Question 1

Which of the following is not a piece of evidence supporting the idea that Pluto is a large comet of the Kuiper belt?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 2

Where did comets that are now in the Oort cloud originally form?

Accepted Answer

A) near the jovian planets 
B) within the solar nebula, but far outside the orbit of Pluto 
C) outside Neptune's orbit 
D) inside Jupiter's orbit 
E) all of the above 
A) near the jovian planets 
B) within the solar nebula, but far outside the orbit of Pluto 
C) outside Neptune's orbit 
D) inside Jupiter's orbit 
E) all of the above

Question 3

A rock found on Earth that crashed down from space is called .

Accepted Answer

A) an asteroid 
B) a meteorite 
C) an impact 
D) a meteor 
A) an asteroid 
B) a meteorite 
C) an impact 
D) a meteor

Question 4

What lucky factor prevented the Chelyabinsk object from causing much damage at ground level?

Accepted Answer

A) It was made entirely of ices and thus exploded high in the air. 
B) It hit Earth at an oblique angle and thus exploded high in the air. 
C) A prototype asteroid defense system was being tested nearby. 
A) It was made entirely of ices and thus exploded high in the air. 
B) It hit Earth at an oblique angle and thus exploded high in the air. 
C) A prototype asteroid defense system was being tested nearby.

Question 5

What is the name of the largest known Kuiper Belt Object?

Accepted Answer

A) Sedna 
B) Eris 
C) Charon 
D) Quaoar 
E) Pluto 
A) Sedna 
B) Eris 
C) Charon 
D) Quaoar 
E) Pluto

Question 6

Refer to the following choices to answer the questions below. Choose the answer that best describes the chemical composition of the object.
-Jupiter

Accepted Answer

A) nickel and iron 
B) 80 percent nitrogen, 20 percent oxygen 
C) 95 percent carbon dioxide 
D) mostly hydrogen and helium 
E) frozen methane, ammonia, water, and other gases and dust 
A) nickel and iron 
B) 80 percent nitrogen, 20 percent oxygen 
C) 95 percent carbon dioxide 
D) mostly hydrogen and helium 
E) frozen methane, ammonia, water, and other gases and dust

Question 7

What is a meteorite?

Accepted Answer

A) a streak of light caused by a star moving across the sky 
B) a comet that burns up in Earth's atmosphere 
C) a fragment of an asteroid from the solar system that has fallen to Earth's surface 
D) a streak of light caused by a small particle from space burning up in Earth's atmosphere 
E) a small moon that orbits one of the giant planets 
A) a streak of light caused by a star moving across the sky 
B) a comet that burns up in Earth's atmosphere 
C) a fragment of an asteroid from the solar system that has fallen to Earth's surface 
D) a streak of light caused by a small particle from space burning up in Earth's atmosphere 
E) a small moon that orbits one of the giant planets

Question 8

How do asteroids appear in long exposure images?

Accepted Answer

A) as points of light, like the stars 
B) as complex curving and looping lines 
C) as resolved disks, like the planets 
D) as straight lines across a background of stars 
A) as points of light, like the stars 
B) as complex curving and looping lines 
C) as resolved disks, like the planets 
D) as straight lines across a background of stars

Question 9

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?

Accepted Answer

A) the asteroid belt 
B) the Oort cloud 
C) the atmosphere of Jupiter 
D) the rings of Saturn 
A) the asteroid belt 
B) the Oort cloud 
C) the atmosphere of Jupiter 
D) the rings of Saturn

Question 10

What is Charon?

Accepted Answer

A) the largest known comet 
B) Pluto's largest moon 
C) one of the Galilean moons of Jupiter 
D) the largest known asteroid 
E) a moon of Neptune 
A) the largest known comet 
B) Pluto's largest moon 
C) one of the Galilean moons of Jupiter 
D) the largest known asteroid 
E) a moon of Neptune

Question 11

Which of the following objects are probably not located in the same general region of the solar system in which they originally formed?

Accepted Answer

A) Pluto 
B) Kuiper belt comets 
C) asteroids of the asteroid belt 
D) Oort cloud comets 
A) Pluto 
B) Kuiper belt comets 
C) asteroids of the asteroid belt 
D) Oort cloud comets

Question 12

A comet that has an orbit around the Sun inclined to the ecliptic plane by 65° probably originated in the Kuiper belt.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

Aside from Pluto, no Kuiper belt objects are known to have moons.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

Why didn't a planet form where the asteroid belt is now located?

Accepted Answer

A) There was too much rocky material to form a terrestrial planet, but not enough gaseous material to form a jovian planet. 
B) There was not enough material in this part of the solar nebula to form a planet. 
C) The temperature in this portion of the solar nebula was just right to prevent rock from sticking together. 
D) Gravitational tugs from Jupiter prevented material from collecting together to form a planet. 
A) There was too much rocky material to form a terrestrial planet, but not enough gaseous material to form a jovian planet. 
B) There was not enough material in this part of the solar nebula to form a planet. 
C) The temperature in this portion of the solar nebula was just right to prevent rock from sticking together. 
D) Gravitational tugs from Jupiter prevented material from collecting together to form a planet.

Question 15

Where did comets that are now in the Kuiper belt originally form?

Accepted Answer

A) inside Jupiter's orbit 
B) in the asteroid belt 
C) between the orbits of Jupiter and Neptune 
D) in the Oort cloud 
E) near the radius at which they orbit today 
A) inside Jupiter's orbit 
B) in the asteroid belt 
C) between the orbits of Jupiter and Neptune 
D) in the Oort cloud 
E) near the radius at which they orbit today

Question 16

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?

Accepted Answer

A) Grains of quartz formed under high pressure are found in a layer of clay that dates to 65 million years ago. 
B) Unusually large abundances of iridium and other rare metals are found in a layer of clay that dates to 65 million years ago. 
C) A large impact crater along the coast of Mexico dates to 65 million years ago. 
D) Fossilized dinosaur bones contain fragments of rock from the impact. 
A) Grains of quartz formed under high pressure are found in a layer of clay that dates to 65 million years ago. 
B) Unusually large abundances of iridium and other rare metals are found in a layer of clay that dates to 65 million years ago. 
C) A large impact crater along the coast of Mexico dates to 65 million years ago. 
D) Fossilized dinosaur bones contain fragments of rock from the impact.

Question 17

Refer to the following scenario for the questions below.
Lost in the Solar System: You have been abducted by an alien being. After performing experiments on you, the alien gives you a "life- support belt", allowing you to survive in any environment, and dumps you somewhere in the solar system. Each question below gives a brief description of a place where you were left by the alien. Identify your location. Be as specific as possible. Include a brief explanation for your answer.
-You find yourself on a silent airless world! The lack of an atmosphere means that you must be very careful not to look at the Sun so that you will not be blinded by its ultraviolet and X- ray radiation. However, you are able to determine that the Sun has about the same angular size that you are used to on Earth. Although this world is clearly lifeless, you are surprised to find footprints and car tracks etched in the powdery surface.

Accepted Answer

You are on the Moon. The prese

Question 18

The discovery of Charon allowed astronomers to determine Pluto's mass.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

Comets with extremely elliptical orbits, like Hyakutake and Hale- Bopp,

Accepted Answer

A) are captured by Jupiter. 
B) come from the asteroid belt. 
C) are Trojan comets. 
D) come from the Kuiper belt. 
E) come from the Oort cloud. 
A) are captured by Jupiter. 
B) come from the asteroid belt. 
C) are Trojan comets. 
D) come from the Kuiper belt. 
E) come from the Oort cloud.

Question 20

Which statement about asteroids is not true?

Accepted Answer

A) Most asteroids are not spherical in shape. 
B) Some are more like loosely bound piles of rubble than solid chunks of rock. 
C) Many, but not all, orbit the Sun in the asteroid belt. 
D) If we could put all the asteroids together, they would make an object about the size of Earth. 
A) Most asteroids are not spherical in shape. 
B) Some are more like loosely bound piles of rubble than solid chunks of rock. 
C) Many, but not all, orbit the Sun in the asteroid belt. 
D) If we could put all the asteroids together, they would make an object about the size of Earth.

Which of the following is not a piece of evidence supporting the idea that Pluto is a large comet of the Kuiper belt?

Where did comets that are now in the Oort cloud originally form?

A rock found on Earth that crashed down from space is called .

What lucky factor prevented the Chelyabinsk object from causing much damage at ground level?

What is the name of the largest known Kuiper Belt Object?

Refer to the following choices to answer the questions below. Choose the answer that best describes the chemical composition of the object. -Jupiter

What is a meteorite?

How do asteroids appear in long exposure images?

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?

What is Charon?

Which of the following objects are probably not located in the same general region of the solar system in which they originally formed?

A comet that has an orbit around the Sun inclined to the ecliptic plane by 65° probably originated in the Kuiper belt.

Aside from Pluto, no Kuiper belt objects are known to have moons.

Why didn't a planet form where the asteroid belt is now located?

Where did comets that are now in the Kuiper belt originally form?

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?

The discovery of Charon allowed astronomers to determine Pluto's mass.

Comets with extremely elliptical orbits, like Hyakutake and Hale- Bopp,

Which statement about asteroids is not true?

A Modern View of the Universe

Discovering the Universe for Yourself

The Science of Astronomy

Making Sense of the Universe: Understanding Motion, Energy, and Gravity

Light: the Cosmic Messenger

Formation of the Solar System

Earth and the Terrestrial Worlds

Jovian Planet System

Other Planetary Systems: the New Science of Distant Worlds

Our Star

Surveying the Stars

Star Stuff

The Bizarre Stellar Graveyard

Our Galaxy

A Universe of Galaxies

The Birth of the Universe

Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe

Life in the Universe

Filters

Exam 9: Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets: Their Nature, Orbits, and Impacts

Which of the following is not a piece of evidence supporting the idea that Pluto is a large comet of the Kuiper belt?

Where did comets that are now in the Oort cloud originally form?

A rock found on Earth that crashed down from space is called .

What lucky factor prevented the Chelyabinsk object from causing much damage at ground level?

What is the name of the largest known Kuiper Belt Object?

Refer to the following choices to answer the questions below. Choose the answer that best describes the chemical composition of the object. -Jupiter

What is a meteorite?

How do asteroids appear in long exposure images?

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?

What is Charon?

Which of the following objects are probably not located in the same general region of the solar system in which they originally formed?

A comet that has an orbit around the Sun inclined to the ecliptic plane by 65° probably originated in the Kuiper belt.

Aside from Pluto, no Kuiper belt objects are known to have moons.

Why didn't a planet form where the asteroid belt is now located?

Where did comets that are now in the Kuiper belt originally form?

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?

The discovery of Charon allowed astronomers to determine Pluto's mass.

Comets with extremely elliptical orbits, like Hyakutake and Hale- Bopp,

Which statement about asteroids is not true?

A Modern View of the Universe

Discovering the Universe for Yourself

The Science of Astronomy

Making Sense of the Universe: Understanding Motion, Energy, and Gravity

Light: the Cosmic Messenger

Formation of the Solar System

Earth and the Terrestrial Worlds

Jovian Planet System

Other Planetary Systems: the New Science of Distant Worlds

Our Star

Surveying the Stars

Star Stuff

The Bizarre Stellar Graveyard

Our Galaxy

A Universe of Galaxies

The Birth of the Universe

Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe

Life in the Universe

Filters