ASTRONOMY FINAL

How much greater is the light-collecting area of a 17 meter telescope than a 3 meter telescope?

32.1111111111111

Our Sun has a surface temperature of about 5800 K. Find the emitted power per square meter of peak intensity for a similar star with 5500 K that emits thermal radiation. Express your answer in scientific notation and with three significant figures.

5.22E+07

A rock found on Earth that crashed down from space is called _______. A) a meteorite B) an asteroid C) a comet D) an impact E) a meteor

a, a meteorite

Which of the following is the underlying reason why Venus has so little wind erosion? A) its slow rotation B) its thick atmosphere C) its cloud cover D) its small size E) its relatively close distance to the Sun

a, it's slow rotation

Which one of the following can the transit method tell us about a planet? A) its size B) its composition C) its color D) its mass E) the eccentricity of its orbit

a, its size

compositions similar to that of the terrestrial planets

asteroids

typically orbit the Sun at approximately 3 AU

asteroids

The geological feature in this photo taken from a plane is _______. A) a dried up lake basin B) a volcano C) an impact crater D) This cannot be on Earth E) the unusual cloud formation in the background

c, an impact crater

Saturn's rings _______. A) were created long ago when tidal forces tore apart a large moon. B) are leftover from the gas accreted to form Saturn. C) are continually supplied with new particles by impacts with small moons. D) have looked basically the same since they formed along with Saturn. E) will no longer exist in a few thousands of years.

c, are continually supplied with new particles by impacts with small moons

Which jovian planet should have the most extreme seasonal changes? A) Jupiter B) Uranus C) Pluto D) Saturn E) Neptune

b, uranus

The jovian moon with the most geologically active surface is [blank].

io

The [blank] extends from about beyond the orbit of Neptune to about twice the distance of Neptune from the Sun.

kuiper belt

The fact that Europa orbits Jupiter twice for every one orbit of Ganymede is an example of a(n) [blank].

orbital resonance

The Hubble Space Telescope

reflecting

Galileo's telescopes (A/E)

refracting

Most of the X-rays coming from the Sun are absorbed in the [blank].

thermosphere

The densest layer of the atmospheres of Venus, Earth, and Mars is the [blank].

troposphere

Large telescopes often have small fields of view, i.e. it can only see a very small corner of the sky. For example, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Advanced Camera has a field of view that is roughly square and about 0.055 degree on a side. Calculate the angular area of the HST's field of view in square degrees.

0.003025

The [blank] of the Hubble Space Telescope is better for shorter (bluer) wavelengths of light than ground-based telescopes.

angular resolution

According to Kepler's second law, Jupiter will be traveling most slowly around the Sun when at [blank].

aphelion

The photo below shows a satellite TV dish on a house. In essence, the dish is _______. A) a tiny interferometer. B) the primary mirror of a radio telescope. C) a receiver with very high angular resolution that makes it capable of displaying high-definition television. D) a decoding device that translates radio signals into video. E) It has nothing in common with a telescope.

b, the primary mirror of a radio telescope

The total number of comets orbiting the Sun is estimated to be about _______. A) 100 000 B) 1 million C) 1 trillion D) 1 000 E) 1 billion

c, 1 trillion

Suppose that instead of being inclined with respect to Earth's orbit around the Sun, the Moon's orbit was in the same plane as Earth's orbit around the Sun. In such hypothetical situation, approximately how many solar eclipses would occur each year? A)1 B)2 C)12 D)24

c, 12 eclipses per year

Notice the numbered points on the photo of the Gemini 8m reflecting telescope. Where is the detector located? A) 1 B) 3 C) 2, through the hole

c, 2, through the hole

Which or the following situations correctly shows tidal bulges on earth when the Moon is in the position shown? A) 1 B) None of those C) 4 D) 3 E) 2

c, 4

According to modern science, what was the approximate chemical composition of the solar nebula? A) 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, and 1 percent of everything else B) 50 percent hydrogen and helium, 50 percent everything else C) 98 percent hydrogen and helium, 2 percent everything else D) Roughly equal proportions of hydrogen, helium, water, and methane. E) 98 percent hydrogen, 2 percent helium

c, 98 percent hydrogen and helium, 2 percent everything else

Based on its surface features, the most important event on Venus in the past billion years or so was _______. A) the onset of mantle convection, which caused Venus's lithosphere to split into plates like those on Earth B) the impact of an unusually large asteroid that left a deep scar on one side of the planet C) a global 'repaving' that erased essentially all the surface features that had existed earlier D) the eruption of a giant volcano that formed one of Venus's continents E) Cyclic major floods that smoothed its surface dramatically

c, a global 'repaving' that erased essentially all the surface features that had existed earlier

What do we mean by a "geocentric" model of the Universe? A) It is the name given to sphere-shaped models that show all the constellations as they appear in our sky on the celestial sphere. B) A model of the Milky Way Galaxy that has our solar system located at its center. C) A model designed to explain what we see in the sky while having the Earth located in the center of the Universe. D) A model designed to explain what we see in the sky while having the Earth orbit the Sun.

c, a model designed to explain what we see in the sky while having earth located in center of universe

When we see a meteor shower, it means that _______. A) Earth encounters a small cloud of star dust B) the solar wind is unusually strong C) Earth is crossing the orbit of a comet D) you should duck and run for cover to avoid being blasted on the head by a rock from space E) an Earth-approaching asteroid has recently come very close to our planet

c, earth is crossing the orbit of a comet

What kinds of light are these telescopes designed to detect? A) infrared and visible light. B) light with extremely short wavelengths. C) radio waves. D) X rays. E) ultraviolet light.

c, radio waves

The jovian planets are thought to have formed as gravity drew hydrogen and helium gas around planetesimals made of _______. A) only ices. B) rocks, metals ices, and hydrogen and helium gases. C) rocks, metals, and ices. D) only rocks and metals. E) mainly hydrogen and helium gases.

c, rocks, metals, and ices

Review Fig. 9.26 from your textbook. Assuming that features you see on Mars are similar to features found on Earth, what would a casual inspection of the photo of Mars lead you to suspect about water on Mars? A) We cannot say anything about water on Mars based on pictures. B) There are numerous small streams flowing with water. C) Surface water only exists as frozen ice. D) Abundant surface water is found in large, brownish pools inside craters. E) No surface water currently exists in any form.

c, surface water only exists as frozen ice

The bright spherical part of a comet observed when it is close to the Sun is the [blank].

coma

form a coma when near the Sun

comets

most are located either in Kuiper belt or Oort cloud

comets

visible in the sky as fuzzy patch of light that rises and sets with the stars

comets

Jupiter's colors come in part from its three layers of clouds. Which of the following is not the primary constituent of one of Jupiter's cloud layers? A) clouds of ammonium hydrosulfide B) clouds of water C) clouds of helium D) clouds of sulfuric acid E) clouds of ammonia

d, clouds of sulfiric acid

Rank the planets based on their distance from the Sun, from the closest to farthest. A) Neptune B) Jupiter C) Saturn D) Earth E) Uranus

d, earth, b, jupiter, c, saturn, e, uranus, a, neptune

Which internal heat source still generates heat within the terrestrial worlds today? A) Heat of accretion. B) Heat from differentiation. C) Heat from convection. D) Heat from radioactive decay. E) Heat from fusion.

d, heat from radioactive decay

Suppose you want to determine the chemical composition of a distant planet or star. Which of the following will be most useful to have? A) A radio telescope. B) High angular resolution. C) An ultraviolet telescope. D) High spectral resolution. E) High twinkling.

d, high spectral resolution

How does a 12-month lunar calendar differ from our 12-month solar calendar? A) Its new year always occurs in February instead of on January 1. B) It does not have seasons. C) It uses a 23-hour rather than a 24-hour day. D) It has about 11 fewer days.

d, it has about 11 fewer days

When a comet passes near the Sun, part of it takes on the appearance of a large, bright ball from which the tail extends. This part is called _______. A) the Oort core B) the hair of the comet C) the nucleus D) the coma E) the plasma tail

d, the coma

Most of the Moon's surface is densely covered with craters, but we find relatively few craters within the lunar maria. What can we conclude? A) Sustained hurricane level winds blow on that part of the Moon. B) The maria formed within the past 1 billion years. C) Erosion affects the maria more than it affects other regions of the Moon. D) The maria formed after the heavy bombardment ended. E) The regions of the maria were hit by fewer impacts than the densely cratered regions.

d, the maria formed after the heavy bombardment ended

What conditions must exist for a solar eclipse to occur? A) The phase of the Moon must be full and the Moon must be passing through Earth's orbital plane. B) The only condition is that the phase of the Moon must be new. C) The only condition is that the phase of the Moon must be full. D) The phase of the Moon must be new and the Moon must be passing through Earth's orbital plane.

d, the phase of the moon must be new and the moon must be passing through earth's orbital plane

Why does Jupiter have three distinct layers of clouds? A) Water can only condense at these three altitudes B) Jupiter has three different types of wind that each make a different type of cloud. C) Clouds form randomly, so on average there are always three layers. D) The three layers represent clouds made of gases that condense at different temperatures. E) The three layers reflect regions of Jupiter's atmosphere with different overall chemical compositions.

d, the three layers represent clouds made of gases that condense at different temperatures

According to our present theory of solar system formation, how did Earth end up with enough water to make oceans? A) The water was formed by chemical reactions among the minerals in the Earth's core. B) The water was mixed in the other materials in the planetesimals that accreted at our distance from the Sun. C) Earth formed in the relatively narrow region of the solar nebular in which liquid water was plentiful. D) The water was brought to the forming Earth by planetesimals that accreted beyond the orbit of Mars.

d, the water was brought to the forming earth by planetesimals that accreted beyond the orbit of mars

You observe a star very similar to our own Sun in size and mass. This star moves very slightly back and forth in the sky once every 4 months, and you attribute this motion to the effect of an orbiting planet. What can you conclude about the orbiting planet? A) The planet must have a mass about the same as the mass of Jupiter. B) The planet must be very small C) You do not have enough information to say anything at all about the planet. D) The planet must be farther from the star than Neptune is from the Sun. E) The planet must be closer to the star than Earth is to the Sun.

e, the planet must be closer to the star than earth is to the sun

In science fiction movies, spaceships are often shown dodging through large numbers of closely spaced, boulder-size objects. Which of the following real things in our solar system would look most like such science fiction dangers? A) the Kuiper Belt B) the Oort cloud C) the atmosphere of Jupiter D) the asteroid belt E) the rings of Saturn

e, the rings of saturn

Old Faithful Geyser at Yellowstone National Park in the United States acquires its energy from a [blank].

hot spot

accreted from icy planetesimals

jovian

A 10-meter telescope has a larger [blank] than a 4-m telescope.

light-collecting area

Metals and Rocks

middle disk (0.3-3.5AU)

Incoming ultraviolet light from the Sun can cause a [blank] in a living organism's DNA that can affect its ability to survive and reproduce.

mutation

The electromagnetic spectrum of light spans a wide range of wavelengths. List the following regions of the electromagnetic spectrum in order of increasing wavelengths from shortest to longest. A) Ultraviolet B) Infrared C) Radio D) Visible E) X-Ray

e, x-ray, a, ultraviolet, d, visible, b, infrared, c, radio

Has an atmosphere made mostly of nitrogen.

earth

Has the highest level of oxygen in its atmosphere.

earth

UV-absorbing stratosphere

earth

atmosphere composed primarily of nitrogen

earth

The extent to which Mars' orbit differs from a perfect circle is called its [blank].

eccentricity

Earth orbits in the shape of a/an [blank] around the Sun.

ellipse

Strong evidence both from surface features and magnetic field data support the existence of a subsurface ocean on [blank].

europa

Gas particles in Earth's atmosphere most easily escape from the [blank]

exosphere

High-mass main-sequence stars have a more distant and wider [blank] than low-mass stars.

habitable zone

The first few hundred million years of the solar system 19s history were the time of the [blank], during which Earth suffered many large impacts.

heavy bombardment

We cannot see a new moon in our sky because _______. A) it is below the horizon during the daytime B) it is obscured by Earth's shadow C) no sunlight is illuminating the Moon D) it is above the horizon during the daytime E) a new moon is quite near the Sun in the sky

e, a new moon is quite near the sun in the sky

What is an extrasolar planet? A) a planet that is extra large compared to what we'd expect B) a planet that is considered an 'extra', in that it was not needed for the formation of its solar system C) a planet that is not one of the 8 main ones D) a planet that is larger than the Sun E) a planet that orbits a star that is not our own Sun

e, a planet that orbits a star that is not our own sun

29. [2pt] which technology can allow a single ground-based telescope to achieve images as sharp as those from the Hubble Space Telescope? A) Drizzling. B) Interferometry. C) High resolution spectroscopy. D) Grazing incidence. E) Adaptive optics.

e, adaptive optics

Which of the following is not a piece of evidence supporting the idea that Europa may have a subsurface ocean? A) Europa has a magnetic field that appears to be induced by Jupiter's magnetic field. B) Probes have observed waves at the surface of the Europa. C) Europa's surface shows very few impact craters. D) Photos of Europa's surface show regions that appear to consist of jumbled icebergs frozen in place. E) Astronomers have detected small lakes of liquid water on Europa's surface.

e, astronomers have detected small lakes of liquid water on europa's surface

Which of the following statements about asteroids, Kuiper belt objects, and Oort cloud objects is true? A) All of those objects are essentially the same, except that they are located in different places in the Solar System B) Objects in the Kuiper belt are made mostly of rock and metal. C) Objects in the asteroid belt are made mostly of ice. D) Objects in the Oort cloud are made mostly of rock and metal. E) Objects in the asteroid belt and Kuiper belt orbit the Sun in nearly the same plane as the planets, but objects in the Oort cloud do not.

e, objects in the asteroid belt and kuiper belt orbit the sun in nearly the same plane as the planets, but objects in the oort cloud do not

Which have the most elliptical and tilted orbits? A) Kuiper Belt comets B) asteroids C) Earth D) Pluto E) Oort cloud comets

e, oort cloud comets

Which of the following is NOT an expected consequence of global warming? A) An increase in the severity of winter blizzards. B) An increase in the number and intensity of hurricanes. C) Sea level rising. D) Melting of polar ice and glaciers. E) The entire Earth will warm up by the same amount.

e, the entire earth will warm up by the same amount

Which characteristic of Earth explains why we have an ultraviolet-absorbing stratosphere? A) the existence of clouds B) the moderate surface temperature C) the existence of plate tectonics D) the existence of oceans E) the existence of photosynthetic life

e, the existence of photosynthetic life

[blank] allows us to determine the age of a solid rock

radiometric dating

Most commonly used by astronomers today (A/E)

reflecting

World's largest telescopes (A/E)

reflecting

2) The large research observatories on Mauna Kea use giant [blank].

reflection telescopes

Incoming light passes through glass (A/E)

refracting

The world's largest is 1m in diameter (A/E)

refracting

The slowly increasing distance between South America and Africa is due to [blank].

seafloor spreading

Sky surveys looking for radio signals generated by technology are part of the [blank].

search for extraterrestrial intelligence

Our solar system was created by the gravitational collapse of the [blank].

solar nebula

The era of planet formation ended when the remaining hydrogen and helium gas of the solar nebula was swept into interstellar space by the [blank].

solar wind

[blank] separate the various colors of light, allowing astronomers to determine stellar composition and many other stellar properties.

spectrographs

Has clouds made of sulfuric acid.

venus

Is the only other inner planet which may have active volcanism.

venus

Surface temperatures are very high due to the greenhouse effect.

venus

almost no surface winds

venus

runaway greenhouse effect

venus

sulfuric acid clouds

venus

The angular area of the entire sky is about 41 250 square degrees. How many pictures would the HST have to take to obtain a complete picture of the entire sky? Express your answer in scientific notation, and use a camera dimension of 0.05 degree for its side.

1.65E+07

The Pleiades's angular size is about 1.8o. What is this in arcminutes?

108

How many arcseconds are in 1.95 arcminutes?

117

What is the result of 0.7 + 13.15?

13.85

The angle 14o27'23'' is given in degrees, arcminutes, and arcseconds. Rewrite them in degrees and decimal fractions of degrees.

14.4563888888889

What is the energy (in joules) of an ultraviolet photon with wavelength 90 nm? Express your answer in scientific notation.

2.21E-18

What is the frequency (in Hz) of an ultraviolet photon with wavelength 116 nm? Express your answer in scientific notation.

2.59E+15

The most massive stars in the Universe have a surface temperature that can reach over 50 000 K. Life on planets like Earth cannot exist at 1AU from such stars, it's too hot. Find the emitted power per square meter of peak intensity for a similar star with 50000 K that emits thermal radiation. Express your answer to two significant figures.

3.56E+11

What is the wavelength (in meters) of a radio photon from an "AM" radio station that broadcasts at 860 kilohertz?

348.837209302326

If a planet has a period of 8 years, what is its average distance from the Sun, in astronomical units? Assume that the mass of the planet is small compared to the Sun and that the average distance from the Sun is the same as the semimajor axis. Make sure you express your answer with at least one digit after the decimal point.

4.00

Scientific notation is performed using 'E' notation. For example, '1.0E7' stands for 1.0×107. Write the number 4470.0 in scientific notation. Make sure you have enough significant figures.

4.47e3

Find the wavelength of peak intensity for a 5600 K object that emits thermal radiation.

517.857142857143

How many AUs are there in one light year?

6.33e4

Find the wavelength of peak intensity for a hot 48000 K star that emits thermal radiation.

60.4166666666667

How much greater is the light-collecting area of the EELT, a 40 meter telescope currently under construction, compare to the 20 inch telescope on the roof of the SUNY Geneseo Science Building? Don't forget to convert the units in your calculation.

6200.0124000248

Which feature in this photo of the full moon is one of the lunar maria? A) 1 B) 2 C) 4 D) 3

a, 1

The tilt angle of the Earth has an effect on the length of the seasons. Given the tilt angles below (in degrees), rank them in order of season length, from shortest season to longest. A) 12 B) 56.5 C) 75 D) 31.5

a, 12, d, 31.5, b, 56.5, c, 5

A few hundred tons of comet dust gets added to Earth daily from the millions of meteors that enter our atmosphere. Estimate the time it would take for Earth to get 0.1 percent heavier at this rate. A) 1E14 years B) 1E18 years C) 1E20 years D) 1E16 years E) 1E10 years

a, 1e14 years

Possible ways to express the quantity 0.537: A) 5.37E-1 B) 0.537E-2 C) 0.000537E3 D) 0.00537E2 E) 0.0537E+1 F) 53.7E-2

a, 5.37e-1, c, 0.000537e3, d, 0.00537e2, e, 0.0537e1, f, 53.7e-2

What are the basic requirements for a terrestrial world to have a global magnetic field? A) A core layer of molten, convecting material and sufficiently rapid rotation. B) A metal core, a rocky mantle, and sufficiently rapid rotation. C) Well aligned ferromagnetic material in the core D) A core that has a molten layer and a mantle that has convection. E) A metal core and rapid rotation.

a, a core layer of molten, convecting material and sufficiently rapid rotation

Which of the following is the most basic definition of a greenhouse gas? A) a gas that absorbs infrared light B) a gas that reflects a lot of sunlight C) a gas that has a strong smell D) a gas that makes a planet much hotter than it would be otherwise, even in small amounts E) a gas that keeps warms air from rising, and therefore warms the surface

a, a gas that absorbs infrared light

What important change in the Sun over the past four billion years is thought to be very important to understanding the climates of Venus, Earth, and Mars? A) a gradual brightening with time B) a gradual weakening of the solar wind with time C) a gradual reduction in the amount of ultraviolet and X-ray radiation coming from the Sun D) a gradual dimming with time E) a gradual increase of solar flares

a, a gradual brightening with time

Olympus Mons is _______. A) a huge shield volcano on Mars B) a huge stratovolcano on Venus C) a great canyon on Mars D) a large lava plain on the Moon E) a Moon orbiting Mars

a, a huge shield volcano on mars

The reason that small planets tend to lose interior heat faster than larger planets is essentially the same as the reason that _______. A) a large baked potato takes longer to cool than a small baked potato B) gas bubbles form and rise upward in boiling water C) Earth contains more metal than the Moon D) thunderstorms tend to form on hot summer days E) it is hotter in the summer and cooler in the winter

a, a large baked potato takes longer to cool than a small baked potato

Which of the following best describes how the greenhouse effect works? A) A planet's surface absorbs visible sunlight and returns this absorbed energy to space as infrared light. Greenhouse gases slow the escape of this infrared radiation, which thereby heats the lower atmosphere. B) Greenhouse gases absorb infrared light coming from the Sun, and this absorbed sunlight heats the lower atmosphere and the surface. C) Greenhouse gases absorb X-rays and ultraviolet light from the Sun, and this absorbed radiation then heats the atmosphere and the surface. D) The absence or low density of plants at the surface makes the atmosphere hotter and hotter. E) The greenhouse effect is caused primarily by ozone, which absorbs ultraviolet light and thereby makes the atmosphere much hotter than it would be otherwise.

a, a planet's surface absorbs visible sunlight and returns this absorbed energy to space as infrared light, greenhouse gases slow the escape of this infrared radiation, which thereby heats the lower atmosphere

What is a magnetosphere? A) a region of space around a planet in which the planet's magnetic field can trap charged particles B) the layer of a planet in which its magnetic field is generated C) A region in the human brain operated by magnetic fields D) the region in a planet's atmosphere in which auroras occur E) the uppermost layer of any planetary atmosphere

a, a region of space around a planet in which the planet's magnetic field can trap charged particles

The theory of evolution is _______. A) a scientific theory backed by extensive evidence. B) essentially just a guess about how life changes through time. C) A set of solid proofs that life exists on exoplanets. D) one of several competing scientific models that all seem equally successful in explaining the nature of life on Earth.

a, a scientific theory backed by extensive evidence

Which of the following is NOT part of a good scientific theory? A) A scientific theory cannot be accepted until it has been proven true beyond all doubt. B) A scientific theory must make testable predictions that, if found to be incorrect, could lead to its own modification or demise. C) A scientific theory should be based on natural processes and should not invoke the supernatural or divine. D) A scientific theory must explain a wide variety of phenomena observed in the natural world.

a, a scientific theory cannot be accepted until it has been proven beyond all doubt

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the seasons on Mars? A) As on Earth, the seasons are caused primarily by axis tilt and orbital distance has virtually no effect. B) The polar caps shrink in summer and grow in winter. C) Global winds tend to blow from the summer pole toward the winter pole, sometimes initiating global sand storms. D) The seasons last almost twice as long on Mars as on Earth.

a, as on earth, the seasons are caused primarily by axis tilt and orbital distance has virtually no effect

Among discovered meteorites, we have found some with all the following origins EXCEPT _______. A) being a fragment from Comet Halley B) being a fragment from the surface of Mars C) being a fragment of a shattered asteroid D) being a fragment from the surface of the Moon

a, being a fragment from comet halley

Why is Mars red? A) Chemical reactions between surface rock and atmospheric oxygen literally rusted the surface. B) The red color of Mars is a result of the scattering of light in the Martian sky. C) The red color is due mainly to a micro-organism lying at the surface. D) The red color is caused by water ice chemically bound in surface rock. E) Martian volcanoes released a much redder lava than volcanoes on Earth.

a, chemical reactions between surface rock and atmospheric oxygen literally rusted the surface

Suppose you are using the Doppler technique to look for planets around another star. What must you do? A) Compare many spectra of the star taken over a period of many months or years. B) Carefully examine a single spectrum of the star. C) Compare the brightness of the star over a period of many months or years. D) Carefully examine a single spectrum of an orbiting planet. E) Compare many spectra of an orbiting planet taken over a period of many months or years.

a, compare many spectra of the star taken over a period of many months or years

Which of the following will allow you to learn something about a transiting planet's atmospheric composition? A) Compare spectra obtained before and during an eclipse. B) Look for slight variations in the time between transits. C) Calculate the planet's size, and then use size to infer what its atmospheric composition must be. D) Looking at the spectral features from the light curve to decipher its chemical 'finger prints'. E) Use the Doppler method to study the planet throughout a cycle from one transit to the next.

a, compare spectra obtained before and during an eclipse

Today, the leading hypothesis for the existence of hot Jupiters is that they formed in their outer solar systems and then migrated inward. Why did this hypothesis gain favor over alternative ideas? A) Computer models that simulate planetary formation show that interactions between young planets and other material in the surrounding disk can cause planetary migration. B) Scientists did not find any reason to favor any of the alternate explanations, so by process of elimination they settled on the migration hypothesis. C) The migration hypothesis requires the least modification to the nebular theory and therefore was preferred over any alternatives. D) Telescope observations have revealed several star systems in which planets can be seen migrating rapidly inward.

a, computer models that simulate planetary formation show that interactions between young planets and other material in the surrounding disk can cause planetary migration

Suppose you could float in space just a few meters above Saturn's rings. What would you see as you looked down on the rings? A) countless icy particles, ranging in size from dust grains to large boulders B) dozens of large 'moonlets' made of metal and rock, each a few kilometers across C) a hazy gaseous substance D) a solid, shiny surface, looking much like a piece of a DVD but a lot bigger E) Nothing-up close, the rings would be so completely invisible that you'd have no way to know they are there. They can be seen only from a distance due to their low density.

a, countless icy particles, ranging in size from dust grains to large boulders

If your eyes were sensitive only to X-rays, the world would appear _______. A) Dark, because X-ray light does not reach Earth's surface. B) Brighter than normal because X-rays carry more energy than visible light photons. C) Blurry, because they couldn't focus X-rays that well. D) Green, yellow, and orange, because those are the colors of X-rays. E) Grey, black, and white, like medical X-ray images.

a, dark, because x-ray light does not reach earth's surface

Which of the following best describes the geological histories of the Moon and Mercury? A) Early in their histories, they suffered many impacts and experienced some volcanism and tectonics, but they now have little geological activity at all. B) Impact cratering shaped these worlds early in their histories. Then, during the past few million years, they were reshaped by episodes of volcanism and tectonics. C) All four geological processes were important in their early histories, but only impact cratering still reshapes their surfaces today. D) Impact cratering is the only major geological process that has affected their surfaces.

a, early in their histories, they suffered many impacts and experienced some volcanism and tectonics, but they now have little geological activity at all

At most times, Mars appears to move _______ relative to the stars. The exceptions are during its periods of apparent retrograde motion, when Mars appears to move _______ relative to the stars. A) eastward B) westward C) fast D) slow E) up

a, eastward, b, westward

The following discoveries that helped to show that the heliocentric model was correct. A) Galileo's discovery of satellites orbiting Jupiter. B) Kepler's discovery that the planets orbits are ellipses. C) Aristotle did not observe stellar parallax. D) Ptolemy's use of epicycles to explain retrograde motion. E) Discovery that the Earth is round. F) Galileo observed a full set of phases for Venus.

a, galileo's discovery of satellites orbiting jupiter, b, kepler's discovery that planets orbit in ellipses, f, galileo discovered a full set of phases for venus

Earth has been gradually warming over the past few decades. Based on a great deal of evidence, scientists believe that this warming is caused by _______. A) human activities that are increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere B) the increase in forest fires during recent years C) the increase in the Sun's luminosity D) the human release of chemicals called CFCs into the stratosphere E) the fact that our politicians spout a lot of hot air

a, human activities that are increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the earth's atmosphere

You have three tries for this question. Which of these statements talk about the Fahrenheit temperature scale? Select ALL that apply. A) Ice cream is store in freezers at 26. B) The coldest possible temperature is 0. C) Liquid water boils at 100. D) Water boils into gas phase at 373.15. E) Water transform in ice at 0. F) A typical room temperature is bettween 21 and 23. G) A hot summer day may reach 100.

a, ice cream is stored in freezers at 26, g, a hot summer day may reach 100

Take a look at a picture of the southern highlands (Fig. 9.30a in textbook). Which geologic processes are most clearly evident? A) impact cratering and erosion B) volcanism and tectonics C) impact cratering and volcanism D) volcanism and erosion E) tectonics and erosion

a, impact cratering and erosion

If you had only one telescope and wanted to take both visible-light and ultraviolet pictures of stars, where should you locate your telescope? A) In space. B) On Earth's surface. C) In an airplane. D) In a desert. E) On a tall mountain.

a, in space

The orbital resonance also gives Europa an elliptical orbit, so it also experiences tidal heating. However, Europa experiences less tidal heating than Io, because Europa _______ than Io. A) is farther from Jupiter B) is much smaller C) contains much more ice D) is colder E) is more perfectly spherical in shape

a, is farther from jupiter

From the viewpoint of an alien astronomer, how does Jupiter affects observations of our Sun? A) It causes the Sun to move in a small ellipse with an orbital period of about 12 years. B) It causes the Sun to move in a small ellipse in the sky, with the same ellipse repeated every night. C) It makes the Sun appear to get dimmer and brighter once a week or so. D) It makes the Sun appear dimmer when viewed with infrared light.

a, it causes the sun to move in a small ellipse with an orbital period of about 12 years

According to our current theory of solar system formation, what three major changes occurred in the solar nebula as it shrank in size? A) It got hotter. B) Its mass increased. C) Its gas clumped up to form the terrestrial planets. D) Central temperatures rose to more than a trillion Kelvin. E) Nuclear fusion produced heavy elements to make the jovian planets. F) It flattened into a disk. G) Its rate of rotation increased

a, it got hotter, f, it flattened into a disk, g, its rate of rotation increased

What do we mean by the frost line when we discuss the formation of planets in the solar nebula? A) It is a circle at a particular distance from the Sun, beyond which the temperature was low enough for ices to condense. B) It is the altitude in a planet's atmosphere at which snow can form. C) It is another way of stating the temperature at which water freezes into ice. D) It is the transition line within the solar system where snow can form at the surface of the planet. E) It marks the special distance from the Sun at which hydrogen compounds become abundant; closer to the Sun, there are no hydrogen compounds.

a, it is a circle at a particular distance from the sun, beyond which the temperature was low enough for ices to condense

Which of the following statements best describes the size of the largest asteroid, Ceres? A) It is a little less than half the diameter of our Moon. B) It has a breathable atmosphere. C) It is about the size of a terrestrial planet. D) It is no larger than a typical mountain on one of the terrestrial planets. E) It is smaller than the jovian planets but larger than the terrestrial planets.

a, it is a little less than half the diameter of our moon

According to present understanding, which of the following statements about the solar wind is not true? A) It is even stronger today than it was when the Sun was young. B) It helped in the transfer of angular momentum from the young Sun to particles that blew into interstellar space, which explains why the Sun rotates so slowly today. C) It swept vast amounts of gas from the solar nebula into interstellar space. D) It consists of charged particles blown off the surface of the Sun.

a, it is even stronger today than it was then the sun was young

What is true about the Moon? A) It makes a full orbit around the Earth in roughly a month B) it creates its own visible light C) it hosts a human-made space base D) it is a small planet E) it is always visible at night, unless it's cloudy

a, it makes a full orbit around the Earth in roughly a month

What is Pluto's moon Charon thought to have in common with our own Moon? A) It probably formed as a result of a giant impact. B) It has the same basic composition. C) It also has a significant atmosphere. D) It has the same average density. E) It has the same approximate mass.

a, it probably formed as the result of a giant impact

On a cloudless day, what happens to most of the visible light headed toward Earth? A) It reaches Earth's surface, where some is reflected and some is absorbed. B) It is completely reflected by Earth's surface. C) It is photosynthesized. D) It is reflected by Earth's atmosphere. E) It is absorbed and reemitted by gases in Earth's atmosphere.

a, it reaches earth's surface, where some is reflected and some is absorbed

What is the purpose of adaptive optics? A) It reduces blurring caused by atmospheric turbulence for telescopes on the ground. B) It is a special technology developed for the Hubble Space Telescope to adapt to study many different types of astronomical objects. C) It allows several small telescopes to work together like a single larger telescope. D) It is a critical technology that allows to set a telescope on focus quickly. E) It allows ground-based telescopes to observe UV light that normally does not penetrate the atmosphere.

a, it reduces blurring caused by atmospheric turbulence for telescopes on the ground

Which of the following best explains why many jovian moons have been more geologically active than the Moon or Mercury? A) Jovian moons are made mostly of ice that can melt or deform at lower temperatures than can the rock and metal that make up the Moon and Mercury B) The jovian moons are considerably larger than the Moon and Mercury and therefore have retained much more internal heat. C) They are more massive. D) The jovian moons probably have far more internal heat generated by radioactive decay than do the Moon or Mercury. E) Because of their greater distances from the Sun, the jovian moons receive much less heat from the Sun.

a, jovian moons are made mostly of ice that can melt or deform at lower temperatures than can the rock and metal that make up the moon and mercury

Based on the leading scientific theory of solar system formation, which of the following statements best explains why Uranus and Neptune have a significantly different composition and higher density than Jupiter and Saturn? A) Jupiter and Saturn captured more gas from the solar nebula than Uranus and Neptune B) The lower masses of Uranus and Neptune allowed more of their hydrogen and helium gas to escape into space. C) Jupiter and Saturn formed closer to the Sun, where there was more hydrogen and helium gas and less hydrogen compounds and rock. D) The lower temperatures at the locations of Uranus and Neptune allowed more material to condense into solid form.

a, jupiter and saturn captured more gas from the solar nebula than uranus and neptune

Which of the following is most unlikely to be found on Titan? A) lakes of liquid water in the warmer equatorial regions B) volcanic outgassing of methane and other gases C) rain or snow consisting of methane or ethane droplets or ice crystals D) lakes of liquid methane or ethane

a, lakes of liquid water in the warmer equatorial regions

Scientific models are used to _______. A) make specific predictions that can be tested through observations or experiments. B) prove that past paradigms no longer hold true. C) present the scale of the solar system to the general public. D) make miniature representations of the Universe.

a, make specific predictions that can be tested through observations or experiments

Recent evidence suggests that Mars once had a global magnetic field. Assuming this is true, which of the following could explain why Mars today lacks a global magnetic field like that of Earth? A) Mars's interior has cooled so much that its molten core layer no longer undergoes convection. B) The Martian core is made of rock, while Earth's core is made of metal. C) Mars is too far from the Sun to have a global magnetic field. D) Mars rotates much slower than the Earth. E) Mars lost of its water, which is essential to generate a magnetic field.

a, mars' interior has cooled so much that it's molten core layer no longer undergoes convection

The materials that made up the solar nebula can be categorized into the four general types listed below. Rank these materials based on the temperature at which each would condense into a solid, from the highest to lowest. Note: For a substance that does not condense at all, rank it as very low temperature. A) Metal B) Hydrogen compounds C) Hydrogen and Helium gas D) Rocks

a, metal, d, rocks, b, hydrogen compounds, c, hydrogen and helium gas

The impact of a 100-meter object will not cause "widespread" devastation, but it could still kill millions of people if it struck a major city. Based on what you've learned in the previous few questions, suppose we learn that it has already been 1200 years since the last such impact. What would that tell us? A) Nothing; we would still presume that the chance of such an impact during the next year is 1 in 1000. B) We are overdue for the impact of a 100-meter object, so we should expect the impact of an even larger object during the next few years. C) There must be something wrong with the graph, because if the 1 in 1000 probability were correct, then there would have been an impact some time during the past 1000 years. Since there wasn't, the actual probability must be lower than 1 in 1000. D) We are clearly due for such an impact, so the actual probability for the coming year must be much higher than 1 in 1000.

a, nothing; we would still presume that the chance of such an impact during the year is 1 in 1000

Galileo challenged the idea that objects in the heavens were perfect by _______. A) observing sunspots on the Sun and mountains on the Moon. B) showing that heavy objects fall at the same rate as lighter objects. C) proving Kepler's laws were correct. D) inventing the telescope.

a, observing sunspots on the sun and mountains on the moon

Based on everything you have learned about the formation of our solar system, which of the following statements is probably NOT true? A) Only a tiny percentage of stars are surrounded by spinning disks of gas during their formation. B) Planets always tend to orbit their star in the same direction and approximately the same plane. C) Planets are common, and many or most stars have them. D) Other planetary systems will have far more numerous asteroids and comets than actual planets. E) Other planetary systems are likely to form more than one planet

a, only a tiny percentage of stars are surrounded by spinning disks of gas during their formation

Suppose that our Sun was cool enough to include Mercury in its habitable zone. Which of the following would be true in that case? A) Only Mercury would be in the Sun's habitable zone. B) Mercury, Venus, and Earth would be in the Sun's habitable zone, but Mars would not. C) All the terrestrial planets would be in the Sun's habitable zone. D) Mercury and Venus would be in the Sun's habitable zone, but Earth and Mars would not.

a, only mercury would be in the sun's habitable zone

In essence, the nebular theory holds that _______. A) our solar system formed from the collapse of an interstellar cloud of gas and dust. B) nebulae are clouds of gas and dust in space. C) planets have formed in a still unclear, nebulous way. D) each planet formed from the collapse of its own separate nebula. E) the nebular theory is a discarded idea that imagined planets forming as a result of a near-collision between our Sun and another star.

a, our solar system formed from the collapse of an interstellar cloud of gas and dust

According to our theory of solar system formation, why did Uranus and Neptune end up to be much less massive than Jupiter and Saturn? A) Particles in the solar nebula were more spread out at greater distances, so that accretion took longer and there was less time to pull in gas before the solar wind cleared the nebula. B) Ices were able to condense at the distance of Jupiter and Saturn, but only rock and metal could condense at the distances of Uranus and Neptune. C) The colder gas in the outer regions of the solar nebula had less gravity and therefore could not gather up into such large balls as it could closer in. D) The size differences are thought to be a random coincidence.

a, particles in the solar nebula were more spread out at greater distances, so that accretion took longer and there was less time to pull in gas before the solar wind cleared the nebula

Which of the following procedures would allow yourself to make a spectrum of the Sun similar to the one shown, but with less detail? A) Pass a narrow beam of sunlight through a prism. B) Photograph the Sun through a powerful telescope. C) Take a photograph of the Sun and then use image-processing software to change the Sun's shape into a long,thin strip. D) Compare the relative amounts of light that the Sun emits as infrared, visible light, and ultraviolet.

a, pass a narrow beam of sunlight through a prism

Which of the following claims can be tested by scientific means? A) people born when the Sun is in the constellation of Leo are more financially successful than other people. B) God exists. C) Mozart is the best composer of all times. D) green is the best color for walls. E) the final thoughts of Abraham Lincoln were about the fate of his country.

a, people born when the sun is in the constellation of leo are more financially successful than other people

Based on how your eye works and how it compares to a telescope, we can say that the _______ plays a role analogous to the mirror size in a telescope system. A) Pupil B) Lens C) Retina D) Optic Nerve

a, pupil

Why is Europa considered a good candidate for the possible existence of life? A) Strong evidence suggests that it has a deep, subsurface ocean of liquid water. B) It has a thick atmosphere with a surface pressure greater than that on Earth. C) The Galileo spacecraft found strange seasonal changes on its surface that look like they could be due to life. D) It is located within our Sun's habitable zone.

a, strong evidence suggests that it has a deep, subsurface ocean of liquid water

Rank the seasons for the Northern Hemisphere based on Earth's distance from the Sun when each season begins, from the closest to the farthest. A) Summer. B) Autumn. C) Spring. D) Winter.

a, summer, c, spring, b, autumn, d, winter

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. B) Jupiter and Saturn do not contain any methane gas. C) The stronger gravity on Jupiter and Saturn pulls methane downward so that it can't form clouds. D) The rapid rotation of Jupiter and Saturn prevents methane clouds from forming. E) Methane is in the solid form on Jupiter and Saturn, located deeper towards the center

a, temperatures on jupiter and saturn are too high for methane to condense

What does 'angular resolution' measure? A) The angular size of the smallest features that the telescope can see. B) The brightness of an image. C) The size of an image. D) The number of electromagnetic waves captured by an image. E) The average size of the galaxies found in the image.

a, the angular size of the smallest features that the telescope can see

The diagram below shows the inner Solar System. The yellow dots represents the location of a small body in our solar system. The donut shaped ring of yellow dots represents the region of our solar system that we call _______. A) the asteroid belt B) the Sun's rings C) the Kuiper belt D) the Oort cloud E) the rings of Saturn

a, the asteroid belt

On a day with complete cloud cover, what happens to the visible light headed toward Earth? A) The clouds reflect much of it back to space, though some still reaches the surface. B) It is all absorbed by the atmosphere above the clouds and heat up the atmosphere. C) It is absorbed by artificial satellites to recharge their batteries. D) It reaches the surface just as it does on a cloudless day. E) It is absorbed by the clouds, which causes the clouds to heat up.

a, the clouds reflect much of it back to space, though some still reach the surface

Which of the following is NOT one of, nor a direct consequence of, Kepler's Laws? A) The force of attraction between any two objects decreases with the square of the distance between their centers. B) The orbit of each planet about the Sun is an ellipse with the Sun at one focus. C) A planet or comet in a non-circular orbit travels faster when it is nearer to the Sun and slower when it is farther from the Sun. D) More distant planets orbit the Sun at slower speeds. E) As a planet moves around its orbit, it sweeps out equal areas in equal times.

a, the force of attraction between any two objects decreases with the square of the distance between their centers

When you see the bright flash of a meteor, what are you actually seeing? A) the glow from a pea-size particle and the surrounding air as the particle burns up in our atmosphere B) emission of visible light from a particle that has not yet entered Earth's atmosphere C) the flash that occurs when a speeding rock from space hits the ground D) a star that has suddenly shot across the sky E) a human-made satellite falling back onto Earth

a, the glow from a pea-size particle and the surrounding air as the particle burns up in our atmosphere

Which of the following is not a method to detect extrasolar planets? A) the one based on the chemical composition from spectral lines B) astrometry, looking for the physical wobble of the host star C) the transit (or eclipse) technique D) the direct imaging technique E) the Doppler shift, looking for the spectral wobble of the host star

a, the one based on the chemical composition from spectral lines

Which of the following does NOT provide evidence that Mars once had abundant liquid water on its surface? A) the presence of 'blueberries' made of the mineral hematite B) the presence of very old craters that appear to have been eroded by rain C) the presence of features that look like dried-up riverbeds D) the presence of green-yellow moss in rare and remote northern locations

a, the presence of "blueberries" made of the mineral hematite

Our solar system consists of ... A) the Sun and all the objects that orbit it B) the Sun and the planets, and nothing else C) a few hundred billion stars, bound together by gravity D) the Sun and several nearby stars, as well as the planets and other objects that orbit these stars

a, the sun and all the objects that orbit it

As shown on the figure above, the Sun's spectrum contains black lines over an underlying rainbow. What does that corresponds to, physically speaking? A) The Sun's hot interior is responsible for the continuous rainbow or color, but cooler gas at the surface absorbs light at particular wavelengths. B) The Sun produces a continuous rainbow of color, while the black lines are caused by imperfections in the instruments used to record the spectrum. C) The Sun produces a continuous rainbow of color, while the black lines are caused by atoms and molecules in Earth's atmosphere. D) The rainbow colors represent emission by particular chemical elements, while the black lines represent gaps where no element can emit light. E) Scientists are still working on figuring this out.

a, the sun's hot interior is responsible for the continuous rainbow of color, but cooler gas at the surface absorbs light at particular wavelengths

Current observations suggests that some massive jovian planets orbit at very close orbital distances to their stars. How do we think these planets ended up on these close orbits? A) These planets migrated inward after being born on orbits much farther from their stars. B) These planets were able to form close to their stars because their solar nebulas were very cold in temperature. C) Despite their large masses, these planets are made of rock and metal and therefore could form in their inner solar systems. D) These planets were captured from other solar systems. E) These planets are failed stars.

a, these planets migrated inward after being born on orbits much farther from their stars

Which of the following best describes the nature and origin of the atmospheres of the Moon and Mercury? A) They have thin exospheres only, with gas coming from impacts of subatomic particles and photons. B) They have only small amounts of gas, all of which is left over from outgassing long ago. C) They have nothing, literally nothing. D) They have thin tropospheres only, with gas coming from evaporation and sublimation. E) They have very thin atmospheres produced by outgassing but still have the layers of a troposphere, thermosphere, and exosphere.

a, they have thin exospheres only, with gas coming from impacts of subatomic particles and photons

The ancient Greeks get a lot of attention for their contributions to science because _______. A) they were the first people known to try to explain nature with models based on reason and mathematics, without resort to the supernatural. B) they were the only ancient culture that kept written records of their astronomical observations. C) they ingraved their findings in rocks, which we can still read today. D) they were the first people to realize that Earth is a planet orbiting the Sun. E) the books of every other culture were lost in the destruction of the library of Alexandria.

a, they were the first people known to try to explain nature with models based on reason and mathematics, without resort to the supernatural

Which moon has a thick atmosphere made mostly of nitrogen? A) Titan B) Ganymede C) Triton D) Enceladus E) Europa

a, titan

You have three tries for this question. Rank the planets based on their atmospheric thickness, from the thickest to the thinnest. A) Venus B) Earth C) Mars D) Mercury

a, venus, b, earth, c, mars, d, mercury

Which of the following forms of light can be observed with telescopes at sea level? Select all that apply. A) Visible light. B) Ultraviolet light. C) Radio waves. D) infrared light. E) X-rays.

a, visible light, b, ultraviolet light, c, radio waves, d, infrared light

To date, we've found very few planets orbiting their stars at distances comparable to the distances of the jovian planets in our solar system. Why do astronomers think this is the case? A) We have not yet been searching for planets at such distances for a long enough time. B) No known technique can detect planets at such large distances. C) Planets at such distances are extremely rare. D) Because they are too faint. E) Planets at such distances are probably very low in mass.

a, we have not yet been searching for planets at such distance for a long enough time

We now know of many Jupiter-size planets around other stars. Suppose that future observations show that one of these planets has two orbiting moons. What additional information, if any, would we need to decide whether these moons experience tidal heating? A) We need to know their orbital periods. B) No other information is needed: With two moons, there is no chance of any tidal heating. C) We need to know whether either moon is volcanically active. D) We need to know whether the planet also has a third moon. E) No other information is needed: With two moons, there is sure to be tidal heating.

a, we need to know their orbital periods

Again from the same graph, Although the data show only a 'correlation' between the carbon dioxide concentration and the global average temperature, there are other reasons to think that a rise in the carbon dioxide concentration actually CAUSES a rise in the global average temperature. All of the following statements are true. Which statements lend support to the idea that carbon dioxide is a CAUSE of planetary warming? Select ALL that apply. A) We understand the physical mechanism of the greenhouse effect, through which carbon dioxide can increase a planet's temperature. B) Models of Earth's climate that include recent increases in the carbon dioxide concentration match observed temperature increases better than those that do not include it. C) Models of the greenhouse effect successfully predict the temperatures of Venus and Mars from their atmospheric carbon dioxide amounts. D) Isotope ratios in atmospheric carbon dioxide show that much of the carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere today comes from the burning of fossil fuels.

a, we understand the physical mechanism of the greenhouse effect, through which carbon dioxide can increase a planet's temperature, b, models of earth's climate that include recent increases in the carbon dioxide concentration match observed temperature increases better than those that do not include it, c, models of the greenhouse effect sucessfully predict the temperatures of venus and mars from their atmospheric carbon dioxide amounts

Suppose you find a meteorite made almost entirely of metal. According to current science, which of the following statements must be true? A) Your meteorite is a fragment from the core of a large asteroid that shattered in a collision. B) Your meteorite must come from the Oort Cloud. C) Your meteorite is a fragment of an object from the Kuiper belt. D) Radiometric dating will show the age of your meteorite to date to the formation of our solar system. E) Your meteorite was blasted off the surface of Mars by an impact.

a, your meteorite is a fragment from the core of a large asteroid that shattered in a collision

The graph shows the 'typical time between impacts' on Earth by objects of various sizes, along with brief descriptions of the type of damage each impact can cause. According to this graph, the minimum size of an object that could cause a mass extinction is a little less than _______. A) 100 m B) 10 km C) 10 m D) 1 km E) 100 km

b, 10 km

Notice the numbered points on the diagram of a reflecting Cassegrain telescope. Which point represents the place where the starlight is in focus? A) 4 B) 3 C) 2 D) 1

b, 3

According to modern scientific dating techniques, approximately how old is the solar system? A) 5 000 years B) 4.5 billion years C) 13.8 million years D) 13.8 billion years E) 4.5 million years

b, 4.5 billion years

Dinosaurs went extinct, probably because of an impact, about _______ ago. A) 250 million years B) 65 million years C) 5 million years D) 1 billion years E) 200 million years

b, 65 million years

On average, how fast do the plates move on the Earth? A) a few kilometers per year B) a few centimeters per year C) a few millimeters per century D) about 1 mile per hour

b, a few centimeters a year

Which of the following statements best describes the difference between a refracting telescope and a reflecting telescope? A) Reflecting telescopes always make much clearer images than can refracting telescopes of the same size. B) A refracting telescope uses a transparent glass lens to collect and focus light while a reflecting telescope uses a mirror to collect and focus light. C) Only their sizes are different. D) It is much easier to make a large refracting telescope than a large reflecting telescope. E) A refracting telescope produces inverted images while a reflecting telescope produces reflected images.

b, a refracting telescope uses a transparent glass lens to collect and focus light while a reflecting telescope lens uses a mirror to collect and focus light

Rank the following solar system objects based on their distance from the Sun, from the farthest to closest. A) a Trojan asteroid B) a typical Oort cloud object C) a typical asteroid in the asteroid belt D) a typical Kuiper belt object

b, a typical oort cloud object, d, a typical kuiper belt object, a, a trojan asteroid, c a typical asteroid in the asteroid

Suppose you look at a spectrum of visible light by looking through a prism or diffraction grating. How can you decide whether it is an emission line spectrum or an absorption line spectrum? A) The only way it is make a graph of the intensity of the light at every wavelength, and then analyze the graph carefully. B) An emission line spectrum consists of bright lines on a dark background, while an absorption line spectrum consists of dark lines on a rainbow background. C) An emission line spectrum consists of a long bright line, while an absorption line spectrum consists of a long dark line. D) The emission line spectrum is produced by electrons jumping up in energy level, while the absorption line spectrum is produced by electrons jumping down in energy level.

b, an emission line spectrum consists of bright lines on a dark background, while an absorption line spectrum consists on dark lines on a rainbow background

Ptolemy was important in the history of astronomy because he _______. A) was the first to create a model of the solar system that placed the Sun rather than Earth at the center. B) developed a model of the solar system that made sufficiently accurate predictions of planetary positions to remain in use for many centuries. C) He invented the scientic method. D) developed the first scientific model of the Universe. E) was the first to believe that all orbits are perfect circles.

b, developed a model of the solar system that made sufficiently accurate predictions of planetary positions to remain in use for many centuries

Why are fossils of early life on Earth more rare than fossils of plants and animals from the past few hundred million years? A) Life was far less abundant prior to a few hundred million years ago. B) Early organisms lacked skeletons and other hard structures that are most likely to be fossilized. C) Fossils could not form before there was oxygen in the atmosphere. D) We find fossils in sedimentary layers, and no sediments were deposited until just a few hundred million years ago.

b, early organisms lacked skeletons and other hard structures that are most likely to be fossilized

What is really happening in space during the periods when we see a planet such as Mars going through apparent retrograde motion? A) Earth is passing by Mars in its orbit around the Sun. B) Earth and Mars are moving in opposite directions around the Sun. C) Mars and the Sun both appear to be in the same constellation as viewed from Earth. D) Mars is moving along its orbit in the opposite direction from the way it usually moves. E) Mars is moving at that particular moment on its orbit.

b, earth and mars are moving in opposite directions around the sun

Why does Earth have so little carbon dioxide in its atmosphere compared to Venus? A) Earth once had a lot of carbon dioxide, but it was lost to space during the heavy bombardment early in our solar system's history. B) Earth has just as much carbon dioxide as Venus, but most of it is locked up in carbonate rocks rather than being free in the atmosphere. C) Plants, though photosynthesis transformed most of the carbon dioxide into breathable oxygen. D) Chemical reactions turned Earth's carbon dioxide into nitrogen. E) Earth's volcanoes outgassed far less carbon dioxide than those on Venus.

b, earth has just as much carbon dioxide as venus, but most of it is locked up in carbonate rocks rather than being free in the atmosphere

In which position(s) of the Moon do we experience the highest tides? Select ALL that apply. A) None of those. B) full moon C) third quarter moon D) first quarter moon E) new moon

b, full moon, e, new moon

Why didn't a planet form where the asteroid belt is now located? A) There was too much rocky material to form a terrestrial planet, but not enough gaseous material to form a jovian planet. B) Gravitational tugs from Jupiter prevented material from collecting together to form a planet. C) The shock wave generated by the start of the fusion process in the Sun destroyed the planet that became the asteroid belt. D) The temperature in this portion of the solar nebula was just right to prevent rock from sticking together. E) There was not enough material in this part of the solar nebula to form a planet.

b, gravitational tugs from jupiter prevented material from collecting together to form a planet

According to our modern science, which of the following best explains why the vast majority of the mass of our solar system consists of hydrogen and helium gas? A) Hydrogen and helium are produced in stars by nuclear fusion. B) Hydrogen and helium are the most common elements throughout the universe, because they were the only elements present when the universe was young. C) All the other elements were swept out of the solar system by the solar wind. D) All the other elements escaped from the solar nebula before the Sun and planets formed.

b, hydrogen and helium are the most common elements throughout the universe, because they were the only elements present when the universe was young

As the mass of the central star increases, the distance to the habitable zone _______ and the size (width) of the habitable zone _______. A) decreases / increases B) increases / increases C) increases / decreases D) decreases / decreases

b, increases/increases

Which of the following statements describe a characteristic of the solar system that is explained by Kepler's third law? Select ALL that apply. A) All the planets orbit the Sun in nearly the same plane. B) Inner planets orbit the Sun at higher speed than outer planets. C) Earth is slightly closer to the Sun on one side of its orbit than on the other side. D) Pluto moves faster when it is closer to the Sun than when it is farther from the Sun. E) Venus orbits the Sun faster than Earth orbits the Sun. F) The Sun is located slightly off-center from the middle of each planet's orbit.

b, inner planets orbit the sun at higher speed than outer planets, e, venus orbits the sun faster than earth orbits the sun

Io experiences strong tidal heating primarily because _______. A) Io is made of relatively soft materials that deform quite easily B) Io's elliptical orbit causes the tidal force on Io to vary as it orbits Jupiter C) Io is made of lava inside D) Io is located very close to Jupiter E) Io has an unusually elongated shape that makes it look more like an egg than a sphere

b, io's elliptical orbit causes the tidal force on io to vary as it orbits jupiter

The greenhouse effect raises Earth's surface temperature (from what it would be otherwise) because the infrared light radiated by Earth's surface _______. A) is making radiators more efficient B) is temporarily absorbed by greenhouse gases and then reemitted in random directions C) is transformed by photosynthesis D) becomes permanently trapped by greenhouse gases E) travels directly out to space

b, is temporarily absorbed by greenhouse gases and then reemitted in random directions

What is the purpose of interferometry? A) It reduces the twinkling of stars caused by the atmospheric turbulence. B) It allows two or more small telescopes to achieve the angular resolution of a much larger telescope. C) It is designed to combine astronomical images taken at different wavelengths by different telescopes. D) It allows two or more small telescopes to achieve a larger light-collecting area than they would have independently. E) It is designed to prevent light pollution from interfering with astronomical observations.

b, it allows two or more small telescopes to achieve the angular resolution of a much larger telescope

Suppose we discover a new comet on an orbit that brings it closer to the Sun than Mercury every 125 years. What can we conclude? A) It came from the Kuiper belt. B) It has been on its current orbit for only a very short time compared to the age of our solar system. C) It has a coma and tail during most of each orbit. D) It has a breathable atmosphere. E) It came from the Oort cloud.

b, it has been on its current orbit for only a very short time compared to the age of our solar system

Which of the following best describes how the Drake equation is useful? A) It tells us what wavelengths of light will be most useful to examine in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. B) It helps us understand what we need to know in order to determine the likelihood of finding other civilizations. C) It has allowed us to determine the number of civilizations in the Milky Way Galaxy. D) It allows us to calculate the masses of planets orbiting other stars.

b, it helps us understand what we need to know in order to determine the likelihood of finding other civilizations

This photo shows a "black smoker." What is it, and what is its significance to the study of life? A) It is a volcanic vent on Earth's ocean floor; it is significant because it is the place where we have found the oldest living organisms on Earth - organisms that are millions of years old. B) It is a volcanic vent on Earth's ocean floor; it is significant because genetic studies suggest that life may have originated around vents like this one. C) It is an underwater fire; it is significant because it shows that fires can burn underwater. D) It is a volcano on the ocean floor of Jupiter's moon Europa; it is significant because it is our first photo of a volcano on another world.

b, it is a volcanic vent on earth's ocean floor, it is significant because genetic studies suggest that life may have originated around vents like this one

Which of the following best describes natural selection? A) It is a guess made by scientists about how life develops, but it has no hard evidence to support it. B) It is the idea that organisms with genetic traits that improve their ability to reproduce are more likely to pass those traits on to future generations. C) It is the idea that the strong survive and the weak die off. D) It is the idea that organisms naturally increase in complexity and intelligence with time.

b, it is the idea that organisms with genetic traits that improve their ability to reproduce are more likely to pass those traits on to future generations

The diagram of the 'tree of life' shown in your textbook and in class is based on genetic studies of relationships between living organisms. Which statement about the tree of life is not true? A) It shows that all organisms alive today bear genetic similarities that suggest they evolved from a common ancestor. B) It shows that plants and animals are the two most dominant forms of life on Earth today. C) It shows that, based on genetic relationships, there are three major branches of life on Earth. D) It shows that there is greater genetic diversity in microscopic organisms than among animals.

b, it shows that plants and animals are the two most dominant forms of life on earth today

The images below shows a 'debris disk' around two nearby stars. On the images, the light from the central bright star has been masked for better contrast. What is the significance of this type of 'debris disk'? A) It proves that planets form in disks of dust and gas that surround stars. B) It shows that stars really can be surrounded by flattened disks of dust and gas. C) It shows that stars can be encircled by disks that are enormous in size, sometimes extending halfway to other nearby stars. D) It shows that the disks that encircle stars are sometimes split into two pieces, with one on each side of the star. E) That stars can produce powerful jets of debris.

b, it shows that stars really can be surrounded by flattened disks of dust and gas

What is the definition of thermal radiation? A) It's a radiation in the form of emission lines from an object. B) It's a radiation with a spectrum whose shape depends only on the temperature of the emitting object. C) Its a radiation that is felt as heat. D) Its a radiation produced by an extremely hot object.

b, it's a radiation with a spectrum whose shape depends only on the temperature of the emitting object

Based on all we know about the terrestrial worlds, what single factor appears to play the most important role in a terrestrial planet's geological destiny? A) its initial surface temperature B) its size C) whether or not it has liquid water D) its distance from the Sun E) its composition

b, it's size

Suppose a planet is discovered by the Doppler technique and is then discovered to have transits. In that case, we can determine all the following about the planet except _______. A) its density B) its rotation period C) its physical size (radius) D) its orbital period E) its precise mass

b, its rotation period

Which of the following statements best describes the general pattern of composition among the four jovian planets? A) Jupiter is made mostly of hydrogen and helium, while the other three jovian planets are made mostly of hydrogen compounds. B) Jupiter and Saturn have compositions that are fairly different from the compositions of Uranus and Neptune. C) They are very similar to rocky planets, with just a little more hydrogen. D) Jupiter is made mostly of hydrogen, Saturn is made mostly of helium, Uranus is made mostly of hydrogen compounds, and Neptune is made mostly of rock. E) All four planets have essentially the same composition.

b, jupiter and saturn have compositions that are fairly different from the compositions of uranus and neptune

Assuming we know the mass of a star hosting planets. How can we find the planet's orbital distance? A) Martial law B) Kepler's third law C) Newton's second law D) Kirchhoff's laws E) Stefan-Boltzmann's law

b, kepler's third law

Rank these stages based on when they occurred, from first to last. A) contraction of solar nebula. B) large cloud of gas and dust. C) clearing the solar nebula. D) accretion of planetesimals. E) condensation of solid particles.

b, large cloud of gas and dust, a, contraction of solar nebular, e, condensation of solid particles, d, accretion of planetesimals, c, clearing the solar nebula

2. [3pt] You have three tries for this problem. Choose the correct statements which describe the properties of light. (Give ALL correct answers, i.e., B, AC, BCD...) A) Rainbows are the result of interference effects. B) Light has both wave and particle properties. C) Light can be fully described as an electromagnetic wave. D) When light waves overlap, interference effects are observed. E) The photon model of light explains the electromagnetic radiation given off by a hot body and the photoelectric effect. F) The wave theory of light explains the photoelectric effect but can not explain the radiation of a hot body. G) Visible light is one part of the full electromagnetic spectrum which includes gamma-rays and radio waves.

b, light has both wave and particle properties, d, when light waves overlap, interference effects are observed, e, the photon model of light explains the electromagnetic radiation given off by a hot body and the photoelectric effect, g, visible light is one part of the full electromagnetic spectrum which includes gamma-rays and radio waves

On the figure from the previous question, the upper left portion of the spectrum shows the _______ visible light. A) brightest B) lowest frequency C) highest frequency D) lowest speed E) highest speed

b, lowest frequency

You have three tries for this question. Which planet(s) have an atmosphere that consists mostly of carbon dioxide? Select all that apply and answer in alphabetical order. A) Moon B) Mars C) Earth D) Venus E) Mercury

b, mars, d, venus

The major obstacle for astronomer to building an observatory capable of obtaining moderately high-resolution images and spectra of extrasolar planets is that _______. A) nobody could understand the data obtained B) NASA, NSF, and other scientific organizations lacks the necessary budget. C) there is no need for it D) it would require putting telescopes in space. E) no one has conceived of a technology that could do it.

b, nasa, nsf, and other scientific organizations lack the necessary budget

Which of the following Mars surface features provides dramatic evidence that volcanism has played a role in shaping the surface of Mars? A) the southern highlands B) Olympus Mons C) Hellas Basin D) the polar caps E) Valles Marineris

b, olympus mons

Gaps in the asteroid belt (often called Kirkwood gaps) are caused by _______. A) the competing gravitational tugs of Mars and Jupiter B) orbital resonances with Jupiter C) nothing, it's just a coincidence D) tidal forces from the Sun E) tidal forces from Jupiter

b, orbital resonances with jupiter

Galileo observed all of the following. Which observation offered direct proof of a planet orbiting the Sun? A) Four moons of Jupiter. B) Phases of Venus. C) Patterns of shadow and sunlight near the dividing line between the light and dark portions of the Moon's face. D) The Milky Way is composed of many individual stars.

b, phases of venus

Which of the following is NOT a piece of evidence supporting the idea that Pluto is a large comet of the Kuiper belt? A) Triton, which must once have orbited the Sun before being captured by Neptune, is significantly larger than Pluto. B) Pluto grows a coma and a long tail when it is at the point in its orbit closest to the Sun. C) Pluto is not the largest object orbiting in the region of the Kuiper belt. D) Pluto's orbit is very similar to the orbits of other known Kuiper belt comets. E) Pluto's composition appears to match that of other known Kuiper belt comets.

b, pluto grows a coma and a long tail when it is at the point in its orbit closest to the sun

Why are there fewer large impact craters on the Earth's seafloor than on the continents? A) Most impacts occur on the land. B) Seafloor crust is younger than continental crust, so it has had less time in which to suffer impacts. C) Marine life creates natural debris that covers up the craters. D) The oceans slow large impactors and prevent them from making craters. E) Erosion erases impact craters must faster on the ocean bottom than on land.

b, seafloor crust is younger than continental crust, so it has had less time in which to suffer impacts

Very few of the known extrasolar planets have sizes as small as Earth. The most likely reason for this fact is that _______. A) small planets orbit too far from their stars and therefore reflect little light B) small planets are more difficult to detect than larger planets C) small planets are not hot enough D) small planets are usually made of materials that cannot be detected E) small planets are extremely rare

b, small planets are more difficult to detect than larger planets

The second of the two "undeniable facts" is that individuals in a population of any species vary in many heritable traits (traits passed from parents to offspring), so that no two individuals are exactly alike. This fact is important to understanding evolution because it means that _______. A) individuals can recognize their friends and family B) some individuals possess traits that make them better able than others to compete for food and other resources C) the number of heritable traits must increase from one generation to the next D) all individuals in a population have an equal chance to survive and reproduce

b, some individuals possess traits that make them better able than others to compete for food and other resources

The X-ray image below was taken by the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Without knowing anything more about the object that is shown, what can you conclude from looking at this image? A) The X rays from this object come in a variety of different colors. B) Some parts of the object emit more X rays (brighter) than others. C) The object is moving away from us. D) This object emits much more light in the form of X rays than in the form of visible light. E) Orange regions emit the highest-energy X rays and blue regions emit the lowest- energy X rays.

b, some parts .of the object emit more x-rays (brighter) than others

Which of the following is a general difference between a planet and a star? A) Planets are larger than stars. B) Stars glow in infrared and visible light, while planets glow only in the infrared. C) Planets are brighter than stars. D) All planets are made of rock and all stars are made of gas.

b, stars glow in infrared and visible light, while planets glow only in the infrared

What does temperature measure? A) the total amount of heat in a substance. B) the average kinetic energy of particles in a substance. C) the total potential energy of particles in a substance. D) the average mass of particles in a substance.

b, the average kinetic energy of particles in a substance

This diagram below shows the orbital path of the Sun around the center of mass of our solar system as it would appear from a distance of 30 light-years for the period 1945-1995. If aliens had constructed this graph at their home star system, they could learn all of the following except: A) the fact that the Sun has more than two planets B) the fact that large, icy objects orbit the Sun in the Kuiper belt C) the mass and orbital period of Jupiter D) the orbital distance of Saturn

b, the fact that large, icy object orbit the sun in the kuiper belt

Which of the following statements about an ellipse is NOT true? A) A circle is considered to be a special type of ellipse. B) The focus of an ellipse is always located precisely at the center of the ellipse. C) The semimajor axis of an ellipse is half the length of the longest line that you can draw accross an ellipse. D) An ellipse with a large eccentricity looks much more elongated (stretch out) than an ellipse with a small eccentricity.

b, the focus of an ellipse is always located precisely at the center of the ellipse

Which of the following is not considered a potential solution to the question of why we lack any evidence of a galactic civilization? A) There is no galactic civilization because we are the first species ever to achieve the ability to study the universe. B) The galactic civilization probably is undetectable because they operate under different laws of physics from the ones we know. C) The galactic civilization is deliberately avoiding contact with us. D) There is no galactic civilization because all civilizations destroy themselves before they achieve the ability to colonize the galaxy.

b, the galactic civilization probably is undetectable because they operate under different laws of physics than we do

What do you see orbiting Earth in this photo below? A) the World's largest visible-light telescope. B) the Hubble Space Telescope. C) the James Webb Space Telescope. D) the International Space Station. E) the spritzer infrared telescope.

b, the hubble space telescope

According to our present theory of solar system formation, which of the following statements about the growth of terrestrial and jovian planets is NOT true? A) Swirling disks of gas, like the solar nebula in miniature, formed around the growing jovian planets but not around the growing terrestrial planets. B) The jovian planets began from planetesimals made only of ice, while the terrestrial planets began from planetesimals made only of rock and metal. C) Both types of planet begun with planetesimals growing through the process of accretion, but only the jovian planets were able to capture hydrogen and helium gas from the solar nebula. D) The terrestrial planets formed inside the frost line of the solar nebula and the jovian planets formed beyond it.

b, the jovian planets began from planetesimals growing through the process of accretion, but only the jovian planets were able to capture hydrogen and helium gas from the solar nebula

This evolutionary sequence shows how a large gas cloud can collapse to become a mush smaller, spinning disk of gas. What law explains why cloud spins faster as it shrinks in size? A) The law of conservation of energy. B) The law of conservation of angular momentum. C) Kepler's third law. D) Newton's second law of motion. E) The universal law of gravitation.

b, the law of conservation of angular momentum

In the same evolutionary sequence of a collapsing gas cloud shown in the previous question, what law explains why the center of the cloud becomes so much hotter as the cloud shrinks in size? A) The law of conservation of angular momentum. B) The law of conservation of energy. C) Newton's second law of motion. D) Kepler's third law. E) The universal law of gravitation.

b, the law of conservation of energy

Which of the following best explains why we see horizontal "stripes" in photographs of Jupiter and Saturn? A) The dark and light stripes correspond to alternating bands of different chemical composition. B) The light stripes are regions of high clouds, and the dark stripes are regions where we can see down to deeper, darker clouds. C) It depends on the reflecting angle with respect to the Sun D) Dark stripes are those in which there is a stratosphere and light stripes are those with no stratosphere. E) There are three different color stripes corresponding to the three different types of clouds found on these planets.

b, the light stripes are regions of high clouds, and the dark stripes are regions where we can see down to deeper darker clouds

Many meteorites appear to have formed very early in the solar system's history. How do these meteorites support our theory about how the terrestrial planets formed? A) Their appearance and composition matches what we observe in comets today, suggesting that they were once pieces of icy planetesimals. B) The meteorites appearance and composition is just what we'd expect if metal and rock condensed and accreted as our theory suggests. C) The meteorites sizes are just what we'd expect if metal and rock condensed and accreted as our theory suggests. D) Their overall composition is just what we believe the composition of the solar nebula to have been: mostly hydrogen and helium.

b, the meteorites appearance and composition is just what we'd expect if metal and rock condensed and accreted as our theory suggests

What is the ecliptic? A) the extension of the Earth's equatorial plane on the celestial sphere B) the path the Sun appears to trace around the celestial sphere each year C) the Sun's daily path on the sky D) the path traced by the Moon's shadow on Earth during a solar eclipse E) a half-circle extending from your horizon due north, through your zenith, and then to your horizon due south

b, the path the sun appears to trace around the celestial sphere each year

Which of the following properties can be inferred from the star's orbital period? A) the planet's habitability status B) the planet's orbital radius C) the planet's mass D) the planet's composition E) both the planet's orbital radius and its mass

b, the planet's orbital radius

Why is the radiation so intense in the region that traces Io's orbit around Jupiter (the Io torus)? A) An orbital resonance between Io, Europa, and Ganymede makes the radiation intense. B) The region is full of gases that become ionized after they are released from volcanoes on Io. C) Io's gravity allows this region to capture huge numbers of charged particles from the solar wind. D) Jupiter's strong magnetic field makes the radiation intense everywhere, and the region around Io is no different than any other region. E) The ring's particles there are heated by a peculiar lightning phenomenon.

b, the region is full of gases that become ionized after they are released from volcanoes on io

Based on what you have learned from the two previous questions, which statement best describes how variation in the Earth-Sun distance affects the seasons? A) No matter where you live or what the seasons, it is generally hotter when Earth is closer to the Sun and colder when Earth is farther from the Sun. B) The variation in Earth-Sun distance over the course of the year has virtually no effect on the seasons. C) Summer occurs when Earth is closer to the Sun, and winter occurs when Earth is farther from the Sun.

b, the variation in earth-sun distance over the course of the year has virtually no effect on the seasons

Suppose you want to know the chemical composition of the atmosphere of an exoplanet, like in the above video, which piece of information is most useful to you? A) Whether the star's spectrum has more emission lines or more absorption lines. B) The wavelengths of spectral lines in the star's spectrum. C) The Doppler shift of the star's spectrum. D) The peak energy of the star's thermal radiation.

b, the wavelengths of spectral lines in the star's spectrum

This graph shows the number of asteroids with different orbital periods. Notice the gap at 2.5 AU. It also corresponds to an orbital period of 4 years around the Sun. What does this graph tell us about this gap? A) There are more asteroids concentrated at the orbital period indicated by the arrow than at any other orbital period. B) There are few if any asteroids at the indicated orbital period of about 4 years. C) Asteroids with an orbital period of about 4 years are all located very close together - so close that collisions occur frequently. D) There must be a small moon on that orbit. E) There are exactly 0 asteroids with an orbital period of 4 years.

b, there are few if any asteroids at the indicated orbital period of about 4 years

Again from the graph, one can notice that the peaks and troughs on the temperature curve occur at the about the same times as peaks and troughs on the carbon dioxide curve. What can we infer from this fact alone? A) Higher global average temperatures cause higher carbon dioxide concentrations. B) There is a correlation between the carbon dioxide concentration and the global average temperature. C) Higher carbon dioxide concentrations cause higher global average temperatures. D) The carbon dioxide concentration is inversely related to the global average temperature.

b, there is a correlation between the carbon dioxide concentration and the global average temperature

Why do astronomers believe that Triton is a captured moon? A) Triton appears to be made mostly of ice. B) Triton orbits Neptune in a direction opposite that of Neptune's rotation. C) It has characteristics of a comet D) Triton is very small and potato-shaped, which is common of captured moons. E) Triton is too large to have been formed in the 'miniature solar nebula' thought to have surrounded Neptune in its very early history.

b, triton orbits neptune in a direction opposite that of neptune's rotation

This graph below from NASA shows the global average temperature and carbon dioxide concentration on Earth for the past 400 000 years. This result is based on ice core data obtained in Antartica. The average temperature over the past 1000 years has been about 15C. From the graph, you can conclude that Earth's average temperature during the past 400,000 years has _______. A) stayed remarkably steady, never varying by more than about 2C B) varied between about 7C and 19C C) varied between about -10C and +4C D) never been as high as it is today

b, varied between about 7C and 19C

What are all the black spots on the object shown in the picture below? A) wind streaks on Neptune's moon Triton B) volcanoes on Jupiter's moon Io C) methane lakes on Saturn's moon Titan D) impact craters on Uranus's moon Miranda E) giant cliffs on the planet Mercury

b, volcanoes on jupiter's moon io

Which of the following is an example of convection? A) Rocks sinking in water. B) Warm air expanding and rising while cooler air contracts and fall. C) Gas bubbling upward through a liquid. D) Different kinds of material separating by density, like oil and water. E) The rising and setting of the Sun.

b, warm air expanding and rising while cooler air contracts and falls

From the graph shown in the previous question, you can identify an ice age by looking for _______. A) a place on the temperature graph where the temperature curve falls steeply B) a peak on the temperature graph C) a trough (bottom of a dip) on the temperature graph D) a trough (bottom of a dip) on the carbon dioxide graph

c, a trough (bottom of a dip) on the temperature graph

Based on the same graph again, What is the probability that an object 100 meters in diameter will hit Earth during the coming year? A) about 1 in 10 B) about 1 in 100 million C) about 1 in 1000 D) about 1 in 2 E) zero

c, about 1 in 1000

If we say that a material is opaque to ultraviolet light, we mean that it _______. A) reflects ultraviolet light B) transmits ultraviolet light C) absorbs ultraviolet light D) emits ultraviolet light

c, absorbs ultraviolet light

We cannot see tidal forces or tidal heating; rather, we predict that they must occur based on the orbital characteristics of the moons. What observational evidence confirms that tidal heating is important on Io? A) Io's unusual, egg-like shape B) the orbital resonance between Io, Europa, and Ganymede C) active volcanoes on Io D) Io's surface temperature E) Io's surprisingly elliptical orbit

c, active volcanoes on io

Where would you expect terrestrial planets to form in the solar nebula? A) anywhere except beyond the frost line. B) anywhere outside 0.3AU. C) anywhere between 0.3AU and the frost line. D) within the inner 0.3AU. E) anywhere outside the frost line.

c, anywhere between 0.3AU and the frost line

Which of the following best describes how modern astronomers view astrology? A) Astrology is new age mumbo-jumbo that was a waste of time when it was invented thousands of years ago and remains so today. B) Astrology is a synonym for astronomy. C) Astrology played an important part in the development of astronomy in ancient times, but is it not a science by modern standards. D) Astrology was a great idea until it was disproved by the work of Copernicus, Tycho, Kepler, and Galileo.

c, astrology played an important part in the development of astronomy in ancient times, but it is not a science by modern standards

Which method could detect a planet in an orbit that is face-on to the Earth? A) transit (eclipse) method B) Doppler method C) astrometric method D) Direct imaging

c, astrometric method, d, direct imaging

Imagine that each of the five stars above is orbited by a terrestrial planet at a distance of 1 AU. Rank the stars based on the planet's expected surface temperature (excluding any atmospheric and greenhouse effect), from the lowest to highest. A) Sirius, A1, 2 solar masses B) 61 Cygni A, K5, 0.7 solar masses C) Barnard's Star, M4, 0.2 solar masses D) Alpha Centauri A, G2, 1 solar masses E) Spica, B1, 11 solar masses

c, barnard's star, m4, 0.2 solar masses, b, 61 cygni a, k5, 0.7 solar masses, d, alpha centauri a, g2, 1 solar mass, e, spica, b1, 11 solar masses

Scientific thinking is _______ A) completely different from any other type of thinking B) a difficult process that only a handful of people can do well. C) based on everyday ideas of observation and trial-and-error experiments, which follow logical rules D) an ancient mode of thinking first invented in Egypt.

c, based on everyday ideas of observation and trial-and-error experiments, which follow logical rules

Suppose instead of looking at a gas cloud lying between a hot source and the observer, that we are looking at the same gas cloud but the light source is off to the side instead of directly behind it. In that case, the spectrum would _______. A) appear as a continuous rainbow of colors. B) still be an absorption spectrum. C) be an emission spectrum. D) appear completely dark.

c, be an emission spectrum

Why is the sky blue (on Earth)? A) No one knows - this is one of the great mysteries of science. B) Because the Sun emits mostly blue light. C) Because molecules scatter blue light more effectively than red light. D) Because molecules scatter red light more effectively than blue light. E) Because deep space is blue in color.

c, because molecules scatter red light more effectively than blue light

Why is the Coriolis effect so weak on Venus? A) Because Venus is so hot. B) Because the clouds are too thick for this effect to show. C) Because Venus rotates so slowly. D) Because Venus has such a strong greenhouse effect. E) Because Venus has such a thick atmosphere.

c, because venus rotates so slowly

The asteroid belt is located _______. A) between the orbits of Jupiter and Saturn B) between the orbits of Earth and Mars C) between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter D) beyond the orbit of Neptune E) In orbit around Saturn

c, between the orbits of mars and jupiter

Rank the internal layering of Jupiter, from the outer layers to the center. A) layer of gaseous hydrogen B) layer of liquid hydrogen C) cloud layer D) thick layer of metallic hydrogen E) Core of rock, metal and hydrogen compounds

c, cloud layer, a, layer of gaseous hydrogen, b, layer of liquid hydrogen, d, thick layer of metallic hydrogen, e, core of rock, metal and hydrogen compounds

When Copernicus first created his model of the Universe, it did not lead to substantially better predictions of planetary positions than the Ptolemaic model. Why not? A) Copernicus placed the Sun at the center, but did not realize that the Moon orbits the Earth. B) Copernicus places the planets in the wrong order going outward from the Sun. C) Copernicus used perfect circles for the orbits of the planets. D) Copernicus misjudged the distance between the planets.

c, copernicus used perfect circles for the orbits of the planets

Using the meteorite impact graph again, which statement below most accurately describes the impacts we should expect on Earth during the coming year? A) Earth will be hit by one object about 100 meters in diameter and several objects of about 10 meters in diameter. B) Only objects smaller than 1 meter across will hit Earth. C) Earth will be hit by at least one object a few meters in diameter, along with many smaller objects. D) Earth will be hit by one object that is a few meters in diameter, but no larger or smaller objects. E) We will probably be hit by one of at least 10km in size because we are overdue for such object.

c, earth will be hit by at least one object a few meters in diameter, along with many other smaller objects

Examine the figure below before answering the next few questions. A comet entering the inner solar system from afar will _______. A) always go around and go back on their elliptical orbit B) always form a tail, but only sometimes form a coma C) form a coma and some time later form a tail D) form a tail and some time later form a coma. E) form a tail pointing in a random direction

c, form a coma and some time later form a tail

Which of the following is not a piece of evidence supporting the idea that an impact caused the mass extinction that occurred 65 million years ago? A) Unusually large abundances of iridium and other rare metals are found in a layer of clay that dates to 65 million years ago. B) A large impact crater along the coast of Mexico dates to 65 million years ago. C) Fossilized dinosaur bones contain fragments of rock from the impact. D) Grains of quartz formed under high pressure are found in a layer of clay that dates to 65 million years ago.

c, fossilized dinosaur bones contain fragments of rock from the impact

In the Drake equation, suppose that the term f_life=1/2. What would this mean? A) Half of the planets in the Milky Way are habitable B) Half the stars in the Milky Way Galaxy have a planet with life. C) Half of the habitable worlds in the galaxy actually have life, while the other half don't. D) Half of all life-forms in the universe are intelligent.

c, half of the habitable worlds in the galaxy have life while the other half don't

Rank these materials based on their abundance in the solar nebula, from the highest to the lowest. A) Rocks B) Metal C) Hydrogen and Helium gas D) Hydrogen compounds

c, hydrogen and helium gas, d, hydrogen compounds, a, rocks, b, metal

If we have a new moon today, when will we have the next full moon? A) In about 6 months B) In about 1 week C) In about 2 weeks D) In about 1 month E) It varies depending on the time of the year.

c, in about two weeks

This simulation snapshot shows an object colliding with early Earth. What is thought to have happened as a result of such collision? A) The current Earth would have been 10 times bigger without this impact. B) It lead to the extinction of dinosaurs. C) It blasted away debris that then accreted in Earth orbit to form the Moon. D) The impact changed Earth's orbit from on which life would have been unlikely to our current orbit in which life flourishes. E) The impact released the heat that allowed Earth to undergo differentiation.

c, it blasted away debris that then accreted in earth orbit to form the moon

What practical value did astronomy offer to ancient civilizations? A) It helped them understand our cosmic origins. B) It help them find uses for ancient structures like Stonehenge. C) It helped them keep track of time and seasons, and it was used by some cultures for navigation. D) It allowed them to discover fire and invent the wheel. E) It allowed them to predict eclipses with great accuracy.

c, it helped them keep track of time and seasons, and it was used by some cultures for navigation

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 closer to its star. B) It has an elliptical shape C) It is larger. D) It is hotter.

c, it is larger

What do astronomers mean by 'light pollution'? A) It is a type of air pollution created by lightweight gases such as hydrogen and helium. B) It is the excess of sunlight scattered by the Earth's atmosphere at dusk or dawn. C) It is light from human sources that makes it difficult to see the stars at night. D) It means contamination of light caused by chemicals in Earth's atmosphere. E) It is a term used to describe the appearance of the sky in regions that are crowded with stars.

c, it is light from human sources that makes it difficult to see the stars at night

This photograph shows the Space Shuttle orbiting at about 300km above Earth' surface. What is the significance of the greenish glow next to the Shuttle's wing? A) It shows that the Space Shuttle can cause auroras along its orbit. B) It shows that strong thunderstorms can happen at very high altitude. C) It shows that Earth's atmosphere still exists, though thinly, at this altitude. D) It shows that the Shuttle was interacting with some upper layer atmosphere particles. E) It shows that the Shuttle lights work in space as well as they work on the ground.

c, it shows that earth's atmosphere still exists, though thinly, at this altitude

What's the fundamental reason that Mars, unlike the Earth, has become virtually geologically dead? A) its closer distance than Earth to the Sun B) its rapid rotation compared to the Earth C) its small size compared to Earth D) its large size compared to the Earth E) its farther distance than Earth to the Sun F) its slow rotation compared to the Earth

c, it's small size compared to earth

Suppose you know the frequency of a photon and the speed of light. What else can you determine about the photon? A) the chemical composition of the object that emitted it B) its acceleration C) its wavelength and energy D) its temperature E) the color of the object that emitted it

c, it's wavelength and energy

Our modern theory of solar system formation-the nebular theory-successfully accounts for all the major features of our own solar system. However, when the first hot Jupiters were discovered, their existence seemed inconsistent with the nebular theory because this theory predicts that _______. A) they are too rich in heavy elements such as iron B) planetary systems should be extremely rare C) jovian planets can form only in the cold, outer regions of a solar system D) jovian planets located close to their stars should have evaporated by now E) any system with jovian planets should also have terrestrial planets

c, jovian planets can only form in the cold, outer regions of a solar system

Which of the following best explains why Jupiter's density is higher than Saturn's? A) Jupiter has a stronger magnetic field than Saturn. B) Jupiter is closer to the Sun than Saturn. C) Jupiter is more massive than Saturn. D) Jupiter has a higher proportion of hydrogen compounds and rock than Saturn. E) During its formation, Jupiter accreted matter for a longer time than Saturn.

c, jupiter is more massive than saturn

All the following statements about Mars are true. Which one might have led to a significant loss of atmospheric gas to space? A) Mars was recently hit by asteroids, which lead to a lot of gas to escape suddenly. B) The axis tilt of Mars is thought to change significantly with time. C) Mars lost any global magnetic field that it may once have had. D) Outgassed water molecules are split apart, and the oxygen then reacts chemically with surface rock on Mars. E) Mars probably once had a much higher density of greenhouse gases in its atmosphere than it does today.

c, mars lost any global magnetic field that it may once have had

Rank the planets of our solar system, from the closest to the farthest from the Sun. A) Saturn B) Neptune C) Mercury D) Venus E) Mars F) Uranus G) Jupiter H) Earth

c, mercury, d, venus, h, earth, e, mars, g, jupiter, a, saturn, f, uranus, b, neptune

20. [2pt] Suppose that two stars are separated in the sky by 0.2 arcsecond. If you look at them with a telescope that has an angular resolution of 0.8 arcsecond, what will you see? A) Both stars will be seen only if they have different colors. B) Two distinct stars. C) One point of light that is the blurred image of both stars. D) Nothing at all, only darkness.

c, one point of light that is the blurred image of both stars

Assuming that our ideas about how 'hot Jupiters' ended up on their current orbits are correct, why didn't our own solar system end up with any hot Jupiters? A) It just happened to be that way. B) Our jovian planets must have migrated outward from inside the orbit of Mercury. C) Our solar nebula must have been blown into space shortly after the formation of the jovian planets. D) Our solar nebula must have stuck around for an unusually long time after the formation of jovian planets. E) The existence of Earth and the other terrestrial planets prevented the jovian planets from migrating inward.

c, our solar nebular must have been blown into space shortly after the formation of the jovian planets

Which of the following statements correctly describes the motion of the particles in Saturn's rings? A) All the particles in the rings orbit Saturn with the same orbital period. B) Particles in all the rings hover motionlessly high above Saturn C) Particles in the inner rings orbit Saturn at a faster speed than particles in the outer rings. D) Particles in the inner rings orbit Saturn at a slower speed than particles in the outer rings.

c, particles in the inner rings orbit saturn at a faster speed than particles in the outer rings

Why won't Pluto collide with Neptune? A) Pluto's orbit never comes anywhere close to Neptune's orbit. B) Pluto is always much farther from the Sun than Neptune. C) Pluto orbits the Sun exactly 2 times for every 3 Neptune orbits, which ensures they never come close together. D) Actually, a collision of the two is inevitable within the next billion years.

c, pluto orbits the sun exactly two times for every three neptune orbits, which ensures they never come close together

Which of the following best describes the lunar maria? A) mountainous regions on the Moon B) frozen oceans of liquid water on the Moon C) relatively smooth, flat plains on the Moon D) densely cratered regions on the Moon

c, relatively smooth, flat plains on the moon

Assume that the migration hypothesis is the correct explanation for the hot Jupiters. In that case, the revised nebular theory looks just like the old theory, except that it now allows for the possibility of migration. Which of the following statements are consistent with this revised theory? A) Our solar system must be unusual because the jovian planets did not migrate inward. B) Hot Jupiters can orbit their star in a direction opposite that of other jovian planets in the same system. C) Terrestrial planets always form in the warm, inner regions of their star system. D) Jovian planets can migrate inward and disrupt the orbits of terrestrial planets. E) Jovian planets always form in the cold, outer regions of their star system.

c, terrestrial planets always form in the warm, inner regions of their solar system, d, jovian planets can migrate inward and disrupt the orbits of terrestrial planets, e jovian planets always form in the cold, outer regions of their star system

What was the Shoemaker-Levy 9 impact? A) the ninth impact witnessed by astronomers in modern times B) the impact thought to have wiped out the dinosaurs C) the 1994 impact of a chain of comet fragments into Jupiter D) the impact that created the Moon's largest crater E) the impact that created the large crater seen on Saturn's moon Mimas.

c, the 1994 impact of a chain of comet fragments into jupiter

If you are located in the Northern Hemisphere, which of the following correctly describes a relationship between the sky and your location? A) The altitude of the celestial equator equals your latitude. B) The longitude of the north celestial pole is circumpolar, and therefore crosses your zenith at the meridian. C) The altitude of the north celestial pole equals your latitude. D) The celestial equator is on your horizon. E) The altitude of the north celestial pole equals your longitude.

c, the altitude of the north celestial pole equals your latitude

Here is a relatively recent graph of the carbon dioxide concentration reported by NOAA. Looking carefully at the concentration values, and based on the evidence that atmospheric carbon dioxide is a cause of planetary warming, what aspect of the graphs should most concern us? win A) Earth's past carbon dioxide concentration rises and falls naturally. B) Earth's past temperature rises and falls naturally. C) The carbon dioxide concentration today is significantly higher than at any time in the past 400,000 years and is rapidly rising. D) There is nothing to be concerned about, it will fall back down again, surely.

c, the carbon dioxide concentration today is significantly higher than at any time in the past 400,000 years and is rapidly rising

Scientists think it is very unlikely that complex and large forms of life could evolve on planets that orbit stars that are much more massive than the Sun. Why? A) The habitable zone of a massive star is too far from the star to allow for the evolution of complex life B) The habitable zone of a massive star covers too wide a range of distances from the star to allow for the evolution of complex life C) The expected lifetime of a massive star is too short to allow for the evolution of complex life D) It is a false statement, very massive stars could likely host highly complex life

c, the expected lifetime of a massive star is too short to allow for the evolution of complex life

What do we mean by the period of heavy bombardment in the context of the history of our solar system? A) The period about 65 million years ago when an impact is thought to have led to the extinction of the dinosaurs. B) The time before planetesimals finished accreting into planets, during which many growing planetesimals must have shattered in collisions. C) The first few hundred million years after the planets formed, which is when most impact craters were formed. D) The time during which heavy elements condensed into rock and metal in the solar nebula.

c, the first few hundred million years after the planets formed, which is when most impact craters were formed

The idea that life evolves through time was first suggested in ancient Greece, and it was favored by at least some scientists of the 18th and 19th centuries even before Charles Darwin proposed the theory of evolution. What is the key observational evidence that supports the idea that life on Earth has evolved through time? A) There is great diversity of life on Earth, ranging from very simple organisms to complex organisms like ourselves. B) Studies of DNA show how evolution can occur. C) The fossil record, revealed in geological layers of different ages, shows that life on Earth has become more complex over time. D) Individual living organisms grow and change over time.

c, the fossil record, revealed in geological layers of different ages, shows that life on earth has become more complex over time

What do we mean by accretion in the context of planet formation? A) The formation of moons around planets B) The solidification of ices, rocks, and metal from the gas of the solar nebula C) The growth of planetesimals from smaller solid particles that collided and stuck together D) The growth of the Sun as the density of gas increased in the center of the solar nebula

c, the growth of planetesimals from smaller solid particles that collided and stuck together

Red light has lower frequency than blue light. Thus, Red light has _______. A) the highest energy and the longest wavelength. B) the lowest energy and the shortest wavelength. C) the lowest energy and the longest wavelength. D) the highest energy and the shortest wavelength.

c, the lowest energy and the longest wavelength

The graph below shows how a star's orbital speed varies with time due to the gravitational tug of an orbiting planet. These data were obtained by measuring _______. A) the precise wavelengths of spectral lines in the spectrum of the orbiting planet B) the orbital period of the planet that is orbiting the star C) the precise wavelengths of spectral lines in the spectrum of the star D) the precise brightness of the star divided by the precise brightness of the planet E) the detailed composition of the planet

c, the precise wavelengths of spectral lines in the spectrum of the star

Which of the following general statements about Earth's atmosphere is NOT true? A) Atmospheric scattering of light explains why our daytime sky is bright and blue. B) Even in low-Earth orbit, where some man-made satellites are, some atmospheric gas is still present. C) The sea level temperature depends primarily on the total amount of gas in our atmosphere. D) Atmospheric pressure decreases with altitude. E) Earth's atmosphere blocks most UV light from reaching the surface.

c, the sea level temperature depends primarily on the total amount of gas in our atmosphere

The first image on the left shows what appears to be a single star. The second image on the right shows the same object, now revealed to be two distinct stars. What is the difference between the two photos? A) The second image comes from a radio telescope while the first image comes from a visible-light photo. B) The second image was taken by two telescopes rather than one. C) The second image has netter (smaller) angular resolution than the first image. D) The second image was taken with a telescope that has greater light-collecting area. E) The first image was taken by a space telescope while the second one was obtained with a ground-based telescope.

c, the second image has netter (smaller) angular resolution than the first image

What method has detected the most extrasolar planets (or candidates) so far? A) Direct imaging, especially with the Hubble B) the astrometric method C) the transit method D) the Doppler method E) they all contributed more or less equally

c, the transit method

This image shows two tall volcanoes on Venus. Why is it yellow? A) The camera used to take this photograph had a yellow filter on it. B) Lava from volcanoes on Venus is yellow rather than the red of lava on Earth because it's hotter on Venus C) The yellow color is arbitrary, since this image was created with radar data rather than visible light. D) Venus is yellow all over, due to some sort of sulfurous dust from volcanos that coats its surface.

c, the yellow color is arbitrary, since this image was created with radar data rather than visible light

This photo shows an experimental setup in which materials thought to have been present on the early Earth are sparked with energy. What have we learned from this type of experiment? A) These experiments have provided strong evidence for the idea that life first arose near volcanic vents at the bottom of the ocean. B) These experiments have told us the precise composition of Earth's early atmosphere. C) These experiments have shown that the building blocks of life form easily and naturally under conditions that existed on the early Earth. D) These experiments have shown us how life originated on Earth.

c, these experiments have shown that the building blocks of life form easily and naturally under conditions that existed on the early earth

Which of the following statements comparing the jovian interiors is not thought to be true? A) Deep inside them, they all have pressures far higher than that found on the bottom of the ocean on Earth. B) They all have cores that contain at least some rock and metal. C) They all have the same exact set of internal layers, though these layers differ in size. D) They all have cores of roughly the same mass.

c, they all have the exact same set of internal layers, though these layers differ in size

Which of the following statements best explains why the densities of Uranus and Neptune are higher than those of Jupiter and Saturn? A) Their interiors are more compressed due to stronger gravity. B) They have stronger magnetic fields. C) They have a higher proportion of hydrogen compounds and rock. D) They are at greater distances from the Sun. E) They have higher masses.

c, they have a higher proportion of hydrogen compounds and rock

In very general terms, how do the temperature structures of the atmospheres of Venus and Mars differ from that of Earth? A) Temperatures in their tropospheres increase with altitude, rather than decreasing with altitude. B) They don't have an exosphere. C) They lack ultraviolet-absorbing stratospheres. D) Their atmospheres are similar in structure to Earth's, but with much higher temperatures. E) They lack X-ray absorbing thermospheres.

c, they lack ultraviolet-absorbing stratospheres

The terrestrial planets are made almost entirely of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium. According to modern science, where did these elements come from? A) They were produced in the protosun, by nuclear fusion. B) They were made by chemical reactions in interstellar gas. C) They were produced by stars that lived and died before our solar system was born. D) They have been present in the universe since its birth. E) They were produced by gravity in the solar nebula as it collapsed.

c, they were produced by stars that lived and died before our solar system was born

All the following statements about Venus are true. Which one offers evidence of a global repaving about a billion years ago? A) Venus has many circular features, called coronae, which appear to be tectonic in origin. B) Venus's largest features are three elevated regions that look somewhat like continents. C) Venus has relatively few impact craters and these craters are distributed fairly evenly over the entire planet. D) Venus appears to lack any water that could lubricate the flow of rock in its crust and mantle.

c, venus has relatively few impact craters and these craters are distributed fairly evenly over the entire planet

Which of the following best describes the predominant scientific view of the origin of life on Earth? A) We can describe with great certainty the precise steps by which life arose on Earth. B) Life arose through a series of extremely unlikely chemical coincidences, making it seem almost miraculous that life ever came to exist at all. C) We may never know precisely how life arose, but current evidence suggests that life probably can arise naturally under the conditions that prevailed on the early Earth. D) Life probably migrated to Earth from some other world.

c, we may never know precisely how life arose, but current evidence suggest that life probably can arise naturally under the conditions that prevailed on the early earth

Suppose a comet orbits the Sun on a highly eccentric orbit with an average (semi-major axis) distance of 1 AU. How long does it take to complete each orbit, and how do we know? A) It depends on the eccentricity of the orbit, as described by Kepler's second law.. B) Each orbit should take about 2 years, because the eccentricity is so large. C) 1 year, which we know from Kepler's third law. D) It depends on the eccentricity of the orbit, as directed by Kepler's first law.

c, which we know from kepler's third law

Rank the seasons for the Southern Hemisphere based on Earth's distance from the Sun when each season begins, from the closest to the farthest. A) Autumn. B) Spring. C) Winter. D) Summer.

c, winter, a, autumn, b, spring, d, summer

[blank] is the most distant of Jupiter's four Galilean moons.

callisto

Australia is composed of relatively old and thick [blank].

continental crust

The oldest fossil evidence of life dates to about _______ ago. A) 1 to 2 billion years B) 100 million years C) 4.5 billion years D) 3.5 to 4 billion years

d, 3.5 to 4 billion years

What is the Great Red Spot? A) a place where reddish particles from Io impact Jupiter's surface B) a hurricane that comes and goes on Jupiter C) a sinkhole at the surface of the planet D) a long-lived, high-pressure storm on Jupiter E) a region on Jupiter where the temperature is so high that the gas glows with red visible light

d, a long-lived, high-pressure storm on jupiter

According to Kepler's third law, how does a planet's mass affect its orbit around the Sun? A) More massive planets must have a more circular orbits. B) A more massive planet must have a larger semimajor axis. C) More massive planets orbit the Sun at higher average speed. D) A planet's mass has no effect on its orbit around the Sun.

d, a planet's mass has no effect on it's orbit around the sun

How many planets orbit the Sun in the same direction that Earth does? A) Only one. B) About half. C) Most. D) All. E) A few.

d, all

Which detection techniques can find the planet's orbital distance (assuming we know the mass of the star)? A) none of these B) the astrometric technique C) the transit technique D) all of these E) the Doppler technique

d, all of these

What type of visible light spectrum does the Sun produce? A) A continuous spectrum. B) An emission line spectrum. C) A combination of an emission line spectrum and an absorption line spectrum. D) An absorption line spectrum.

d, an absorption line spectrum

What does this photo below show? A) A nice abstract painting. B) Stars viewed through the atmosphere of Venus. C) A galaxy much like our Milky Way Galaxy. D) An interstellar cloud that is in the process of giving birth to thousands of star systems. E) An interstellar cloud that probably looks almost identical to the way the solar nebula looked about 4.5 billion years ago.

d, an interstellar cloud that is in the process of giving birth to thousands of star systems

The Wien's Law of thermal radiation states that a higher-temperature object emits photons with higher average energy. How does that translate in terms of brightness as a function of color (i.e. wavelength)? A higher-temperature source will be _______. A) fainter in all wavelengths. B) brighter in all wavelengths. C) the same as the lower-temperature source. D) brighter in the blue-violet range compare to the orange-red part. E) fainter in the blue-violet range compare to the orange-red part.

d, brighter in the blue-violet range compared to the orange-red part

Rank the planets based on their mass, from the lowest to highest. A) Uranus B) Saturn C) Jupiter D) Earth E) Neptune

d, earth, a, uranus, e, neptune, b, saturn, c, jupiter

What is true about the Sun? A) it hosts a human-made space base B) it is a big planet C) it is always visible at night, unless it's cloudy D) it creates its own visible light E) It makes a full orbit around the Earth in roughly a month

d, it creates it's own visible light

What happens to the energy that the ground absorbs in the form of visible sunlight? A) It is reflected upward in the form of visible light. B) It heats up the Earth's interior. C) It makes the ground continually get hotter and hotter. D) It is returned upward in the form of infrared light. E) It is returned upward in the form of UV light.

d, it is returned upward in the form of infrared light

Which of the following statements about Earth's troposphere is NOT generally true? A) It is the layer of the atmosphere in which convection plays the most important role. B) It is a layer of the atmosphere in which temperature declines with increasing altitude. C) It is the layer we live in. D) It is the layer of the atmosphere in which ozone absorbs dangerous ultraviolet light from the Sun. E) It is the lowest layer of the atmosphere.

d, it is the layer of the atmosphere in which ozone absorbs dangerous ultraviolet light from the sun

Why does the Moon have a layer of "powdery soil" on its surface? A) Recent, large impacts shattered lunar rock to make this soil. B) It exists because the Moon accreted from powdery material after a giant impact blasted the Earth. C) It is coming from the space debris left in orbit around Earth and that reached out the orbit of the Moon. D) It is the result of countless tiny impacts by small particles striking the Moon. E) It is made by the same processes that make powdery sand on Earth.

d, it is the result of countless tiny impacts by small particles striking the moon

You discover an impact crater that is 10 kilometers across. Which of the following can you conclude? A) It was created by the impact of an object about 10 kilometers across. B) It was created within the past 10 million years. C) It was created by a comet, not an asteroid. D) It was created by the impact of an object about 1 kilometer across. E) It was created within the past 1 billion years.

d, it was created by the impact of an object about 1 kilometer across

This photo was taken from orbit around some planet. What planet is it, and how do you know? A) Mercury, because we see gigantic cliffs B) Venus, because of its yellowish color C) Earth, it's the Sahara Desert D) Mars, because we see dried up riverbeds E) the Moon, because it has craters

d, mars, because we see dried up riverbeds

If we could put all the asteroids together, their total mass would be _______. A) about the mass of Neptune B) about the mass of Mercury C) about the mass of Earth D) much less than the mass of any terrestrial planet E) greater than the mass of Earth but less than the mass of Jupiter

d, much less than the mass of any terrestrial planet

Why are terrestrial planets denser than jovian planets? A) Actually, the jovian planets are denser than the terrestrial planets. B) The Sun's gravity gathered dense materials into the inner solar system. C) Gravity compresses terrestrial planets to a higher degree, making them denser. D) Only dense materials could condense in the inner solar nebula.

d, only dense materials could condense in the inner solar nebula

Which of the following objects are probably not located in the same region of the solar system in which they originally formed? A) Pluto B) Kuiper belt comets C) asteroids of the asteroid belt D) Oort cloud comets

d, oort cloud comets

Complete the following sentence. During the time that a planet is in a period of apparent retrograde motion, _______. A) the planet moves backwards (clockwise as viewed from above Earth's north pole) in its orbit of the Sun B) the planet appears to rise in the west and set in the east, rather than the usual rising in the east and setting in the west. C) the planet is getting closer to the Sun in its orbit. D) over many days or weeks, the planets moves westward relative to the stars, rather than the usual eastward relative to the stars. E) the planet moves strangely due to an optical effect associated to Earth's atmosphere convective cells.

d, over many days or weeks, the planet moves westward relative relative to the stars, rather than the usual eastward relative to the stars

What are the two geological features that appear to set Earth apart from all the other terrestrial worlds? A) craters and volcanism B) mantle convection and a thick atmosphere C) significant volcanism and tectonics D) plate tectonics and widespread erosion E) shield volcanoes and plate tectonics

d, plate tectonics and widespread erosion

Which Solar System object is shown on the picture below, and taken in the summer 2015? A) Saturn's moon Mimas B) Mars C) Dwarf Planet Sedna D) Pluto E) Asteroid Ceres

d, pluto

Based on what we know about our own solar system, the discovery of hot Jupiters came as a surprise to scientists because these planets are _______. A) so hot B) made of different materials than either the terrestrial or jovian planets in our solar system C) so small D) so close to their stars E) so large

d, so close to their stars

What do we conclude if a planet has few impact craters of any size? A) Its atmosphere stopped impactors of all sizes. B) The planet was never bombarded by asteroids or comets. C) It's probably been smoothed by an ancient civilization. D) Some geological processes have wiped out craters.

d, some geological processes have wiped out craters

What is the primary reason that astronomers suspect that some jovian moons were captured into their current orbits? A) Some moons are surprisingly large in size. B) Astronomers have observed moons being captured. C) Some moons have a composition that differs from the composition of the planets. D) Some moons have orbits that are 'backwards' (compared to their planet's rotation) or highly inclined to their planet's equator.

d, some moon have orbits that are 'backwards' (compared to their planet's rotation) or highly inclined to their planet's equator

Which of the following best explains why we can rule out the idea that planets are usually formed by near-collisions between stars? A) A near collision might have created planets, but it could not have created moons, asteroids, or comets. B) Studies of the trajectories of nearby stars relative to the Sun show that the Sun is not in danger of a near-collision with any of them. C) A near collision should have left a trail of gas extending out behind the Sun, and we see no evidence of such a trail. D) Stellar near-collisions are far too rare to explain all the planets now known to orbit nearby stars.

d, stellar near-collisions are far too rare to explain all the planets now known to orbit nearby stars

Which of the following statements best describes the two main advantages of telescopes over eyes? A) Telescopes collect more light and are unaffected by twinkling. B) Telescopes can collect far more light with far greater magnification. C) Telescopes have much more magnification and better angular resolution. D) Telescopes can collect far more light with far better angular resolution.

d, telescopes can collect far more light with far better angular resolution

What do we mean by a mass extinction? A) an extinction caused by the impact of an asteroid or comet B) the extinction of any species of plant or animal that has mass C) the extinction of large animals, such as dinosaurs D) the extinction of a large fraction of the world's plant and animal species in a relatively short period of time

d, the extinction of a large fraction of the world's plant and animal species in a relatively short period of time

Based on everything we have learned about Venus and Mars, what is the most surprising aspect of Earth's climate history? A) the fact that Earth had enough water to form oceans B) the fact that Earth apparently got a lot of atmospheric gas from outgassing by volcanoes C) The fact that Earth has oxygen D) the fact that the temperature of our planet has remained relatively steady throughout our planet's history E) the fact that Earth's climate can be affected by changes in its axis tilt

d, the fact that the temperature of our planet has remained relatively steady throughout our planet's history

Which of the following is NOT an example of tectonics? A) the formation of a cliff when the lithosphere shrinks B) the stretching of the crust by underlying mantle convection C) the slow movement of Earth's lithospheric plates D) the gradual disappearance of a crater rim as a result of wind and rain

d, the gradual disappearance of a crater rim as a result of wind and rain

How did the Ptolemaic model explain the apparent retrograde motion of the planets? A) The model showed that apparent retrograde motion occurs as Earch passes by another planet in its orbits. B) The planets sometimes stopped moving and then reversed to move backward along their circular orbits. C) The planets resided on giant spheres that sometimes turned clockwise and sometimes turned counterclockwise. D) The planets moved along small circles that moved on larger circles around the Earth.

d, the planets moved along small circles that moved on larger circles around earth

Which of the following statements about ozone (in Earth's stratosphere) is NOT true? A) Ozone absorbs harmful ultraviolet light from the Sun. B) Without this ozone, Earth would not have a stratosphere. C) The concentration of ozone is depleted by the man-made emission of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) D) The presence of ozone was crucial to the origin of life some 4 billion years ago. E) Ozone is a form of oxygen.

d, the presence of ozone was crucial to the origin of life some 4 billion years ago

Which statement about Saturn's rings is NOT true? A) The rings are so thin that they essentially disappear from view when seen edge-on. B) The large gap known as the Cassini Division is shaped by an orbital resonance with the moon Mimas, which orbits well outside the rings. C) Some features of the rings are shaped by small moons that actually orbit within the ring system. D) The rings must look much the same today as they did shortly after Saturn formed.

d, the rings must look much the same today as they did shortly after saturn formed

What is the primary basis upon which we divide the ingredients of the solar nebula into four categories (hydrogen/helium; hydrogen compound; rock; metal)? A) The locations of various materials in the solar nebula. B) The atomic mass numbers of various materials. C) The amounts of energy required to ionize various materials. D) The temperatures at which various materials will condense from gaseous form to solid form.

d, the temperatures at which various materials will condense from gaseous form to solid form

Why is it so difficult to take pictures of extrasolar planets? A) No telescope is powerful enough to detect the faint light from a distant planet. B) Because they can essentially never be spatially resolved on the images. C) Extrasolar planets give off light at different wavelengths than planets in our solar system. D) Their light is overwhelmed by the light from their host star. E) There is too much competition in science that telescopes are too busy with other projects

d, their light is overwhelmed by the light from their host star

The discovery of hot Jupiters led scientists to reconsider the nebular theory. Which of the following best explains why the nebular theory (as it stood before the discoveries of extrasolar planets) had not predicted the existence of hot Jupiters? A) Scientists had no evidence that other stars could have disks of gas in which planets could form around. B) The nebular theory was designed to apply only to our solar system, so there was no reason to think it would apply to others. C) The nebular theory was fundamentally flawed and was incorrect about how planets form. D) There are no hot Jupiters in our solar system.

d, there are no hot jupiters in our solar system

The first of the two "undeniable facts" is that any localized population of a species has the potential to produce far more offspring than the local environment can support. This fact is important to understanding evolution because it means that _______. A) the population will ultimately overwhelm its environment, causing the environment to collapse B) the species that has the greatest numbers will be able to dominate over other species within its environment C) the population will tend to grow with time D) there is competition for survival among the individuals of the population

d, there is competition for survival among the individuals of the population

The region of our solar system between Mercury and Mars has very few asteroids, while the region between Mars and Jupiter has many asteroids. Based on what you have learned, what is the most likely explanation for the lack of asteroids between Mercury and Mars? A) It was too hot for asteroids to form in this part of the solar system. B) Gravity was too weak to allow asteroids to form in this part of the solar system. C) All the asteroids that formed between Mercury and Mars later migrated to the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. D) There were very few planetary leftovers in this region, because most of the solid material was accreted by the terrestrial planets as the planets formed.

d, there were very few planetary leftovers in the region, because most of the solid material was accreted by the terrestrial planets as the planets formed

Jupiter and the other jovian planets are sometimes called "gas giants." In what sense is this term misleading? A) They are not in any sense 'giants'. B) Actually, it's a great description, because these worlds are big and gaseous throughout. C) The materials they are made of are not the kinds of thing we usually think of as gases. D) They actually contain relatively little material in a gaseous state. E) They are mostly made of rocks

d, they actually contain relatively little material in a gaseous state

Which of the following is always true about images captured with X-ray telescopes? A) They always have very high angular resolution. B) They are always blue. C) They always are made with adaptive optics. D) They are always shown with colors that are NOT the true colors of the objects that were photographed. E) They show us light with extremely long wavelengths.

d, they are always shown with colors that are NOT the true colors of the objects that were photographed

What is the significance of the white lines on this map of Earth? A) The white lines represent the locations of deep trenches. B) They follow marine currents. C) They represent boundaries between the plates that make up Earth's lithosphere. D) They lined everywhere by chains of volcanoes. E) They represent borders between continents.

d, they are lined everywhere by chains of volcanoes

Which of the following best describes the fundamental difference between two different chemical elements (such as oxygen and carbon)? A) They have different names. B) They have different atomic mass numbers. C) They have different numbers of electrons. D) They have different numbers of protons in their nucleus. E) One can produce fusion, the other one fission.

d, they have different numbers of protons in their nucleus

The greenhouse effect occurs in the _______. A) stratosphere B) exosphere C) all atmospheric layers D) troposphere E) lithosphere

d, troposphere

The arrow in this photo is pointing at a feature known as _______. A) Lunar Maria B) Hellas Basin C) Olympus Mons D) Valles Marineris E) Ishtar Terra

d, valles marineris

All the statements below are true. Which one gives the primary reason why the surface of Venus today is some 450 Celcius hotter than the surface of Earth? A) Venus has a higher atmospheric pressure than Earth. B) Venus has a much higher reflectivity than Earth. C) Venus is only about 73% as far from the Sun as Earth. D) Venus has a much stronger greenhouse effect than Earth.

d, venus has a much stronger greenhouse effect than earth

Suppose that Earth's atmosphere had no greenhouse gases. Then Earth's average surface temperature would be _______. A) slightly cooler, but still above freezing B) slightly warmer, but still well below the boiling point of water C) well above boiling point of water D) well below the freezing point of water E) about the same as it is now

d, well below the freezing point of water

What do we mean when we say that the terrestrial worlds underwent differentiation? A) They lost interior heat to outer space. B) Their surfaces show a variety of different geological features resulting from different geological processes. C) The five terrestrial worlds all started similarly but ended up looking quite different. D) When their interiors were molten, denser materials sank toward their centers and lighter materials rose toward their surfaces E) This is the process that allowed the planets to move onto their current orbits around the Sun.

d, when their interiors were molten, denser materials sank toward their centers and lighter materials rose toward their surfaces

Match each Greek with the discovery attributed to them. 1) Diameter of the Earth A. Hipparchus 2) Relative sizes of the Earth, Moon, and Sun B. Pythagoras 3) Brightness scale C. Plato 4) Earth's precession D. Eratosthenes 5) The Earth is round E. Aristarchus

diameter of the earth/eratosthenes, relative sizes of the earth, moon, and sun/aristarchus, brightness scale/hipparchus, earth's precession/hipparchus, the earth is round/pythagoras

The [blank] is designed as a way of estimating the number of intelligent civilizations in the Milky Way.

drake equation

Based on the data shown in the previous question, what is the planet's orbital period is, approximately? A) we cannot tell from this graph B) 2 days C) 6 days D) 50 days E) 4 days

e, 4 days

According to current evidence, Pluto is best explained as _______. A) a body captured from another stellar system B) a very small jovian planet C) an escaped moon of Jupiter or Saturn D) a terrestrial planet that is surprisingly far from the Sun E) a large member of the Kuiper belt

e, a large member of the kuiper belt

In general, which type of planet would you expect to cause the largest Doppler shift in the spectrum of its star? A) a planet that emits in the infrared B) a massive planet that is far from its star C) a low-mass planet that is close to its star D) a low-mass planet that is far from its star E) a massive planet that is close to its star

e, a massive planet that is close to its star

What do we mean by a 'primitive' meteorite? A) a meteorite made mostly of Hydrogen and Helium B) a type of meteorite that is usually made mostly of high density metals C) a meteorite that fell to Earth at least 4 billion years ago D) a meteorite that was discovered by primitive people E) a meteorite that is essentially unchanged since it first condensed and accreted in the solar nebula some 4.6 billion years ago

e, a meteorite that is essentially unchanged since it first condensed and accreted in the solar nebula some 4.6 billion years ago

According to the same graph above, an object 10 kilometers across hits Earth _______. A) about once every 1 million years B) about once every few thousands of years C) just once in Earth's history D) about once every 1 billion years E) about once every 100 million years

e, about once every 100 million years

Which of the following celestial objects do NOT rise in the east and set in the west, as viewed from the Earth? Assume that all of these objects are visible from your location on Earth, and that none of them are circumpolar. A) galaxies B)stars C) the Moon D) a planet during its apparent retrograde motion E) All of these objects rise in the east and set in the west

e, all of these objects rise in the east and set in the west

Listed below are the names, spectral types, and masses of 5 stars. Note that the surface temperature of a star is linked to its mass (more massive means hotter star). Rank the stars based on the distances to their habitable zones (from the central star), from the shortest to longest. A) Spica, B1, 11 solar masses B) Alpha Centauri A, G2, 1 solar masses C) Sirius, A1, 2 solar masses D) 61 Cygni A, K5, 0.7 solar masses E) Barnard's Star, M4, 0.2 solar masses

e, barnard's star, m4, 0.2 solar masses, d, 61 cygni a, k5, 0.7 solar masses, b, alpha centauri a, g2, 1 solar masses, c, sirius, a1, 2 solar masses a, spica, b1, 11 solar masses

Why is thermal escape of atmospheric gas much easier from the Moon than from Earth? A) Outgassing on the Moon releases gases with lower masses than does outgassing on Earth. B) Because the Moon's average surface temperature is lower than Earth's. C) Because the Moon sometimes gets much closer to the Sun. D) Because the Moon lacks a global magnetic field, while Earth has one. E) Because the Moon's gravity is so much weaker than Earth's, therefore the escape velocity is smaller.

e, because the moon's gravity is so much weaker than earth's, therefore the escape velocity is smaller

Suppose you want to know what the Sun is made of. What should we do? A) Go get a sample. B) Count the total number of black lines in the Sun's spectrum. C) Precisely measure the intensity of light in each of the black lines in the spectrum. D) Find the precise wavelength at which the background rainbow of color peaks in brightness. E) Compare the wavelengths of lines in the Sun's spectrum to the wavelengths of lines produced by chemical elements in the laboratory.

e, compare the wavelengths of lines in the sun's spectrum to the wavelengths of lines produced by chemical elements in the laboratory

From center to surface, which of the following correctly lists the interior layers of a typical rocky planet? A) mantle, core, crust B) mantle, crust, core C) core,crust,lithosphere D) core, lithosphere, crust E) core, mantle, crust

e, core, mantle, crust

Which moon is considered likely to have a deep, subsurface ocean of liquid water? A) Triton B) Io C) Mimas D) Miranda E) Europa

e, europa

Halley's comet is named after the English scientist Edmund Halley (1656--1742) because _______. A) he was the most famous astronomer alive in England during its appearance in 1758. B) he was the first person to see it when it passed near Earth in 1682. C) it was in honor of his financial support. D) he was the astronomer who discovered comets E) he calculated its orbit and predicted the year in which it would next be seen.

e, he calculated its orbit and predicted the year in which it would next be soon

Observations indicate that the Moon has water ice in craters near the poles. Where do scientists suspect this water came from? A) Ice supplied to the Moon by impacts that occurred within the past century or so. B) The Moon has significant amounts of water bonded in its crust, so some of this water fills the polar craters. C) The ice was brought there by astronauts during the Appollo crews as emergency supplies for future missions. D) The ice formed from the condensation of water released by outgassing on the Moon. E) Ice brought by comet impacts long ago.

e, ice brought by comet impacts long ago

Why does the foreground gas (between hot source and observer) needs to be relatively cool (i.e. cooler than source)? A) Because only cool gas create absorption lines by exchanging photons between atoms present within the gas. B) Because when it's cool, it is in a plasma state and therefore can create absorption lines. C) For no particular reason, it's just for the demonstration. D) Because the cool gas is the only way to emit absorption lines. E) If it was hotter, the gas would already be excited and could not absorb any more photons, therefore not creating absorption lines.

e, if it was any hotter, the gas would already be excited and could not absorb any more photons, therefore not creating absorption lines

This photo shows one of Saturn's moons. Based on its shape, what can you conclude? A) It is a gap moon within Saturn's rings. B) It is made entirely of water ice. C) It displayed a dry lake D) It is a captured asteroid. E) It is quite small in size compared to moons that are spherical.

e, it is quite small in size compared to moons that are spherical

Suppose there were no solar wind. How would the appearance of a comet in our inner solar system be different? A) It would be exactly the same. B) It would not have a nucleus. C) It would not have a coma. D) It would be much brighter in appearance. E) It would have only one tail instead of two.

e, it would only have one tail instead of two

Which of the following most likely explains why Venus does not have a global magnetic field like Earth? A) It does not have a metallic core. B) Unlike Earth, Venus does not have a liquid outer core. C) It does not have the water necessary to generate a magnetic field. D) It has too thick of an atmosphere. E) Its rotation is too slow.

e, it's rotation is too slow

Which of the following most likely explains why Jupiter's interior releases so much heat? A) A slow rate of nuclear fusion in Jupiter's core. B) It has accumulated heat from the Sun in the past, and is now releasing it C) Tidal heating. D) Heat from radioactive decay. E) Jupiter is contracting very gradually.

e, jupiter is contracting very gradually

Rank the following planets based on their size, from the largest to smallest. A) Neptune B) Saturn C) Uranus D) Earth E) Jupiter

e, jupiter, b, saturn, c, uranus, a, neptune, d, earth

Saturn's rings look bright because _______. A) light from Saturn reflects off the material in the rings B) the material in the rings is hot and creates its own light via blackbody radiation C) the heated gas in the rings de-excites and emits photons D) it is not yet understood from scientists E) light from the Sun reflects off the material in the rings

e, light from the sun reflects off the material in the rings

Saturn's rings are composed of _______. A) a series of solid concentric circles B) parts of Saturn's upper atmosphere being vented into space C) mainly asteroids D) gas from the early solar system E) lots of individual particles of ice and rock

e, lots of individual particles of ice and rock

The cores of the terrestrial worlds are made mostly of metal because _______. A) the terrestrial worlds as a whole are made mostly of metal B) over billions of years, convection gradually brought dense metals downward to the core C) because planets started to form from planetesimals that were much richer in metals D) the core contained lots of radioactive elements that decayed into metals E) metals sunk to the centers a long time ago when the interiors were molten throughout

e, metals sunk to the centers a long time ago when the interiors were molten throughout

What atmospheric constituent is responsible for the blue color of Uranus and Neptune? A) water B) helium C) ammonia D) hydrogen E) methane

e, methane

Does Venus have auroras around its poles, like Earth? Why or why not? A) Yes, because it is bombarded by charged particles from the Sun. B) No, because its atmosphere is too thick. C) Yes, because strong winds generate light near its poles. D) No, because the high altitude clouds block the charged particles. E) No, because it lacks a global magnetic field.

e, no, because it lacks a global magnetic field

Suppose we had a device that allowed us to see Earth's interior. If we looked at a typical region of the mantle, what would we see happening? A) dense metals falling downward while low-density rock rises upward B) hot molten rock rising upward throughout the mantle and cool, solid rock falling downward C) a rapid, up and down churning of the material in the mantle D) very, very bright, almost blinding liquid substance E) not much - on human time scales, the mantle looks like solid rock

e, not much, on human time scales, the mantle looks like solid rock

If the hypothesis tracing the extinction of the dinosaurs to an impact is correct, the dinosaurs died off largely because _______. A) radiation from iridium and other radioactive products in the asteroid caused the dinosaurs to die of cancer B) the impact caused massive earthquakes worldwide C) of injuries suffered from direct hits of pieces of the asteroid or comet D) The massive forest fires triggered by an important meteoritic impact E) of global climate effects initiated by dust and smoke that entered the atmosphere after the impact

e, of global climate effects initiated by dust and smoke that entered the atmosphere after the impact

A comet's plasma tail always points directly away from the Sun because _______. A) the plasma tail always points towards the Sun, not away from it B) the comet's nucleus overheats on the Sun-facing side, forcing energetic jets of gas to shoot out from the dark side C) the tail is left behind as the comet moves through its orbit D) centrifugal forces throw the tail outward as the comet travels around the Sun E) of pressure exerted by the fast-moving charged particles in the solar wind

e, of pressure exerted by the fast-moving charged particles in the solar wind

Which of the following orbital characteristics has NOT been observed among any known extrasolar planets? A) orbits that are much more eccentric than the orbits of planets in our own solar system B) orbits that take the planets much closer to their star than Mercury orbits the Sun C) orbits that are not elliptical D) gaseous planets on orbits within 1AU of their host star E) orbital speeds that are so slow that we cannot explain

e, orbital speeds that are so slow that we cannot explain

Which of the following was NOT observed by Galileo? A) Four moons orbiting Jupiter. B) Sunspots. C) Phases of Venus. D) Mountains and valleys on the Moon. E) Stellar parallax.

e, stellar parallax

4. [2pt] During the time that a comet passes through the inner solar system, the comet can appear quite bright because _______. A) increasing friction causes the comet's nucleus to glow B) sunlight reflects off the comet's nucleus C) heat from the Sun causes the comet to explode D) heat from the Sun causes the comet's nucleus to glow E) sunlight reflects off the comet's tail and coma

e, sunlight reflects off the comet's tail and coma

On the previous Sun's spectrum, notice how it appears brightest (or more intense) in the yellow-green region. This fact tells us _______. A) that our eyes are most sensitive to such colors B) that the Sun's surface consists of a layer of cooler gas above a hotter interior C) that the Sun should appear yellow-green to our eyes D) the chemical composition of the Sun E) the approximate temperature of the Sun's surface

e, the approx temp of the sun's surface

What is the 'giant impact hypothesis' for the origin of the Moon? A) The Moon originally was about the same size as Earth, but a giant impact blasted most of it away so that it ended up much smaller than Earth. B) The Moon formed when two gigantic asteroids collided with one another. C) The Moon was originally in orbit in the asteroid belt, got out of its orbit due to Jupiter's tidal forces, and finally got captured by Earth. D) The Moon formed just like Earth, from accretion in the solar nebula. E) The Moon formed from material blasted out of Earth's mantle and crust by the impact of a Mars-size object.

e, the moon formed from material blasted out of earth's mantle and crust by the impact of a mars-size object

The names of the seven days of the week are based on _______. A) the names of the seven celestial objects that show retrograde motions. B) the seven most prominent constellations in the summer sky. C) the names of prophets in the Bible. D) the names of the seven planets closest to the Sun. E) the seven naked-eye objects that appear to move among the constellations.

e, the seven naked-eye objects that appear to move among the constellations

What happens to the emission spectrum if you replace the hydrogen gas with carbon, nitrogen, or oxygen? A) Only the reddest lines will appear. B) The spectral lines will get brighter because the other atoms host more electrons, therefore creating more photons. C) Only the bluest lines will appear. D) The lines will simply disappear, since only hydrogen can emit spectral lines. E) The spectral lines emitted will appear as different colors, i.e. at different wavelength positions on the spectrum.

e, the spectral lines emitted will appear as different colors, i.e. at different wavelength positions on the spectrum

Which of the following statements best describes the pattern of jovian planet densities? A) Jupiter is the densest, and the densities of the other planets decrease in order of distance from the Sun. B) Jupiter is the densest, and the densities of the other planets increase in order of distance from the Sun. C) The more massive the planet, the higher the density. D) The more massive the planet, the lower the density. E) There is no clear trend in the densities.

e, there is no clear trend in the densities

Which of the following effects is caused by atmospheric turbulence? A) light pollution. B) diffraction of light. C) dimming of stars. D) magnification of images. E) twinkling of stars.

e, twinkling of stars

Which of the following is NOT caused by the Coriolis effect on Earth? A) Long-range projectiles deviate from their straight line course. B) Earth's global circulation cells are split into three separate cells in each hemisphere. C) Air or objects moving northward in the northern hemisphere are deflected to the east. D) Hurricanes swirl in opposite directions in the northern and southern hemispheres. E) Water going down a drain swirls in opposite directions in the northern and southern hemispheres.

e, water going down a drain swirls in opposite directions in the northern and southern hemispheres

What can you say about the the cause of the seasons? A) The tilt of Earth's axis causes the Northern Hemisphere to be closer to the Sun than the southern hemisphre in summer, and vice versa in winter. B) Earth's Northern Hemisphere is always tilted away from the Sun at an angle of 23.5 degrees. C) The Earth-Sun distance play a major role in creating seasons on Earth. D) Earth's speed varies in its orbit around the Sun, giving us summer when Earth is moving fastest and winter when Earth is moving slowest. E) Earth's Northern Hemisphere is always tilted toward the Sun at an angle of 23.5 degrees. F) Earth's axis is tilted an an angle of 23.5 degrees compared to a line perpendicular (straight up and down) to its orbit, which is the main cause for the seasons. G) The tilt of Earth's axis causes different portions of the Earth to receive more or less direct sunlight at different times of year.

f, earth's axis is tilted an an angle of 23.5 degrees compared to a line perpendicular (straight up and down) to its orbit, which is the main cause for the seasons, g, the tilt of earth's axis causes different portions of the Earth to receive more or less direct sunlight at different times of year.

You have three tries for this question. The following are names and mirror diameters for six of the world's largest reflecting telescopes used to gather visible light. Rank the telescopes based on their light-collecting area, from the smallest the largest. For telescopes with more than one mirror, rank based on the combined light-collecting area of the mirrors. A) Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET): effective one 9.2m mirror. B) Subaru: one 8.3m mirror C) Gemini North: one 8m mirror D) Keck I: effective one 10m mirror. E) Large Binocular Telescope (LBT): two 8.4m mirrors. F) Magellan II: one 6.5m telescope

f, magellan ii, c, gemini north, b, subaru, a, hobby-eberly telescope, d, keck i, e, large binocular telescope

Rank the planets of our solar system, from the closest to the farthest from the Sun. (e.g. If the closest corresponds to E, then A, B, C..., enter EABCDFGH) A) Jupiter B) Neptune C) Mars D) Uranus E) Earth F) Mercury G) Saturn H) Venus

f, mercury, h, venus, e, earth, c, mars, a, jupiter g, saturn, d, uranus, b, neptune

The earthquakes that occur in Southern California generally occur above a [blank].

fault

A total solar eclipse can occur: (Give ALL correct answers, i.e., B, AC, BCD...) A) at any time of year. B) only at full moon. C) only at the equator. D) only in spring. E) only at new moon. F) anywhere on Earth.

figure out asap

How many orders of magnitude larger is the distance to the nearby galaxy Andromeda (M31) compared to the diameter of the Earth?

find answer

Earth is located at one [blank] of the moon's orbit

focus

Hydrogen compounds in the solar system can condense into ices only beyond the [blank].

frost line

Match each discovery, model, or Law with the person we credit with discovering them. (Select T-Tycho Brahe, K-Kepler, G-Galileo, A-Aristotle, P-Ptolemy, N-Newton If the first is T and the rest K, enter TKKKKK). A) Discovered moons orbiting Jupiter. B) Devised the earliest geocentric solar system models. C) Planets do not move at constant speeds in thier orbits. D) Described the meaning of force by three laws. E) Devised the best Earth-centered (geocentric) model of the solar system using epicycles. F) Made careful measurements of the location of the planets good to 1 arcmin.

galileo discovered moons orbiting jupiter, aristotle devised the earliest geocentric solar system models, kepler discovered that planets do not move at constant speeds in their orbits, newton described the meaning of force by three laws, ptolemy devised the best geocentric model of the solar system using epicycles, tycho brahe made careful measurements of the location of the planets good to 1 archmin.

The largest moon in the solar system is [blank].

ganymede

The twin 10-m Keck telescopes can work together to obtain better angular resolution through a technique known as [blank].

interferometry

ejected icy planetesimals that are now Oort cloud comets

jovian

formed in a region of the solar system with lower orbital speeds

jovian

formed in regions cold enough for water to freeze

jovian

large moons formed in surrounding disks of material

jovian

Most of the charged particles from the Sun are deflected around Earth by the [blank].

magnetosphere

Has a surface gravity the same as Mercury.

mars

Has a volcano as large as Michigan's lower peninsula.

mars

The only known planet other than Earth with water clouds.

mars

extremely low density atmosphere

mars

Has a day which is about two months long.

mercury

Has a heavily cratered surface indicating little volcanic activity.

mercury

The most heavily cratered planet.

mercury

Particles ejected from a comet can cause a(n) [blank] on Earth.

meteor shower

dust particles entering Earth's atmosphere at high speed

meteors

visible in the sky as bright streak of light for only a few seconds

meteors

The notion that living organisms with advantages that give them greater reproductive success (in some local environment) will survive while others perish is an example of what Darwin called [blank].

natural selection

A comet's [blank] is the frozen portion of a comet.

nucleus

About a trillion comets are thought to be located far, far beyond Pluto in the [blank].

oort cloud

Hydrogen Compounds

outer disk (beyond frost line at 3.5AU)

According to Kepler's second law, Pluto will be traveling fastest around the Sun when at [blank].

perihelion

A comet's [blank] stretches directly away from the Sun.

plasma tail

Galileo's telescope designs using lenses were examples of [blank].

refraction telescopes

Layered [blank] rock exposed by erosion can be seen when looking at the Grand Canyon in the United States.

sedimentary rock

The mathematical form of Kepler's third law measures the period in year, and the [blank] in AUs

semi-major axis

Earth's [blank] absorbs most of the ultraviolet light arriving here from the Sun.

stratosphere

The extremely deep ocean Marianas Trench is a result of [blank].

subduction

accreted from planetesimals of rock and metals

terrestrial

surfaces dramatically altered during the heavy bombardment

terrestrial

In the context of planetary geology, what do we mean by outgassing? A) another name for a volcanic eruption B) the release by volcanism of gasses that had been trapped in a planetary interior C) The release of methane trapped in pockets under the surface of the Earth D) the evaporation of water that adds water vapor (a gas) to an atmosphere E) the loss of atmospheric gas to outer space

the release by volcanism of gasses that had been trapped in a planetary interior

One of the key premises for the [blank] is that living organisms are able to produce far more offspring than their environment can support.

theory of evolution

[blank] is responsible for the tremendous volcanic activity on Io.

tidal heating

Has a surface temperature which is nearly constant at 730 Kelvin.

venus

Mars was formed by the [blank] of smaller objects.

acretion

global dust storms

mars

Overall, Jupiter's composition is most like that of _______. A) Earth B) the Sun C) an asteroid D) a comet E) the Moon

b, the sun

Hydrogen and Helium

cannot freeze