleus is (a) very tiny but has most of the mass. (b) quite large and has most of the mass. (c) very tiny and has very little mass.
A
Solar energy leaves the core of the Sun in the form of (a) photons. (b) rising hot gas. (c) sound waves.
A
The age of our solar system is about (a) one-third of the age of the universe. (b) three-fourths of the age of the universe. (c) two billion years less than the age of the universe
A
The fact that nearly all galaxies are moving away from us, with more distant ones moving faster, helped us to conclude that (a) the universe is expanding. (b) galaxies repel each other like magnets. (c) our galaxy lies near the center of the universe.
A
The greenhouse effect occurs in the (a) troposphere. (b) stratosphere. (c) lithosphere.
A
The nebular theory holds that (a) our solar system formed from the collapse of an interstellar cloud of gas and dust. (b) each planet formed from the collapse of its own separate nebula. (c) the planets formed as a result of a near-collision between our Sun and another star
A
The north celestial pole is 35° above your northern horizon. This tells you that you are at (a) latitude 35°N. (b) longitude 35°E. (c) latitude 35°S.
A
Which have more moons on average? (a) jovian planets (b) terrestrial planets (c) Terrestrial and jovian planets both have about the same number of moons.
A
Which of a planet's fundamental properties has the greatest effect on its level of volcanic and tectonic activity? (a) size (b) distance from the Sun (c) rotation rate
A
Which of the following correctly lists our "cosmic address" from small to large? a) Earth, solar system, Milky Way Galaxy, Local Group, Local Supercluster, universe b) Earth, solar system, Local Group, Local Supercluster, Milky Way Galaxy, universe c) Earth, Milky Way Galaxy, solar system, Local Group, Local Supercluster, universe
A
Which of the following is a reason early living organisms on Earth could not have survived on land? (a) the lack of an ozone layer (b) the lack of oxygen in the atmosphere (c) the fact that these organisms were single-celled
A
Which of the following is not true of the young Sun? (a) It rotated much faster than it does today. (b) It was much brighter and hotter than it is today. (c) It had a much stronger solar wind than it does today.
A
Which of the following was not a major advantage of Copernicus's Sun-centered model over the Ptolemaic model? (a) It made significantly better predictions of planetary positions in our sky. (b) It offered a more natural explanation for the apparent retrograde motion of planets in our sky. (c) It allowed calculation of the orbital periods and distances of the planets.
A
Which person is weightless? (a) A child in the air as she plays on a trampoline (b) A scuba diver exploring a deep-sea wreck (c) An astronaut on the Moon
A
Which technology can allow a single ground-based telescope to achieve images as sharp as those from the Hubble Space Telescope? (a) adaptive optics (b) grazing incidence mirrors (c) interferometry
A
Why do sunspots appear darker than their surroundings? (a) They are cooler than their surroundings. (b) They block some of the sunlight from the photosphere. (c) They do not emit any light.
A
A car traveling around a circular track
A. Has a constant speed, but not velocity. It experiences acceleration
Earth is made mostly of metals and rocks. Where did this material come from?
A. It was produced by nuclear fusion in stars
The fact that the Voyager spacecraft continue to speed out of the solar system, even though its rockets have no fuel, is an example of
A. Newton's first law of motion
Which of the following is not a greenhouse gas?
A. Nitrogen
Uranus and Neptune have methane clouds but Jupiter and Saturn do not. Which factor explains why?
A. Temperatures on Jupiter and Saturn are too high for methane to condense
The region surrounding a planet that is controlled by its magnetic field and acts as a protective bubble for the planet is called
A. The Magnetosphere
What part of a comet points most directly away from the Sun?
A. The plasma tail
Why does the plasma tail of a comet always point away from the Sun?
A. The solar wind electromagnetically "blows" the ions directly away from the Sun
If Earth had no greenhouse effect
A. The surface would freeze
The only planet that rotates on its side is
A. Uranus
The Chandra X-Ray Observatory must operate in space because
A. X-rays do not penetrate Earth's atmosphere
The belts and zones of Jupiter are
A. alternating bands of rising and falling air at different latitudes.
Processed meteorites with low metal content probably are
A. chunks of a larger asteroid that was shattered by a collision
The combined mass of all the asteroids in the asteroid belt is
A. less than that of any terrestrial planet
Momentum is defined as
A. mass times velocity
In general, what kind of terrestrial planet would you expect to have the thickest lithosphere? (a) a large planet (b) a small planet (c) a planet far from the Sun
B
What are the appropriate units for the Sun's luminosity?
E. Watts
Did a large terrestrial planet ever form in the region of the asteroid belt? (a) No, because there was never enough mass there. (b) No, because Jupiter prevented one from accreting. (c) Yes, but it was shattered by a giant impact.
B
Earth is closer to the Sun in January than in July. Therefore, in accord with Kepler's second law, (a) Earth travels faster in its orbit around the Sun in July than in January. (b) Earth travels faster in its orbit around the Sun in January than in July. (c) it is summer in January and winter in July.
B
How much greater is the light-collecting area of a 6-meter telescope than that of a 3-meter telescope? (a) two times (b) four times (c) six times
B
If the Sun rises precisely due east, (a) you must be located at Earth's equator. (b) it must be the day of either the March or the September equinox. (c) it must be the day of the June solstice.
B
If we represent the solar system on a scale that allows us to walk from the Sun to Pluto in a few minutes, then (a) the planets are the size of basketballs and the nearest stars are a few miles away. (b) the planets are marble-size or smaller and the nearest stars are thousands of miles away. (c) the planets are microscopic and the stars are light-years away.
B
In the Greek geocentric model, the retrograde motion of a planet occurs when (a) Earth is about to pass the planet in its orbit around the Sun. (b) the planet actually goes backward in its orbit around Earth. (c) the planet is aligned with the Moon in our sky.
B
Interferometry uses two or more telescopes to achieve (a) a lightcollecting area equivalent to that of a much larger telescope. (b) an angular resolution equivalent to that of a much larger telescope. (c) both the light-collecting area and the angular resolution of a much larger telescope.
B
Jupiter nudges the asteroids through the influence of (a) tidal forces. (b) orbital resonances. (c) magnetic fields.
B
On how many of the five terrestrial worlds has erosion been an important process? (Be sure that you explain why erosion is important on this many worlds and not more.) (a) one (b) two (c) three or more
B
Planetary orbits are (a) very eccentric (stretched-out) ellipses and in the same plane. (b) fairly circular and in the same plane. (c) fairly circular but oriented in every direction.
B
Radio waves are (a) a form of sound. (b) a form of light. (c) a type of spectrum.
B
Saturn's many moons affect its rings through (a) tidal forces. (b) orbital resonances. (c) magnetic field interactions.
B
Scientists estimate the central temperature of the Sun using (a) probes that measure changes in Earth's atmosphere. (b) mathematical models of the Sun. (c) laboratories that create miniature versions of the Sun.
B
Suppose you look at two stars that are separated in the sky by 0.1 arcsecond, using a telescope with an angular resolution of 0.5 arcsecond. What will you see? (a) two distinct stars (b) one point of light that is the blurred image of both stars (c) nothing at all
B
The amount of energy that would be needed to accelerate a large spaceship to half the speed of light is (a) about 100 times the energy needed to launch the Space Shuttle. (b) more than 2000 times the current annual world energy consumption. (c) more than the amount of energy released by a supernova.
B
The asteroid belt lies between the orbits of (a) Earth and Mars. (b) Mars and Jupiter. (c) Jupiter and Saturn.
B
The diffraction limit is a limit on a telescope's (a) size. (b) angular resolution. (c) spectral resolution.
B
The fact that we always see the same face of the Moon tells us that the Moon (a) does not rotate. (b) rotates with the same period that it orbits Earth. (c) looks the same on both sides.
B
The gravitational potential energy of a contracting interstellar cloud (a) stays the same at all times. (b) gradually transforms into other forms of energy. (c) gradually grows larger.
B
The largest terrestrial planet and jovian planet are, respectively, (a) Venus and Jupiter. (b) Earth and Jupiter. (c) Earth and Saturn.
B
The leading hypothesis for the origin of the Moon is that it (a) formed along with Earth. (b) formed from material ejected from Earth in a giant impact. (c) split out of a rapidly rotating Earth.
B
The main ingredients of most satellites of the jovian planets are (a) rock and metal. (b) hydrogen compound ices. (c) hydrogen and helium.
B
The major way in which we learn about Earth's interior is through (a) drilling deep into the crust. (b) studying seismic waves. (c) spacecraft imagery.
B
The most abundant ingredient of the Sun and Jupiter is (a) ionized metal. (b) hydrogen. (c) ammonia.
B
The set of spectral lines that we see in a star's spectrum depends on the star's (a) interior temperature. (b) chemical composition. (c) rotation rate.
B
Which of the following statements is not one of Newton's laws of motion?
E. What goes up must come down
What kind of gas is most affected by thermal escape? (a) greenhouse gases (b) light gases (c) all gases equally
B
What would happen if a 1-kilometer object struck Earth? (a) It would break up in the atmosphere without causing widespread damage. (b) It would cause widespread devastation and climate change. (c) It would cause a mass extinction.
B
What's the best explanation for the location of hot Jupiters? (a) They formed closer to their stars than Jupiter did. (b) They formed farther out, like Jupiter, but then migrated inward. (c) The strong gravity of their stars pulled them in close.
B
When Einstein's theory of gravity (general relativity) gained acceptance, it demonstrated that Newton's theory had been (a) wrong. (b) incomplete. (c) really only a guess.
B
When we say the universe is expanding, we mean that (a) everything in the universe is growing in size. (b) the average distance between galaxies is growing with time. (c) the universe is getting older.
B
When we see Saturn going through a period of apparent retrograde motion, it means (a) Saturn is temporarily moving backward in its orbit of the Sun. (b) Earth is passing Saturn in its orbit, with both planets on the same side of the Sun. (c) Saturn and Earth must be on opposite sides of the Sun
B
Which are thought to have formed farthest from the Sun? (a) asteroids (b) Kuiper belt comets (c) Oort cloud comets
B
Which describes our understanding of flowing water on Mars? (a) It was never important. (b) It was important once, but is no longer. (c) It is a major process on the Martian surface today.
B
Which moon shows evidence of rainfall and erosion by some liquid substance? (a) Europa (b) Titan (c) Ganymede
B
Which of the following is a strong greenhouse gas? (a) nitrogen (b) water vapor (c) oxygen
B
Which of the following is not true about scientific progress? (a) Science progresses through the creation and testing of models of nature. (b) Science advances only through the scientific method. (c) Science avoids explanations that invoke the supernatural
B
Which of the following lists the major steps of solar system formation in the correct order? (a) collapse, accretion, condensation (b) collapse, condensation, accretion (c) accretion, condensation, collapse
B
Which of the following three kinds of objects resides closest to the Sun on average? (a) comets (b) asteroids (c) jovian planets
B
Which one of the following can the transit method tell us about a planet? (a) its mass (b) its size (c) the eccentricity of its orbit
B
Why does Neptune appear blue and Jupiter red? (a) Neptune is hotter, which gives bluer thermal emission. (b) Methane in Neptune's atmosphere absorbs red light. (c) Neptune's air molecules scatter blue light, much as Earth's atmosphere does.
B
What is the Saros cycle? A) the period between eclipses B) the 18-year cycle over which the pattern of eclipses repeats C) the period between total solar eclipses D) the period between a total solar eclipse and a total lunar eclipse E) the roughly 6-month period between eclipse seasons
B. 18 year cycle over which the pattern of eclipses repeats
How did the Moon form?
B. A Mars-sized protoplanet slammed into a protoplanet Earth, the debris then formed the Moon
If Earth were twice as far from the Sun, the force of gravity attracting Earth to the Sun would be (a) twice as strong. (b) half Inclusive Astronomy Use these questions to reflect on participation in science. as strong. (c) one quarter as strong.
C
If stars existed but galaxies did not, (a) we would probably still exist anyway. (b) we would not exist because life on Earth depends on the light of galaxies. (c) we would not exist because we are made of material that was recycled in galaxies.
C
In the Drake equation, suppose that the term was equal to What would this mean? (a) Half the stars in the Milky Way Galaxy have a planet with life. (b) Half of all life-forms in the universe are intelligent. (c) Half of the habitable worlds in the galaxy actually have life, while the other half don't.
C
Plants and animals are (a) the two major forms of life on Earth. (b) the only organisms that have DNA. (c) just two small branches of the diverse "tree of life" on Earth.
C
Saturn's rings (a) have looked basically the same since they formed along with Saturn. (b) were created long ago when tidal forces tore apart a large moon. (c) are continually supplied with new particles by impacts with small moons.
C
Some jovian planets give off more energy than they receive because of (a) fusion in their cores. (b) tidal heating. (c) ongoing contraction or differentiation.
C
Some nitrogen atoms have seven neutrons and some have eight neutrons; these two forms of nitrogen are (a) ions of each other. (b) phases of each other. (c) isotopes of each other.
C
The Cassini spacecraft (a) flew past Pluto. (b) landed on Mars. (c) orbited Saturn.
C
The Hubble Space Telescope obtains higher-resolution images than most ground-based telescopes because it is (a) larger. (b) closer to the stars. (c) above Earth's atmosphere.
C
The solar nebula was 98% (a) rock and metal. (b) hydrogen compounds. (c) hydrogen and helium.
C
The star Betelgeuse is about 600 light-years away. If it explodes tonight, (a) we'll know because it will be brighter than the full Moon in the sky. (b) we'll know because debris from the explosion will rain down on us from space. (c) we won't know about it until about 600 years from now.
C
The term "super-Earth" refers to a planet that is (a) the size of Earth but has more water. (b) larger than Earth but on a close-in orbit that makes it much hotter than Earth. (c) similar in composition to Earth but larger in size.
C
The twinkling of stars is caused by (a) variations in stellar brightness with time. (b) light pollution. (c) motion of air in our atmosphere.
C
To determine a planet's average density, we can use (a) the transit method alone. (b) the astrometric and Doppler methods together. (c) the transit and Doppler methods together.
C
Which of the following is not true about a scientific theory? (a) A theory must explain a wide range of observations or experiments. (b) Even the strongest theories can never be proved true beyond all doubt. (c) A theory is essentially an educated guess.
C
Which of the following worlds is not considered a candidate for harboring life? (a) Europa (b) Mars (c) the Moon
C
Which of these groups of particles has the greatest mass? (a) a helium nucleus with two protons and two neutrons (b) four electrons (c) four individual protons
C
Which of these layers of the Sun is coolest? (a) core (b) radiation zone (c) photosphere
C
Which of these things poses the greatest hazard to communication satellites? (a) photons from the Sun (b) solar magnetic fields (c) particles from the Sun
C
Which terrestrial planets have had volcanic activity at some point in their histories? (a) only Earth (b) Earth and Mars (c) all of them
C
Why is Io more volcanically active than our moon? (a) Io is much larger. (b) Io has a higher concentration of radioactive elements. (c) Io has a different internal heat source.
C
Why is Jupiter denser than Saturn? (a) It has a larger proportion of rock and metal. (b) It has a larger proportion of hydrogen. (c) Its higher mass and gravity compress its interior.
C
Why is a sunflower yellow? (a) It emits yellow light. (b) It absorbs yellow light. (c) It reflects yellow light.
C
X-ray images of the Sun generally show the (a) photosphere. (b) chromosphere. (c) corona.
C
a planet made almost entirely of hydrogen compounds would be considered a (a) terrestrial planet. (b) jovian planet. (c) water world.
C
How much brighter is a Sun like star than the reflected light from a planet orbiting around it?
E. a billion times brighter
Potassium-40 decays into Argon-40 with a half life of 1.25 billion years. A meteorite sample contains 0.125 g of potassium-40 and 0.875 g of Argon-40. How old is this sample?
C. 3.75 billion years
The overall fusion reaction by which the Sun currently produces energy is
C. 4 H ⇒ 1 He + energy.
What is the Sun made of (by mass)?
C. 70% hydrogen, 28% helium, 2% other elements
Which of the following methods has led to the most discoveries of massive planets orbiting near their parent stars?
C. Detecting the gravitational effect of an orbiting planet by looking for the Doppler shifts in the star's spectrum
Why does Jupiter have several distinct cloud layers?
C. Different layers represent clouds made of gases that condense at different temperature
Which moon is considered likely to have a deep, subsurface ocean of liquid water?
C. Europa
Differentiation is the process by which
C. Gravity pulls denser materials toward the center of objects, resulting in the layered structure of within them.
We can't detect stellar parallax with naked-eye observations. Which of the following would make parallax easier to observe?
C. Increasing the size of Earth's Orbit
All the following statements are true. Which one is most important in explaining the tremendous tidal heating that occurs on to?
C. Io orbits Jupiter on an elliptical orbit, due to orbital resonances with other satellites.
One light-hour is the distance that light travels in an hour. How far is this, in kilometers? (Recall that the speed of light is 300,000 km/s.) A) 300,000 km B) 18 million km C) 100 million km D) 1.08 billion km E) 9.46 trillion km
D
In the Nice Model, gravitational interactions among the gas giants destabilized the Solar System. Roughly speaking, for every one orbit that Uranus completed and completed two orbits, and Jupiter completed four orbits. This is called...
E. Orbital Resonance
The large gaps in the asteroid belt (often called Kirkwood gap) are caused by
E. Orbital Resonance with Jupiter
Which is closest to the temperature of the core of the Sun?
D. 10 million K
If your mass on the Earth is 60 kg, what would your mass be on the Moon?
D. 60 kg
What is the average temperature of the surface of the Sun?
D. 6000 K
In planetary science, the unit of atmospheric pressure is the
D. Bar(bar)
Which internal energy source producers heat by converting gravitational potential energy into thermal energy?
D. Both accretion and differentiation
Which of the following can be used to estimate the age of a planetary surface?
D. Counting impact craters on a surface
A thin, low density cloud of gas lies between us and a background of empty space. What type of spectrum will the cloud create?
D. Emission line spectrum
The James Webb Space Telescope primarily observes objects at what wavelength?
D. Infrared
What is the correct ordering of objects by their rotation rates, from fastest to slowest?
D. Jupiter, Saturn, Earth, Sun, Mercury
The Formation of an impact crater is best understood as an example of
D. Law of conservation of energy
On average, how often do impactors about 10km size, large enough to produce mass extinction, hit Earth?
D. Once every hundred million years
In the core of the Sun, two protons approach each other at a high speed. Because of the electromagnetic force, the two protons will
D. Repel each other
The phases of the Moon are caused by
D. The amount of solar illumination of the Moon as viewed from Earth
Why is Jupiter denser than Saturn?
D. The extra mass of Jupiter compresses its interior to a greater extent than that of Saturn
What is the lithosphere?
D. The outer layer of the Earth that consists of cool, rigid rock
What do we mean when we say that the Sun is in gravitational equilibrium?
D. There is a balance within the Sun between the outward push of pressure and the inward pull of gravity
The force of gravity is an inverse square law. This means that, if you quadruple the distance between two large masses, the gravitational pull
D. Weakens by a factor of 16
What is the Great Red Spot?
D. a long-lived, high-pressure storm on Jupiter
From center outward, which of the following lists the "layers" of the Sun in the correct order?
D. core, radiation zone, convection zone, photosphere, chromosphere, corona
If you drop a rock from a great height, about how fast will it be falling after 5 seconds, neglecting air resistance?
E. 50m/s
Which is not an example of erosion?
E. An asteroid falls to Earth and carves out an impact crater
What causes stars to twinkle?
E. Bending of light rays by turbulent layers in the atmosphere
Which is the densest planet in the solar system?
E. Earth