Question 1

Is there evidence of life on Mars?

Accepted Answer

A)  Yes, at least at the time the Allen Hills Meteorite was formed, since it has fossils. 
B)  Yes, but it is only in the form of microbes found by Viking landers. 
C)  Yes, just found as fossils in the sedimentary rocks examined by Spirit. 
D)  No, nothing suggesting life has ever been discovered. 
E)  We have confusing and uncertain results to date. 
A)  Yes, at least at the time the Allen Hills Meteorite was formed, since it has fossils. 
B)  Yes, but it is only in the form of microbes found by Viking landers. 
C)  Yes, just found as fossils in the sedimentary rocks examined by Spirit. 
D)  No, nothing suggesting life has ever been discovered. 
E)  We have confusing and uncertain results to date.

Question 2

The first successful landers on the surface of Mars were:

Accepted Answer

A)  Mariners 4 and 5 in 1965. 
B)  Vikings 1 and 2 in 1976. 
C)  Voyagers 1 and 2 in 1979. 
D)  Pathfinder and Sojourner in 1997. 
E)  Spirit and Opportunity in 2004. 
A)  Mariners 4 and 5 in 1965. 
B)  Vikings 1 and 2 in 1976. 
C)  Voyagers 1 and 2 in 1979. 
D)  Pathfinder and Sojourner in 1997. 
E)  Spirit and Opportunity in 2004.

Question 3

The Curiosity rover has detected evidence of what kind(s)of chemical activity in Mars' soil?

Accepted Answer

A)  organic carbon chemistry 
B)  helium and hydrogen 
C)  photosynthesis 
D)  water, sulfur and chlorine-containing minerals 
E)  minerals containing sulfur or produced by reactions with sulfuric acid 
A)  organic carbon chemistry 
B)  helium and hydrogen 
C)  photosynthesis 
D)  water, sulfur and chlorine-containing minerals 
E)  minerals containing sulfur or produced by reactions with sulfuric acid

Question 4

The Mars Rovers found undisputed microfossils,proving life once existed on Mars.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

Why is the southern hemisphere of Mars believed to be older than the northern?

Accepted Answer

A)  The southern hemisphere is darker much like the lunar mare. 
B)  The southern hemisphere is more heavily cratered. 
C)  The northern hemisphere is higher, due to the Tharsis Bulge. 
D)  The northern hemisphere leans more away from the Sun in winter. 
E)  The south polar cap is much thicker than the north one. 
A)  The southern hemisphere is darker much like the lunar mare. 
B)  The southern hemisphere is more heavily cratered. 
C)  The northern hemisphere is higher, due to the Tharsis Bulge. 
D)  The northern hemisphere leans more away from the Sun in winter. 
E)  The south polar cap is much thicker than the north one.

Question 6

The low surface gravity helps Martian volcanoes grow to great heights.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

Mars is best viewed from Earth when it is at:

Accepted Answer

A)  perihelion. 
B)  opposition. 
C)  conjunction. 
D)  aphelion. 
E)  None of the above. 
A)  perihelion. 
B)  opposition. 
C)  conjunction. 
D)  aphelion. 
E)  None of the above.

Question 8

One piece of evidence against the possibility of water on Mars is:

Accepted Answer

A)  the current lack of water on Mars. 
B)  the fact that the polar ice caps are made of carbon dioxide ice. 
C)  the volcanic activity on Mars. 
D)  the few carbonate rock layers that would have formed on the bottoms of oceans. 
E)  the "hydrated" chemical compounds found on surface rocks all over the planet. 
A)  the current lack of water on Mars. 
B)  the fact that the polar ice caps are made of carbon dioxide ice. 
C)  the volcanic activity on Mars. 
D)  the few carbonate rock layers that would have formed on the bottoms of oceans. 
E)  the "hydrated" chemical compounds found on surface rocks all over the planet.

Question 9

Of all the planets,only ________ has surface features easily seen from Earth with even amateur telescopes.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Of all the planets,only ________ has surface...

Question 10

The runoff channels on Mars were most likely formed by:

Accepted Answer

A)  melting underground ice. 
B)  catastrophic, but rare flooding. 
C)  the annual melting of the polar ice caps. 
D)  glaciers. 
E)  rain that was part of a water cycle. 
A)  melting underground ice. 
B)  catastrophic, but rare flooding. 
C)  the annual melting of the polar ice caps. 
D)  glaciers. 
E)  rain that was part of a water cycle.

Question 11

Unlike Earth,Mars' seasons are affected (enhanced and diminished)by the distance between Mars and the Sun.This is because:

Accepted Answer

A)  Earth is closer to the Sun to begin with. 
B)  an Earth year is shorter. 
C)  Mars is tilted more on its axis than Earth is. 
D)  the orbit of Mars is significantly more elliptical. 
E)  Mars gets closer to the Sun than the Earth does. 
A)  Earth is closer to the Sun to begin with. 
B)  an Earth year is shorter. 
C)  Mars is tilted more on its axis than Earth is. 
D)  the orbit of Mars is significantly more elliptical. 
E)  Mars gets closer to the Sun than the Earth does.

Question 12

Because of its axial tilt and more elliptical orbit,Mars' polar caps change size even more than do the Earth's.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

Why does Mars appear fainter than Venus,as seen from Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  because of its red color 
B)  because its two moons block the light from getting to Earth 
C)  because it is often eclipsed by Jupiter 
D)  because it is smaller, farther away and less reflective 
E)  because it doesn't have water on its surface 
A)  because of its red color 
B)  because its two moons block the light from getting to Earth 
C)  because it is often eclipsed by Jupiter 
D)  because it is smaller, farther away and less reflective 
E)  because it doesn't have water on its surface

Question 14

Why do oppositions of Mars stir such interest among amateur astronomers?

Accepted Answer

Mars is small,and most of the time so di

Question 15

How many moons does Mars have?

Accepted Answer

A)  none 
B)  one 
C)  two 
D)  three 
E)  four 
A)  none 
B)  one 
C)  two 
D)  three 
E)  four

Question 16

Seasonal changes in the darker surface features of Mars are due to ________.

Accepted Answer

dust storm

Question 17

When the huge polar caps on Mars form every winter,they are made chiefly of ________.

Accepted Answer

dry ice (f

Question 18

Why does Mars appear red from Earth's surface?

Accepted Answer

The soil on Mars contains larg

Question 19

The outflow channels on Mars indicate a flood period in the history of Mars.During this time,based on the width and depth of the remaining riverbed,it is thought that the flow rate must have been:

Accepted Answer

A)  just a small trickle, barely more than a stream of water. 
B)  moderate, about the flow rate of the Ohio River. 
C)  fairly large, about the flow rate of the current Colorado River. 
D)  significantly large, about the flow rate of the Amazon River. 
E)  enormous, as much as 100 times the flow rate of the Amazon River. 
A)  just a small trickle, barely more than a stream of water. 
B)  moderate, about the flow rate of the Ohio River. 
C)  fairly large, about the flow rate of the current Colorado River. 
D)  significantly large, about the flow rate of the Amazon River. 
E)  enormous, as much as 100 times the flow rate of the Amazon River.

Question 20

Venus and Mars probably evolved differently from Earth because:

Accepted Answer

A)  they are slightly bigger than Earth. 
B)  they are more massive than Earth. 
C)  they have thicker atmospheres than the Earth. 
D)  they formed sooner than Earth. 
E)  they orbit at different distances from the Sun. 
A)  they are slightly bigger than Earth. 
B)  they are more massive than Earth. 
C)  they have thicker atmospheres than the Earth. 
D)  they formed sooner than Earth. 
E)  they orbit at different distances from the Sun.

Exam 10: Mars: A Near Miss for Life?

Is there evidence of life on Mars?

The first successful landers on the surface of Mars were:

The Curiosity rover has detected evidence of what kind(s)of chemical activity in Mars' soil?

The Mars Rovers found undisputed microfossils,proving life once existed on Mars.

Why is the southern hemisphere of Mars believed to be older than the northern?

The low surface gravity helps Martian volcanoes grow to great heights.

Mars is best viewed from Earth when it is at:

One piece of evidence against the possibility of water on Mars is:

Of all the planets,only ________ has surface features easily seen from Earth with even amateur telescopes.

The runoff channels on Mars were most likely formed by:

Unlike Earth,Mars' seasons are affected (enhanced and diminished)by the distance between Mars and the Sun.This is because:

Because of its axial tilt and more elliptical orbit,Mars' polar caps change size even more than do the Earth's.

Why does Mars appear fainter than Venus,as seen from Earth?

Why do oppositions of Mars stir such interest among amateur astronomers?

How many moons does Mars have?

Seasonal changes in the darker surface features of Mars are due to ________.

When the huge polar caps on Mars form every winter,they are made chiefly of ________.

Why does Mars appear red from Earth's surface?

The outflow channels on Mars indicate a flood period in the history of Mars.During this time,based on the width and depth of the remaining riverbed,it is thought that the flow rate must have been:

Venus and Mars probably evolved differently from Earth 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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