Deck 8: The Jovian Planets: Giants of the Solar System

Question 1

The Galileo probe was deliberately steered into Jupiter's atmosphere, ending its mission.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The equators of all four jovian planets rotate more rapidly than the polar regions.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Changes in the predicted motion of Uranus led to the search for an eighth planet.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

William Herschel was the discoverer of Uranus.

Question 5

All four jovian planets are made primarily of hydrogen and oxygen.

Question 6

While Voyagers were probes that flew past in a few days, Galileo and Cassini are orbiters, designed to study Jupiter and Saturn over prolonged periods of time.

Question 7

Saturn is less dense than water.

Question 8

The axial tilts of Uranus and Neptune are similar.

Question 9

All nine planets in the solar system have been visited by spacecraft.

Question 10

Jupiter's Great Red Spot is similar to a hurricane on Earth except for its size.

Question 11

Galileo's early telescopes revealed the four large moons of Jupiter, the rings of Saturn, and its large moon Titan.

Question 12

When Cassini entered orbit around Saturn, it caused the planet's orbit to change.

Question 13

The rotation of the magnetic fields of the jovian planets is believed to also give us the rotation rate of the planet's core.

Question 14

Like the discovery of Uranus, the finding of Neptune was accidental.

Question 15

All four jovian planets spin faster than any of the terrestrials.

Question 16

Most of our detailed knowledge of the jovian planets comes from the Hubble Space Telescope.

Question 17

Differential rotation is when a planet's equatorial and polar regions rotate at different rates.

Question 18

Jupiter's axial tilt is similar to that of Mercury, while Saturn's is more like ours.

Question 19

There is a clear relationship between the interior and atmospheric rotation rates of the jovian planets.

Question 20

A gravitational assist, or slingshot, can be used to either speed up or slow down a spacecraft.

Question 21

Neptune has a larger fraction of methane in its atmosphere than Uranus.

Question 22

All four Jovian magnetic fields are good examples of the dynamo theory, with the magnetic fields aligned well with the planets' rapid rotations.

Question 23

There is less ammonia in the atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune than in Jupiter or Saturn.

Question 24

All four jovian planets are oblate, with larger polar than equatorial diameters.

Question 25

Jupiter's magnetic field is much stronger than Earth's, and has a magnetic tail that extends beyond the orbit of Saturn.

Question 26

The less internal heat a jovian planet emits, the more it stirs up its clouds.

Question 27

Uranus' rotation axis is tipped over 98 degrees, so its magnetosphere is tipped over the same amount.

Question 28

Helium is more abundant on Saturn than on Jupiter.

Question 29

Jupiter's atmosphere looks uniform and calm, with no visible detail.

Question 30

Although it is almost the same size as Jupiter, Saturn's gravity is about 2.5 times less, because of Saturn's lower mass and density.

Question 31

Jupiter puts back into space twice the energy it gets from the Sun.

Question 32

The zonal flows giving rise to the belts and zones are similar to the jet streams in our own stratosphere.

Question 33

Methane absorbs red light readily, so we would expect a planet with a mostly methane atmosphere to appear blue.

Question 34

Although water and ammonia can produce Jupiter's white clouds, the complex coloration we observe in Jupiter's atmosphere requires more complex chemistry.

Question 35

We have observed a comet strike Jupiter.

Question 36

Most of Jupiter's volume is probably in the form of liquid metallic helium.

Question 37

Aurorae like ours have been seen above the poles of Jupiter and Uranus.

Question 38

The Galileo probe into Jupiter's atmosphere found more water than expected.

Question 39

In keeping with its Greek god, Neptune probably contains a lot of water, in a slushy mantle ocean.

Question 40

The Great Dark Spot of Neptune is probably just as long- lived as the more famed Great Red Spot of Jupiter; both lie at about the same latitudes, and are about the same size, relative to their planet.

Question 41

The Galileo mission put a spacecraft into orbit around Jupiter. Which statement is true?

A) The spacecraft used a gravity assist from both Venus and Earth.
B) The spacecraft crashed into the moon Europa.
C) A probe was released which soft landed on Io.
D) Intense magnetic fields were discovered in the asteroid belt.
E) A saltwater ocean was discovered on Jupiter.

Question 42

Uranus was discovered

A) by Galileo.
B) less than 250 years ago.
C) thousands of years ago.
D) after examining perturbations in Neptune's orbit.
E) with a radio telescope.

Question 43

The reason the jovian planets lost very little of their original atmosphere is due to their

A) ring systems.
B) rapid rotation.
C) many moons.
D) strong magnetic fields.
E) large mass.

Question 44

Essentially, the Great Red Spot is

A) composed primarily of iron oxide.
B) always located within 10 degrees of Jupiter's north pole.
C) Neptune's largest atmospheric feature.
D) a large cyclonic storm (hurricane).
E) traveling north and south across Jupiter's face.

Question 45

Small deviations in a planet's orbital motion

A) show we don't fully understand gravitational forces yet.
B) imply the nearby presence of a massive body.
C) indicate the presence of a powerful magnetic field.
D) indicate the presence of an extensive atmosphere.
E) show the planet's orbit isn't stable.

Question 46

Our most detailed knowledge of Uranus and Neptune comes from

A) spacecraft exploration.
B) ground- based radio telescopes.
C) the Hubble Space Telescope.
D) ground- based visual telescopes.
E) manned missions.

Question 47

Adams and Leverrier both predicted the position of Neptune, based on its effects on

A) Saturn.
B) the Sun.
C) Uranus.
D) Pluto.
E) Jupiter.

Question 48

The planet whose pole was facing the Sun when Voyager 2 approached in 1986 was

A) Saturn.
B) Uranus.
C) Jupiter.
D) Neptune.
E) Mars.

Question 49

The only probe into the atmospheres of any jovian planet was launched by

A) Galileo into Jupiter's equatorial zone.
B) Voyager 2 into Titan's atmosphere.
C) Pathfinder into Mars' atmosphere.
D) Huygens into Saturn's equatorial belt.
E) Cassini into Saturn's clouds.

Question 50

At which planet can the pole remain in darkness for 42 years, then have 42 years of constant daylight?

A) Pluto
B) Uranus
C) Jupiter
D) Neptune
E) Saturn

Question 51

The spacecraft Cassini went into orbit around

A) Uranus.
B) Neptune.
C) Pluto.
D) Jupiter.
E) Saturn.

Question 52

Cometary impacts with Jupiter

A) would not be catastrophic if they happened on Earth.
B) are spectacular but do not teach us much.
C) are extremely rare.
D) have been observed from Earth at least twice.
E) are impossible to observe from Earth.

Question 53

Studying the magnetospheres of the jovian planets has allowed us to measure their

A) gravity.
B) ring system diameters.
C) orbital radius.
D) orbital periods.
E) interior rotation rates.

Question 54

In terms of axial tilt, which of the jovian planets shows us the largest inclination?

A) Saturn
B) Uranus
C) Pluto
D) Jupiter
E) Neptune

Question 55

If you could find a bathtub big enough for Saturn, the planet would

A) float.
B) catch fire, as liquid sodium reacts with water.
C) sink due to its metallic interior.
D) precipitate more helium.
E) explode due to its liquid metallic hydrogen.

Question 56

Alternating zones of rising and sinking gas in Jupiter's atmosphere

A) circle the planet from pole to pole.
B) create light and dark bands.
C) produced the ring system discovered by Voyager.
D) generate magnetic fields.
E) cause Jupiter's magnetic field to ripple.

Question 57

Which three played a role in the finding of Neptune?

A) Bode, Herschel, and Fraunhofer
B) Shapley, Hubble, and Whipple
C) Herschel, Hubble, and Einstein
D) Adams, Leverrier, and Galle
E) Newton, Einstein, and Tombaugh

Question 58

Compared to Saturn, Jupiter is about

A) half as dense, but the same mass since it is larger.
B) half as massive and denser.
C) twice the diameter, but less dense.
D) three times more massive and denser.
E) 100 times more massive.

Question 59

Jupiter and the other jovian planets are noticeably oblate because

A) they all have strong magnetic fields that deform their shape.
B) they are tidally distorted by the pulls for their satellite systems.
C) their powerful gravity acts stronger on the closer poles than the distant equator.
D) they are fluid bodies that are spinning rapidly.
E) All of the above are correct.

Question 60

Which of these is true about the seasons of Uranus?

A) Its strange tilt produces extreme seasonal variations, especially at the poles.
B) At the Uranian pole the Sun sets every 16 hours during the summer and winter.
C) At the Uranian equator, the Sun would pass overhead every sixteen hours.
D) With a tilt of 29 degrees, they are not that different from our solstices and equinoxes.
E) There are no seasons at the poles.

Question 61

What is thought to lie at the center of Jupiter?

A) a solid core of crystalline helium
B) a hot sea of liquid metallic hydrogen
C) gaseous hydrogen and helium, for Jupiter is not differentiated like Earth
D) a massive core of rocky materials with some iron mixed in
E) a fusion core like the Sun's, with hydrogen being turned into helium

Question 62

Which common gas is less abundant in the top of Saturn's atmosphere, compared to what we observe at Jupiter?

A) helium
B) argon
C) methane
D) hydrogen
E) nitrogen

Question 63

While the mantles of Jupiter and Saturn are made of liquid metallic hydrogen, the mantles of Uranus and Neptune are chiefly

A) water.
B) helium.
C) rock.
D) methane.
E) ammonia.

Question 64

Which planet had the Great Dark Spot in 1989, but had lost it by 1995?

A) Saturn
B) Mars
C) Uranus
D) Jupiter
E) Neptune

Question 65

What is the source of Jupiter's intense radio waves and magnetism?

A) liquid metallic hydrogen swirling in the rapidly spinning mantle
B) charged particles trapped in Jupiter's solid iron core similar to Earth
C) the ionized sulfur ejected into a torus around Jupiter by Io
D) the auroral displays in the polar regions, just like with Earth
E) a liquid iron and nickel outer core, just like Earth's magnetic field

Question 66

Which two jovian planets have magnetic field tilts that are NOT along their rotation poles?

A) Jupiter and Uranus
B) Uranus and Neptune
C) Saturn and Neptune
D) Jupiter and Saturn
E) All jovian planets have magnetic fields close to their rotational axes.

Question 67

The magnetic field tilts of which two bodies are the most unusual?

A) Mercury and Earth
B) Saturn and Pluto
C) Mars and Saturn
D) Uranus and Neptune
E) Jupiter and Saturn

Question 68

Adams and Leverrier predicted the position of _ , which Galle confirmed.

A) Pluto
B) Jupiter
C) Uranus
D) Saturn
E) Neptune

Question 69

Jupiter's bright zones are cloud streams made of _ ice crystals.

A) ammonia
B) water
C) methane
D) helium
E) hydrogen

Question 70

Jupiter is largest and brightest in our skies when seen at .

Question 71

The most famous and long lasting storm in the solar system is .

Question 72

Jupiter gives back into space twice the energy it gets from the distant Sun. Where is this energy coming from, for the most part?

A) helium rain descending into its mantle and core
B) the impact energy of comets like SL- 9
C) the radioactive decay of U- 238 in its iron- rich core, just as with the Earth
D) the combined tidal stress of all four large Galilean moons
E) the slow escape of gravitational energy left from its formation

Question 73

In the telescope, shows the most turbulent atmosphere, with changes easily seen even with amateur telescopes.

A) Saturn
B) Pluto
C) Neptune
D) Uranus
E) Jupiter

Question 74

In brightness, Jupiter is second only to the planet most of the time.

A) Venus
B) Mars
C) Jupiter
D) Uranus
E) Saturn

Question 75

What is true of Jupiter's magnetosphere?

A) It is most extensive on the sunward side of the planet.
B) It is only slightly stronger than Saturn's.
C) It does not trap protons and electrons, as Earth's Van Allen belts do.
D) It has a tail that extends at least to Saturn's orbit.
E) Although its surface field is greater, since the planet is larger the total field is actually weaker than Earth's.

Question 76

The two outer jovian planets appear bluish in color because

A) hydrogen and helium are both blue in large concentrations.
B) dust motes in their atmospheres scatter blue well, just as in our own blue sky.
C) from their distance, the Sun would appear hotter and bluer than from Earth.
D) ammonia absorbs blue light well.
E) methane gas in their atmospheres absorbs red light well.

Question 77

William Herschel discovered the green disk of as the first telescopic planet.

Question 78

Why does Saturn radiate even more excess heat than Jupiter?

A) Saturn's thick clouds give it a stronger greenhouse effect.
B) Saturn is more massive than Jupiter, so its gravitational compression is stronger.
C) Saturn's atmosphere contains much methane, which is very flammable.
D) Only Saturn is still radiating heat left over from its formation.
E) Helium rain falling inward generates heat as it descends.

Question 79

A "gravitational slingshot" enables a spacecraft to

A) slow down.
B) speed up.
C) change direction.
D) A and B only
E) A, B, and C

Question 80

Of the jovian planets, which generates the least internal heat?

A) Uranus
B) Saturn
C) Jupiter
D) Pluto
E) Neptune