Question 1

Which of the features is seen on the surface of Europa?

Accepted Answer

A)  impact craters 
B)  giant cracks 
C)  water ice 
D)  all of these are seen 
A)  impact craters 
B)  giant cracks 
C)  water ice 
D)  all of these are seen

Question 2

If a future lander mission to Europa confirms the existence of organic molecules at the surface, the next mission would most likely deploy a probe that resembled

Accepted Answer

A)  a submarine 
B)  a ship 
C)  a car 
D)  an airplane 
A)  a submarine 
B)  a ship 
C)  a car 
D)  an airplane

Question 3

When the Huygens probe touched down on Titan, it landed

Accepted Answer

A)  in a vast ocean of liquid methane 
B)  on a solid surface of frozen water and methane ices that resembled a streambed 
C)  in a shallow pool of liquid methane 
D)  on the slopes of an icy volcano covered with water and methane ice 
A)  in a vast ocean of liquid methane 
B)  on a solid surface of frozen water and methane ices that resembled a streambed 
C)  in a shallow pool of liquid methane 
D)  on the slopes of an icy volcano covered with water and methane ice

Question 4

Which of the following is seen on the surface of Europa suggests the existence of a briny ocean below?

Accepted Answer

A)  eruptions of water onto the surface from below 
B)  spectroscopic signatures of salts on the surface 
C)  pools of water seen on the surface 
D)  all of these 
A)  eruptions of water onto the surface from below 
B)  spectroscopic signatures of salts on the surface 
C)  pools of water seen on the surface 
D)  all of these

Question 5

During its descent into Titan's atmosphere, the Huygens probe found

Accepted Answer

A)  large oceans of liquid methane covering the entire surface 
B)  small pools of liquids directly beneath its descent path 
C)  a completely smooth, frozen surface with no sign that any liquids had ever been present 
D)  no sign of flowing or pooled liquids currently on the surface although channels carved in the past by fluids were seen 
A)  large oceans of liquid methane covering the entire surface 
B)  small pools of liquids directly beneath its descent path 
C)  a completely smooth, frozen surface with no sign that any liquids had ever been present 
D)  no sign of flowing or pooled liquids currently on the surface although channels carved in the past by fluids were seen

Question 6

Compared to the total energy available to support life on Earth, the total energy available to support life in a Europan ocean would be

Accepted Answer

A)  about the same 
B)  much larger 
C)  slightly larger 
D)  much smaller 
A)  about the same 
B)  much larger 
C)  slightly larger 
D)  much smaller

Question 7

Many of the smallest Jovian moons are most likely

Accepted Answer

A)  captured asteroids and comets 
B)  captured objects from outside the solar system 
C)  small clumps of gas left over from the formation of the host planet 
D)  fragments of other moons 
A)  captured asteroids and comets 
B)  captured objects from outside the solar system 
C)  small clumps of gas left over from the formation of the host planet 
D)  fragments of other moons

Question 8

Tidal heating is not important for which of the following Galilean moons?

Accepted Answer

A)  Callisto 
B)  Io 
C)  Europa 
D)  Ganymede 
A)  Callisto 
B)  Io 
C)  Europa 
D)  Ganymede

Question 9

Which of the following is not a moon of Jupiter?

Accepted Answer

A)  Ganymede 
B)  Callisto 
C)  Titan 
D)  Io 
A)  Ganymede 
B)  Callisto 
C)  Titan 
D)  Io

Question 10

How is Titan, the moon of Saturn, similar to the Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  like the Earth, Titan has an atmosphere made mostly of molecular nitrogen 
B)  Titan, like the Earth, has an internal magnetic field 
C)  like the Earth, Titan has oceans of liquid water on its surface 
D)  Titan is almost the same size as the Earth 
A)  like the Earth, Titan has an atmosphere made mostly of molecular nitrogen 
B)  Titan, like the Earth, has an internal magnetic field 
C)  like the Earth, Titan has oceans of liquid water on its surface 
D)  Titan is almost the same size as the Earth

Question 11

Titan is roughly the same size as Mercury, yet Titan has an atmosphere while Mercury does not. How can this be?

Accepted Answer

A)  Although Titan is roughly the same size as Mercury, it is much denser, making its gravitational field stronger 
B)  Unlike Mercury, Titan is constantly being bombarded by icy comets that evaporate and maintain its atmosphere 
C)  On its surface, Titan has volcanism that is constantly replenishing its atmosphere while Mercury does not 
D)  Even though Titan's gravity is weak, it is much colder, allowing molecules to be trapped in its atmosphere 
A)  Although Titan is roughly the same size as Mercury, it is much denser, making its gravitational field stronger 
B)  Unlike Mercury, Titan is constantly being bombarded by icy comets that evaporate and maintain its atmosphere 
C)  On its surface, Titan has volcanism that is constantly replenishing its atmosphere while Mercury does not 
D)  Even though Titan's gravity is weak, it is much colder, allowing molecules to be trapped in its atmosphere

Question 12

Why is Io's orbit about Jupiter slightly elliptical?

Accepted Answer

A)  because of tidal forces due to Jupiter 
B)  because Io was captured 
C)  because of orbital resonances with the other three Galilean moons 
D)  because of a giant impact which occurred in the past 
A)  because of tidal forces due to Jupiter 
B)  because Io was captured 
C)  because of orbital resonances with the other three Galilean moons 
D)  because of a giant impact which occurred in the past

Question 13

Which of the following would make finding life in an ocean beneath the surface of Ganymede more difficult than finding life in an ocean beneath the surface of Europa?

Accepted Answer

A)  a thicker ice layer above the ocean 
B)  the presence of high-density forms ice at the bottom of any ocean 
C)  fewer nutrients transported down from the surface 
D)  all of these 
A)  a thicker ice layer above the ocean 
B)  the presence of high-density forms ice at the bottom of any ocean 
C)  fewer nutrients transported down from the surface 
D)  all of these

Question 14

How do the surface temperatures and pressures on Titan compare to those on the Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  higher temperatures and higher pressures 
B)  lower temperatures and lower pressures 
C)  higher temperatures and lower pressures 
D)  lower temperatures and higher pressures 
A)  higher temperatures and higher pressures 
B)  lower temperatures and lower pressures 
C)  higher temperatures and lower pressures 
D)  lower temperatures and higher pressures

Question 15

The fact that many of the larger Jovian moons orbit nearly in the equatorial plane of their host world, moving in the same direction as their planet's spin, suggest that they

Accepted Answer

A)  formed from a rotating disk of gas and dust like a miniature solar system 
B)  were spun out from the rapidly spinning host world as it formed 
C)  formed elsewhere in the solar system and were later captured 
D)  were formed from a giant impact between the host world and another body 
A)  formed from a rotating disk of gas and dust like a miniature solar system 
B)  were spun out from the rapidly spinning host world as it formed 
C)  formed elsewhere in the solar system and were later captured 
D)  were formed from a giant impact between the host world and another body

Question 16

In chemistry, reduction occurs when a substance

Accepted Answer

A)  accepts electrons 
B)  loses electrons 
C)  rearranges its electrons internally 
D)  breaks into its constituent atoms 
A)  accepts electrons 
B)  loses electrons 
C)  rearranges its electrons internally 
D)  breaks into its constituent atoms

Question 17

What is an indication that a planetary moon may have been captured?

Accepted Answer

A)  it revolves in retrograde direction, opposite to the direction of planetary spin 
B)  it has a highly elliptical orbit 
C)  it has an orbit which is inclined to the equator of the host planet 
D)  all of these are indications 
A)  it revolves in retrograde direction, opposite to the direction of planetary spin 
B)  it has a highly elliptical orbit 
C)  it has an orbit which is inclined to the equator of the host planet 
D)  all of these are indications

Question 18

In addition to being the largest moon in the solar system, Ganymede, the Galilean moon of Jupiter, is

Accepted Answer

A)  the only moon to have its own internal magnetic field 
B)  the only moon to have its own atmosphere 
C)  more geologically active than the Earth 
D)  the only moon to show evidence for a subsurface ocean of water 
A)  the only moon to have its own internal magnetic field 
B)  the only moon to have its own atmosphere 
C)  more geologically active than the Earth 
D)  the only moon to show evidence for a subsurface ocean of water

Question 19

Neptune's moon Triton

Accepted Answer

A)  rotates in the opposite direction to Neptune's rotation 
B)  orbits in the opposite direction to Neptune's rotation 
C)  orbits about Neptune's rotational axes 
D)  orbits in the same direction to Neptune's rotation 
A)  rotates in the opposite direction to Neptune's rotation 
B)  orbits in the opposite direction to Neptune's rotation 
C)  orbits about Neptune's rotational axes 
D)  orbits in the same direction to Neptune's rotation

Question 20

Which of the following best describes the most likely internal structure of Europa?

Accepted Answer

A)  thin icy crust, subsurface ocean of water, thick iron mantle, central rocky core 
B)  thin icy crust, subsurface ocean of water, thick rocky mantle, central iron core 
C)  thin icy crust, thick rocky mantle, central iron core 
D)  surface ocean of water, thick rocky mantle, central iron core 
A)  thin icy crust, subsurface ocean of water, thick iron mantle, central rocky core 
B)  thin icy crust, subsurface ocean of water, thick rocky mantle, central iron core 
C)  thin icy crust, thick rocky mantle, central iron core 
D)  surface ocean of water, thick rocky mantle, central iron core

Which of the features is seen on the surface of Europa?

If a future lander mission to Europa confirms the existence of organic molecules at the surface, the next mission would most likely deploy a probe that resembled

When the Huygens probe touched down on Titan, it landed

Which of the following is seen on the surface of Europa suggests the existence of a briny ocean below?

During its descent into Titan's atmosphere, the Huygens probe found

Compared to the total energy available to support life on Earth, the total energy available to support life in a Europan ocean would be

Many of the smallest Jovian moons are most likely

Tidal heating is not important for which of the following Galilean moons?

Which of the following is not a moon of Jupiter?

How is Titan, the moon of Saturn, similar to the Earth?

Titan is roughly the same size as Mercury, yet Titan has an atmosphere while Mercury does not. How can this be?

Why is Io's orbit about Jupiter slightly elliptical?

Which of the following would make finding life in an ocean beneath the surface of Ganymede more difficult than finding life in an ocean beneath the surface of Europa?

How do the surface temperatures and pressures on Titan compare to those on the Earth?

The fact that many of the larger Jovian moons orbit nearly in the equatorial plane of their host world, moving in the same direction as their planet's spin, suggest that they

In chemistry, reduction occurs when a substance

What is an indication that a planetary moon may have been captured?

In addition to being the largest moon in the solar system, Ganymede, the Galilean moon of Jupiter, is

Neptune's moon Triton

Which of the following best describes the most likely internal structure of Europa?

A Universe of Life

The Science of Life in the Universe

The Universal Context of Life

The Habitability of Earth

The Nature of Life on Earth

The Origin and Evolution of Life on Earth

Searching for Life in Our Solar System

Mars

The Nature and Evolution of Habitability

Extrasolar Planets: Their Nature and Potential Habitability

The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

Interstellar Travel and the Fermi Paradox

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Exam 9: Life on Jovian Moons

Which of the features is seen on the surface of Europa?

If a future lander mission to Europa confirms the existence of organic molecules at the surface, the next mission would most likely deploy a probe that resembled

When the Huygens probe touched down on Titan, it landed

Which of the following is seen on the surface of Europa suggests the existence of a briny ocean below?

During its descent into Titan's atmosphere, the Huygens probe found

Compared to the total energy available to support life on Earth, the total energy available to support life in a Europan ocean would be

Many of the smallest Jovian moons are most likely

Tidal heating is not important for which of the following Galilean moons?

Which of the following is not a moon of Jupiter?

How is Titan, the moon of Saturn, similar to the Earth?

Titan is roughly the same size as Mercury, yet Titan has an atmosphere while Mercury does not. How can this be?

Why is Io's orbit about Jupiter slightly elliptical?

Which of the following would make finding life in an ocean beneath the surface of Ganymede more difficult than finding life in an ocean beneath the surface of Europa?

How do the surface temperatures and pressures on Titan compare to those on the Earth?

The fact that many of the larger Jovian moons orbit nearly in the equatorial plane of their host world, moving in the same direction as their planet's spin, suggest that they

In chemistry, reduction occurs when a substance

What is an indication that a planetary moon may have been captured?

In addition to being the largest moon in the solar system, Ganymede, the Galilean moon of Jupiter, is

Neptune's moon Triton

Which of the following best describes the most likely internal structure of Europa?

A Universe of Life

The Science of Life in the Universe

The Universal Context of Life

The Habitability of Earth

The Nature of Life on Earth

The Origin and Evolution of Life on Earth

Searching for Life in Our Solar System

Mars

The Nature and Evolution of Habitability

Extrasolar Planets: Their Nature and Potential Habitability

The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

Interstellar Travel and the Fermi Paradox

Filters