Question 1

Mercury's surface most resembles which of these?

Accepted Answer

A)  the Earth's deserts 
B)  the lunar far side 
C)  the lunar mare 
D)  Venus' polar regions 
E)  Mars' deserts 
A)  the Earth's deserts 
B)  the lunar far side 
C)  the lunar mare 
D)  Venus' polar regions 
E)  Mars' deserts B

Question 2

In size,Mercury is intermediate between:

Accepted Answer

A)  Earth and Venus. 
B)  Mars and Earth. 
C)  the Moon and Mars. 
D)  Pluto and the Moon. 
E)  Ceres and Pluto. 
A)  Earth and Venus. 
B)  Mars and Earth. 
C)  the Moon and Mars. 
D)  Pluto and the Moon. 
E)  Ceres and Pluto. C

Question 3

What is the primary source of erosion on the Moon? Why does change take so long there?

Accepted Answer

A constant fall of meteoroids from space pelts the Moon,pulverizing the surface with tiny craters.But really big impacts are rare,and these microscopic changes take a long time to show up as seen from Earth.Our erosive agents like wind,water,and ice can make much more dramatic changes in short periods of time,such as floods,sandstorms,glaciers,etc.

Question 4

Which of these theories seems to best explain the Moon's origin?

Accepted Answer

A)  Impact Theory 
B)  Capture Theory 
C)  Coformation Theory 
D)  Fission Theory 
E)  Fusion Theory 
A)  Impact Theory 
B)  Capture Theory 
C)  Coformation Theory 
D)  Fission Theory 
E)  Fusion Theory

Question 5

Rilles on the Moon are due to volcanism,not impacts.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT a factor in determining whether a body in the solar system retains an atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

A)  composition and weight of the gases 
B)  escape velocity 
C)  axial tilt 
D)  rotation rate 
E)  distance from the Sun 
A)  composition and weight of the gases 
B)  escape velocity 
C)  axial tilt 
D)  rotation rate 
E)  distance from the Sun

Question 7

What is believed to be the origin of the Caloris Basin? What other features on Mercury's surface are related to this origin? Explain.

Accepted Answer

The Caloris Basin was probably the resul

Question 8

A major surprise from space exploration is that ________ exists at the poles of both Mercury and our Moon.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A major surprise from space exploration is...

Question 9

Mercury's rotation and revolution are an example of a 3:2 resonance.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

The Moon's huge Mare Orientale basin has a twin on Mercury named:

Accepted Answer

A)  Galileo. 
B)  Caloris. 
C)  Mare Marineris. 
D)  the weird terrain. 
E)  Valhalla. 
A)  Galileo. 
B)  Caloris. 
C)  Mare Marineris. 
D)  the weird terrain. 
E)  Valhalla.

Question 11

The Moon's Orientale and Mercury's ________ Basin are both huge,multiringed impact scars.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Moon's Orientale and Mercury's ________ Basin...

Question 12

Mercury's surface most resembles that of which other body?

Accepted Answer

A)  Earth 
B)  Moon 
C)  Venus 
D)  Mars 
E)  Io 
A)  Earth 
B)  Moon 
C)  Venus 
D)  Mars 
E)  Io

Question 13

Mercury's evolution was different from the Moon's because:

Accepted Answer

A)  Mercury developed a dense atmosphere while the Moon never did. 
B)  Mercury was located farther from Earth, so experienced no tidal forces. 
C)  Mercury was subject to more intense asteroid bombardment than the Moon. 
D)  dense Mercury had an iron core that shrank, creating the lobate scarps. 
E)  Mercury developed a strong magnetic field to protect it from solar radiation. 
A)  Mercury developed a dense atmosphere while the Moon never did. 
B)  Mercury was located farther from Earth, so experienced no tidal forces. 
C)  Mercury was subject to more intense asteroid bombardment than the Moon. 
D)  dense Mercury had an iron core that shrank, creating the lobate scarps. 
E)  Mercury developed a strong magnetic field to protect it from solar radiation.

Question 14

Describe the relation between Mercury's spin and orbit.

Accepted Answer

Mercury rotates on i

Question 15

Which of these would support the capture theory of the Moon's origin?

Accepted Answer

A)  the Caloris Basin on Mercury 
B)  the retrograde orbit and large orbital inclination of Neptune's moon Triton 
C)  the rings of all the jovians lying around their equators 
D)  the Pluto-Charon system 
E)  the four large moons of Jupiter orbit its equator 
A)  the Caloris Basin on Mercury 
B)  the retrograde orbit and large orbital inclination of Neptune's moon Triton 
C)  the rings of all the jovians lying around their equators 
D)  the Pluto-Charon system 
E)  the four large moons of Jupiter orbit its equator

Question 16

Mercury is very hard to observe from Earth because:

Accepted Answer

A)  it always appears as only half lit from Earth. 
B)  it never gets more than 28 degrees from the Sun's glare. 
C)  its elliptical orbit causes it to change speed unpredictably. 
D)  its barren surface reflects too little sunlight; it is almost invisible always. 
E)  its very rugged surface does not allow radar to bounce back to Earth. 
A)  it always appears as only half lit from Earth. 
B)  it never gets more than 28 degrees from the Sun's glare. 
C)  its elliptical orbit causes it to change speed unpredictably. 
D)  its barren surface reflects too little sunlight; it is almost invisible always. 
E)  its very rugged surface does not allow radar to bounce back to Earth.

Question 17

Relative to the size of the planet,Mercury has the largest core of any planet.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

Because of their low surface gravities,the Moon and Mercury lack ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Because of their low surface gravities,the Moon...

Question 19

The best way to find the exact distance to the Moon is to:

Accepted Answer

A)  measure its exact size in the telescope. 
B)  use radar reflection times, about 2.56 second. 
C)  bounce lasers off the retroreflectors left on the surface by the Apollo landings. 
D)  make parallax measurements from observatories on opposite sides of the Earth. 
E)  use stellar occultations for precise timings of the Moon's position. 
A)  measure its exact size in the telescope. 
B)  use radar reflection times, about 2.56 second. 
C)  bounce lasers off the retroreflectors left on the surface by the Apollo landings. 
D)  make parallax measurements from observatories on opposite sides of the Earth. 
E)  use stellar occultations for precise timings of the Moon's position.

Question 20

If the Earth's surface temperature were increased to that of Mercury's day side,then:

Accepted Answer

A)  we would lose most of our water vapor into space. 
B)  the evaporating oceans would thicken the atmosphere greatly. 
C)  the erupting volcanoes would greatly increase the carbon dioxide greenhouse. 
D)  little would happen, as the Earth is still the same mass and surface gravity. 
E)  the Earth would, like Mercury, lose all its atmospheric gases. 
A)  we would lose most of our water vapor into space. 
B)  the evaporating oceans would thicken the atmosphere greatly. 
C)  the erupting volcanoes would greatly increase the carbon dioxide greenhouse. 
D)  little would happen, as the Earth is still the same mass and surface gravity. 
E)  the Earth would, like Mercury, lose all its atmospheric gases.

Exam 8: The Moon and Mercury: Scorched and Battered Worlds

Mercury's surface most resembles which of these?

In size,Mercury is intermediate between:

What is the primary source of erosion on the Moon? Why does change take so long there?

Which of these theories seems to best explain the Moon's origin?

Rilles on the Moon are due to volcanism,not impacts.

Which of the following is NOT a factor in determining whether a body in the solar system retains an atmosphere?

What is believed to be the origin of the Caloris Basin? What other features on Mercury's surface are related to this origin? Explain.

A major surprise from space exploration is that ________ exists at the poles of both Mercury and our Moon.

Mercury's rotation and revolution are an example of a 3:2 resonance.

The Moon's huge Mare Orientale basin has a twin on Mercury named:

The Moon's Orientale and Mercury's ________ Basin are both huge,multiringed impact scars.

Mercury's surface most resembles that of which other body?

Mercury's evolution was different from the Moon's because:

Describe the relation between Mercury's spin and orbit.

Which of these would support the capture theory of the Moon's origin?

Mercury is very hard to observe from Earth because:

Relative to the size of the planet,Mercury has the largest core of any planet.

Because of their low surface gravities,the Moon and Mercury lack ________.

The best way to find the exact distance to the Moon is to:

If the Earth's surface temperature were increased to that of Mercury's day side,then:

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

Venus: Earth's 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

Solar System Debris: Keys to Our Origin

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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