Question 1

____________________ is a region of the asteroid belt where very few asteroids are found due to gravitational resonance with Jupiter.

Accepted Answer

The answer of ____________________ is a region of the asteroid...

Question 2

A(n)____________________ occurs when a bit of material enters Earth's atmosphere and becomes incandescent due to friction with the atmosphere.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A(n)____________________ occurs when a bit of material...

Question 3

The ____________________ of a comet can be up to a million kilometers in diameter.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The ____________________ of a comet can be...

Question 4

What characteristic of long period comets suggest they come from the Oort cloud?

Accepted Answer

A)  They have longer Type II tails than short period comets. 
B)  Their orbits have random inclinations with respect to the ecliptic plane. 
C)  Their orbits are nearly circular. 
D)  They tend to appear larger in diameter than short period comets. 
A)  They have longer Type II tails than short period comets. 
B)  Their orbits have random inclinations with respect to the ecliptic plane. 
C)  Their orbits are nearly circular. 
D)  They tend to appear larger in diameter than short period comets.

Question 5

The diagram below is a plot of an asteroid's albedo versus it ultraviolet minus visual color (U - V color).In this diagram,which of the asteroids is most likely an S-type asteroid?

Accepted Answer

A)  Object 1 
B)  Object 2 
C)  Object 3 
D)  Object 4 
E)  Object 5 
A)  Object 1 
B)  Object 2 
C)  Object 3 
D)  Object 4 
E)  Object 5

Question 6

During the Cretaceous extinction 65 million years ago ____ percent of the species on Earth died out.

Accepted Answer

A)  1 
B)  7.5 
C)  75 
D)  750 
A)  1 
B)  7.5 
C)  75 
D)  750

Question 7

Achondrites are rich in volatiles.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

The solid nucleus or head of a comet is about the size of

Accepted Answer

A)  Jupiter 
B)  the moon 
C)  Earth 
D)  much larger than any of the above 
E)  much smaller than any of the above 
A)  Jupiter 
B)  the moon 
C)  Earth 
D)  much larger than any of the above 
E)  much smaller than any of the above

Question 9

Uranium,thorium,and the radioactive isotope of potassium cannot supply the heat to melt small planetesimals,yet are sufficient to melt the interior of Earth.This is because these elements

Accepted Answer

A)  decay slowly,and the heat generated must be trapped by a thick crust if it is to melt the interior. 
B)  were not present in the solar nebula at the location where the asteroids formed. 
C)  are only found in the outer layers of asteroids and not in the core. 
D)  are very volatile and evaporated from the asteroids before they could decay. 
E)  are only found on rocks that formed on the earth and in no other celestial objects. 
A)  decay slowly,and the heat generated must be trapped by a thick crust if it is to melt the interior. 
B)  were not present in the solar nebula at the location where the asteroids formed. 
C)  are only found in the outer layers of asteroids and not in the core. 
D)  are very volatile and evaporated from the asteroids before they could decay. 
E)  are only found on rocks that formed on the earth and in no other celestial objects.

Question 10

Iridium is more common in meteorites than in the crust of the Earth.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

What evidence exists that some of the asteroids were geologically active?

Accepted Answer

A)  A few of the larger asteroids show small volcanic mountains. 
B)  The moons of Mars,which are thought to be captured asteroids,show evidence of flooding by lava. 
C)  The meteorites that are breccias could only have formed in a molten mantle. 
D)  Spectroscopically,Vesta appears to have regions of small lava flows. 
E)  Io is very geologically active with sulfur volcanoes. 
A)  A few of the larger asteroids show small volcanic mountains. 
B)  The moons of Mars,which are thought to be captured asteroids,show evidence of flooding by lava. 
C)  The meteorites that are breccias could only have formed in a molten mantle. 
D)  Spectroscopically,Vesta appears to have regions of small lava flows. 
E)  Io is very geologically active with sulfur volcanoes.

Question 12

The Cretaceous extinction 65 million years ago is thought to have been caused by

Accepted Answer

A)  the impact of a small asteroid. 
B)  the impact of one of the Jovian planets. 
C)  the impact of one of the terrestrial planets. 
A)  the impact of a small asteroid. 
B)  the impact of one of the Jovian planets. 
C)  the impact of one of the terrestrial planets.

Question 13

The tail of a comet always points toward the sun.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

The short-period comets do not have randomly oriented orbits because

Accepted Answer

A)  they are affected by the sun's gravity. 
B)  they are affected by the solar wind. 
C)  their orbits have been altered by encounters with the planets. 
D)  their orbits are altered by the drag of their tails in the solar wind. 
E)  they all were originally objects ejected from the asteroid belt. 
A)  they are affected by the sun's gravity. 
B)  they are affected by the solar wind. 
C)  their orbits have been altered by encounters with the planets. 
D)  their orbits are altered by the drag of their tails in the solar wind. 
E)  they all were originally objects ejected from the asteroid belt.

Question 15

If 200,000 asteroids that were each 0.5 km in radius combined to form a single object,what would the radius of the new object be? [This question requires the use of mathematics.]

Accepted Answer

A)  224 km 
B)  29 km 
C)  100,000 km 
D)  0.224 km 
E)  1000 km 
A)  224 km 
B)  29 km 
C)  100,000 km 
D)  0.224 km 
E)  1000 km

Question 16

One theory suggests that the bodies in the Oort cloud formed

Accepted Answer

A)  near the present orbits of the terrestrial planets. 
B)  near the present orbits of the Jovian planets. 
C)  at high temperatures. 
D)  from silicate materials. 
E)  in outside of the original solar nebula. 
A)  near the present orbits of the terrestrial planets. 
B)  near the present orbits of the Jovian planets. 
C)  at high temperatures. 
D)  from silicate materials. 
E)  in outside of the original solar nebula.

Question 17

Which of the following is evidence for the connection between comets and meteor showers?

Accepted Answer

A)  Meteor and comets have the same appearance in the sky. 
B)  Meteor showers always occur when a comet is visible. 
C)  Meteor showers always occur 6 months after a comet passes Earth. 
D)  Meteor showers are a predictable,annual event. 
A)  Meteor and comets have the same appearance in the sky. 
B)  Meteor showers always occur when a comet is visible. 
C)  Meteor showers always occur 6 months after a comet passes Earth. 
D)  Meteor showers are a predictable,annual event.

Question 18

The type I tail of a comet shows a spectrum of bright lines on a dark background of space (an emission line spectrum).From this,one can conclude that the tail contains

Accepted Answer

A)  dust. 
B)  thin gas. 
C)  no atoms at all,just empty space. 
D)  the spectrum does not tell which of the above is true. 
A)  dust. 
B)  thin gas. 
C)  no atoms at all,just empty space. 
D)  the spectrum does not tell which of the above is true.

Question 19

Which of the following could not be caused by the gravitational influence of the planets?

Accepted Answer

A)  Trojan asteroids 
B)  Kirkwood's gap 
C)  Hirayama families 
D)  All of the above were caused by gravitational influence of the planets. 
E)  None of these were caused by gravitational influence of the planets. 
A)  Trojan asteroids 
B)  Kirkwood's gap 
C)  Hirayama families 
D)  All of the above were caused by gravitational influence of the planets. 
E)  None of these were caused by gravitational influence of the planets.

Question 20

A meteor shower is produced when

Accepted Answer

A)  a large number of sporadic meteors are observed. 
B)  the Earth passes through the asteroid belt. 
C)  massive particles are carried outward from the sun by the solar wind and enter Earth's atmosphere. 
D)  the Earth passes through the orbital path of a comet. 
E)  meteors cause condensation in the upper atmosphere that leads to early morning rains. 
A)  a large number of sporadic meteors are observed. 
B)  the Earth passes through the asteroid belt. 
C)  massive particles are carried outward from the sun by the solar wind and enter Earth's atmosphere. 
D)  the Earth passes through the orbital path of a comet. 
E)  meteors cause condensation in the upper atmosphere that leads to early morning rains.

Exam 25: Meteorites,asteroids,and Comets

____________________ is a region of the asteroid belt where very few asteroids are found due to gravitational resonance with Jupiter.

A(n)____________________ occurs when a bit of material enters Earth's atmosphere and becomes incandescent due to friction with the atmosphere.

The ____________________ of a comet can be up to a million kilometers in diameter.

What characteristic of long period comets suggest they come from the Oort cloud?

The diagram below is a plot of an asteroid's albedo versus it ultraviolet minus visual color (U - V color).In this diagram,which of the asteroids is most likely an S-type asteroid?

During the Cretaceous extinction 65 million years ago ____ percent of the species on Earth died out.

Achondrites are rich in volatiles.

The solid nucleus or head of a comet is about the size of

Uranium,thorium,and the radioactive isotope of potassium cannot supply the heat to melt small planetesimals,yet are sufficient to melt the interior of Earth.This is because these elements

Iridium is more common in meteorites than in the crust of the Earth.

What evidence exists that some of the asteroids were geologically active?

The Cretaceous extinction 65 million years ago is thought to have been caused by

The tail of a comet always points toward the sun.

The short-period comets do not have randomly oriented orbits because

If 200,000 asteroids that were each 0.5 km in radius combined to form a single object,what would the radius of the new object be? [This question requires the use of mathematics.]

One theory suggests that the bodies in the Oort cloud formed

Which of the following is evidence for the connection between comets and meteor showers?

The type I tail of a comet shows a spectrum of bright lines on a dark background of space (an emission line spectrum).From this,one can conclude that the tail contains

Which of the following could not be caused by the gravitational influence of the planets?

A meteor shower is produced when

Here and Now

A Users Guide to the Sky

Cycles of the Moon

The Origin of Modern Astronomy

Gravity

Light and Telescopes

Atoms and Spectra

The Sun

The Family of Stars

The Interstellar Medium

The Formation and Structure of Stars

Stellar Evolution

The Deaths of Stars

Neutron Stars and Black Holes

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies

Active Galaxies and Supermassive Black Holes

Modern Cosmology

The Origin of the Solar System

Earth: the Standard of Comparative Planetology

The Moon and Mercury: Comparing Airless Worlds

Venus and Mars

Jupiter and Saturn

Uranus,neptune,and the Kuiper Belt

Astrobiology: Life on Other Worlds

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