Question 1

Where is most of the water on Mars believed to be?

Accepted Answer

In the polar caps an

Question 2

The deepest depression found on the surface of Mars is the:

Accepted Answer

A)  Mariannas Trench. 
B)  Caloris basin. 
C)  Valles Marineris rift. 
D)  Hellas Basin of Mars. 
E)  Mare Crisium. 
A)  Mariannas Trench. 
B)  Caloris basin. 
C)  Valles Marineris rift. 
D)  Hellas Basin of Mars. 
E)  Mare Crisium.

Question 3

Mars has a weak magnetic field.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 4

What makes the view of Mars in the summer of 2003 so spectacular?

Accepted Answer

A)  There were huge dust storms that made the planet appear much brighter than usual. 
B)  The feature known as Olympus Mons erupted spewing ash into the Martian atmosphere. 
C)  Mars had an angular size comparable to the full moon. 
D)  Mars was both at perihelion and opposition, creating the perfect viewing conditions from Earth. 
E)  Earth's atmosphere was amazingly clear everywhere for months making the view of spectacular Mars available to everyone. 
A)  There were huge dust storms that made the planet appear much brighter than usual. 
B)  The feature known as Olympus Mons erupted spewing ash into the Martian atmosphere. 
C)  Mars had an angular size comparable to the full moon. 
D)  Mars was both at perihelion and opposition, creating the perfect viewing conditions from Earth. 
E)  Earth's atmosphere was amazingly clear everywhere for months making the view of spectacular Mars available to everyone.

Question 5

The most prominent feature of Mars observable from Earth is:

Accepted Answer

A)  its thick atmosphere. 
B)  its two prominent moons. 
C)  its bright polar caps. 
D)  the large volcano Olympus Mons. 
E)  the prominent feature, Valles Marineris. 
A)  its thick atmosphere. 
B)  its two prominent moons. 
C)  its bright polar caps. 
D)  the large volcano Olympus Mons. 
E)  the prominent feature, Valles Marineris.

Question 6

One of the most unexpected aspects of Mars' atmosphere is:

Accepted Answer

A)  that it is 95% carbon dioxide. 
B)  that its troposphere changes altitude. 
C)  that it is cloudless. 
D)  that it contains water vapor clouds. 
E)  that it has such a low density. 
A)  that it is 95% carbon dioxide. 
B)  that its troposphere changes altitude. 
C)  that it is cloudless. 
D)  that it contains water vapor clouds. 
E)  that it has such a low density.

Question 7

Where do the names for the moons of Mars (Phobos and Deimos)come from?

Accepted Answer

A)  the founders of Rome 
B)  the twins depicted in the constellation Gemini 
C)  the names of their discoverers 
D)  the sons of Ares and Aphrodite 
E)  the names of the dogs of Orion 
A)  the founders of Rome 
B)  the twins depicted in the constellation Gemini 
C)  the names of their discoverers 
D)  the sons of Ares and Aphrodite 
E)  the names of the dogs of Orion

Question 8

The largest volcano in the solar system,________,is found on Mars.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The largest volcano in the solar system,________,is...

Question 9

Valles Marineris is the most striking example of a(n):

Accepted Answer

A)  impact crater. 
B)  shield volcano. 
C)  oceanic trench. 
D)  rift valley. 
E)  scarp. 
A)  impact crater. 
B)  shield volcano. 
C)  oceanic trench. 
D)  rift valley. 
E)  scarp.

Question 10

The largest shield volcano yet discovered is:

Accepted Answer

A)  Maxwell Mons on Venus. 
B)  Kilimanjaro on Earth. 
C)  Olympus Mons on Mars. 
D)  Prometheus on Io. 
E)  Caloris on Mercury. 
A)  Maxwell Mons on Venus. 
B)  Kilimanjaro on Earth. 
C)  Olympus Mons on Mars. 
D)  Prometheus on Io. 
E)  Caloris on Mercury.

Question 11

Mars has an axial tilt more like the Earth's than any other planet.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

The large canyon of Mars,Valles Marineris,is a ________ produced when the entire Tharsis region bulged outward causing the surface to split.

Accepted Answer

rift valle

Question 13

What causes the changing dark and light features visible on the Martian surface from Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  seasonal growth of vegetation 
B)  the flooding of the network of canals from seasonal polar ice melting 
C)  lava fields, similar to those found on the Moon 
D)  highly cratered and eroded areas that are frequently covered and uncovered by dust 
E)  huge storms like those on Jupiter with winds that often reach speeds of hundreds of kilometers per hour 
A)  seasonal growth of vegetation 
B)  the flooding of the network of canals from seasonal polar ice melting 
C)  lava fields, similar to those found on the Moon 
D)  highly cratered and eroded areas that are frequently covered and uncovered by dust 
E)  huge storms like those on Jupiter with winds that often reach speeds of hundreds of kilometers per hour

Question 14

The main constituent of the Martian atmosphere is:

Accepted Answer

A)  hydrogen. 
B)  helium. 
C)  methane. 
D)  carbon dioxide. 
E)  nitrogen. 
A)  hydrogen. 
B)  helium. 
C)  methane. 
D)  carbon dioxide. 
E)  nitrogen.

Question 15

Our Moon and Mars both have very different hemispheres.Compare them and explain why this occurred in each case.

Accepted Answer

The far side of our Moon and southern he

Question 16

Olympus Mons is the tallest (volcanic)mountain in the entire solar system.Explain how Mars can have mountains taller than the ones on Earth.

Accepted Answer

Due to Mars' smaller mass and,

Question 17

The most striking valley in the solar system is:

Accepted Answer

A)  the Grand Canyon in Arizona. 
B)  Gwenivere on Venus. 
C)  the Discovery Scarp of Mercury. 
D)  Valles Marineris on Mars. 
E)  Valhalla on Callisto. 
A)  the Grand Canyon in Arizona. 
B)  Gwenivere on Venus. 
C)  the Discovery Scarp of Mercury. 
D)  Valles Marineris on Mars. 
E)  Valhalla on Callisto.

Question 18

The NASA lander which deployed the first rover,Sojourner,in 1997 was:

Accepted Answer

A)  Mars Rover. 
B)  Global Surveyor. 
C)  Viking 2. 
D)  South Polar Lander. 
E)  Pathfinder. 
A)  Mars Rover. 
B)  Global Surveyor. 
C)  Viking 2. 
D)  South Polar Lander. 
E)  Pathfinder.

Question 19

The seasonal changes on Mars create:

Accepted Answer

A)  remarkable changes in size of the two dry ice polar caps. 
B)  changes in the dark features noted from Earth by telescopes long ago. 
C)  huge dust storms that can enshroud the planet's disk. 
D)  great changes in the barometric pressure as the atmosphere freezes and sublimes. 
E)  All of these are correct. 
A)  remarkable changes in size of the two dry ice polar caps. 
B)  changes in the dark features noted from Earth by telescopes long ago. 
C)  huge dust storms that can enshroud the planet's disk. 
D)  great changes in the barometric pressure as the atmosphere freezes and sublimes. 
E)  All of these are correct.

Question 20

Mars' magnetic field is so weak because:

Accepted Answer

A)  it spins much slower than Earth does. 
B)  it core may no longer be molten. 
C)  its core contains less iron than our own. 
D)  Both B and C are probable. 
E)  All of the above are correct. 
A)  it spins much slower than Earth does. 
B)  it core may no longer be molten. 
C)  its core contains less iron than our own. 
D)  Both B and C are probable. 
E)  All of the above are correct.

Exam 10: Mars: A Near Miss for Life?

Where is most of the water on Mars believed to be?

The deepest depression found on the surface of Mars is the:

Mars has a weak magnetic field.

What makes the view of Mars in the summer of 2003 so spectacular?

The most prominent feature of Mars observable from Earth is:

One of the most unexpected aspects of Mars' atmosphere is:

Where do the names for the moons of Mars (Phobos and Deimos)come from?

The largest volcano in the solar system,________,is found on Mars.

Valles Marineris is the most striking example of a(n):

The largest shield volcano yet discovered is:

Mars has an axial tilt more like the Earth's than any other planet.

The large canyon of Mars,Valles Marineris,is a ________ produced when the entire Tharsis region bulged outward causing the surface to split.

What causes the changing dark and light features visible on the Martian surface from Earth?

The main constituent of the Martian atmosphere is:

Our Moon and Mars both have very different hemispheres.Compare them and explain why this occurred in each case.

Olympus Mons is the tallest (volcanic)mountain in the entire solar system.Explain how Mars can have mountains taller than the ones on Earth.

The most striking valley in the solar system is:

The NASA lander which deployed the first rover,Sojourner,in 1997 was:

The seasonal changes on Mars create:

Mars' magnetic field is so weak because:

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: Earth's Sister Planet

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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