Deck 6: The Solar System: Comparative Planetology and Formation Models

Question 1

Earth is nearly twice as large as Venus.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

The mass of all the planets combined is about 1% of that of the Sun.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

A planet's sidereal orbital period can be measured from repeated observations of its location inthe sky (so long as Earth's own motion around the Sun is properly taken into account).

Answer 3

True

Question 4

All the jovian planets lie beyond the asteroid belt.

Question 5

Of all the terrestrial planets, Mercury's orbit is most eccentric and tilted most above theecliptic.

Question 6

One characteristic of the terrestrial planets is their extensive moon systems.

Question 7

All the terrestrial planets lie inside the asteroid belt.

Question 8

All jovian planets in our solar system have at least eight moons and equatorial rings.

Question 9

The solar system contains the Sun, eight major bodies called planets, and at least thousands ofsmaller bodies.

Question 10

Comets are not actually members of the solar system, but captured by the Sun.

Question 11

Comets are easier to identify than asteroids when they are close to the Sun.

Question 12

Our solar system contains only 65 moons (as of Summer 2016).

Question 13

Astronomers have not yet been able to detect planets outside our solar system.

Question 14

In addition to revolving around the Sun counterclockwise, most planets also rotate on theiraxis counterclockwise.

Question 15

All jovian planets in our solar system have rings around their equators and at least eightmoons.

Question 16

All of the jovian planets rotate more rapidly than any of the terrestrial planets.

Question 17

Due to their great masses, all four jovian worlds are much denser than the Earth.

Question 18

Our solar system contains more than 100 Kuiper Belt objects larger than 300 km in diameter.

Question 19

Asteroids are the densest form of interplanetary debris.

Question 20

All terrestrial planets have moons.

Question 21

Water began condensing around 1 A.U. from the Sun, which is why Earth has so much waterand Venus has almost none.

Question 22

Our understanding of the solar system has come in a way that can best be described as:

A)constant since prehistoric times.
B)slow and steady since the discovery of the telescope by Galileo.
C)erratic, with spurts when new planets were found.
D)steady until the last decade, when the decline in the space program slowed it a great deal.
E)explosive, with us learning more in the past few decades than in all previous history.

Question 23

The largest asteroid, and probably the only one to be a spherical "world," is:

A)Eros.
B)Ida.
C)Vesta.
D)Ceres.
E)Gaspra.

Question 24

The asteroids are very young and appear to be made from the same material.

Question 25

What is the goal of comparative planetology?

A)to use planetary positions to foretell the future
B)to find which planets will be most suitable for future colonization
C)to help plan future visits by unmanned probes, orbiters, and rovers
D)to determine the origin and evolution of the solar system
E)to find out how our own solar system compares with extrasolar ones

Question 26

Any model of solar system formation must explain why comets come from the Oort Cloud,with orbits very different from the planets, asteroids, and Kuiper Belt Objects.

Question 27

All planets revolve around the Sun counterclockwise, and most also rotate on their axiscounterclockwise.

Question 28

The Kuiper Belt is a collection of asteroid-sized icy bodies orbiting the Sun beyond the orbitof Neptune.

Question 29

Any model of solar system formation must explain why the planets revolve in the samedirection as the Sun rotates.

Question 30

While most large moons orbit counterclockwise above their planets' equators, the smallermoons often show eccentric or even retrograde orbits, suggesting capture.

Question 31

The Pioneer and Voyager space probes passed near the jovian planets without landing orcrashing into them.

Question 32

Any model of solar system formation must explain why terrestrial planets and jovian planetsformed differently.

Question 33

Conservation of angular momentum explains why the contracting solar nebula's rotation rateincreased as it contracted.

Question 34

Any model of solar system formation must explain why every planet is relatively isolated inspace.

Question 35

Interstellar dust grains start the process of condensation in the early solar nebula.

Question 36

The gravitational slingshot effect can increase the speed of a spacecraft, but not decrease it.

Question 37

Which planet by itself contains the majority of mass of all the planets?

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

Question 38

Different temperatures within the solar nebula ultimately determined the compositions of theplanets and their moons.

Question 39

Accretion occurred sooner in the inner part of the solar system than it did in the outerregions.

Question 40

Jupiter and the other jovian planets may have formed significantly closer to the Sun thantheir current orbits.

Question 41

The Kuiper Belt is found where in the solar system?

A)beyond the orbit of Neptune
B)among the orbits of the terrestrial planets
C)between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter
D)between the orbits of Jupiter and Uranus
E)sixty degrees ahead of or behind Jupiter

Question 42

Most asteroids are found:

A)beyond the orbit of Neptune.
B)between the Earth and Sun.
C)between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
D)in the orbit of Jupiter, but 60 degrees ahead of or behind it.
E)orbiting the jovian planets in captured, retrograde orbits.

Question 43

Which of these bodies has the lowest density?

A)Saturn
B)Jupiter
C)a comet
D)an asteroid
E)a Kuiper Belt object

Question 44

The planet's orbital period is:

A)the time it takes it to rotate and have the same face toward us again.
B)the time it takes to return to the same location in the sky, relative to the Sun.
C)the time it takes for a satellite to orbit it.
D)the time it takes for it to retrograde back to the same position as we pass it.
E)the time its magnetic field takes to spin once.

Question 45

Which of the following are the jovian planets?

A)Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto
B)only Jupiter
C)only Jupiter and Saturn
D)Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune only
E)everything past Mars and the asteroid belt

Question 46

In composition, mass, and density, Jupiter is most like:

A)a huge comet.
B)a gigantic asteroid.
C)the Sun.
D)a huge Kuiper belt Object.
E)a large terrestrial planet.

Question 47

Mercury's most unusual orbital feature, as compared to the other planets, is:

A)the size of its orbit.
B)the shape of its orbit.
C)its orbital period.
D)the size of the planet.
E)that it has no moons.

Question 48

The plane in which almost all planets orbit the Sun is called the:

A)equator of the solar system.
B)ecliptic.
C)equant.
D)node.
E)galactic plane.

Question 49

Masses of the planets are easiest to determine if:

A)they are terrestrial and the extra size of the planet's disk can be measured.
B)they are jovian and their oblateness can be found.
C)they have natural satellites whose motions can be precisely measured.
D)they are dense and easily deflect the path of passing spacecraft.
E)they move rapidly and their periods are easily measured.

Question 50

Planetary orbits:

A)are evenly spaced throughout the solar system.
B)are highly inclined to the ecliptic.
C)are almost circular, with low eccentricities.
D)have the Sun at their exact center.
E)are spaced more closely together as they get further from the Sun.

Question 51

How do the densities of the jovian and terrestrial planets compare?

A)Made from the same solar nebula, they are all similar.
B)More massive jovians all have high densities, compared to the tiny terrestrials.
C)All terrestrials are denser than any of the jovians.
D)The closer a planet lies to the Sun, the less its density.
E)No real pattern here; densities vary greatly and are very individual to each world.

Question 52

Which statement about the motion of the planets is incorrect?

A)Most orbit above the Sun's equator.
B)All revolutions of major planets are counterclockwise.
C)The orbits of most planets are almost circular, with low eccentricities.
D)Most planets move in the Earth's equatorial plane.
E)Most planets rotate in the counterclockwise direction when viewed from the North.

Question 53

What is true about solar system densities?

A)The denser planets lie closer to the Sun.
B)In differentiated bodies, the denser materials lie near their surfaces.
C)The asteroids all have about the same density.
D)Saturn has the same density as water.
E)Planetary density increases with increasing distance from the Sun.

Question 54

In order to determine the mass of a planet by applying Newton's laws of motion and gravity,the planet must have:

A)rings.
B)moons.
C)a solid surface.
D)a known size and distance from Earth.
E)planets further from the Sun than itself.

Question 55

What aspects of the planets' orbits are nearly the same for most planets?

A)orbital period and shape
B)shape and tilt from the ecliptic
C)shape and distance from the Sun
D)orbital period and distance from the Sun
E)tilt from the ecliptic and distance from the Sun

Question 56

The average density of each planet in the solar system is determined by taking its mass anddividing that by its:

A)radius.
B)diameter.
C)surface area.
D)radius squared.
E)volume.

Question 57

The jovian planets:

A)all are less than 5 A.U. from the Sun.
B)all have rings around their equators.
C)all spin slower than the Earth.
D)have satellite systems with less than 4 moons.
E)are all much denser than any of the terrestrials planets.

Question 58

The rotation periods of Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are difficult to determinebecause:

A)they rotate so fast.
B)they are all gas giants.
C)they are so far away from the Sun.
D)their surface features are obscured by their atmospheres.
E)each one has a large satellite that interferes with this measurement.

Question 59

Which characteristic listed below describes the jovian planets?

A)close to the Sun
B)small masses
C)low density
D)solid surfaces
E)slow rotational period

Question 60

Which of the characteristics below describes the terrestrial planets?

A)having rings
B)large and gaseous
C)small, dark and icy
D)possessing weak magnetic fields
E)widely spaced through the outer solar system

Question 61

The difference between a meteoroid and an asteroid is the object's:

A)size.
B)shape.
C)composition.
D)orbital period.
E)location in the solar system.

Question 62

The most detailed look we've had of an asteroid comes from:

A)spacecraft sent to an asteroid.
B)ground-based optical images.
C)Earth orbital X-ray images.
D)ground-based radar images.
E)high-altitude UV spectroscopy.

Question 63

Which object did New Horizons observe more closely than any other spacecraft in 2015?

A)Mercury
B)Venus
C)Ceres
D)Neptune
E)Pluto

Question 64

A gravitational "sling-shot":

A)causes comets to crash into planets, such as Jupiter in 1994.
B)allowed the Apollo astronauts to reach the Moon in 1969.
C)is the accepted theory for the formation of the asteroid belt.
D)changes the speed and direction of a spacecraft nearing a massive planet.
E)explains how the solar system was formed after a near collision with another star.

Question 65

The Kuiper Belt is an "outer asteroid belt" consisting of what types of solar system bodies?

A)icy cometlike bodies
B)asteroids
C)meteoroids
D)jovian planets
E)terrestrial planets

Question 66

Which of the following is NOT icy in composition?

A)comet nuclei
B)Kuiper Belt Objects
C)the polar cap of Mars
D)asteroids
E)most Jovian satellites

Question 67

As the solar nebula contracts due to gravitation, the cloud:

A)spins faster.
B)expands.
C)becomes more spherical in shape.
D)changes direction of motion.
E)begins to cool.

Question 68

In composition, asteroids and meteoroids are most like:

A)jovian planets.
B)Kuiper Belt objects.
C)comets.
D)terrestrial planets.
E)the moons of Jupiter.

Question 69

Which of these spacecraft went into orbit about Saturn in July 2004?

A)Galileo
B)New Horizons
C)Cassini
D)Voyager 2
E)NEAR-Shoemaker

Question 70

Which objects in the solar system have been least modified since the formation of the solarsystem?

A)asteroids
B)Kuiper Belt objects
C)meteoroids
D)terrestrial planets
E)jovian moons

Question 71

The "Grand Tour" of all four jovians was conducted by:

A)Galileo.
B)Cassini.
C)Pioneer 11.
D)both Voyager 1 and 2.
E)Voyager 2.

Question 72

A meteorite is:

A)a chunk of space debris that has struck the ground.
B)a streak of light in the atmosphere.
C)an icy body with a long tail extending from it.
D)a chunk of space debris orbiting the Earth.
E)an irregularly shaped body, mostly found orbiting between Mars and Jupiter.

Question 73

Objects in the Kuiper belt:

A)are in random orbits at all inclinations to the ecliptic.
B)lie beyond the orbit of Neptune, and close to the ecliptic.
C)are the sources of long-period comets.
D)are dense, like the iron meteorites.
E)lie beyond the orbit of Neptune and perpendicular to the ecliptic.

Question 74

Which spacecraft gave or is giving us our best information about Mercury?

A)Pioneer 10
B)Mariner 10
C)Voyager 1
D)Viking 2
E)Messenger

Question 75

Which of the following have an icy composition?

A)most asteroids
B)meteoroids
C)comets
D)the surface of Mars
E)meteorites and most asteroids

Question 76

The Kuiper Belt is found where in the solar system?

A)among the orbits of the terrestrial planets
B)beyond the orbit of Neptune
C)between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter
D)between the orbits of Jupiter and Uranus
E)sixty degrees ahead of or behind Jupiter

Question 77

Which of the following is considered "interplanetary matter"?

A)Titan
B)Triton
C)the Moon
D)Ganymede
E)Comet Hale-Bopp

Question 78

The smallest sort of interplanetary matter is called:

A)an asteroid.
B)interplanetary dust.
C)a meteoroid.
D)a Kuiper Belt Object.
E)a comet.

Question 79

Our best close-up views of the jovian moons came from the many passes by:

A)Voyager 2.
B)Galileo.
C)Cassini.
D)New Horizons.
E)Global Surveyor.

Question 80

In composition and density, the asteroids most resemble:

A)comets.
B)the Sun.
C)jovian moons.
D)pieces of terrestrial planets.
E)Kuiper Belt objects like Pluto.