Question 1

In the collisions of the fragments of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter, the pieces

Accepted Answer

A)  were not able to penetrate deeply into Jupiter's atmosphere; their impacts disturbed only the high atmosphere. 
B)  were able to penetrate through the atmospheric layers and the liquid metallic hydrogen region to reach the solid core because they were passing through only hydrogen. 
C)  skipped off the very high layers of Jupiter's atmosphere and went back out into space because of their tangential approach angles. 
D)  penetrated very deeply into Jupiter's atmosphere, reaching and disturbing the liquid metallic hydrogen region. 
A)  were not able to penetrate deeply into Jupiter's atmosphere; their impacts disturbed only the high atmosphere. 
B)  were able to penetrate through the atmospheric layers and the liquid metallic hydrogen region to reach the solid core because they were passing through only hydrogen. 
C)  skipped off the very high layers of Jupiter's atmosphere and went back out into space because of their tangential approach angles. 
D)  penetrated very deeply into Jupiter's atmosphere, reaching and disturbing the liquid metallic hydrogen region.

Question 2

Mercury has a large impact crater, the Caloris Basin, opposite which shock waves traveling through the planet created a region called the "jumbled terrain." Callisto has a large impact crater, Valhalla. What does the surface of Callisto look like on the opposite side from Valhalla?

Accepted Answer

A)  The surface is jumbled, like that on Mercury. 
B)  There is no jumbled terrain because the distance through Callisto is too great for a shock wave to travel. 
C)  The opposite side of Callisto has been cratered more recently, so it is not possible to determine if a jumbled terrain was formed opposite Valhalla. 
D)  There is no jumbled terrain because Callisto's partially liquid interior damped out the shock waves. 
A)  The surface is jumbled, like that on Mercury. 
B)  There is no jumbled terrain because the distance through Callisto is too great for a shock wave to travel. 
C)  The opposite side of Callisto has been cratered more recently, so it is not possible to determine if a jumbled terrain was formed opposite Valhalla. 
D)  There is no jumbled terrain because Callisto's partially liquid interior damped out the shock waves.

Question 3

Does Jupiter have rings orbiting the planet?

Accepted Answer

A)  Yes, a main ring composed of fine dust particles and three ringlets composed of larger debris. 
B)  No. 
C)  Yes, three very wide, bright rings and several faint, thin ones. 
D)  Yes, several thin dark rings of particles made up of or at least coated with methane ice. 
A)  Yes, a main ring composed of fine dust particles and three ringlets composed of larger debris. 
B)  No. 
C)  Yes, three very wide, bright rings and several faint, thin ones. 
D)  Yes, several thin dark rings of particles made up of or at least coated with methane ice.

Question 4

Which feature of Jupiter leads to the confinement of its clouds in very narrow bands around the planet?

Accepted Answer

A)  high gravitational field 
B)  powerful magnetic field 
C)  the large proportion of hydrogen and helium in its atmosphere 
D)  rapid rotation 
A)  high gravitational field 
B)  powerful magnetic field 
C)  the large proportion of hydrogen and helium in its atmosphere 
D)  rapid rotation

Question 5

Which one of these statements about all four of the giant planets is true?

Accepted Answer

A)  The giant planets are almost entirely made up of hydrogen and helium; only about 1 percent of the planets' mass is made up of heavier elements. 
B)  The giant planets are thought to have substantial rocky cores. 
C)  Liquid metallic hydrogen makes up a large part of the interiors of the giant planets. 
D)  The spin axes of the giant planets are all approximately perpendicular to their orbital planes. 
A)  The giant planets are almost entirely made up of hydrogen and helium; only about 1 percent of the planets' mass is made up of heavier elements. 
B)  The giant planets are thought to have substantial rocky cores. 
C)  Liquid metallic hydrogen makes up a large part of the interiors of the giant planets. 
D)  The spin axes of the giant planets are all approximately perpendicular to their orbital planes.

Question 6

The heating of the interior of Io, the innermost Galilean moon of Jupiter, is caused by

Accepted Answer

A)  thermal heating from Jupiter because Jupiter emits more infrared radiation than it receives from the Sun. 
B)  continual bombardment by meteoroids attracted by Jupiter's enormous gravitational pull. 
C)  continuous tidal distortion by Jupiter and the other moons. 
D)  the fact that Io moves inside Jupiter's magnetosphere, where the temperature is as high as anywhere in the solar system. 
A)  thermal heating from Jupiter because Jupiter emits more infrared radiation than it receives from the Sun. 
B)  continual bombardment by meteoroids attracted by Jupiter's enormous gravitational pull. 
C)  continuous tidal distortion by Jupiter and the other moons. 
D)  the fact that Io moves inside Jupiter's magnetosphere, where the temperature is as high as anywhere in the solar system.

Question 7

Which of these has NOT been observed on Jupiter?

Accepted Answer

A)  long-lived storms 
B)  auroras 
C)  particle-trapping regions in the magnetic fields like Earth's Van Allen belts 
D)  currents in the atmosphere (like Earth's jet stream) which can stretch from the pole to the equator 
A)  long-lived storms 
B)  auroras 
C)  particle-trapping regions in the magnetic fields like Earth's Van Allen belts 
D)  currents in the atmosphere (like Earth's jet stream) which can stretch from the pole to the equator

Question 8

Which spacecraft recently dropped a probe into the atmosphere of Jupiter?

Accepted Answer

A)  Ulysses 
B)  Voyager 
C)  Cassini 
D)  Galileo 
A)  Ulysses 
B)  Voyager 
C)  Cassini 
D)  Galileo

Question 9

How thick are the cloud layers on Jupiter's visible "surface"?

Accepted Answer

A)  greater than 10,000 km, as seen through the dark ovals that represent holes in the cloud layers 
B)  about 1000 km 
C)  about 60 km 
D)  very thin, less than 10 km 
A)  greater than 10,000 km, as seen through the dark ovals that represent holes in the cloud layers 
B)  about 1000 km 
C)  about 60 km 
D)  very thin, less than 10 km

Question 10

What characteristic of Saturn's satellite Titan makes it DIFFERENT from any other known satellite in the solar system?

Accepted Answer

A)  Titan is volcanically active. 
B)  Titan has geyserlike plumes of nitrogen gas on its surface. 
C)  Titan has a permanent and dense atmosphere. 
D)  The surface of Titan is broken into heavily cratered and lightly cratered regions in a pattern similar to plate tectonics. 
A)  Titan is volcanically active. 
B)  Titan has geyserlike plumes of nitrogen gas on its surface. 
C)  Titan has a permanent and dense atmosphere. 
D)  The surface of Titan is broken into heavily cratered and lightly cratered regions in a pattern similar to plate tectonics.

Question 11

Which of these is NOT a reason to suspect liquid water on Enceladus?

Accepted Answer

A)  It possesses a magnetic field. 
B)  Most of the moon's southern hemisphere is free of craters. 
C)  There are cracks on the surface less than 1000 years old. 
D)  It possesses a thin atmosphere. 
A)  It possesses a magnetic field. 
B)  Most of the moon's southern hemisphere is free of craters. 
C)  There are cracks on the surface less than 1000 years old. 
D)  It possesses a thin atmosphere.

Question 12

What is the heat source that causes the extensive volcanic activity observed on Jupiter's satellite Io?

Accepted Answer

A)  frictional heating by mantle convection and crustal tectonics 
B)  tidal stresses from Jupiter and Io's companion moons 
C)  "primordial" heat remaining from when Io first formed 
D)  heat released by radioactivity in Io's core and mantle 
A)  frictional heating by mantle convection and crustal tectonics 
B)  tidal stresses from Jupiter and Io's companion moons 
C)  "primordial" heat remaining from when Io first formed 
D)  heat released by radioactivity in Io's core and mantle

Question 13

The deepest central sections of the interiors of Jupiter and Saturn are thought to be composed of

Accepted Answer

A)  methane, ammonia, and water vapor. 
B)  liquid metallic hydrogen. 
C)  magnetized iron. 
D)  rock. 
A)  methane, ammonia, and water vapor. 
B)  liquid metallic hydrogen. 
C)  magnetized iron. 
D)  rock.

Question 14

The major components of the visible surfaces of the Jupiter and Saturn atmospheres, other than hydrogen and helium, have been found to be

Accepted Answer

A)  dust and iron oxides. 
B)  CH4 (methane), NH3 (ammonia), and H2O (water). 
C)  N2 (nitrogen), O2 (oxygen), and CO2 (carbon dioxide). 
D)  H2O (water) and CO2 (carbon dioxide). 
A)  dust and iron oxides. 
B)  CH4 (methane), NH3 (ammonia), and H2O (water). 
C)  N2 (nitrogen), O2 (oxygen), and CO2 (carbon dioxide). 
D)  H2O (water) and CO2 (carbon dioxide).

Question 15

Sometime in the future, a crewed space mission to Saturn might place an observer in a spacecraft within Saturn's ring system. What relationship between the motions of the ring particles and the motion of the spacecraft would the observer see?

Accepted Answer

A)  All particles would be moving with the same orbital speed and would fly in formation with the spacecraft because the motions of particles and spacecraft are governed by gravity. 
B)  Particles closer to the planet would overtake the spacecraft, while particles farther from the planet would be overtaken by the spacecraft, following Kepler's laws. 
C)  The particles would be moving in ellipses and would therefore sometimes move ahead of the spacecraft and at other times fall behind the spacecraft, even colliding with it occasionally. 
D)  Particles orbiting farther from the planet would be traveling faster and would overtake the spacecraft, while particles closer to the planet would be moving slower and would be overtaken by the spacecraft. 
A)  All particles would be moving with the same orbital speed and would fly in formation with the spacecraft because the motions of particles and spacecraft are governed by gravity. 
B)  Particles closer to the planet would overtake the spacecraft, while particles farther from the planet would be overtaken by the spacecraft, following Kepler's laws. 
C)  The particles would be moving in ellipses and would therefore sometimes move ahead of the spacecraft and at other times fall behind the spacecraft, even colliding with it occasionally. 
D)  Particles orbiting farther from the planet would be traveling faster and would overtake the spacecraft, while particles closer to the planet would be moving slower and would be overtaken by the spacecraft.

Question 16

What is the appearance of Saturn's satellite Titan when viewed from space?

Accepted Answer

A)  The surface is not visible under a featureless cloud cover. 
B)  A smooth surface of ice is crisscrossed with innumerable streaks and cracks. 
C)  Volcanoes, lava flows, and sulfur dioxide frost are seen over the whole surface. 
D)  Dark islands of methane ice are seen in a bright ethane sea, covered by occasional clouds. 
A)  The surface is not visible under a featureless cloud cover. 
B)  A smooth surface of ice is crisscrossed with innumerable streaks and cracks. 
C)  Volcanoes, lava flows, and sulfur dioxide frost are seen over the whole surface. 
D)  Dark islands of methane ice are seen in a bright ethane sea, covered by occasional clouds.

Question 17

The orbital periods of Io, Europa, and Ganymede are in the ratio 1:2:4. Is there any significance to this?

Accepted Answer

A)  No. This is just a random coincidence of the manner in which these satellites condensed out of the primordial nebula around Jupiter. 
B)  Yes. This is the ordering predicted by Kepler's third law. 
C)  Yes. Combined with the fact that these are all prograde orbits, this shows that these moons are not captured asteroids. 
D)  Yes. After completion of an orbit by Ganymede, all these moons will be in a line, creating tidal stresses on Io. 
A)  No. This is just a random coincidence of the manner in which these satellites condensed out of the primordial nebula around Jupiter. 
B)  Yes. This is the ordering predicted by Kepler's third law. 
C)  Yes. Combined with the fact that these are all prograde orbits, this shows that these moons are not captured asteroids. 
D)  Yes. After completion of an orbit by Ganymede, all these moons will be in a line, creating tidal stresses on Io.

Question 18

How do the moons of Jupiter behave when considered in terms of the relationship between the period P and radius a of their orbits around the planet?

Accepted Answer

A)  Jupiter's moons follow the Keplerian relationship P2 = ka3, where k is a constant that is different from that in the relation governing planetary motion around the Sun. 
B)  Jupiter's moons do not obey the Keplerian relationship P2 = ka3 because their motion about Jupiter is affected by Jupiter's motion about the Sun. 
C)  Jupiter's moons obey the Keplerian relationship P2 = ka3 where k is the same as that for planetary motion around the Sun because it is a universal constant. 
D)  Jupiter's moons do not obey the Keplerian relationship P2 = ka3 because they orbit Jupiter, not the Sun. 
A)  Jupiter's moons follow the Keplerian relationship P2 = ka3, where k is a constant that is different from that in the relation governing planetary motion around the Sun. 
B)  Jupiter's moons do not obey the Keplerian relationship P2 = ka3 because their motion about Jupiter is affected by Jupiter's motion about the Sun. 
C)  Jupiter's moons obey the Keplerian relationship P2 = ka3 where k is the same as that for planetary motion around the Sun because it is a universal constant. 
D)  Jupiter's moons do not obey the Keplerian relationship P2 = ka3 because they orbit Jupiter, not the Sun.

Question 19

Neptune's high cirrus clouds consist of

Accepted Answer

A)  ammonia ice crystals. 
B)  crystals of water ice. 
C)  droplets of sulfuric acid. 
D)  methane ice crystals. 
A)  ammonia ice crystals. 
B)  crystals of water ice. 
C)  droplets of sulfuric acid. 
D)  methane ice crystals.

Question 20

How many of the large, Galilean satellites are in synchronous rotation around Jupiter (always turning the same face toward Jupiter)?

Accepted Answer

A)  inner two 
B)  only Io 
C)  all four 
D)  inner three 
A)  inner two 
B)  only Io 
C)  all four 
D)  inner three

In the collisions of the fragments of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter, the pieces

Mercury has a large impact crater, the Caloris Basin, opposite which shock waves traveling through the planet created a region called the "jumbled terrain." Callisto has a large impact crater, Valhalla. What does the surface of Callisto look like on the opposite side from Valhalla?

Does Jupiter have rings orbiting the planet?

Which feature of Jupiter leads to the confinement of its clouds in very narrow bands around the planet?

Which one of these statements about all four of the giant planets is true?

The heating of the interior of Io, the innermost Galilean moon of Jupiter, is caused by

Which of these has NOT been observed on Jupiter?

Which spacecraft recently dropped a probe into the atmosphere of Jupiter?

How thick are the cloud layers on Jupiter's visible "surface"?

What characteristic of Saturn's satellite Titan makes it DIFFERENT from any other known satellite in the solar system?

Which of these is NOT a reason to suspect liquid water on Enceladus?

What is the heat source that causes the extensive volcanic activity observed on Jupiter's satellite Io?

The deepest central sections of the interiors of Jupiter and Saturn are thought to be composed of

The major components of the visible surfaces of the Jupiter and Saturn atmospheres, other than hydrogen and helium, have been found to be

Sometime in the future, a crewed space mission to Saturn might place an observer in a spacecraft within Saturn's ring system. What relationship between the motions of the ring particles and the motion of the spacecraft would the observer see?

What is the appearance of Saturn's satellite Titan when viewed from space?

The orbital periods of Io, Europa, and Ganymede are in the ratio 1:2:4. Is there any significance to this?

How do the moons of Jupiter behave when considered in terms of the relationship between the period P and radius a of their orbits around the planet?

Neptune's high cirrus clouds consist of

How many of the large, Galilean satellites are in synchronous rotation around Jupiter (always turning the same face toward Jupiter)?

Discovering the Night Sky

Gravitation and the Motion of the Planets

Light and Telescopes

Atomic Physics and Spectra

Exoplanets and the Formation of Planetary Systems

Formation of the Solar System

Earth and the Moon

The Other Terrestrial Planets

Vagabonds of the Solar System

The Sun: Our Extraordinary Star

Characterizing Stars

The Lives of Stars From Birth Through Middle Age

The Death of Stars

Black Holes: Matters of Gravity

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies

Quasars and Other Active Galaxies

Cosmology

Astrobiology

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Exam 9: The Outer Planets

In the collisions of the fragments of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter, the pieces

Mercury has a large impact crater, the Caloris Basin, opposite which shock waves traveling through the planet created a region called the "jumbled terrain." Callisto has a large impact crater, Valhalla. What does the surface of Callisto look like on the opposite side from Valhalla?

Does Jupiter have rings orbiting the planet?

Which feature of Jupiter leads to the confinement of its clouds in very narrow bands around the planet?

Which one of these statements about all four of the giant planets is true?

The heating of the interior of Io, the innermost Galilean moon of Jupiter, is caused by

Which of these has NOT been observed on Jupiter?

Which spacecraft recently dropped a probe into the atmosphere of Jupiter?

How thick are the cloud layers on Jupiter's visible "surface"?

What characteristic of Saturn's satellite Titan makes it DIFFERENT from any other known satellite in the solar system?

Which of these is NOT a reason to suspect liquid water on Enceladus?

What is the heat source that causes the extensive volcanic activity observed on Jupiter's satellite Io?

The deepest central sections of the interiors of Jupiter and Saturn are thought to be composed of

The major components of the visible surfaces of the Jupiter and Saturn atmospheres, other than hydrogen and helium, have been found to be

Sometime in the future, a crewed space mission to Saturn might place an observer in a spacecraft within Saturn's ring system. What relationship between the motions of the ring particles and the motion of the spacecraft would the observer see?

What is the appearance of Saturn's satellite Titan when viewed from space?

The orbital periods of Io, Europa, and Ganymede are in the ratio 1:2:4. Is there any significance to this?

How do the moons of Jupiter behave when considered in terms of the relationship between the period P and radius a of their orbits around the planet?

Neptune's high cirrus clouds consist of

How many of the large, Galilean satellites are in synchronous rotation around Jupiter (always turning the same face toward Jupiter)?

Discovering the Night Sky

Gravitation and the Motion of the Planets

Light and Telescopes

Atomic Physics and Spectra

Exoplanets and the Formation of Planetary Systems

Formation of the Solar System

Earth and the Moon

The Other Terrestrial Planets

Vagabonds of the Solar System

The Sun: Our Extraordinary Star

Characterizing Stars

The Lives of Stars From Birth Through Middle Age

The Death of Stars

Black Holes: Matters of Gravity

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies

Quasars and Other Active Galaxies

Cosmology

Astrobiology

Filters