Question 1

Pluto's entire surface seems to be about the same age.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  False

Question 2

The largest mountains on Pluto might be ________.

Accepted Answer

cryovolcanoes

Question 3

Describe the odd rotations of Pluto and Charon.

Accepted Answer

They are tidally fixed to keep the same faces toward each other during their 6.4 dayperiods of rotation.

Question 4

What type of meteorite is the most abundant? Most easily found? Why the difference?

Accepted Answer

Just as the S asteroids are most common,

Question 5

Vesta's density is:

Accepted Answer

A) about the same as other asteroids, around 2100-2900 $\mathrm { kg } / \mathrm { m } ^ { 3 }.$ 
B) lower than typical asteroids, around 1400 $\mathrm { kg } / \mathrm { m } 3$ 
C) about the same as a typical comet, around 100 $\mathrm { kg } / \mathrm { m } ^ { 3 }$ 
D) about the same as the densest meteorites, around 5000 $\mathrm { kg } / \mathrm { m } ^3$ 
E) more than the density of other asteroids, but less than the density of a terrestrial planet; around3500 $\mathrm { kg } / \mathrm { m } ^3$ 
A) about the same as other asteroids, around 2100-2900 $\mathrm { kg } / \mathrm { m } ^ { 3 }.$ 
B) lower than typical asteroids, around 1400 $\mathrm { kg } / \mathrm { m } 3$ 
C) about the same as a typical comet, around 100 $\mathrm { kg } / \mathrm { m } ^ { 3 }$ 
D) about the same as the densest meteorites, around 5000 $\mathrm { kg } / \mathrm { m } ^3$ 
E) more than the density of other asteroids, but less than the density of a terrestrial planet; around3500 $\mathrm { kg } / \mathrm { m } ^3$

Question 6

The planet that Pluto gets closest to is Neptune.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

Asteroids are similar in composition, leading scientists to suspect that they formed from thebreakup of a single large object, such as a planet.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

About how many potentially hazardous asteroids pass within 0.05 A.U. of the Earth perdecade in modern times?

Accepted Answer

A) none 
B) 10-20 
C) 200-300 
D) 5000-1000 
E) A completely unknown quantity; it could easily be anywhere from just a few to millions. 
A) none 
B) 10-20 
C) 200-300 
D) 5000-1000 
E) A completely unknown quantity; it could easily be anywhere from just a few to millions.

Question 9

The only spacecraft to make a soft landing on a comet is ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The only spacecraft to make a soft...

Question 10

We now recognize that the largest Kuiper Belt Object could be ________, discovered almost acentury ago.

Accepted Answer

The answer of We now recognize that the largest Kuiper...

Question 11

Pluto is probably one of the largest of the Kuiper Belt bodies beyond Neptune.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

Define Trojan asteroids.

Accepted Answer

Asteroids found sharing the or

Question 13

Few ________ actually strike Earth, because most are small and burn up in the atmosphere.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Few ________ actually strike Earth, because most...

Question 14

Discovered by the spacecraft Galileo, Dactyl is a satellite of larger Ida.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

Asteroids studied by spacecraft have densities that are:

Accepted Answer

A) about the same as Jupiter's density. 
B) similar to the density of water. 
C) less than the density of any jovian planet in our solar system. 
D) less than the density of any terrestrial planet in our solar system. 
E) greater than the density of any terrestrial planet in our solar system. 
A) about the same as Jupiter's density. 
B) similar to the density of water. 
C) less than the density of any jovian planet in our solar system. 
D) less than the density of any terrestrial planet in our solar system. 
E) greater than the density of any terrestrial planet in our solar system.

Question 16

What is so unusual about Pluto's orbit?

Accepted Answer

A) It lies exactly on the ecliptic. 
B) It has the lowest eccentricity of any planet's orbit. 
C) It is more inclined to the ecliptic than any of the eight planets. 
D) It has an unexpectedly short orbital period. 
E) It's orbital period is exactly twice that of Neptune's. 
A) It lies exactly on the ecliptic. 
B) It has the lowest eccentricity of any planet's orbit. 
C) It is more inclined to the ecliptic than any of the eight planets. 
D) It has an unexpectedly short orbital period. 
E) It's orbital period is exactly twice that of Neptune's.

Question 17

The type of asteroid that would be the densest would be type:

Accepted Answer

A) C. 
B) M. 
C) S. 
D) V. 
E) Z. 
A) C. 
B) M. 
C) S. 
D) V. 
E) Z.

Question 18

Based on observations by the Dawn spacecraft, scientists have concluded that Vesta mightbe:

Accepted Answer

A) a planetesimal left over from the solar system's formation. 
B) the only remaining protoplanet in our solar system. 
C) one of the dwarf planets in our solar system. 
D) a fragment of Mars. 
E) one of the remnants of the planet that broke up to form the asteroid belt. 
A) a planetesimal left over from the solar system's formation. 
B) the only remaining protoplanet in our solar system. 
C) one of the dwarf planets in our solar system. 
D) a fragment of Mars. 
E) one of the remnants of the planet that broke up to form the asteroid belt.

Question 19

The Apollo and Aten asteroids have orbits that:

Accepted Answer

A) cross the orbit of Earth at perihelion. 
B) cross the orbit of Mars, but not Earth, at perihelion. 
C) remain between Mars and Jupiter, in the main belt. 
D) stay sixty degrees ahead of or behind Jupiter. 
E) stay out beyond Neptune. 
A) cross the orbit of Earth at perihelion. 
B) cross the orbit of Mars, but not Earth, at perihelion. 
C) remain between Mars and Jupiter, in the main belt. 
D) stay sixty degrees ahead of or behind Jupiter. 
E) stay out beyond Neptune.

Question 20

Which asteroid did Dawn visit first and which is second in its planned mission?

Accepted Answer

A) Mathilde, Eros 
B) Ida, Dactyl 
C) Vesta, Ceres 
D) Gaspra, Ida 
E) Pallas, Ceres 
A) Mathilde, Eros 
B) Ida, Dactyl 
C) Vesta, Ceres 
D) Gaspra, Ida 
E) Pallas, Ceres

Exam 14: Solar System Debris: Keys to Our Origin

Pluto's entire surface seems to be about the same age.

The largest mountains on Pluto might be ________.

Describe the odd rotations of Pluto and Charon.

What type of meteorite is the most abundant? Most easily found? Why the difference?

Vesta's density is:

The planet that Pluto gets closest to is Neptune.

Asteroids are similar in composition, leading scientists to suspect that they formed from thebreakup of a single large object, such as a planet.

About how many potentially hazardous asteroids pass within 0.05 A.U. of the Earth perdecade in modern times?

The only spacecraft to make a soft landing on a comet is ________.

We now recognize that the largest Kuiper Belt Object could be ________, discovered almost acentury ago.

Pluto is probably one of the largest of the Kuiper Belt bodies beyond Neptune.

Define Trojan asteroids.

Few ________ actually strike Earth, because most are small and burn up in the atmosphere.

Discovered by the spacecraft Galileo, Dactyl is a satellite of larger Ida.

Asteroids studied by spacecraft have densities that are:

What is so unusual about Pluto's orbit?

The type of asteroid that would be the densest would be type:

Based on observations by the Dawn spacecraft, scientists have concluded that Vesta mightbe:

The Apollo and Aten asteroids have orbits that:

Which asteroid did Dawn visit first and which is second in its planned mission?

Charting the Heavens: The Foundations of Astronomy

The Copernican Revolution: The Birth of Modern Science

Radiation: Information From the Cosmos

Spectroscopy: the Inner Workings of Atoms

Telescopes: The Tools of Astronomy

The Solar System: Comparative Planetology and Formation Models

Earth: Our Home in Space

The Moon and Mercury: Scorched and Battered Worlds

Venus: Earths Sister Planet

Mars: a Near Miss for Life

Jupiter: Giant of the Solar System

Saturn: Spectacular Rings and Mysterious Moons

Uranus and Neptune: The Outer Worlds of the Solar System

Exoplanets: Planetary Systems Beyond Our Own

The Sun: Our Parent Star

The Stars: Giants, Dwarfs, and the Main Sequence

The Interstellar Medium: Gas and Dust Among the Stars

Star Formation: a Traumatic Birth

Stellar Evolution: The Life and Death of a Star

Stellar Explosions: Novae, Supernovae, and the Formation of the Elements

Neutron Stars and Black Holes: Strange States of Matter

The Milky Way Galaxy: a Spiral in Space

Galaxies: Building Blocks of the Universe

Galaxies and Dark Matter: The Large-Scale Structure of the Cosmos

Cosmology: The Big Bang and the Fate of the Universe

The Early Universe: Toward the Beginning of Time

Life in the Universe: Are We Alone

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