Question 1

To measure how Mercury spins,astronomers sent ________ to Mercury and used the Doppler shift to determine how fast it was rotating.

Accepted Answer

A)  probes 
B)  laser beams 
C)  radar beams 
D)  a satellite 
E)  a single frequency radio signal 
A)  probes 
B)  laser beams 
C)  radar beams 
D)  a satellite 
E)  a single frequency radio signal

Question 2

What is the reason that it is so difficult to view Mercury from Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mercury is very dim. 
B)  Mercury is very small. 
C)  Mercury can't be seen at night. 
D)  Mercury is often hidden by the Moon. 
E)  Mercury is always very close to the Sun. 
A)  Mercury is very dim. 
B)  Mercury is very small. 
C)  Mercury can't be seen at night. 
D)  Mercury is often hidden by the Moon. 
E)  Mercury is always very close to the Sun.

Question 3

How does Mercury's magnetic field compare to our own?

Accepted Answer

A)  Like Venus, Mercury has no detectable magnetic field. 
B)  Like Mars and the Earth, it too has undergone polarity reversals. 
C)  It is 1/100th as strong as ours, but does deflect the solar wind to some degree. 
D)  It is amazingly strong, comparable to our own. 
E)  It was predicted from Mercury's rapid rotation and molten core. 
A)  Like Venus, Mercury has no detectable magnetic field. 
B)  Like Mars and the Earth, it too has undergone polarity reversals. 
C)  It is 1/100th as strong as ours, but does deflect the solar wind to some degree. 
D)  It is amazingly strong, comparable to our own. 
E)  It was predicted from Mercury's rapid rotation and molten core.

Question 4

What did radar astronomers find in the polar regions of Mercury?

Accepted Answer

A)  rift valleys 
B)  large mare basins, such as near our Moon's south pole 
C)  water ice that never melts in the deep craters 
D)  polar caps of dry ice that vary seasonally, much like Mars 
E)  auroral displays much like Earth's 
A)  rift valleys 
B)  large mare basins, such as near our Moon's south pole 
C)  water ice that never melts in the deep craters 
D)  polar caps of dry ice that vary seasonally, much like Mars 
E)  auroral displays much like Earth's

Question 5

Moonquakes on the Moon were detected by:

Accepted Answer

A)  the radar observations over time from Earth. 
B)  the seismographs left these by the Apollo astronauts. 
C)  laser beams reflected off mirrors left on the Moon by Apollo missions. 
D)  seismographs attached to the Russian Lunar rovers. 
E)  telescopic observations of lunar landslides. 
A)  the radar observations over time from Earth. 
B)  the seismographs left these by the Apollo astronauts. 
C)  laser beams reflected off mirrors left on the Moon by Apollo missions. 
D)  seismographs attached to the Russian Lunar rovers. 
E)  telescopic observations of lunar landslides.

Question 6

The scarps on Mercury were probably caused by:

Accepted Answer

A)  tectonic activity. 
B)  meteorite bombardment. 
C)  a tidal bulge. 
D)  volcanism. 
E)  the interior cooling and shrinking. 
A)  tectonic activity. 
B)  meteorite bombardment. 
C)  a tidal bulge. 
D)  volcanism. 
E)  the interior cooling and shrinking.

Question 7

The dominant features of the highlands of the Moon,________ are chiefly the result of impacts of comets and asteroids early in the Moon's history.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The dominant features of the highlands of...

Question 8

Which type of feature is the best evidence of lunar volcanism?

Accepted Answer

A)  rays around the latest eruptions 
B)  craters all over the Moon 
C)  vents seen erupting in the mountainous highlands 
D)  rilles associated with lava flows accompanying the mare formation 
E)  the Orientale Basin 
A)  rays around the latest eruptions 
B)  craters all over the Moon 
C)  vents seen erupting in the mountainous highlands 
D)  rilles associated with lava flows accompanying the mare formation 
E)  the Orientale Basin

Question 9

The hollows on Mercury are:

Accepted Answer

A)  isolated depressions found in all parts of impact craters. 
B)  clusters of depressions found near the center of impact craters. 
C)  large depressions found in the Caloris Basin. 
D)  large depressions found in the smooth plains. 
E)  clusters of depressions that are not associated with impact craters in the smooth plains. 
A)  isolated depressions found in all parts of impact craters. 
B)  clusters of depressions found near the center of impact craters. 
C)  large depressions found in the Caloris Basin. 
D)  large depressions found in the smooth plains. 
E)  clusters of depressions that are not associated with impact craters in the smooth plains.

Question 10

Why was the discovery of a substantial magnetic field around Mercury a surprise? How was it detected?

Accepted Answer

In its close passes by Mercury

Question 11

Mercury's tenuous atmosphere of sodium,magnesium,and potassium comes from:

Accepted Answer

A)  atoms that have been kicked off the surface by the solar wind. 
B)  volcanic outgassing. 
C)  residual gases from Mercury's formation. 
D)  impacts of asteroids or comets. 
A)  atoms that have been kicked off the surface by the solar wind. 
B)  volcanic outgassing. 
C)  residual gases from Mercury's formation. 
D)  impacts of asteroids or comets.

Question 12

How are surfaces of Mercury and the Moon similar? Different? Why?

Accepted Answer

Both are airless worlds with many ancien

Question 13

Mercury's magnetic field is surprisingly comparable to the Earth's field in strength.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

Mercury presents the same side to the Sun:

Accepted Answer

A)  every other orbit. 
B)  all the time, just like our Moon. 
C)  every 12 hours. 
D)  every third orbit. 
E)  twice every orbit. 
A)  every other orbit. 
B)  all the time, just like our Moon. 
C)  every 12 hours. 
D)  every third orbit. 
E)  twice every orbit.

Question 15

What aspect of Mercury's interior structure is used to explain the presence of its magnetic field?

Accepted Answer

its unusua

Question 16

Because of its high mean density and magnetic field,Mercury's large core must be made chiefly of ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Because of its high mean density and...

Question 17

For Mercury,the tidal stress of the Sun is much greater at aphelion than at perihelion.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

What surface region of the Moon is oldest? How do we know this?

Accepted Answer

The highlands are older than t

Question 19

Mercury's magnetic field is thought to be due to:

Accepted Answer

A)  dynamo action, like the Earth's magnetic field. 
B)  a mechanism entirely unique to Mercury. 
C)  being close to the Sun. 
D)  being a fossil remnant dating back to the distant past when the core was more liquid. 
A)  dynamo action, like the Earth's magnetic field. 
B)  a mechanism entirely unique to Mercury. 
C)  being close to the Sun. 
D)  being a fossil remnant dating back to the distant past when the core was more liquid.

Question 20

What considerations are involved in determining whether or not a planet will have an atmosphere? What physical factors are involved in determining the temperature of a planet?

Accepted Answer

Escape velocity and temperature are the

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

To measure how Mercury spins,astronomers sent ________ to Mercury and used the Doppler shift to determine how fast it was rotating.

What is the reason that it is so difficult to view Mercury from Earth?

How does Mercury's magnetic field compare to our own?

What did radar astronomers find in the polar regions of Mercury?

Moonquakes on the Moon were detected by:

The scarps on Mercury were probably caused by:

The dominant features of the highlands of the Moon,________ are chiefly the result of impacts of comets and asteroids early in the Moon's history.

Which type of feature is the best evidence of lunar volcanism?

The hollows on Mercury are:

Why was the discovery of a substantial magnetic field around Mercury a surprise? How was it detected?

Mercury's tenuous atmosphere of sodium,magnesium,and potassium comes from:

How are surfaces of Mercury and the Moon similar? Different? Why?

Mercury's magnetic field is surprisingly comparable to the Earth's field in strength.

Mercury presents the same side to the Sun:

What aspect of Mercury's interior structure is used to explain the presence of its magnetic field?

Because of its high mean density and magnetic field,Mercury's large core must be made chiefly of ________.

For Mercury,the tidal stress of the Sun is much greater at aphelion than at perihelion.

What surface region of the Moon is oldest? How do we know this?

Mercury's magnetic field is thought to be due to:

What considerations are involved in determining whether or not a planet will have an atmosphere? What physical factors are involved in determining the temperature of a planet?

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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