Question 1

What do we mean by a mass extinction?

Accepted Answer

A)  The extinction of a large fraction of the world's plant and animal species in a relatively short period of time 
B)  The extinction of large animals, such as dinosaurs 
C)  An extinction caused by the impact of an asteroid or comet 
D)  The extinction of any species of plant or animal that has mass 
A)  The extinction of a large fraction of the world's plant and animal species in a relatively short period of time 
B)  The extinction of large animals, such as dinosaurs 
C)  An extinction caused by the impact of an asteroid or comet 
D)  The extinction of any species of plant or animal that has mass

Question 2

What are "dwarf planets"?

Accepted Answer

Dwarf planets are objects in the solar s

Question 3

A rock found on Earth that crashed down from space is called ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  a meteorite 
B)  a meteor 
C)  an asteroid 
D)  an impact 
A)  a meteorite 
B)  a meteor 
C)  an asteroid 
D)  an impact

Question 4

When we see a meteor shower, it means that ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  Earth is crossing the orbit of a comet 
B)  the solar wind is unusually strong 
C)  an Earth-approaching asteroid has recently come very close to our planet 
D)  you should duck and run for cover to avoid being blasted on the head by a rock from space 
A)  Earth is crossing the orbit of a comet 
B)  the solar wind is unusually strong 
C)  an Earth-approaching asteroid has recently come very close to our planet 
D)  you should duck and run for cover to avoid being blasted on the head by a rock from space

Question 5

All comets orbit the Sun in the same direction as the planets.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

Why was the Shoemaker-Levy 9 impact so important to astronomers?

Accepted Answer

A)  It dredged up material that gave us our first direct look at Jupiter's interior composition. 
B)  It wiped out the dinosaurs. 
C)  It was the first direct proof that impacts really occur. 
D)  It confirmed our theory of solar system formation. 
E)  It was the first event in modern history that was brighter than the full moon in the sky. 
A)  It dredged up material that gave us our first direct look at Jupiter's interior composition. 
B)  It wiped out the dinosaurs. 
C)  It was the first direct proof that impacts really occur. 
D)  It confirmed our theory of solar system formation. 
E)  It was the first event in modern history that was brighter than the full moon in the sky.

Question 7

Rather than being a planet, Pluto is really just a large member of

Accepted Answer

A)  the asteroid belt. 
B)  the Kuiper belt. 
C)  the Oort cloud. 
D)  the moon system around Neptune. 
E)  an extrasolar planetary system. 
A)  the asteroid belt. 
B)  the Kuiper belt. 
C)  the Oort cloud. 
D)  the moon system around Neptune. 
E)  an extrasolar planetary system.

Question 8

Why didn't a planet form where the asteroid belt is now located?

Accepted Answer

A)  Gravitational tugs from Jupiter prevented material from collecting together to form a planet. 
B)  There was not enough material in this part of the solar nebula to form a planet. 
C)  There was too much rocky material to form a terrestrial planet, but not enough gaseous material to form a jovian planet. 
D)  The temperature in this portion of the solar nebula was just right to prevent rock from sticking together. 
A)  Gravitational tugs from Jupiter prevented material from collecting together to form a planet. 
B)  There was not enough material in this part of the solar nebula to form a planet. 
C)  There was too much rocky material to form a terrestrial planet, but not enough gaseous material to form a jovian planet. 
D)  The temperature in this portion of the solar nebula was just right to prevent rock from sticking together.

Question 9

An icy leftover planetesimal orbiting the Sun is

Accepted Answer

A)  a comet. 
B)  a meteor. 
C)  an asteroid. 
D)  a meteorite. 
E)  possibly any of the above 
A)  a comet. 
B)  a meteor. 
C)  an asteroid. 
D)  a meteorite. 
E)  possibly any of the above

Question 10

You find yourself on a silent airless world! The of the lack of an atmosphere means that you must be very careful not to look at the Sun so that you will not be blinded by its ultraviolet and X-ray radiation. However, you are able to determine that the Sun has about the same angular size that you are used to on Earth. Although this world is clearly lifeless, you are surprised to find footprints and car tracks etched in the powdery surface.

Accepted Answer

You are on the Moon. The prese

Question 11

Refer to the following choices to answer the questions below. Chose the answer that best describes the chemical composition of the object.
-Earth's atmosphere

Accepted Answer

A) nickel and iron 
B) 80 percent nitrogen, 20 percent oxygen 
C) 95 percent carbon dioxide 
D) mostly hydrogen and helium 
E) frozen methane, ammonia, water, and other gases and dust 
A) nickel and iron 
B) 80 percent nitrogen, 20 percent oxygen 
C) 95 percent carbon dioxide 
D) mostly hydrogen and helium 
E) frozen methane, ammonia, water, and other gases and dust

Question 12

You find yourself in a maelstrom, whipped by winds gusting at 10,000 km/hr, rising and falling in convective currents. On the rare occasions when you can assess your surroundings, you notice a horizon that seems to go on "forever" (or, at least, much farther than the horizon on Earth), and no solid surface anywhere. You get a glimpse of several large moons. The Sun races through your sky, requiring only about 5 hours to rise nearly due east, cross the meridian at an altitude of about 55° in the north, and then set due west.

Accepted Answer

You are in the Great Red Spot on Jupiter

Question 13

When a comet passes near the Sun, part of it takes on the appearance of a large, bright ball from which the tail extends. This part is called ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  the coma 
B)  the nucleus 
C)  the plasma tail 
D)  the Oort core 
A)  the coma 
B)  the nucleus 
C)  the plasma tail 
D)  the Oort core

Question 14

Why does the plasma tail of a comet always point away from the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A)  The solar wind blows the plasma ions directly away from the Sun. 
B)  Radiation pressure from the Sun's light pushes the ions away. 
C)  The conservation of the angular momentum of the tail keeps it always pointing away from the Sun. 
D)  Gases from the comet, heated by the Sun, push the tail away from the Sun. 
E)  It is allergic to sunlight. 
A)  The solar wind blows the plasma ions directly away from the Sun. 
B)  Radiation pressure from the Sun's light pushes the ions away. 
C)  The conservation of the angular momentum of the tail keeps it always pointing away from the Sun. 
D)  Gases from the comet, heated by the Sun, push the tail away from the Sun. 
E)  It is allergic to sunlight.

Question 15

Which of the following statements best describes the size of the largest asteroid, Ceres?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is a little less than half the diameter of our Moon. 
B)  It is about the size of a terrestrial planet. 
C)  It is smaller than the jovian planets but larger than the terrestrial planets. 
D)  It is no larger than a typical mountain on one of the terrestrial planets. 
A)  It is a little less than half the diameter of our Moon. 
B)  It is about the size of a terrestrial planet. 
C)  It is smaller than the jovian planets but larger than the terrestrial planets. 
D)  It is no larger than a typical mountain on one of the terrestrial planets.

Question 16

On average, how often do impacts large enough to produce mass extinction on the Earth occur?

Accepted Answer

A)  once every century 
B)  once every thousand years 
C)  once every million years 
D)  once every hundred million years 
E)  once in Earth's history 
A)  once every century 
B)  once every thousand years 
C)  once every million years 
D)  once every hundred million years 
E)  once in Earth's history

Question 17

Pluto's surface features are completely unknown and await the visit by the New Horizon's spacecraft in 2015.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

Where are the Trojan asteroids located?

Accepted Answer

A)  surrounding Jupiter 
B)  along Jupiter's orbit, 60° ahead of and behind Jupiter 
C)  in the center of the asteroid belt 
D)  on orbits that cross Earth's orbit 
E)  on orbits that cross Mars's orbit 
A)  surrounding Jupiter 
B)  along Jupiter's orbit, 60° ahead of and behind Jupiter 
C)  in the center of the asteroid belt 
D)  on orbits that cross Earth's orbit 
E)  on orbits that cross Mars's orbit

Question 19

Refer to the following choices to answer the questions below. Chose the answer that best describes the chemical composition of the object.
-a Kuiper-belt object

Accepted Answer

A) nickel and iron 
B) 80 percent nitrogen, 20 percent oxygen 
C) 95 percent carbon dioxide 
D) mostly hydrogen and helium 
E) frozen methane, ammonia, water, and other gases and dust 
A) nickel and iron 
B) 80 percent nitrogen, 20 percent oxygen 
C) 95 percent carbon dioxide 
D) mostly hydrogen and helium 
E) frozen methane, ammonia, water, and other gases and dust

Question 20

What is Tunguska?

Accepted Answer

A)  A postulated binary companion to the Sun thought to be responsible for mass extinctions. 
B)  A long period comet that struck Jupiter in 1994. 
C)  The site of an asteroid impact that occurred in Siberia in 1908. 
D)  The Gulf of Mexico basin that is the crater of the asteroid impact that caused the mass extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. 
E)  A newly discovered moon of Pluto. 
A)  A postulated binary companion to the Sun thought to be responsible for mass extinctions. 
B)  A long period comet that struck Jupiter in 1994. 
C)  The site of an asteroid impact that occurred in Siberia in 1908. 
D)  The Gulf of Mexico basin that is the crater of the asteroid impact that caused the mass extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. 
E)  A newly discovered moon of Pluto.

What do we mean by a mass extinction?

What are "dwarf planets"?

A rock found on Earth that crashed down from space is called ________.

When we see a meteor shower, it means that ________.

All comets orbit the Sun in the same direction as the planets.

Why was the Shoemaker-Levy 9 impact so important to astronomers?

Rather than being a planet, Pluto is really just a large member of

Why didn't a planet form where the asteroid belt is now located?

An icy leftover planetesimal orbiting the Sun is

Refer to the following choices to answer the questions below. Chose the answer that best describes the chemical composition of the object. -Earth's atmosphere

When a comet passes near the Sun, part of it takes on the appearance of a large, bright ball from which the tail extends. This part is called ________.

Why does the plasma tail of a comet always point away from the Sun?

Which of the following statements best describes the size of the largest asteroid, Ceres?

On average, how often do impacts large enough to produce mass extinction on the Earth occur?

Pluto's surface features are completely unknown and await the visit by the New Horizon's spacecraft in 2015.

Where are the Trojan asteroids located?

Refer to the following choices to answer the questions below. Chose the answer that best describes the chemical composition of the object. -a Kuiper-belt object

What is Tunguska?

Our Place in the Universe

Discovering the Universe for Yourself

The Science of Astronomy

Making Sense of the Universe: Understanding Motion, Energy, and Gravity

Light: the Cosmic Messenger

Formation of Planetary Systems: Our Solar System and Beyond

Earth and the Terrestrial Worlds

Jovian Planet Systems

Our Star

Surveying the Stars

Star Stuff

Bizarre Stellar Graveyard

Our Galaxy

Galaxies and the Foundation of Modern Cosmology

Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe

The Beginning of Time

Life in the Universe

Filters

Exam 9: Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets: Their Nature, Orbits, and Impacts

What do we mean by a mass extinction?

What are "dwarf planets"?

A rock found on Earth that crashed down from space is called ________.

When we see a meteor shower, it means that ________.

All comets orbit the Sun in the same direction as the planets.

Why was the Shoemaker-Levy 9 impact so important to astronomers?

Rather than being a planet, Pluto is really just a large member of

Why didn't a planet form where the asteroid belt is now located?

An icy leftover planetesimal orbiting the Sun is

Refer to the following choices to answer the questions below. Chose the answer that best describes the chemical composition of the object. -Earth's atmosphere

When a comet passes near the Sun, part of it takes on the appearance of a large, bright ball from which the tail extends. This part is called ________.

Why does the plasma tail of a comet always point away from the Sun?

Which of the following statements best describes the size of the largest asteroid, Ceres?

On average, how often do impacts large enough to produce mass extinction on the Earth occur?

Pluto's surface features are completely unknown and await the visit by the New Horizon's spacecraft in 2015.

Where are the Trojan asteroids located?

Refer to the following choices to answer the questions below. Chose the answer that best describes the chemical composition of the object. -a Kuiper-belt object

What is Tunguska?

Our Place in the Universe

Discovering the Universe for Yourself

The Science of Astronomy

Making Sense of the Universe: Understanding Motion, Energy, and Gravity

Light: the Cosmic Messenger

Formation of Planetary Systems: Our Solar System and Beyond

Earth and the Terrestrial Worlds

Jovian Planet Systems

Our Star

Surveying the Stars

Star Stuff

Bizarre Stellar Graveyard

Our Galaxy

Galaxies and the Foundation of Modern Cosmology

Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe

The Beginning of Time

Life in the Universe

Filters