Question 1

Astronomers call the vast, rotating cloud of vapor and dust from which the solar system formed:

Accepted Answer

A)  the Oort Cloud 
B)  the Kuiper Belt 
C)  the proto-Sun 
D)  the solar nebula 
E)  Bayonne, New Jersey 
A)  the Oort Cloud 
B)  the Kuiper Belt 
C)  the proto-Sun 
D)  the solar nebula 
E)  Bayonne, New Jersey

Question 2

On which world besides the Earth could a human being step out of his spacecraft without a space suit and air tanks and be confident of surviving?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mars 
B)  Venus 
C)  Europa 
D)  Titan 
E)  none of the above 
A)  Mars 
B)  Venus 
C)  Europa 
D)  Titan 
E)  none of the above

Question 3

Some years some meteor showers, such as the Leonids, feature many more meteors than at other times. What is the cause of these "meteor storms"?

Accepted Answer

A)  the dust freed from some comets is clumpy and not evenly distributed along its orbit 
B)  how many meteors we see in a given year depends one which side of the Sun we are on 
C)  we get meteor storms at the same time and for the same reason we have more hurricanes on Earth 
D)  meteor storms happen when Halley's Comet is near the Earth in its 76-year orbit 
E)  no one has any idea about why meteor storms happen; they are a mystery
Section 14.2: Meteorites: Stones from Heaven 
A)  the dust freed from some comets is clumpy and not evenly distributed along its orbit 
B)  how many meteors we see in a given year depends one which side of the Sun we are on 
C)  we get meteor storms at the same time and for the same reason we have more hurricanes on Earth 
D)  meteor storms happen when Halley's Comet is near the Earth in its 76-year orbit 
E)  no one has any idea about why meteor storms happen; they are a mystery
Section 14.2: Meteorites: Stones from Heaven

Question 4

The ages of stony meteorites have been measured to be roughly equal to:

Accepted Answer

A)  the time since the last Ice Age on Earth 
B)  the oldest ages we have measured for any bodies in the solar system 
C)  the time since the great impact that killed the dinosaurs 
D)  the time that has passed since the death of Julius Ceasar 
E)  you can't fool me, we have no way of measuring the ages of stony meteorites 
A)  the time since the last Ice Age on Earth 
B)  the oldest ages we have measured for any bodies in the solar system 
C)  the time since the great impact that killed the dinosaurs 
D)  the time that has passed since the death of Julius Ceasar 
E)  you can't fool me, we have no way of measuring the ages of stony meteorites

Question 5

Which of the following pieces of observational evidence does our modern "solar nebula" theory of the formation of the solar system NOT explain directly?

Accepted Answer

A)  the fact that all the planets revolve around the equator of the Sun in the same direction 
B)  the difference in the composition of the terrestrial and jovian planets 
C)  the ages of the oldest rocks on Earth, the Moon, and meteorites 
D)  the plane of the orbit of Pluto 
E)  the existence of comets in the outer solar system made mainly of frozen gases 
A)  the fact that all the planets revolve around the equator of the Sun in the same direction 
B)  the difference in the composition of the terrestrial and jovian planets 
C)  the ages of the oldest rocks on Earth, the Moon, and meteorites 
D)  the plane of the orbit of Pluto 
E)  the existence of comets in the outer solar system made mainly of frozen gases

Question 6

The first technique that allowed astronomers to find exoplanets involved:

Accepted Answer

A)  photographing the planets using infrared waves 
B)  looking for the decrease of light from the star during a transit of the planet across its disk 
C)  sending a very small spacecraft to the exoplanet to take close-up images 
D)  measuring changes in the radial velocity (Doppler shift) of the star caused by the pull of orbiting planets 
E)  simply taking a visible light photo of the planet around the nearest star; it wasn't that hard 
A)  photographing the planets using infrared waves 
B)  looking for the decrease of light from the star during a transit of the planet across its disk 
C)  sending a very small spacecraft to the exoplanet to take close-up images 
D)  measuring changes in the radial velocity (Doppler shift) of the star caused by the pull of orbiting planets 
E)  simply taking a visible light photo of the planet around the nearest star; it wasn't that hard

Question 7

A student in your class whom you kind-of like asks you come to watch a meteor shower. What exactly are you being invited to?

Accepted Answer

A)  something your mom would not approve of, involving streams of dirty water 
B)  the closest approach of an active bright comet to the Earth 
C)  a once-in-a-lifetime experience at the end of which you will be completely covered with dust particles from space 
D)  watching the left-over dirt from a comet burn up by friction as the pieces hit the Earth's atmosphere 
E)  something quite dangerous where you are likely to be hit when many larger rocks fall from above 
A)  something your mom would not approve of, involving streams of dirty water 
B)  the closest approach of an active bright comet to the Earth 
C)  a once-in-a-lifetime experience at the end of which you will be completely covered with dust particles from space 
D)  watching the left-over dirt from a comet burn up by friction as the pieces hit the Earth's atmosphere 
E)  something quite dangerous where you are likely to be hit when many larger rocks fall from above

Question 8

Some of the early planetesimals that formed the solar system still survive today. Where would you find such planetesimals?

Accepted Answer

A)  on the tallest mountains on Earth 
B)  in orbit around Mercury 
C)  in the asteroid and Kuiper belts 
D)  under the permafrost of Mars 
E)  you can't fool me, such planetesimals were swept up by the Sun long ago; none remain 
A)  on the tallest mountains on Earth 
B)  in orbit around Mercury 
C)  in the asteroid and Kuiper belts 
D)  under the permafrost of Mars 
E)  you can't fool me, such planetesimals were swept up by the Sun long ago; none remain

Question 9

Which of these worlds is the most active geologically?

Accepted Answer

A)  Venus 
B)  Mars 
C)  Mercury 
D)  the Moon 
E)  all of the above are equally active these days 
A)  Venus 
B)  Mars 
C)  Mercury 
D)  the Moon 
E)  all of the above are equally active these days

Question 10

The Murchison meteorite that was found in Australia in 1969 is important to scientists because it contained

Accepted Answer

A)  organic materials, such as amino acids 
B)  more metal than any other meteorite 
C)  large flecks of gold 
D)  radioactive elements which we do not have on the Earth 
E)  the decomposed bodies of small yellow aliens who were clearly intelligent
Section 14.3: Formation of the Solar System 
A)  organic materials, such as amino acids 
B)  more metal than any other meteorite 
C)  large flecks of gold 
D)  radioactive elements which we do not have on the Earth 
E)  the decomposed bodies of small yellow aliens who were clearly intelligent
Section 14.3: Formation of the Solar System

Question 11

One way to find a new meteorite is to:

Accepted Answer

A)  patrol the block on which you live carefully each night for a few years 
B)  look for a bright comet in the sky and look where its tail is pointing 
C)  search the area beneath or close to the point where a bright fireball was seen to burn out 
D)  look near the Earth's equator where our planet's magnetic attraction is the greatest 
E)  taste the meatloaf in the college cafeteria late in the week 
A)  patrol the block on which you live carefully each night for a few years 
B)  look for a bright comet in the sky and look where its tail is pointing 
C)  search the area beneath or close to the point where a bright fireball was seen to burn out 
D)  look near the Earth's equator where our planet's magnetic attraction is the greatest 
E)  taste the meatloaf in the college cafeteria late in the week

Question 12

Three kinds of worlds are round in our solar system. Which of the following is NOT a type of world that is typically round?

Accepted Answer

A)  terrestrial planet 
B)  jovian planet 
C)  dwarf planet 
D)  minor planet (asteroid) 
E)  all of the above are round 
A)  terrestrial planet 
B)  jovian planet 
C)  dwarf planet 
D)  minor planet (asteroid) 
E)  all of the above are round

Question 13

At the beginning of the solar system's history, a ready supply of proto-planets or mini-planets crashed into the developing planets and each other - something astronomers call the "era of giant impacts." How long do astronomers estimate this era lasted?

Accepted Answer

A)  only a few dozen years - it was over very quickly 
B)  about 100 million years (0.1 billion) 
C)  about two billion years 
D)  about four billion years (it only ended about half a billion years ago) 
E)  that era is not finished yet - giant impacts are still happening all over the solar system 
A)  only a few dozen years - it was over very quickly 
B)  about 100 million years (0.1 billion) 
C)  about two billion years 
D)  about four billion years (it only ended about half a billion years ago) 
E)  that era is not finished yet - giant impacts are still happening all over the solar system

Question 14

Of the following planets which has NO satellites (moons)?

Accepted Answer

A)  Earth 
B)  Venus 
C)  Jupiter 
D)  Pluto 
E)  Neptune 
A)  Earth 
B)  Venus 
C)  Jupiter 
D)  Pluto 
E)  Neptune

Question 15

Chunks of solid material that survive passing through the Earth's atmosphere and are found on the Earth's surface are called

Accepted Answer

A)  meteorites 
B)  asteroids 
C)  meteors 
D)  meteor showers 
E)  comets 
A)  meteorites 
B)  asteroids 
C)  meteors 
D)  meteor showers 
E)  comets

Question 16

When the solar system was forming, the building blocks from which the protoplanets gathered together were the:

Accepted Answer

A)  gold, iron, and nickel atoms 
B)  planetesimals (a few km to tens of km wide) 
C)  giant accretion grains about the size of Mars 
D)  extremely hot clouds of gas torn out of the Sun, which was already shining brilliantly 
E)  pure water ice crystals, about the size of a snowflake 
A)  gold, iron, and nickel atoms 
B)  planetesimals (a few km to tens of km wide) 
C)  giant accretion grains about the size of Mars 
D)  extremely hot clouds of gas torn out of the Sun, which was already shining brilliantly 
E)  pure water ice crystals, about the size of a snowflake

Question 17

The tallest mountain on a terrestrial world is:

Accepted Answer

A)  Mt. Everest on Earth 
B)  Mt. Maxwell on Venus 
C)  the ring of mountains surrounding Copernicus crater on the Moon 
D)  the ice mountains on Titan 
E)  Olympus Mons (Mt. Olympus) on Mars 
A)  Mt. Everest on Earth 
B)  Mt. Maxwell on Venus 
C)  the ring of mountains surrounding Copernicus crater on the Moon 
D)  the ice mountains on Titan 
E)  Olympus Mons (Mt. Olympus) on Mars

Question 18

A key difference between the protoplanets that formed in the outer solar system and those that formed in the inner solar system was that

Accepted Answer

A)  those in the inner solar system were much larger than those in the outer solar system 
B)  those in the outer solar system included far more metal and rock, and thus the outer planets could be denser 
C)  those in the outer solar system were in a place where ice, not just rock, condensed and thus could grow larger 
D)  those in the outer solar system did not have enough planetesimals nearby 
E)  you can't fool me, there were no differences between the inner and outer protoplanets; only the planets that finally formed are different.
Section 14.3: Comparison with Other Planetary Systems 
A)  those in the inner solar system were much larger than those in the outer solar system 
B)  those in the outer solar system included far more metal and rock, and thus the outer planets could be denser 
C)  those in the outer solar system were in a place where ice, not just rock, condensed and thus could grow larger 
D)  those in the outer solar system did not have enough planetesimals nearby 
E)  you can't fool me, there were no differences between the inner and outer protoplanets; only the planets that finally formed are different.
Section 14.3: Comparison with Other Planetary Systems

Question 19

The reason that worlds like the Earth are differentiated is that

Accepted Answer

A)  the heat of the Sun vaporized much of their solid material early on 
B)  the heaviest chunks that hit early on were able to bore through solid rock to the center 
C)  the continuing impacts on a growing protoplanet eventually melted the entire body 
D)  large amounts of hydrogen and helium collect around such planets a little later in their history 
E)  planetesimals with different types of composition hit at different times, with the heaviest ones hitting first 
A)  the heat of the Sun vaporized much of their solid material early on 
B)  the heaviest chunks that hit early on were able to bore through solid rock to the center 
C)  the continuing impacts on a growing protoplanet eventually melted the entire body 
D)  large amounts of hydrogen and helium collect around such planets a little later in their history 
E)  planetesimals with different types of composition hit at different times, with the heaviest ones hitting first

Question 20

Which planet in the solar system has the longest year (orbits the most slowly)?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mercury 
B)  Uranus 
C)  Earth 
D)  Jupiter 
E)  Neptune 
A)  Mercury 
B)  Uranus 
C)  Earth 
D)  Jupiter 
E)  Neptune

Exam 14: Cosmic Samples and the Origin of the Solar System

Astronomers call the vast, rotating cloud of vapor and dust from which the solar system formed:

On which world besides the Earth could a human being step out of his spacecraft without a space suit and air tanks and be confident of surviving?

Some years some meteor showers, such as the Leonids, feature many more meteors than at other times. What is the cause of these "meteor storms"?

The ages of stony meteorites have been measured to be roughly equal to:

Which of the following pieces of observational evidence does our modern "solar nebula" theory of the formation of the solar system NOT explain directly?

The first technique that allowed astronomers to find exoplanets involved:

A student in your class whom you kind-of like asks you come to watch a meteor shower. What exactly are you being invited to?

Some of the early planetesimals that formed the solar system still survive today. Where would you find such planetesimals?

Which of these worlds is the most active geologically?

The Murchison meteorite that was found in Australia in 1969 is important to scientists because it contained

One way to find a new meteorite is to:

Three kinds of worlds are round in our solar system. Which of the following is NOT a type of world that is typically round?

At the beginning of the solar system's history, a ready supply of proto-planets or mini-planets crashed into the developing planets and each other - something astronomers call the "era of giant impacts." How long do astronomers estimate this era lasted?

Of the following planets which has NO satellites (moons)?

Chunks of solid material that survive passing through the Earth's atmosphere and are found on the Earth's surface are called

When the solar system was forming, the building blocks from which the protoplanets gathered together were the:

The tallest mountain on a terrestrial world is:

A key difference between the protoplanets that formed in the outer solar system and those that formed in the inner solar system was that

The reason that worlds like the Earth are differentiated is that

Which planet in the solar system has the longest year (orbits the most slowly)?

Science and the Universe: a Brief Tour

Observing the Sky: the Birth of Astronomy

Orbits and Gravity

Earth, Moon, and Sky

Radiation and Spectra

Astronomical Instruments

Other Worlds: an Introduction to the Solar System

Earth As a Planet

Cratered Worlds: the Moon and Mercury

Earthlike Planets: Venus and Mars

The Giant Planets

Rings, Moons, and Pluto

Comets and Asteroids: Debris of the Solar System

The Sun: a Garden-Variety Star

The Sun: a Nuclear Powerhouse

Analyzing Starlight

The Stars: a Celestial Census

Celestial Distances

Between the Stars

The Birth of Stars and the Discovery of Planets Outside the Solar System

Stars From Adolescence to Old Age

The Death of Stars

Black Holes and Curved Space-Time

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies

Active Galaxies, Quasars, and Supermassive Black Holes

The Evolution and Distribution of Galaxies

The Big Bang

Life in the Universe

Filters