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AS101 Test Bank
Astronomy I Our Place in the Cosmos (Wilfrid Laurier University)
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Which of the following statements about the ecliptic plane is not true?
• It is the plan of the moons orbit around earth
Which of the following statements about lunar phases is true
• It is possible to have 2 full moons during January but not during February
Which of the following celestial phenomena is the smallest
• The orbit of the moon
Suppose you lived at the Earth equator. Which of the following statements would not
be true
• - the celestial equator goes through your sky from due east on your horizon, through
50 degrees altitude in the south, to due west on the horizon
When you observe a star for a period of a few hours, you notice that it moves across the sky.
What is responsible for this motion
- Earthʼs rotation on its axis
On the cosmic calendar (where the age of the universe in condensed into the equivalent to one
calendar year) most of recorded history takes up what portion of the “year”?
- the last few seconds of the year
The order of the planets, from the sun outward is
- mercury, venus, earth, mars, jupiter, saturn
Which of the following is the reason for the solar day being longer than a sidereal day?
- the combined effect of the rotation of the Earth and its orbit around the sun
Which of the following statements about the moon is true
-the moonʼs distance from the earth varies during its orbit
One light year is closest to what distance
- ten million million kilometres
Which of the following is the best reason for the leap years
- the combined effect of the rotation of theʼs earth axis and the precession of the
earth
The apparent visual magnitude of star A is +2 and the apparent visual magnitude of star B is +1
Based on this information which statement below must be true
•light output can distance cannot apparent be determined from a a stars
apparent visual magnitude alone
Which of the following would appear brightest in the night sky
- the full moon
Which of the following best describes the Milky Way Galaxy
•a spiral galaxy with a disk about 100,000 light years in diameter and
containing between 100 billion and 1 trillion stars
What conditions are required for a lunar eclipse
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•the phase of the moon must be ʼfull, and the nodes of moons orbit must be
aligned with SU and E
We ʼcannot detect stellar parallax with naked-eye observations. Which of the following
would make parallax easier to observe?
- increasing the sizeʼ orbit of the earth
Which statement below most accurately describes modern constellations
-there are 88 well defined regions on the celestial sphere
You are standing on the equator at midnight which way is polaris, the north star?
- on the northern horizon
Suppose the date is June 21st and the sun never sets, just touching your Northern horizon at
midnight. Where are you?
- the arctic circle
The size of a hockey rink is best measured in what units
- metres
If the moon is setting at midnight, the phase of the moon must be
- first quarter
Which of the following correctly describes the meridian in your sky
•a half circle extending from your horizon due north through your zenith, to
your horizon due south
Which of the following statements is true?
Answer is both B and C
Statements were
•both the northern and southern hemispheres receive the same amount of
sunlight on the equinoxes
•The northern hemisphere receives the most direct sunlight on the summer
solstice
Which of the following best describes the tropic of Cancer
- it is a place where the sun is directly overhead at noon on the summer solstice
The sun is rising in the east and will be on your meridian in 2 hours. What time is it currently?
-10 am
While in Bracebridge, ON where the latitude is 45 degrees, at the spring equinox (about March
21st) the sun follows the path where it
•rises due east, crosses the meridian at an altitude of 45 degrees in the south,
and sets due west
What is an astronomical Unit
- the average distance from the earth to the sun
What conditions are required for a solar eclipse
•the phase of the moon must be new, and the nodes of the moons orbit must
be nearly aligned with the earth and sun
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Which of the following is the furthest from the sun?
-Proxima Centauri
If it is midnight in waterloo it is
- daytime in sydney Australia
The lunar month is longer than the sidereal month because
•the moon has to complete more than one full orbit around the earth to
complete the cycle of lunar phases
What is the ecliptic
- the ʼsun apparent path along the celestial sphere
Which of the following celestial phenomena is the largest
- the milk way galaxy
How long does it take light from the surface of the sun to get to earth?
- a few minutes
Which of the following has your address in the correct order? In this question the local group al
means thee local Clusters
- you, Earth, Solar system, Milky Way, Local Group, Local supercluster
The size of our galaxy in light years is closest to which of the following
numbers
-100,000
Which of the following statements about the celestial sphere is not true
- the celestial equator lies in the ecliptic plane
Which of the following is the largest?
- size of a typical galaxy
If you lived at the north pole at night the stars would
- never rise or set, but move in circles around polaris, the north star
Suppose that the Sun were to suddenly disappear from our solar system. What would happen to
earths motion
It would begin traveling in a straight line heading out of the solar system
Which of the following statements about electrons is not true
Electrons are actually neutrons that have acquired an electrical charge
The Metonic Cycle is the
19 year period over which the lunar phases occur on about the same dates
Which statement about the cosmological principle is valid
It is based on two tenets involving the universality of the laws of physics and chemistry and the
belief that there is nothing special about Earth
Considering Einstein's famous equation E =mc2 which of the following is true
A small amount of mass can be turned into a large amount of energy
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Which of the following best describes the origin of the ocean tides on earth
Tides are caused by the difference in the force of gravity exerted by the moon across the sphere of
the Earth
What does temperature measure
The average kinetic energy of particles in a substance
Upon what quantities does angular momentum depend
Mass velocity radius
The amount of matter contained in an object is called its mass. Which of the following is false
If you were to go to the moon your mass would be lower than your moss on Earth because gravity is
less on the moon
Where does the energy come from that your body uses to keep you alive
Mostly it comes from the foods you eat
Without telescopes or other aid we can see the moon in the night sky because
It reflects light
The scientific method is best described by which of the following
A system of collecting analyzing data, formulating a hypothesis, testing it and reforming it as
needed
If your mass is 60 KG on earth would be on Jupiter
60 KG
The names of the 7 days of the week are based on
Seven naked eye objects that appear to move among the constellations
Which of the following is not one of nor follows kepler laws
When a planet travels slower it must be nearer to the sun and it speeds up far from the sun
Ptolemy was important in history of astronomy because he
Developed a model of the solar system that made sufficiently accurate predictions of planetary
positions to remain in use for centuries
Radiative energy is
Energy carried by light
Retrograde motion is observable for what objects
Planets located more distant from the sun than earth
The doppler shift is a wave phenomenon that
Uses change in wavelength of light to determine speed of a moving star
At which lunar phases are the tides smallest
rd
Both first and 3
When copernicus 1st created his sun centred model it not lead to better predictions than
ptolemaic why
Copernicus used perfect circles for the orbits of the planets
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A skater can spin faster by pulling arms closer to her body and slower by pulling out
Conservation of angular momentum
From lowest energy to highest energy electromagnetic radiation
Radio, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, x rays, gamma rays
Spectral line formed by hydrogen appears at a wavelength of 486.1 nanometres the spectrum o
star sows the same hydrogen line appearing at 485.2 what can we conclude
The star is moving towards us
Which of the following is not a unit of energy
Kilowatt
The frequency of a wave is
All of the above
Spectroscopy can be used to
All of the above
Which of the following statements best describes the principle advantage of telescopes over
eyes
Telescopes can collect far more light with far better angular resolution
A green apple looks green because
It reflects green light and absorbs all other colours
The wavelength of a wave is
The distance between two adjacent peaks of the wave
Kinetic Energy is
Energy of motion
What would happen if the space shuttle were launched with greater speed then earths escape
velocity
It would travel away from the Earth into the solar system
What do astronomers mean by light pollution
Refers to light used for human activities that brightens the sky and hinders astronomical
observations
Which of the following statements is not one of Newtons laws of motion
The net force applied to an object is equal to its mass times velocity
Which of the following statements correctly describes the law of conservation of energy
The total quantity of energy in the universe constant, although we’re not sure how much
energy there really is
Which of the following statements about X rays and radio waves is not true
Neither X rays nor radio waves can penetrate the earths atmosphere
Which of the following is not an advantage of the HST over ground based telescopes
Although it orbits the Earth and is outside the atmosphere, it is closer to the stars
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When hold a rock potential energy, drop it kinetic, hits the ground what
happens
The energy goes to producing sound and to heating the ground rock, air
The trouble with refraction telescopes is that
Different colours of visible starlight get focused to different points in space making the image
blurry
Suppose the angular separation of 2 stars is smaller than the angular resolution of your eyes ho
will stars appear to your eyes
The 2 stars look like a single point of light
The Age of our Solar system is approximately
-4.6 billion years
As of now most known extrasolar planets have been discovered by
- Doppler technique
Which of the following is not a characteristic of the moons of the solar system
planets
- all of the eight classical planets have at least one moon
Which of the following statements about asteroids is not true
- no asteroids have been found beyond the asteroid belt
What is a comet
- the nucleus of a comet is a collection of various ices mixed with dust and tiny bits
fo rocky debris
Atmospheres formed around some terrestrial planets because
- outgassing through volcanic activity
Which of the following solar system moons were likely formed through the same
processes as our solar system
- jupiter’s so called Galilean moons
what was the ice or frost line of the solar system
- between present day rbits of mars and Jupiter
which of the following is not characteristic of the terrestrial planets
- they have more moons than the jovian plants
why haven’t we detected low mass planets close to their stars and high mass planets
far from their stars
- Both A and B above
To date about how many extrasolar planets have been discovered
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- 700
what are the main constituents of the jovian planets
- hydrogen and helium
the first small solid grans or flakes formed in our solar system by the process of
- condensation
what is an extrasolar planet
- a planet that orbits a star that is not our sun
What is an exoplanet moon
- it is an object orbiting an exoplant
at firs the suns present dat rotation seems to contradict the prediction of the
nebular theory because
- sun should have been roating fast when it formed, but the actual rotation is fairly
slow
why did the solar nebula heat up as it collapsed
- as the cloud shrank, its gravitational potential energy….
Which of the following statements about the jovian planets is not true
- outermost jovian planet Uranus….
Which one of the following is a characteristic of jovian planets
- low average density
the terrestrial planet cores contain mostly metal because
- metals condensed first in the solar nebula and the rocks then accreted around
them
based on available data what kind of objects in our solar system do most of the
known extrasolar planets resemble
- jovian planets
the planet closest in size to earth is
- venus
51 pegasi is important because
- it is the first star like our sun that was found to have a planet orbiting it
which of the following is the origin of almost all the large moons around the jovian
planets
- they were formed by condensation and accretion in disk of gas around the planet
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which type of exoplanet would you expect to cause the largest Doppler shift
- massive planet close to its star
rank the 5 worlds in order of size from large to small
- earth, venus, mars mercury moon
the asteroid belt is found where
- mars and Jupiter
according to our theory of solar system formation what is pluto
- one of the largetst Kuiper belt objects
the nebular theory of the formation of the solar system successfully predicts all but
one of the following, which one does the theory not predict
- the equal number of terrestrial and jovian planets
which fo the following statements about meteorites is true
- A. a meteorite si whats left of a meteor when it hits the earth’s surface
which detection technique has been used to find orbital distance
- Doppler technique
how much of the solar nebula consisted of elements heavier than hydron and helium
2%
which of the following statements is not an observed pattern of motion in our solar
system
- most planets orbit at the same speed
what is the origin of the atoms of hydrogen, oxygen, and sodium in the persipartion
that exits your body during this astrononoky test
- hydrogen nuclei were produced a few minutes after the big bang event 13.7 billion
years ago …..
which of the following is not a technique that could be used to discover extrasolar
planet
- direct binocular
why does the solar nebul;a theory preict that planetary systems are common
- all of the other answers
why are the inner plantes made of denser materials than the outer planets
- in the inner part of the nebula only metals and rocks were able to condense bcause
of the high temperatures whereas hydeogen compounds alghouth more abundtant
wer only able to condense in the cooler outer regions
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which of the following statements about comets is not true
- the nucleus of a comet is quite large about 100 km across
which of the following is not a characteristic of the general layout of the solar
system
- all planets rotate on their polar axes at about the same rate
according to our theory of solar system formation what is the origin of asteroids and
comets
- asteroids are the leftover planetsiamls of the inner solar system and comets are the
leftover planetsiamsl that formed beyond the freost line
Jupiter and Satrun emit heat than absorbed from the sun due
to
More; heat left over from their formation
Which of the following statements about the rings of the 4 jovian planets is not true
All probably look much like they did when the solar system first formed
What is a Roche zone
The region near a planet where tidal forces would tear apart an object held together only by
gravity
Saturn is how far from the sun
10 AU
What mechanism is most responsible for generating the internal heat of IO that drives volcanic
activity
Tidal heating
The belts and zones of jupiter are
Alternating bands of rising and falling air at different latitudes
How thick are Saturn’s rings from top to bottom
A few tens of metres
Which of the following does Jupiter not have
Crustal plates on its surface
All but one of the following statements about Mars are true. Which is false
The Martian atmosphere is fairly substantial with a composition similar to earth
Which of these moons is the most geologically active
Io
Mars is how far from the sun
1.5 AU
All but one of the following statements about mercury are true. Which is false
Mercury has a very thin atmosphere which is strange because there are still active volcanoes
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outgassing carbon dioxide and water vapour
Why are there no impact craters on the surface of Io
Io did have impact craters but they have all ben buried in lava flows
Mercury's Large core is composed of
Iron
We know about earths interior because of
Study of waves created by earthquakes
Why does Jupiter have several distinct cloud layers
Different layers represent clouds made of gases that condense at different temps
How have we been able to construct maps of surface features on the plant
venus
By using radar from spacecraft that were sent to orbit venus
Which of the following objects contains mostly nitrogen with some methane
Titan
The orbit of Venus around the sun is almost circular. What is the radius of its orbit
0.72 AU
Earthʼs atmosphere contains only small amounts of Carbon dioxide because
It dissolves in water, and most of it is now in the oceans and carbonate rocks
All but one of the following statements about Mercury are true. Which one is
false
Mercuryʼs orbit around the sun is circular, more so than any other planet
All of the following statements about Jupiter are true, which is false
The great red spot is a large storm centre, which has been observed for last 50 yrs
Planetary rings are
All of the above
A solar day on Mercury is about how long
176 Earth days
Why does Marys have more extreme seasons than Earth
Because it has a more eccentric orbit
What is the Cassini division of Saturn rings
A large gap, visible from earth, produced by an orbital resonance with moon Mimas
Why does the burning of fossil fuels increase the greenhouse effect on earth
Burning releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
All but one of the statements about earth is true. Which is false
The poles of earthsʼs magnetic field are preciselyʼ aligned with Earth rotational axis
In what ways is Earth different from other terrestrial planets
All of the above
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What is the region around a planet called where the magnetic field is able to deflect solar wind
and other charged particles
Magnetosphere
Why do astronomers believe Triton may have been a planet that was captured by neptune
It orbits neptune in the opposite direction of Neptune rotation
The origin of Earth’s only natural satellite, Moon is
A combination of the capture theory and the daughter theory called the impact theory which posits
that early a young molten earth collided with a mars like object
Which of the following statements about conjunctions and oppositions if false
Mars can have an inferior conjunction butʼs not a superior conjunction from earth perspective
All of the following about Venus are true. Which one is false
The magnetic field has about the same intensity as on Earth it appears to change directions every
100,000 years
There are no auroras on Venus because it
Lacks a strong magnetic field
Which of the following statements about Saturn is false
Saturn was first discovered by Galileo about 400 years ago
Which of the following is not a Kuiper Belt Object
Triton
Which of the following statements about Pluto is false
Pluto is one of the larger KBOs discovered to date and is actually bigger than Mercury
Which of the following statements about Charon, Plutos moon are true expect
which one
As strange as it may seem, astronomers have actually observed seasonal effects on Charon
Which of the following statements about the moons of the Jovian planets is
false
Tiania, one of the largest jovian moons, has a wrinkly surface that is often referred to as
“cantaloupe terrain”
Module 1 Notes
1 Astronomical Unit = 1 AU = 1.5 x 108km = 150M km = average distance from Sun
to the Earth
Light-year (ly) = the distance light travels in one year, approx. 63,000 AU
It has been approximately 13.7B years since the Big Bang
The Moon’s distance from Earth is about 30x the Earth’s diameter = 384,000km
The precession of the Earth’s rotational axis points to the North Star but this will
change over time
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- The Earth rotates from west to east in front of the Sun, giving both day and night
- the Sun rises in the east and sets in the west
- What you see in the sky depends on where you are; Canadians see constellations
and stars that Australians never see
- Astronomers measure distances across the sky as angles in units of degrees, arc
minutes and arc seconds
Zenith – point in the sky directly overhead
Nadir – point directly below your feet
Celestial Equator – an extension of the Earth’s equator
onto the celestial sphere
Meridian – the line going from due north, through your
zenith and finishing due south
Arc Minutes – angular degrees are subdivided into arc
minutes (60’ in one degree); is further divided into 60
arc seconds
Circumpolar Stars – stars that trace out complete
circles
The Earth moves along the ecliptic path its rotational axis, on which it makes one
revolution each day, is tipped to the ecliptic plane at a constant angle of 23.5°
resulting in seasons on Earth.
Tropic of Cancer – circle of latitude on the Earth that marks the most northerly
position at which the Sun may appear directly overhead at its zenith; occurs once
per year at the time of June Solstice
Tropic of Capricorn – southern hemisphere counterpart, marking the most
southerly position at which the Sun may appear directly overhead
The moon takes about a month to circle the Earth; as it circles the Earth it goes
through phases of reflected sunlight
Orbital Period – from one full moon to the next – approximately 29.5 days
Sidereal Period – the time for one revolution relatives to the stars – approximately
27 days
Solar Eclipse – Moon blocks out the sunlight at high noon for a period of time
Lunar Eclipse – Earth blocks out the Sun’s light at midnight for a period of time
Only when the moon crosses through the ecliptic plane, at points called nodes, is an
eclipse possible. Also, only when the Sun, Earth and Moon are all lined up is an
eclipse possible; phase of the moon must be either new or full.
Lunar Eclipse Types – Earth is between the Sun and Moon
a) Penumbral - most common, Moon passes through only the penumbra (sunlight is
only partially blocked). Result is that the Moon darkens only slightly.
b) Partial - part of Moon passes through the umbra while the rest passes through
the penumbra. Result is the part of the Moon is darkened completely but rest only
slightly darkened with no clear demarcation between the areas
c) Total - Moon passes entirely through the umbra. Result is that the Moon is
completely dark during the eclipse
Solar Eclipse Types – Moon is between the Earth and the Sun
a) Total – Moon is relatively close to the Earth in its orbit and the Moon’s umbra
touches a small area of the Earth’s surface; anyone within this area sees the sun
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totally blocked out
b) Partial – surrounding the small area of totality lies a larger area falling inside the
Moon’s penumbral shadow; anyone within this area sees the moon partially blocked
out
c) Annular – Moon is relatively far from Earth and the Moon’s umbra may not reach
the Earth surface at all; anyone within the small area behind the umbra will see all
of the Sun blocked out except a ring of sunlight surrounding the Moon’s disk
Five planets closest to the Earth are visible to the naked eye:
a) Mercury – at sunrise/sunset
b) Venus – closer to the horizon and bright
c) Mars – reddish colour
d) Jupiter – at night and comparatively bright
e) Saturn – slightly more difficult to spot
In 2002, all five planets were lined up in the Western sky. This will occur once again
in 2040.
The planets generally follow the motions of the Sun and Moon in that they move
eastward relative to the stars. Occasionally, all planets appear to change direction
and move westward relative to the stars, which is a motion referred to as
retrograde motion. This is because as the inner planets move faster in orbit and
catch up to the outer, slower-moving planets, the outer planets appear to move
backwards.
Stellar Parallax – occurs when we look at a nearby star from two vantage points;
first when the Earth is at one extreme of its orbit around the Sun, and second when
the Earth is at the opposite extreme six months later
- the nearby star appears to shift laterally against the background of stars behind it
Stellar parallax allows us to measure distances to nearby stars AND also provides
direct evidence that the Earth really does revolved around the Sun.
Declination – latitude, expressed in degrees, arcminutes/arcseconds north (+) or
south (-) of the celestial equator
Right Ascension – longitude; expressed in hours (h), minutes (m), and seconds (s)
of time, from 0 to 24h
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Timekeeping by Day
Our local meridian is the imaginary line ending at the north and south celestial poles
which cuts through our zenith. The average length of time between successive
passes of the Sun across the local meridian is called a solar day (this time varies
slightly throughout a year which is why the word “average” is used). Another way of
determining the length of a day is to measure the time it takes for any star to make
successive passes across the local meridian which we call a sidereal day. A sidereal
day is about 23 hours 56 minutes, shorter than a solar day by about 4 minutes
because during a solar day the Earth has travelled along its orbit around the Sun and
the Earth needs a little more time to rotate before the Sun crosses the meridian (a
simple mathematical calculation shows that the Earth moves about 1° per day
around its orbit).
Timekeeping by Month
Timekeeping involving months comes from the lunar phase’s cycle which is about
29.5 solar days, corresponding roughly to the average month length, known as
a synodic month. Synodic comes from the Latin word “synod” meaning meeting –
the meeting of the Sun and the Moon at each new moon phase. If, however, we use
the stars to measure the length of the lunar cycle, a sidereal month, the time turns
out to be 27.3 days, shorter than a synodic month for the same reason a sidereal day
is shorter than a solar day.
Timekeeping by Year
The length of a year is clearly related to the time required for the Earth to complete
one full orbit around the Sun, about 365.25 days. Again there are two slightly
different timeframes. A sidereal year is the time taken for a complete orbit relative
to the stars, whereas the time between successive spring (or autumnal) equinoxes is
called a tropical year (or solar year) and it should come as no surprise that these
two years differ. A sidereal year is longer than a tropical year by about 20 minutes,
the difference due to the precession of the Earth’s rotation.
We use an aspect of solar time for timekeeping. The apparent solar time is
determined by the Sun’s position in the sky relative to our local meridian; when the
Sun is right on the meridian it is noon; before the Sun gets to the meridian we say
that it is ante meridian(ante meaning before), hence a.m. or am; after noon, when
the Sun has passed the meridian we say that it is post meridian (post meaning
after), hence p.m. or pm. However, each solar day differs from 24 hours by a slight
amount because the Earth’s orbit is not perfectly circular and because of the Earth’s
23.5° tilt. Thus, the average solar day is the more important concept and the one
used to keep track of time. Using apparent solar time would mean adjusting clocks
each day, an unnecessary complication. Clearly, apparent solar time varies with
longitude (owing to the Earth’s spin on its axis) and so everybody’s apparent solar
time will be different, unless they happen to be at precisely the same longitude. To
alleviate this problem Sandford Fleming, a Canadian, proposed a system of dividing
the Earth into 24 different time zones such that within each time zone the time
would be exactly the same. Such a system was eventually adopted universally by the
late 1800s.
Calendars
The tropical year (equinox to equinox) is about 365.25 days. If we choose 365 days
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for one year (the Egyptian concept) then the seasons drift through the year by one
day in every 4 years, not a great concept. Julius Caesar introduced the idea that
every four years an extra day would be added to account for this discrepancy (hence
the leap year), a definite improvement. This is the so-called Julian calendar.
However, life is rarely this simple. The tropical year is not exactly 365.25 days but
rather about 11 minutes short of this value resulting in the spring equinox moving
backwards through the calendar by 11 minutes each year, or about 14.5
hours/lifetime of 80 yrs, or about 12 days every 1600 years. So, in 1582, Pope
Gregory XIII introduced a slight variation in the calendar, which became known as
the Gregorian calendar (the one we use today), which first set the spring equinox to
March 21 and then adjusted the leap day schedule such that each century year
(normally a leap year) would be skipped as a leap year unless that year was divisible
by 400 (i.e., year 2000 would be a leap year, but not 1900, nor 2100), making the
calendar good for thousands of years into the future and now used globally.
Module 2 Notes
Kepler published his three laws of planetary motion in the early 1600s:
a) Kepler’s First Law: The orbit of each planet around the Sun is an ellipse with
the Sun at one focus
Eccentricity was established whereby a circle has an eccentricity of zero and a
straight line has an eccentricity of 1; this is useful in determining the ellipses of
orbits
b) Kepler’s Second Law: As a planet moves around in its orbit, it sweeps out equal
areas in equal times
When a planet is closer to the Sun (around its perihelion) it moves faster along its
orbit than when close to the aphelion (further point from the Sun). The planet
moves from A to B (perihelion) in the same time that it takes to go from A’ to B’
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(perihelion).
c) Kepler’s Third Law: The squares of the periods of any two planets have the
same ratio as the cubes of their semi-major axes
p2 = a3
where p is the orbital period in years, and a is the avg. distance from
the Sun in AU
Galileo introduced the telescope to the world in the early 1600s and proved the
Earth was not the centre of the universe and in fact the Sun-centred model was
correct.
Newton’s Universal Law of Gravitation: if the mass of either object is doubled, the
force doubles
- also, if the distance between the masses doubles, the force diminishes by a factor of
4 (two squared)
Tides are a good example of this, and they are caused by the difference in
gravitational attraction from one side of the Earth to the other.
When the Sun, Moon and Earth are all lined up, the tides are highest and called
spring tides.
During first and third quarter Moons, the tides are called neap tides
The Scientific Method
a) Deductive reasoning – process of concluding that something is true because it is
a special case of a general principle that is known to be true
- logically valid and this is the fundamental method in which mathematical facts are
shown to be true
b) Inductive reasoning – process of reasoning that a general principle is true
because the special cases you’ve seen are true; for example, if all the people you’ve
met from a particular town have been intelligent, you might say that “all the
residents of this town are smart”
Any model, hypothesis or theory can never be “proved” – a theory always remains a
theory until some observation discredits it.
Pseudoscience – false science; ex. making predictions based on tarot cards, psychic
determinations
Nonscience – predictions based on intuition, faith, political conviction and tradition
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Cosmological Principal
- there is nothing special or unique about Earth; our location in the Universe is by
chance
- the laws of physics and chemistry are valid throughout the universe
Orbital Motion
1. An object orbiting Earth, and any orbiting object, is actually falling (being
accelerated due to the gravitational force) toward Earth’s center
2. Objects orbiting each other actually revolve around their mutual center of mass
3. If you want to leave Earth and never return, you must give your spaceship a high
enough velocity so it will follow an open orbit
Momentum – the inertia an object has
p=mv
whereby p is momentum, m is mass and v is velocity
Properties of a Wave
- wavelength – the length of one wave (λ)
- frequency – the number of waves passing a point in space per second (f)
- speed – how fast the wave moves through space (c)
Speed = Frequency x wavelength
Every time light interacts with an object, at least one of the following occurs:
- absorption, transmission, or reflection
Doppler Effect – If a sound source is moving toward an observer the waves in front
of the sound source get bunched up (closer together) so that the observer hears
more waves per second than if the sound source was not moving. Similarly, if the
sound source is moving away from the observer the waves behind the sound source
get pulled apart so that the observer hears fewer waves per second than if the sound
source was not moving.
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Light is a wave phenomenon and so the same effect is observed for light. That is,
light coming from a moving object will have its frequency shifted to a higher or
lower value depending on the motion of the source.
If we are looking at light from a star and we see the traditional hydrogen spectral
line pattern (say the Lyman series) but it is shifted towards the red end of the visible
spectrum then we know that the star is moving away from us. Furthermore, by
measuring the amount the spectrum is shifted, we can determine the radial velocity
of the star. Conversely, if the spectrum is "blue-shifted" then the star is moving
toward us.
Heat is transferred from one body to another body by three unique
mechanisms:
- conduction – when the atoms in one part of the substance vibrate faster than at
another part of the substance (lower temperature) causing energy to be transferred
- convection – liquids and gas distribute heat with an actual transfer of mass
- radiation – makes use of a form of energy to remove/transport heat from one
place to another
Conduction — heat flows from the
hot solid core to the inner mantle (red
part) and from the top of the mantle into
the lithosphere (the outside crust).
•
Convection — as described above
conduction cells form in the mantle.
•
Radiation — at the surface of the
planet energy is radiated into space in
the form of light of various frequencies.
•
Types of Electromagnetic Radiation and their Sources
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Type of
Radiation
Object
Temperature
Typical Sources
Less than 0.01
More than 108 K
Nuclear reactions
X-rays
0.01 - 20
106 - 108 K
Supernova remnants
and solar corona
Ultraviolet
20 - 400
104 - 106 K
Very hot stars
Visible
400 - 700
103 - 104 K
Stars
1000 - 1,000,000
10 - 103 K
Cool clouds of dust,
planets, satellites
More than
1,000,000
Less than 10 K
No astronomical
objects are this cold
Gamma Rays
Infrared
Radio
Wavelength Range
(nm)
Types of Telescopes
a) Refractive – similar to human eye, takes light in through a lens (A)
b) Reflective – more common, use one optical surface to collect light, a spherical
mirror surface, which focuses the light at a point in front of the mirror (B)
Module 3 Notes
Comparative Planetology – seeking to understand the similarities and the
differences between and among the planets
Solar Nebular Theory – main theory of formation of our solar system
- imagines that some cataclysmic event initiated the collapse of a nebula that caused
material falling inward to some centre converting gravitational potential energy into
kinetic energy making the centre, or core, hotter and hotter
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Terrestrial Planets – four inner planets - Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars
- small, dense, rocky worlds with little or no atmosphere
Jovian Planets – four outer planets – Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune
- large, low-density worlds with thick atmospheres and liquid or ice interiors
Planetary Characteristics:
•
•
•
•
•
all planets orbit the Sun in the same direction – counter clockwise (ccw)(as
viewed from above North Pole)
all orbits lie in nearly the same plane
almost all planets have nearly circular orbits (Mercury is a minor exception)
most planets rotate ccw (Venus and Uranus are exceptions) including the Sun
most moons orbit their planet in same direction as the planet's rotation and
orbit in their planet's equatorial plane
Mercury and Venus have no moons; Earth has one and Mars has two very small
asteroid-like moons. The Jovian planets, by contrast, have many. Jupiter is listed as
having 6 but it actually has over 60; Saturn has almost as many and Uranus and
Neptune have 40 between them.
All Jovian planets have ring systems. Saturn’s rings are made of ice particles. The
rings of Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune are made of dark rocky particles. Terrestrial
planets have no rings.
Asteroids lie primarily between Mars and Jupiter and a fairly broad belt in the same
plane as planetary orbits.
Comets follow either elliptical orbits or parabolic/hyperbolic orbits passing close to
the Sun once. They are made largely of ices mixed with rocky dust, no bigger than a
few km across. They come from two major sources – the Kuiper belt (a doughnut
shaped region starting around Neptune and extending out into space) and the Oort
Cloud (a spherical region completely surrounding the solar system and extending
out some 50,000 AU). As a comet gets close to the Sun it generates a coma (an
atmosphere of escaping gases and dust) around its nucleus and two tails:
a plasma tail of ionized gas swept away by the solar wind, and a dust tail of small
solid particles created by the escaping atmosphere (escapes from the comet because
of its weak gravity). When we see a comet in the sky we don’t actually see its core
but rather the lengthy beautiful tail emanating from the core. This tail always points
away from the Sun.
During each pass of the Sun, comets lose material through sublimation and tail
formation.
Meteoroids, Meteors and Meteorites are found around Earth. Meteors are actually
small bits of rock and/or metal falling into Earth’s atmosphere that heat up due to
friction with the air. We see them as “shooting stars” (of course, they are not stars at
all). A meteoroid is what the rocky object is called before it hits the atmosphere and
becomes a meteor. If the meteoroid is massive enough to have any part of it left
before it hits the Earth’s surface it then becomes a meteorite.
Kuiper Belt – begins at about orbit of Neptune and extends out to about 100 AU
- this doughnut-shaped belt lies mainly in the planetary or ecliptic plane
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Oort Cloud – a spherical cloud surrounding solar system, centred on Sun, and
comets from this region come into solar system from all directions; extends from the
outer part of the Kuiper belt to about halfway to nearest stars
Half-Life – the time it takes for half of the atoms to decay in a radioactive element
- it appears that our solar system formed about 4.6 billion years ago
Summary
Planet
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Orbital Radius
(AU)
0.39
0.72
1.0
1.52
5.2
9.54
19.2
30.1
Galactic Recycling Process – when stars die, the spew out their mass into the
universe and the next generation of stars contains some of these heavier elements
and, in the process of formation, make some new ones of their own
As the nebula started to contract around its centre, collapsing under its own gravity
to something around 200 AU in diameter, three things occurred:
1. Temperature Increased
2. Nebular Rotation Rate Increased
3. Nebular Sphere Flattens to Disk
Eventually as we move away from the Sun, the temperature drops to the freezing
point for water (273K) signifying a special point known as the ice or frost line.
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Beyond the frost line, gaseous compounds such as ammonia and methane can
condense to form ice flakes that formed the basis for the Jovian planets.
Condensation – adding one atom or molecule at a time
Accretion – small flakes of metal and rocks stick together by being closer to each
other
•
•
in the inner solar system, where only metal and rocks and silicates could
condense, planetesimals were made of rocks and metals and formed the
terrestrial planets — furthermore, as only rocks and metals could condense
the terrestrial planets were rich in these materials.
in the outer solar system where ices could condense (it was cold enough)
planetesimals were built of ices and metals and rocks but because ice
derivatives (H, He, methane, ammonia, etc) were more abundant the
planetesimals were based on these materials and collected more material,
becoming larger, forming the Jovian planets.
•
Solar Wind
Once the protosun formed into the Sun that it is today, it generated a continuous
emission of energetic charged particles (electrons, protons, ions) spewing out in all
directions from the Sun.
The formation of the eight planets continued as all of them were bombarded by
asteroids, meteors and comets. The large Jovian planets experienced asteroid
bombardment, but because of their atmospheres, no evidence remains. The
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asteroids in the “belt” between Mars and Jupiter are likely a collection of leftover
planetesimals that never quite made it as another planet.
Planetesimals were likely of two types:
(1) rocky and metallic (much like the inner planets)
(2) ice and hard snow embedded with small amounts of rock/metal (much like core
of the Jovians)
Our Moon may have formed as a result of a collision between Earth and a large,
leftover planetesimal, possibly as big as Mars. The smaller mass results in its
inability to retain any atmosphere.
Two main techniques are used to measure the motion of a star back-and-forth, or
side-to-side, which hare caused by the gravitational tugs of one
or more planets.
a) The Astrometric Technique - the use of sensitive
telescopes
b) Doppler Technique – the light coming from the star is
tracked using the gravitational tug it exerts on the star
c) Transit – as the planet moves in front of its star, the star’s
luminosity dips, and
then returns to its former level when the
transit is complete
Very few planets orbit their parent star with a
greater radius than 5 AU. Many orbits are
quite elliptical.
Planetary Migration – a scenario which
allows the formation of Jovian planets at
expected distances from the star (beyond the frost line) followed by a migration into
an orbit which brings the planet closer to the home star
Encounters and Resonances – a situation where a planet interacts gravitationally
with other planets, essentially a re-arrangement of the solar system objects
Mars has 2 small moons and Jupiter has over 60.
Module 4 Notes
a) Mercury
- moderately high orbital eccentricity (0.206) meaning its orbit is observably elliptic
- orbital inclination is also high (7 degrees), greater than all others except Pluto
- rotational axis tilt is 0 degrees; no seasons on Mercury
- orbital period: 88 days, synodic period of 116 days (time between successive conjunctions
with Earth)
- solar day of 176 Earth days
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The two elongations, eastern and western, are the greatest
angular positions the inner planet ever has with respect to
Earth. The two conjunctions, superior and inferior, refer
to when Mercury is lined up with the Earth and the Sun.
When the order is Earth-Sun-Mercury, we have a superior
conjunction and when Mercury is between the Sun and
Earth, we have an inferior conjunction. We might see a
solar transit during an inferior conjunction.
- not tidally locked to the Sun; rotates one and a half times
during each orbit
- a solar day on Mercury (sun rise to sun rise) is 176 Earth days long (rotates very slowly)
- about 61% iron and has an iron core about 75% of the radius of the planet
- surface has craters everywhere
- very thin atmosphere, too small to retain any gas
- the iron core makes up about 42% of its volume, magnetic field is similar to Earth’s in
shape but only about 1% as strong
- Mariner 10 visited Mercury in the 70s, but it is very difficult to explore due to high
temperatures
b) Venus
- orbital eccentricity of 0.0068, almost a perfect circle; greatest elongation is 47 degrees
away from Sun
- brightest object in sky other than Sun and Moon; 16x brighter than any star because it is
close to the Sun, close to Earth, relatively large (about same as Earth), and its albedo is 0.59
- during an inferior conjunction, it is possible to have a solar transit of Venus
- Venus’ rotation is retrograde; it rotates backwards very slowly
- sidereal day that is 243 Earth days, orbital period 224.7 days, and solar day of 117 Earth
days
- axial tilt is 177.4 degrees; north pole points downward; rotational axis of 2.6 degrees (no
seasons)
- 740 K - dry, hot, uninhabitable desert, two large highland features: Ishtar Terra and
Aphrodite Terra
- no tectonic activity, evidence of volcanic activity, erosion, no current bombardment
- atmosphere is 90 times as dense as Earths, lots of CO2 and water vapour in atmosphere
- greenhouse effect causes there to be no water
- no magnetic field due to slow rotation; no protection from solar wind generates thick
atmosphere
c) Earth
- orbit is almost circular (e = 0.017)
- average distance from Sun is 1 AU, takes 365.25 days to orbit the Sun
- rotational axis inclined at 23.5 degrees causing seasons
- slightly bigger than Venus, radius of almost 6400km
- average surface temperature is 9 degrees Celsius; range is 60 to -90 degrees Celsius
- one natural satellite, the Moon, which orbits Earth in 29.5 days (solar period)
- atmosphere of nitrogen and has a magnetic field
- core is surrounded by a molten shell, thick mantle, and a thin crust
- lithosphere is about 100km thick, covered with liquid water (75%) and solid land mass
(25%)
- two main seismic waves are p-waves (primary) which are pressure waves and s-waves
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(secondary) which are shear waves; solid inner core of radius 1300km surrounded by
3500km molten outer core
- centre is around 6,000K, rich in nickel and iron
- crust consists of granite and rocks, upper mantle largely iron-magnesium-silicate mixture
- changing surface due to volcanic activity, plate tectonics and erosion
- melting point within the mantle is well above the actual temperature, so mantle is solid
- continental drifts causes plates to move slowly forming mountains, ocean ridges, new land
- atmosphere is unique, 77% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% argon, some water and carbon
dioxide
- temperature is cool enough to allow water vapour to condense as rain
- CO2 dissolves in water so oceans hold some of it and rainfall carries minerals from
rocks/land into the ocean which react with dissolved CO2 to form carbonate minerals which
fall to ocean floor
- oxygen originally built up in atmosphere when only planets existed and few animals used
it up
- very strong magnetic field resulting “magnetosphere” extending beyond the atmosphere
- at 3000 and 20,000km above Earth’s surface are two zones of trapped, charged, highenergy particles called the Van Allen belts surrounding the Earth centred on the magnetic
equator; particles are from solar wind and these belts protect life on Earth from the harmful
effects of the solar wind particles
- aurora borealis in the North and aurora australis in the South are caused by these particles
d) The Moon
- average distance from Earth to Moon is 384,400 km
- sidereal period is 27.3 days, but takes 29.53 days to move through phases due to Earth’s
orbit
- tipped at 6.7 degrees, size is 0.27 of Earth
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- large dark areas on the surface are called maria, and lighter-coloured regions are called
highlands
- the lunar highlands are covered with hundreds of craters
- large water ice deposits near both poles have been detected, which likely came from
meteoroids
- largest crater in Solar System discovered on far side of the moon, 2500km wide, Aitken
Basin
- Neil Armstrong set foot on the Moon on July 20, 1969
- virtually no atmosphere, low escape speed so any gas molecules eventually leave
- no erosion and no tectonic action so surface changes very, very slowly
- no global magnetic field
- large impact hypothesis theory imagines a collision between a very young, molten Earth
and a large, Mars-like object where debris particles in a ring began to accelerate into larger
bodies
- plans exist to establish human colonies on the Moon for further exploration, mining, and
scientific research
e) Mars
- average orbital radius of about 1.5 AU with a relatively large eccentricity
- fairly bright but less than Venus due to smaller size, distance from Sun and lower albedo of
0.15
- rotation is similar to Earth’s, around 24.6 hours, and tipped at about 24 degrees resulting
in seasons
- radius about 50% of Earth and mass about 10% but with a density 70% of Earth
- polar ice caps made of CO2 or dry ice, NOT water, although water ice below surface of poles
- huge volcanoes (largest in solar system), deep canyons, huge dune fields
- lava flows in the north, Tharsis bulge contains volcanoes, Valles Marinis canyon rises
10km high than any other part of planet, Olympus Mons (largest volcanoe) is 600km in
diameter and rises 21km
- no tectonic activity, volcanoes are inactive
- the Vallex Marineris canyon was formed when the planet’s surface bulged out under the
forces of crustal formation, is about 4000 km long, 120km across at widest point, 7km deep
in some areas
- the canyon was NOT created by water flow or tectonics but rather by heat conduction
forces
- two Mars rovers called Spirit and Opportunity (which is still functioning)
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- significant evidence of previous presence of water on Mars
- very thin atmosphere with a pressure of about 1/150 that of Earth consisting of mostly
carbon
dioxide (95.3%) and other gases
- "Mars apparently was once a world with pleasant
temperatures and streams, rain, glaciers, lakes and
possibly oceans. It had all the necessities for life as we
know it. But the once hospitable planet turned into a
frozen and barren desert at least 3 billion years ago, and
it is unlikely that Mars will ever be warm enough for its
frozen water to flow again. If life once existed on Mars,
it is either extinct or hidden away in a few choice
locations, such as hot springs around not-quite-dormant
volcanoes. As we think about the possibility of future
climate change on Earth, Mars presents us with an
ominous example of how much things can change."
- no magnetic field although there likely was once a field generated by moving, liquid, iron
core
- Mars has two small moons: Phobos and Deimos; only few km across and gravity too low
for them to by spherical (Phobos orbits in 7 hours and 39 minutes and Deimos around three
days)
- Mars radius is about 3400km, Phobos orbits 9378km from center and Deimos 22460km
- the moons may be captured asteroids or have formed from interplanetary debris during
formation
f) Jovian Planets – Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
- Jupiter, the largest, could hold 1400 Earths, Neptune, the smallest, could hold 50 Earths
- they all have rings, they have many moons (Jupiter over 60), composition of H and He (gas
and liquid)
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- they have huge atmospheres surrounding relatively small rocky cores
- not perfectly spherical but flattened somewhat at poles due to fast rotation
- Obliquity, the inclination of a planet’s equator to its orbital plane, is minimal for Jupiter (3
degrees) resulting in no seasons; tilt for Uranus is 98 degrees means it rotates backwards
- generate more radiation than they receive from the Sun
- temperature increases rapidly along with the
pressure and density as one descends into Jupiter
which quickly becomes liquid H and then an even
more compact form becoming metallic H (a
conductor), which when combined with Jupiter’s
rapid rotation generates a large magnetic field
- central core is a mixture of hydrogen, rock and
metals
- more mass would make Jupiter smaller as it
results in a greater gravitational field
- Saturn is almost as big but only 1/3 the mass and
low density such that it would float in water
- cores are all about 10 Earth masses
Jupiter’s Atmosphere
- 75% H, 24% He, 1% Hydrogen compounds (which make the planet visible)
- cloud layers have different compositions which create alternating zones and belts
resulting in
Jupiter’s colourful appearance
- the bands of rising air are zones and appear white because of ammonia clouds
- the adjacent bands of falling air are belts which are transparent
- the rising zones and falling belts result from pressure differences between regions
- Great Red Spot is a long-lived high-pressure storm wider than two Earths
Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune’s Atmosphere
- Saturn’s more subdued yellows, reds and tans come from the same compounds on Jupiter;
however, a lower temperature and deeper cloud layers result in a “washing out” of distinct
colour variations
- Uranus and Neptune are distinctly blue from the methane (20x more than on
Jupiter/Saturn) which form in icy flakes in the upper clouds
- all Jovian planets have weather patterns with storms and winds; greatest speeds on Saturn
- Neptune has one high-pressure storm seen as the Great Dark Spot
Magnetic Fields
- all Jovian planets have substantial magnetic fields and magnetospheres
- Jupiter’s magnetic field is about 20,000 times stronger than Earth’s so its magnetosphere
deflects the solar wind 3M km before it even reaches Jupiter
- other planetary magnetospheres are smaller with Saturn's generated by its thinner layer
of metallic hydrogen, and Uranus' and Neptune's magnetic fields generated by their cores as
they have no metallic hydrogen layers
Jovian Moons and Rings
- more than 150 moons orbit the four Jovian planets
- classified as small (<300km in diameter), medium (300-1500km) and large (>1500km)
- most are categorized as small and are irregular in shape because gravity is too small to
force them into a spherical shape; many also have unusual orbits and some even revolve
backwards
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- most medium/large moons are spherical and some have atmospheres, hot interiors,
magnetic fields
- impact cratering has occurred on most moons, volcanism is present on some along with
tectonics
Galilean Moons of Jupiter
a) Io – most volcanically active object in the solar system with 300 active volcanoes
continually repaving the surface; a 400,000 volt potential exists across the surface resulting
in a 5M amp current
b) Europa – the smoothest body in the solar system, completely covered by water ice a few
km thick
- lines covering the surface are fractures in the ice surface caused by tidal forces of
Jupiter/other moons
c) Ganymede – largest moon in the solar system, similar in appearance to Callisto having
impact craters
- both reveal the effect of tectonic action early in its formation; covered with an icy shield
Moons of Saturn
a) Titan - atmosphere is 90% N (only world besides Earth where N is the dominant gas)
- almost as large as Mars; hydrocarbon gases result in a greenhouse effect, cold -180
degrees C
- few craters on surface, evidence for ice volcanoes, seasonal variations with wind speeds
- wide variety of hydrocarbon molecules in the upper atmosphere
b) Enceladus – active geologically; energy, organics, liquid water are present
- unknown if life forms are contained in the deep oceans of water under the icy surface
Moons of Uranus
- small and numerous; largest are likely composed of ice and rock
- Miranda is heavily cratered but unlike any other moon with its ridges, cliffs and valleys
Moons of Neptune
- Triton has a retrograde orbit inclined at 20 degrees
- surface temperature of 37 K and a surface of water ice
Total Moons: Earth – 1, Mars – 2, Jupiter – 67, Saturn – 62, Uranus – 27, Neptune – 13
Jovian Moons and Rings
- rings of Saturn: A ring, B ring, C ring; small cap near edge of A ring is called Encke gap
- particles making up rings vary in size from mere dust to boulder-sized water ice chunks
- any ring particles that stray from circular orbits get nudged or pushed back into orbit by
adjacent ring objects to maintain the ring structure
- rings begin at about 10,000 km from Saturn’s surface out to 420,000 km
- rings are no thicker than 100 meters
- critical distance inside which the moon is broken apart is known as the tidal stability limit
or Roche limit; Roche limit is about 2.4 times the radius of the planet
- ring particles are constantly falling into the parent planet as the upper atmosphere
extends into the ring system; rings get replenished with new particles
Some rings are so well-defined in space because of the influence of small moons that orbit
on either side of it and are known as Shepherd moons.
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g) Pluto
- if classified as a planet, it is the smallest, lightest, and furthest from the Sun
- widely accepted as a Kuiper Belt Object (KBO), one of the biggest and closest to Sun as a
KBO
- orbit is highly eccentric and event spends 20 out of 250 year orbit inside orbit of Neptune
- Pluto’s moon, Charon, is about half the size of Pluto
- Charon’s orbit is fairly close to Pluto, <20,000km
- rotates backwards
- surface of Pluto is methane ice w/ CO and nitrogen ice
- thin atmosphere of nitrogen, surface temperature
decreases to less than 40 K when it moves far from Sun
causing nitrogen to freeze out on Pluto’s surface
Other Kuiper Belt Objects Including Eris
- Eris has a planet size of about
2700km in diameter with a
composition similar to Pluto
- distance from Sun is 97AU and
has a moon
- many KBOs have orbits close to
Neptune’s orbit; known objects in
the Kuiper belt are shown in the
picture below with a gap at the
bottom due to obscuration by the
band of the Milky Way
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0 / 1 point
n1
Which of the following statements is not an observed pattern of motion in our solar system?
Most planets orbit at the same speed.
All planets orbit the Sun in the same direction.
Most planetary orbits lie nearly in the same plane.
Almost all moons orbit their planet in the same direction as the
planet's rotation.
Most planets rotate in the same direction in which they orbit.
0 / 1 point
Question 2
Which of the following statements about the Jovian planets is not true?
The outermost Jovian planet, Uranus, is also the least massive.
The largest Jovian planet is Jupiter.
Together, Jupiter and Saturn have over 100 moons.
All the Jovian planets have ring systems.
Saturn is the least dense planet, having a density less than
water.
1 / 1 point
Question 3
Rank the following planets in order of size from the smallest to the largest.
Mars, Mercury, Earth, Saturn, Uranus
Mars, Mercury, Earth, Saturn, Uranus
Uranus, Mars, Mercury, Earth, Saturn
Mercury, Mars, Earth, Uranus, Saturn
Mercury, Mars, Uranus, Saturn, Earth
Question 4
0 / 1 point
According to our theory of solar system formation, what is the origin of asteroids and comets?
Asteroids and comets are both leftover planetesimals that
formed between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
Asteroids are the leftover planetesimals of the inner solar
system, and comets are the leftover planetesimals that formed
beyond the frost line.
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Asteroids are chunks of pure metal that condensed in the solar
nebula, and comets are chunks of pure rock that condensed in
the solar nebula.
Asteroids are the remains of a terrestrial planet that shattered,
and comets are the remains of a jovian planet that shattered.
Asteroids and comets represent material from interstellar space
that was captured in the solar nebula by gravity.
Question 5
1 / 1 point
Which of the following statements about the moons of the solar system is false?
Earth has one moon, named Moon, and no rings that we know
of.
All planets have moons except Mercury.
Moons vary in size from quite small to the largest, Ganymede,
which is just over 2600 km in radius.
Jupiter has the most moons in our solar system.
Mars has two small moons which are irregularly-shaped (not
round).
0 / 1 point
Question 6
Which of the following characteristics of the Jovian planets is (are) correct?
A)
They have varying sizes; Jupiter is one size, Neptune about
half as big and Mercury is quite small.
B)
They are relatively large, low density objects with solid
surfaces.
C)
They are closer to the Sun than the terrestrial planets; that's
why we can see them at night.
D) Both A and B are correct.
E) None of A, B or C are correct.
1 / 1 point
Question 7
What is the origin of the atoms of hydrogen, oxygen and sodium in the perspiration that exits your
body during this astronomy test?
The hydrogen nuclei were produced a few minutes after the big
bang event 13.8 billion years ago; the oxygen and sodium nuclei
were synthesized inside stars more than 4.6 billion years ago.
They were synthesized during the early stages of the Sun's
formation and spewed out from the Sun through the solar wind
and our planet, Earth, simply intercepted them.
All of these elements were produced in the first few minutes
after the big bang event.
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They were all fused deep inside Earth.
All of these elements were synthesized inside stars more than
4.6 billion years ago.
Question 8
1 / 1 point
Which of the following is not characteristic of the terrestrial planets?
They are relatively smaller than the jovian planets.
They all have solid surfaces.
They have higher densities than the jovian planets
They have more moons than the jovian planets.
They are more closely spaced together than the jovian planets.
1 / 1 point
Question 9
Which of the following statements about meteorites is true?
A meteorite is the same thing as an asteroid.
Meteorites are often called "shooting stars" when they are seen
as flashes of light across the sky at night.
A meteorite becomes a meteoroid once it hits the Earth's
surface.
A meteorite is what's left of a meteor when it hits the Earth's
surface.
A meteorite is the same thing as a meteoroid.
1 / 1 point
Question 10
Ring systems around planets are:
fairly rare; just Saturn has rings.
quite common; all planets have them.
fairly rare; just Venus and Saturn have them.
quite common among terrestrial planets.
quite common among the large, gas planets; all Jovian planets
have them.
Question 11
1 / 1 point
We have determined the age of the solar system through:
A) taking measurements of tree rings.
B) radioactive dating.
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C)
the study of rocks and the determination of their
composition.
D)
the analysis of the sand on various beaches around the
Earth.
E) all of A, B, C and D.
1 / 1 point
Question 12
What is a comet?
It's a brand of bathroom cleanser!
It's just an asteroid that has come too close to the Sun.
The nucleus of a comet is a collection of various ices mixed
with dust and tiny bits of rocky debris.
It has no core but has two beautiful wispy tails which always
point to the Sun as it goes through the inner solar system.
It's an asteroid that has been shot out from the Asteroid Belt
because of the influences of Jupiter.
Question 13
1 / 1 point
When we examine of the types of planets making up the solar system we notice the following:
there seems to be no general category of planets; each is unique and there
are very few similarities among them.
all planets making up the solar system are like Pluto.
there are two types of planets: terrestrial and Jovian.
there is just one type of planet: round, small and rocky.
there are three types of planets: terrestrial, Jovian and small snowballs.
Group B
0 / 1 point
n 14
The terrestrial planets and the giant Jovian planets have different compositions because
the terrestrial planets are closer to the Sun.
the Jovians are much larger.
the terrestrial planets have few moons.
the giant Jovian planets are made mostly of solids.
the Jovian planets are closer to the Sun.
Question 15
1 / 1 point
About how much of the solar nebula consisted of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium?
10% by mass.
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50% by mass.
98% by mass.
2% by mass.
25% by mass.
1 / 1 point
Question 16
What constitutes the solar wind?
A)
It's very similar to the wind here on Earth which is merely
the moving around of atmospheric gases.
B)
It is the continuous stream of hot air being released by the
fusion process deep inside the Sun.
C)
It's the continuous emission of charged particles (electrons,
protons, etc.) from the solar surface.
The solar wind in not constant but happens in spurts
D) especially during the time of coronal mass ejections from
sunspots.
E) It is a combination of both A and B.
0 / 1 point
Question 17
How were the moons of the Jovian planets most likely formed?
Probably through the same process as the planets themselves
formed.
Most likely by gravitationally attracting asteroids as a
protoplanet might form.
Most of the solar system's moons initially formed around
Jupiter which were then ejected by Jupiter toward other planets
which eventually captured them.
Early in their formation the planets spun wildly and flung off
chunks of themselves which coalesced as moons.
They were all formed in the Asteroid Belt between Venus and
Jupiter and through BB (Belt Benevolence) they got distributed
among the Jovian planets.
Question 18
0 / 1 point
The sticking together of small but solid particles is an important feature of the solar nebular theory.
What is this process known as?
Gluons
Gravitational collapse.
Condensation
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Differentiation
Accretion
Question 19
1 / 1 point
What was the frost line of the solar system?
the distance from the Sun beyond which temperatures were
low enough for hydrogen compounds and methane to condense
into ices, between the present-day orbits of Mars and Jupiter
the distance from the Sun beyond which temperatures were
low enough for rocks to condense, between the present-day
orbits of Mercury and Venus
the distance from the Sun beyond which temperatures were
low enough for metals to condense, between the Sun and the
present-day orbit of Mercury
the distance from the Sun beyond which temperatures were
low enough for asteroids to form, between the present-day
orbits of Venus and Earth
the distance from the Sun beyond which temperatures were
low enough for hydrogen and helium to condense, between the
present-day orbits of Jupiter and Saturn
Question 20
0 / 1 point
What is differentiation in planetary geology?
any process by which one part of a planet's surface evolves
differently from another part of the same planet's surface
the process by which gravity separates materials according to
density
any process by which a planet's surface evolves differently
from another planet's surface
any process by which a planet evolves differently from its
moons
the process by which different types of minerals form a
conglomerate rock
1 / 1 point
Question 21
According to our theory of solar system formation, why does the Sun rotate slowly today?
The Sun once rotated much faster, but it transferred angular
momentum to charged particles caught in its magnetic field
and then blew the particles away with its strong solar wind.
The Sun once rotated much faster, but it lost angular
momentum because everything slows down with time.
The Sun once rotated much faster, but it lost angular
momentum due to internal friction.
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The Sun once rotated much faster, but it transferred angular
momentum to planets and other objects during close
encounters.
The Sun was born rotating slowly because the solar nebula had
very little angular momentum.
Question 22
0 / 1 point
The first solid grains or flakes formed in our solar system by the process of ________ , the addition
of material to an object an atom or molecule at a time.
Hydration
Vapourization
Condensation
Accretion
Sublimation
1 / 1 point
Question 23
The nebular theory of formation of the solar system successfully predict ts all but one of the
following. Which one does the theory not predict?
Asteroids, Kuiper-belt objects and comets.
The compositional differences between terrestrial and Jovian
planets.
The craters on the Moon.
The equal number of terrestrial and Jovian planets.
Planets orbit around the Sun in nearly circular orbits in a
flattened disk.
1 / 1 point
Question 24
Which of the following is most likely to describe a comet, but not an asteroid?
Comets reside with similar bodies in a sparsely populated belt.
Comets are partially but not totally composed of rocks and
metals.
Comets are mainly composed of ice and snow with some dust
and rocky bits.
Comets are leftover planetesimals from the time when the
planets were formed.
There really is no difference between a comet and an asteroid.
0 / 1 point
Question 25
What is a planetesimal?
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An object that is in orbit around a planet.
One of the larger planets in the solar system.
A rogue planet moving around in the solar system not attached
to any particular planet.
A smaller building block of planets.
A smaller building block of a protostar.
1 / 1 point
Question 26
Atmospheres formed around some terrestrial planets because
A)
outgassing through volcanic activity plus a strong enough
gravity kept the gas from escaping into space
B)
their gravity was great enough to capture atoms and
molecules floating around in the solar nebula
radioactivity from surface rocks produced oxygen and
C) carbon dioxide in sufficient quantities to build up an
atmosphere
D)
human activity produces carbon dioxide and plants produce
oxygen which are the main constituents of an atmosphere
E) all of A, B, C and D.
1 / 1 point
Question 27
What is meant by the period of heavy bombardment?
During the second world war London, England was heavily bombed by the
German Airforce.
During the 500-700 million years of the solar system existence there were
plenty of larger objects roaming around in the solar disk. These larger
objects constantly bombarded the terrestrial objects building up their
surfaces and often leaving large craters that still exist today.
Throughout the solar system's existence the Jovian planets especially have
been bombarded with rogue asteroids leaving scars on their surfaces.
It refers to a particularly interesting period about 65 millions years ago
when so many asteroid hit Earth that many animal species, including the
dinosaurs, were wiped out.
It refers to a period of human history known as the Dark Ages when many
people died from being hit by the constant rain of meteors from the Kuiper
Belt.
Group C
1 / 1 point
What is so special about a star known as 51 Pegasi?
It was the first star found with a planet orbiting it that is known
to support intelligent life.
It is the largest known white dwarf star.
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It was the first star found with multiple planets orbiting it.
It is the first main sequence star (stars like our Sun) found to
have a planet orbiting it.
It is a pulsar with planets orbiting around it.
0 / 1 point
Question 29
Which of the following statements about exoplanets is true?
The large majority of confirmed exoplanets orbit their stars at
radii less than 5 AU.
No planets have been found orbiting their stars at radii less
than Mercury's orbital radius.
A considerable number of exoplanets seem to have orbits that
are quite elliptical.
All of A, B and C are true.
Only A and C are true.
0 / 1 point
Question 30
Which statement best describes the astrometric technique for finding exoplanets?
Observing the slight shifting of the frequency of the light as the
star wobbles back and forth in space due to an exoplanet
orbiting it.
Observing the slight dip in the brightness of a star as the
planet moves across it's face.
Observing the slight side-to-side movement of the star in space
caused by an exoplanet orbiting it.
Observing the gravitational effects the orbiting exoplanet has
on other nearby stars.
Actually seeing the exoplanet orbiting the star through our
more powerful telescopes.
0 / 1 point
Question 31
Which statement best describes the direct detection technique for finding exoplanets?
Observing the slight shifting of the frequency of the light as the
star wobbles back and forth in space due to an exoplanet
orbiting it.
Actually seeing the exoplanet orbiting the star through our
more powerful telescopes.
Observing the slight side-to-side movement of the star in space
caused by an exoplanet orbiting it.
Observing the slight dip in the brightness of a star as the
planet moves across it's face.
Observing the gravitational effects the orbiting exoplanet has
on other nearby stars.
Question 32
1 / 1 point
What is an exoplanet moon?
It is an object orbiting a Kuiper Belt object.
It is an object orbiting an exostar.
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It is an object orbiting an exoplanet just as our Moon orbits
Earth.
It is an object orbiting an object other than Earth in our own
solar system.
So far we have not detected any exoplanet moons so they
don't exist.
1 / 1 point
Question 33
Which statement best describes the transit method of discovering exoplanets?
Measuring the size of the star around which the exoplanet is
orbiting.
Measuring the Doppler shift of a star as it orbits its combined
centre of mass with an exoplanet.
Measuring the distance a star wobbles on the sky as it is
tugged in its orbit by an exoplanet.
Taking a photograph of planets around a star through a
telescope that can block the light of the star.
Measuring the periodic dimming of light as an exoplanet
crosses in front of the star.
1 / 1 point
Question 34
Which statement best describes the Doppler technique for finding exoplanets?
Actually seeing the exoplanet orbiting the star through our
more powerful telescopes.
Observing the slight dip in the brightness of a star as the
planet moves across it's face.
Observing the slight side-to-side movement of the star in space
caused by an exoplanet orbiting it.
Observing the gravitational effects the orbiting exoplanet has
on other nearby stars.
Observing the slight shifting of the frequency of the light as the
star wobbles back and forth in space due to an exoplanet
orbiting it.
Question 35
1 / 1 point
What is an extrasolar planet?
A planet that is considered an "extra" in that it was not needed
for the formation of its solar system.
A planet that is larger than the Sun.
A planet that is found orbiting another planet outside our solar
system.
A planet that is extra large compared to what we would expect.
A planet that orbits a star that is not our Sun.
1 / 1 point
Question 36
Which of the following space telescope missions was dedicated entirely to discovering exoplanets?
Casinni.
Spitzer.
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Hubble.
Apollo.
Kepler.
Question 37 1 / 1 point
Why would a star continuously wobble back-and-forth in space?
Because of air currents in the atmosphere surrounding it
Because it is undergoing precession
Because the nebula it formed out of collided with a supernova
shockwave
Because it had too much to drink
Because it is revolving around a common centre of mass with
other planets
Question 38
1 / 1 point
What is the name of the exoplanet that has been found that is closest to our solar system?
Fomalhaut b
Alpha Centauri Bb
Rigel
Kepler 56c
Sirius
1 / 1 point
Question 39
What does the exoplanet descriptor "hot Jupiter" mean?
It's an exoplanet jult like Jupiter but orbiting much closer to its
sun than 5 AU.
It's an exoplanet the same size as Jupiter but with an extensive
ring system.
It's the latest fast car made by Toyota having Jupiter as its
model name.
It's an exoplanet just like Jupiter but orbiting much further
away from its sun than 5 AU.
It's any exoplanet orbiting around a much bigger star than our
Sun.
Question 40
0 / 1 point
Which of the following techniques has so far yielded the fewest detections of an exoplanet?
Transit method.
Astrometric method.
Direct Detection.
Doppler technique
Gravitational lensing.
1 / 1 point
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Rank the following planets in order of size from the smallest to the largest.
Mars, Mercury, Earth, Saturn, Uranus
Mercury, Mars, Uranus, Saturn, Earth
Mercury, Mars, Earth, Uranus, Saturn
Uranus, Mars, Mercury, Earth, Saturn
Mars, Mercury, Earth, Saturn, Uranus
1 / 1 point
Question 2
According to our theory of solar system formation, what is the origin of asteroids and comets?
Asteroids are chunks of pure metal that condensed in the solar
nebula, and comets are chunks of pure rock that condensed in
the solar nebula.
Asteroids are the leftover planetesimals of the inner solar
system, and comets are the leftover planetesimals that formed
beyond the frost line.
Asteroids are the remains of a terrestrial planet that shattered,
and comets are the remains of a jovian planet that shattered.
Asteroids and comets represent material from interstellar space
that was captured in the solar nebula by gravity.
Asteroids and comets are both leftover planetesimals that
formed between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
1 / 1 point
Question 3
Which of the following statements about the moons of the solar system is false?
Jupiter has the most moons in our solar system.
All planets have moons except Mercury.
Mars has two small moons which are irregularly-shaped (not
round).
Earth has one moon, named Moon, and no rings that we know
of.
Moons vary in size from quite small to the largest, Ganymede,
which is just over 2600 km in radius.
Question 4
1 / 1 point
The age of our solar system is approximately
10,000 years.
13.8 billion years.
4.6 billion years.
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4.6 million years.
13.8 million years.
Question 5
0 / 1 point
The rotation (daily spin) of the planets are:
All in the same direction (with the exception of Venus and
Neptune)
All in the same direction (with the exception of Mercury)
All in the same direction (counter clockwise as seen from above
the system)
All in the same direction (clockwise as seen from above the
system)
All in the same direction (with the exception of Venus and
Uranus)
1 / 1 point
Question 6
Which of the following statements about comets is true?
We are not really sure what they are made of because we can't
get close enough to one, even with unmanned spacecraft, to
determine their makeup.
Comets have a relatively small nucleus (normally less than 10
km in diameter) that develop debris tails as they get close to the
Sun.
Comets have a relatively small nucleus and never visit the inner
solar system more than once because they burn out completely
as they get close to the Sun (Halley's comet is an exception)
Comets have a small nucleus with tails that always exist, even
when they are at home in the Kuiper Belt.
Comets have a relatively small nucleus (normally larger than
100 km wide) that develop just one debris tail as they get into
the inner part of the solar system.
Question 7
1 / 1 point
Ring systems around planets are:
fairly rare; just Saturn has rings.
quite common among the large, gas planets; all Jovian planets
have them.
quite common among terrestrial planets.
quite common; all planets have them.
fairly rare; just Venus and Saturn have them.
1 / 1 point
Question 8
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Which of the following is not characteristic of the terrestrial planets?
They are more closely spaced together than the jovian planets.
They all have solid surfaces.
They have higher densities than the jovian planets
They are relatively smaller than the jovian planets.
They have more moons than the jovian planets.
1 / 1 point
Question 9
Which of the following characteristics of the Jovian planets is (are) correct?
A)
They have varying sizes; Jupiter is one size, Neptune about
half as big and Mercury is quite small.
B)
They are relatively large, low density objects with solid
surfaces.
C)
They are closer to the Sun than the terrestrial planets;
that's why we can see them at night.
D) Both A and B are correct.
E) None of A, B or C are correct.
1 / 1 point
Question 10
When we examine of the types of planets making up the solar system we notice the following:
there seems to be no general category of planets; each is
unique and there are very few similarities among them.
there are two types of planets: terrestrial and Jovian.
there is just one type of planet: round, small and rocky.
there are three types of planets: terrestrial, Jovian and small
snowballs.
all planets making up the solar system are like Pluto.
0 / 1 point
Question 11
Which of the following statements about meteorites is true?
Meteorites are often called "shooting stars" when they are seen
as flashes of light across the sky at night.
A meteorite is the same thing as an asteroid.
A meteorite becomes a meteoroid once it hits the Earth's
surface.
A meteorite is what's left of a meteor when it hits the Earth's
surface.
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A meteorite is the same thing as a meteoroid.
1 / 1 point
Question 12
Where are most of the known asteroids found?
between Mars and Jupiter.
in the Oort Cloud.
in the Kuiper Belt.
between Jupiter and Saturn.
between Mercury and Venus.
1 / 1 point
Question 13
We have determined the age of the solar system through:
A) taking measurements of tree rings.
B) radioactive dating.
C) the study of rocks and the determination of their composition.
D) the analysis of the sand on various beaches around the Earth.
E) all of A, B, C and D.
Group B
0 / 1 point
n 14
The first solid grains or flakes formed in our solar system by the process of ________ , the addition
of material to an object an atom or molecule at a time.
Vapourization
Sublimation
Hydration
Accretion
Condensation
Question 15
0 / 1 point
According to our theory of solar system formation, what is Pluto?
Pluto is a terrestrial planet that was shot out from the inner
solar system to its present location as the most distant planet.
Pluto is simply an oddball planet, and thus represents one of
the "exceptions" that the nebular theory cannot explain.
Pluto is one of the largest of the Kuiper belt objects.
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Pluto is a terrestrial planet that happened to form at a large
distance from the Sun.
Pluto is a very small jovian planet.
1 / 1 point
Question 16
According to our theory of solar system formation, why does the Sun rotate slowly today?
The Sun was born rotating slowly because the solar nebula had
very little angular momentum.
The Sun once rotated much faster, but it transferred angular
momentum to planets and other objects during close
encounters.
The Sun once rotated much faster, but it transferred angular
momentum to charged particles caught in its magnetic field
and then blew the particles away with its strong solar wind.
The Sun once rotated much faster, but it lost angular
momentum due to internal friction.
The Sun once rotated much faster, but it lost angular
momentum because everything slows down with time.
1 / 1 point
Question 17
Which of the following solar system moons likely formed through the same processes as our solar
system?
A) The moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos.
B) Venus's small moon, Dactyl.
C) Jupiter's so-called Galilean moons.
D) Uranus's moon, Triton
E) All of A, C and D.
Question 18
0 / 1 point
How were the moons of the Jovian planets most likely formed?
They were all formed in the Asteroid Belt between Venus and
Jupiter and through BB (Belt Benevolence) they got distributed
among the Jovian planets.
Most of the solar system's moons initially formed around
Jupiter which were then ejected by Jupiter toward other planets
which eventually captured them.
Most likely by gravitationally attracting asteroids as a
protoplanet might form.
Probably through the same process as the planets themselves
formed.
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Early in their formation the planets spun wildly and flung off
chunks of themselves which coalesced as moons.
Question 19
1 / 1 point
About how much of the solar nebula consisted of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium?
50% by mass.
10% by mass.
2% by mass.
25% by mass.
98% by mass.
1 / 1 point
Question 20
Which of the following is most likely to describe a comet, but not an asteroid?
There really is no difference between a comet and an asteroid.
Comets are mainly composed of ice and snow with some dust
and rocky bits.
Comets reside with similar bodies in a sparsely populated belt.
Comets are leftover planetesimals from the time when the
planets were formed.
Comets are partially but not totally composed of rocks and
metals.
1 / 1 point
Question 21
What is a planetesimal?
A rogue planet moving around in the solar system not attached
to any particular planet.
One of the larger planets in the solar system.
An object that is in orbit around a planet.
A smaller building block of a protostar.
A smaller building block of planets.
1 / 1 point
Question 22
Why did the solar nebula heat up as it collapsed?
Radiation from other nearby stars that had formed earlier
heated the nebula.
Collisions among planetesimals generated friction and heat.
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As the cloud shrank, its gravitational potential energy was
converted to kinetic energy and then into thermal energy.
Nuclear fusion occurring in the core of the protosun produced
energy that heated the nebula.
The shock wave from a nearby supernova heated the gas.
1 / 1 point
Question 23
What was the frost line of the solar system?
the distance from the Sun beyond which temperatures were
low enough for rocks to condense, between the present-day
orbits of Mercury and Venus
the distance from the Sun beyond which temperatures were
low enough for hydrogen compounds and methane to condense
into ices, between the present-day orbits of Mars and Jupiter
the distance from the Sun beyond which temperatures were
low enough for hydrogen and helium to condense, between the
present-day orbits of Jupiter and Saturn
the distance from the Sun beyond which temperatures were
low enough for metals to condense, between the Sun and the
present-day orbit of Mercury
the distance from the Sun beyond which temperatures were
low enough for asteroids to form, between the present-day
orbits of Venus and Earth
Question 24
0 / 1 point
Protoplanets grow into planetesimals by which processes?
A) Colliding with other protoplanets.
B) Gravitationally pulling in other protoplanets
C) Attracting other planetesimals with the same charge.
D) A combination of A and B.
E) A combination of A, B and C.
1 / 1 point
Question 25
Why are the inner planets made of denser materials than the outer planets?
In the inner part of the nebula only metals and rocks were able
to condense because of the high temperatures, whereas
hydrogen compounds, although more abundant, were only able
to condense in the cooler outer regions.
The Sun's gravity pulled denser materials toward the inner part
of the solar nebula, while lighter gases escaped more easily.
When the solar nebula formed a disk, materials naturally
segregated into bands, and in our particular solar system the
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denser materials settled nearer the Sun while lighter materials
are found in the outer part.
In the beginning, when the protoplanetary disk was spinning
faster, centrifugal forces flung the lighter materials toward the
outer parts of the solar nebula.
Denser materials were heavier and sank to the centre of the
nebula.
Question 26
1 / 1 point
What is differentiation in planetary geology?
any process by which a planet's surface evolves differently
from another planet's surface
the process by which different types of minerals form a
conglomerate rock
any process by which a planet evolves differently from its
moons
any process by which one part of a planet's surface evolves
differently from another part of the same planet's surface
the process by which gravity separates materials according to
density
Question 27
0 / 1 point
The nebular theory of formation of the solar system successfully predict ts all but one of the
following. Which one does the theory not predict?
The compositional differences between terrestrial and Jovian planets.
Asteroids, Kuiper-belt objects and comets.
The equal number of terrestrial and Jovian planets.
Planets orbit around the Sun in nearly circular orbits in a flattened disk.
The craters on the Moon.
Group C
0 / 1 point
Which statement best describes the Doppler technique for finding exoplanets?
Observing the gravitational effects the orbiting exoplanet has
on other nearby stars.
Observing the slight side-to-side movement of the star in space
caused by an exoplanet orbiting it.
Observing the slight shifting of the frequency of the light as the
star wobbles back and forth in space due to an exoplanet
orbiting it.
Actually seeing the exoplanet orbiting the star through our
more powerful telescopes.
Observing the slight dip in the brightness of a star as the
planet moves across it's face.
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1 / 1 point
Question 29
Which statement best describes the transit method of discovering exoplanets?
Measuring the size of the star around which the exoplanet is
orbiting.
Measuring the periodic dimming of light as an exoplanet
crosses in front of the star.
Taking a photograph of planets around a star through a
telescope that can block the light of the star.
Measuring the distance a star wobbles on the sky as it is
tugged in its orbit by an exoplanet.
Measuring the Doppler shift of a star as it orbits its combined
centre of mass with an exoplanet.
Question 30
0 / 1 point
What type of exoplanet would you expect to cause the largest Doppler shift in the spectrum of its
star?
A massive planet that is far from its sun.
A massive planet that is close to its sun.
A low-mass planet that is far from its sun.
An average-mass planet that is at an average distance from its
sun.
A low-mass planet that is close to its sun.
1 / 1 point
Question 31
So far, about how many exoplanets have been discovered?
about 4000
around 75
150
700
over 1500
Question 32
1 / 1 point
What is an exoplanet moon?
It is an object orbiting a Kuiper Belt object.
It is an object orbiting an exostar.
It is an object orbiting an object other than Earth in our own
solar system.
So far we have not detected any exoplanet moons so they
don't exist.
It is an object orbiting an exoplanet just as our Moon orbits
Earth.
Question 33
0 / 1 point
Which statement best describes the astrometric technique for finding exoplanets?
Actually seeing the exoplanet orbiting the star through our
more powerful telescopes.
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Observing the slight side-to-side movement of the star in space
caused by an exoplanet orbiting it.
Observing the slight dip in the brightness of a star as the
planet moves across it's face.
Observing the slight shifting of the frequency of the light as the
star wobbles back and forth in space due to an exoplanet
orbiting it.
Observing the gravitational effects the orbiting exoplanet has
on other nearby stars.
Question 34
0 / 1 point
Which of the following techniques has so far yielded the fewest detections of an exoplanet?
Doppler technique
Transit method.
Gravitational lensing.
Astrometric method.
Direct Detection.
0 / 1 point
Question 35
Thinking about our own solar system, which planet will have the greatest effect on the Sun's
movement about the solar system's centre of mass?
Saturn, because of its large ring structure.
Earth, because we live here.
Mars, because it's the red planet.
Mercury, because it is closest to the Sun.
Jupiter, because of its huge mass.
1 / 1 point
Question 36
Why would a star continuously wobble back-and-forth in space?
Because it is revolving around a common centre of mass with
other planets
Because it is undergoing precession
Because it had too much to drink
Because the nebula it formed out of collided with a supernova
shockwave
Because of air currents in the atmosphere surrounding it
1 / 1 point
Question 37
What is an extrasolar planet?
A planet that is larger than the Sun.
A planet that is found orbiting another planet outside our solar
system.
A planet that orbits a star that is not our Sun.
A planet that is extra large compared to what we would expect.
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A planet that is considered an "extra" in that it was not needed
for the formation of its solar system.
Question 38
1 / 1 point
What is the name of the exoplanet that has been found that is closest to our solar system?
Alpha Centauri Bb
Rigel
Fomalhaut b
Sirius
Kepler 56c
0 / 1 point
Question 39
Why is it easier to find exoplanets that are much more massive than the Earth?
Because the solar nebula theory predicts more massive
exoplanets should exist
Because massive exoplanets orbit more slowly
Because they are mainly found around dimmer stars
Because their transits and tugging on their stars are easier to
detect
Because there aren't any exoplanets with masses lower than
Earth
Question 40
1 / 1 point
Which statement best describes the transit technique for finding exoplanets?
Actually seeing the exoplanet orbiting the star through our more powerful
telescopes.
Observing the slight dip in the brightness of a star as the planet moves
across it's face.
Observing the gravitational effects the orbiting exoplanet has on other
nearby stars.
Observing the slight side-to-side movement of the star in space caused by
an exoplanet orbiting it.
Observing the slight shifting of the frequency of the light as the star
wobbles back and forth in space due to an exoplanet orbiting it.
0 / 1 point
n1
Where are most of the known asteroids found?
between Jupiter and Saturn.
in the Kuiper Belt.
between Mars and Jupiter.
between Mercury and Venus.
in the Oort Cloud.
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1 / 1 point
Question 2
We have determined the age of the solar system through:
A) taking measurements of tree rings.
B) radioactive dating.
C)
the study of rocks and the determination of their
composition.
D)
the analysis of the sand on various beaches around the
Earth.
E) all of A, B, C and D.
1 / 1 point
Question 3
The age of our solar system is approximately
10,000 years.
4.6 billion years.
13.8 million years.
13.8 billion years.
4.6 million years.
Question 4
1 / 1 point
Ring systems around planets are:
fairly rare; just Venus and Saturn have them.
quite common; all planets have them.
quite common among terrestrial planets.
quite common among the large, gas planets; all Jovian planets
have them.
fairly rare; just Saturn has rings.
1 / 1 point
Question 5
What is the origin of the atoms of hydrogen, oxygen and sodium in the perspiration that exits your
body during this astronomy test?
They were all fused deep inside Earth.
All of these elements were produced in the first few minutes
after the big bang event.
They were synthesized during the early stages of the Sun's
formation and spewed out from the Sun through the solar wind
and our planet, Earth, simply intercepted them.
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The hydrogen nuclei were produced a few minutes after the big
bang event 13.8 billion years ago; the oxygen and sodium nuclei
were synthesized inside stars more than 4.6 billion years ago.
All of these elements were synthesized inside stars more than
4.6 billion years ago.
Question 6
1 / 1 point
Which of the following characteristics of the terrestrial planets is (are) correct?
A)
They are relatively small, low density bodies with solid
surfaces on which to walk.
B)
They are relatively small, high density objects with solid
surfaces on which to walk.
C)
They have varying sizes; Earth is one size but large Jupiter is
also terrestrial and you can walk on its surface.
They are all closer to the Sun than the Jovian planets but
D) their densities are quite varied with one being less dense
than water.
E) All of A, B, C and D are correct.
1 / 1 point
Question 7
The rotation (daily spin) of the planets are:
All in the same direction (with the exception of Mercury)
All in the same direction (with the exception of Venus and
Uranus)
All in the same direction (clockwise as seen from above the
system)
All in the same direction (with the exception of Venus and
Neptune)
All in the same direction (counter clockwise as seen from above
the system)
Question 8
1 / 1 point
Which of the following statements about asteroids is false?
An asteroid is just a failed comet.
Asteroids have been found outside the asteroid belt.
Most asteroids have congregated in the asteroid belt between
Mars and Jupiter.
Sometime asteroids enter Earth's atmosphere but most burn up
before they reach Earth's surface.
Some asteroids seem to have originated on Mars.
1 / 1 point
Question 9
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According to our theory of solar system formation, what is the origin of asteroids and comets?
Asteroids are the remains of a terrestrial planet that shattered,
and comets are the remains of a jovian planet that shattered.
Asteroids are the leftover planetesimals of the inner solar
system, and comets are the leftover planetesimals that formed
beyond the frost line.
Asteroids and comets are both leftover planetesimals that
formed between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
Asteroids are chunks of pure metal that condensed in the solar
nebula, and comets are chunks of pure rock that condensed in
the solar nebula.
Asteroids and comets represent material from interstellar space
that was captured in the solar nebula by gravity.
Question 10
0 / 1 point
Which of the following characteristics of the Jovian planets is (are) correct?
A)
They have varying sizes; Jupiter is one size, Neptune about
half as big and Mercury is quite small.
B)
They are relatively large, low density objects with solid
surfaces.
C)
They are closer to the Sun than the terrestrial planets;
that's why we can see them at night.
D) Both A and B are correct.
E) None of A, B or C are correct.
1 / 1 point
Question 11
Which of the following is not characteristic of the terrestrial planets?
They have more moons than the jovian planets.
They have higher densities than the jovian planets
They are relatively smaller than the jovian planets.
They all have solid surfaces.
They are more closely spaced together than the jovian planets.
1 / 1 point
Question 12
Which of the following statements about the moons of the solar system is false?
All planets have moons except Mercury.
Jupiter has the most moons in our solar system.
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Earth has one moon, named Moon, and no rings that we know
of.
Mars has two small moons which are irregularly-shaped (not
round).
Moons vary in size from quite small to the largest, Ganymede,
which is just over 2600 km in radius.
Question 13
0 / 1 point
Which of the following statements about comets is true?
Comets have a relatively small nucleus and never visit the inner solar
system more than once because they burn out completely as they get close
to the Sun (Halley's comet is an exception)
We are not really sure what they are made of because we can't get close
enough to one, even with unmanned spacecraft, to determine their makeup.
Comets have a relatively small nucleus (normally larger than 100 km wide)
that develop just one debris tail as they get into the inner part of the solar
system.
Comets have a relatively small nucleus (normally less than 10 km in
diameter) that develop debris tails as they get close to the Sun.
Comets have a small nucleus with tails that always exist, even when they
are at home in the Kuiper Belt.
Group B
1 / 1 point
What is meant by the period of heavy bombardment?
During the 500-700 million years of the solar system existence
there were plenty of larger objects roaming around in the solar
disk. These larger objects constantly bombarded the terrestrial
objects building up their surfaces and often leaving large
craters that still exist today.
It refers to a particularly interesting period about 65 millions
years ago when so many asteroid hit Earth that many animal
species, including the dinosaurs, were wiped out.
It refers to a period of human history known as the Dark Ages
when many people died from being hit by the constant rain of
meteors from the Kuiper Belt.
Throughout the solar system's existence the Jovian planets
especially have been bombarded with rogue asteroids leaving
scars on their surfaces.
During the second world war London, England was heavily
bombed by the German Airforce.
1 / 1 point
Question 15
Protoplanets grow into planetesimals by which processes?
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A) Colliding with other protoplanets.
B) Gravitationally pulling in other protoplanets
C) Attracting other planetesimals with the same charge.
D) A combination of A and B.
E) A combination of A, B and C.
1 / 1 point
Question 16
Which of the following is most likely to describe a comet, but not an asteroid?
Comets are leftover planetesimals from the time when the
planets were formed.
Comets are partially but not totally composed of rocks and
metals.
Comets are mainly composed of ice and snow with some dust
and rocky bits.
Comets reside with similar bodies in a sparsely populated belt.
There really is no difference between a comet and an asteroid.
1 / 1 point
Question 17
The terrestrial planet cores contain mostly metal because
convection carried the metals to the core.
the entire planets are made mostly of metal.
only metals condensed closest to the Sun in the solar nebula
and the rocks then accreted around them as the protoplanets
cooled.
radioactivity created metals in the core from the decay of
uranium.
metals sank to the centre during a time when the interiors
were molten throughout.
1 / 1 point
Question 18
Atmospheres formed around some terrestrial planets because
A)
outgassing through volcanic activity plus a strong enough
gravity kept the gas from escaping into space
B)
their gravity was great enough to capture atoms and
molecules floating around in the solar nebula
radioactivity from surface rocks produced oxygen and
C) carbon dioxide in sufficient quantities to build up an
atmosphere
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D)
human activity produces carbon dioxide and plants produce
oxygen which are the main constituents of an atmosphere
E) all of A, B, C and D.
1 / 1 point
Question 19
Why are the inner planets made of denser materials than the outer planets?
In the inner part of the nebula only metals and rocks were able
to condense because of the high temperatures, whereas
hydrogen compounds, although more abundant, were only able
to condense in the cooler outer regions.
Denser materials were heavier and sank to the centre of the
nebula.
When the solar nebula formed a disk, materials naturally
segregated into bands, and in our particular solar system the
denser materials settled nearer the Sun while lighter materials
are found in the outer part.
In the beginning, when the protoplanetary disk was spinning
faster, centrifugal forces flung the lighter materials toward the
outer parts of the solar nebula.
The Sun's gravity pulled denser materials toward the inner part
of the solar nebula, while lighter gases escaped more easily.
Question 20
1 / 1 point
Which of the following solar system moons likely formed through the same processes as our solar
system?
A) The moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos.
B) Venus's small moon, Dactyl.
C) Jupiter's so-called Galilean moons.
D) Uranus's moon, Triton
E) All of A, C and D.
1 / 1 point
Question 21
About how much of the solar nebula consisted of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium?
2% by mass.
25% by mass.
98% by mass.
50% by mass.
10% by mass.
Question 22
1 / 1 point
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How were the moons of the Jovian planets most likely formed?
Probably through the same process as the planets themselves
formed.
Most likely by gravitationally attracting asteroids as a
protoplanet might form.
Most of the solar system's moons initially formed around
Jupiter which were then ejected by Jupiter toward other planets
which eventually captured them.
They were all formed in the Asteroid Belt between Venus and
Jupiter and through BB (Belt Benevolence) they got distributed
among the Jovian planets.
Early in their formation the planets spun wildly and flung off
chunks of themselves which coalesced as moons.
Question 23
1 / 1 point
What constitutes the solar wind?
A)
It's very similar to the wind here on Earth which is merely
the moving around of atmospheric gases.
B)
It is the continuous stream of hot air being released by the
fusion process deep inside the Sun.
C)
It's the continuous emission of charged particles (electrons,
protons, etc.) from the solar surface.
The solar wind in not constant but happens in spurts
D) especially during the time of coronal mass ejections from
sunspots.
E) It is a combination of both A and B.
1 / 1 point
Question 24
According to our theory of solar system formation, what is Pluto?
Pluto is simply an oddball planet, and thus represents one of
the "exceptions" that the nebular theory cannot explain.
Pluto is one of the largest of the Kuiper belt objects.
Pluto is a very small jovian planet.
Pluto is a terrestrial planet that was shot out from the inner
solar system to its present location as the most distant planet.
Pluto is a terrestrial planet that happened to form at a large
distance from the Sun.
Question 25
1 / 1 point
What was the frost line of the solar system?
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the distance from the Sun beyond which temperatures were
low enough for rocks to condense, between the present-day
orbits of Mercury and Venus
the distance from the Sun beyond which temperatures were
low enough for hydrogen and helium to condense, between the
present-day orbits of Jupiter and Saturn
the distance from the Sun beyond which temperatures were
low enough for metals to condense, between the Sun and the
present-day orbit of Mercury
the distance from the Sun beyond which temperatures were
low enough for asteroids to form, between the present-day
orbits of Venus and Earth
the distance from the Sun beyond which temperatures were
low enough for hydrogen compounds and methane to condense
into ices, between the present-day orbits of Mars and Jupiter
Question 26
1 / 1 point
What is a planetesimal?
A smaller building block of a protostar.
A smaller building block of planets.
A rogue planet moving around in the solar system not attached
to any particular planet.
One of the larger planets in the solar system.
An object that is in orbit around a planet.
0 / 1 point
Question 27
According to our theory of solar system formation, why does the Sun rotate slowly today?
The Sun once rotated much faster, but it lost angular momentum because
everything slows down with time.
The Sun once rotated much faster, but it transferred angular momentum to
planets and other objects during close encounters.
The Sun once rotated much faster, but it lost angular momentum due to
internal friction.
The Sun once rotated much faster, but it transferred angular momentum to
charged particles caught in its magnetic field and then blew the particles
away with its strong solar wind.
The Sun was born rotating slowly because the solar nebula had very little
angular momentum.
Group C
1 / 1 point
Why would a star continuously wobble back-and-forth in space?
Because the nebula it formed out of collided with a supernova
shockwave
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Because it is undergoing precession
Because of air currents in the atmosphere surrounding it
Because it had too much to drink
Because it is revolving around a common centre of mass with
other planets
Question 29
0 / 1 point
Which of the following techniques has so far yielded the fewest detections of an exoplanet?
Transit method.
Astrometric method.
Direct Detection.
Doppler technique
Gravitational lensing.
1 / 1 point
Question 30
Which statement best describes the transit technique for finding exoplanets?
Observing the slight shifting of the frequency of the light as the
star wobbles back and forth in space due to an exoplanet
orbiting it.
Observing the gravitational effects the orbiting exoplanet has
on other nearby stars.
Actually seeing the exoplanet orbiting the star through our
more powerful telescopes.
Observing the slight dip in the brightness of a star as the
planet moves across it's face.
Observing the slight side-to-side movement of the star in space
caused by an exoplanet orbiting it.
Question 31
1 / 1 point
So far, about how many exoplanets have been discovered?
150
over 1500
about 4000
around 75
700
Question 32
0 / 1 point
Which of the following statements about exoplanets is true?
The large majority of confirmed exoplanets orbit their stars at
radii less than 5 AU.
No planets have been found orbiting their stars at radii less
than Mercury's orbital radius.
A considerable number of exoplanets seem to have orbits that
are quite elliptical.
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All of A, B and C are true.
Only A and C are true.
1 / 1 point
Question 33
Which statement best describes the direct detection technique for finding exoplanets?
Observing the gravitational effects the orbiting exoplanet has
on other nearby stars.
Actually seeing the exoplanet orbiting the star through our
more powerful telescopes.
Observing the slight dip in the brightness of a star as the
planet moves across it's face.
Observing the slight shifting of the frequency of the light as the
star wobbles back and forth in space due to an exoplanet
orbiting it.
Observing the slight side-to-side movement of the star in space
caused by an exoplanet orbiting it.
Question 34
0 / 1 point
Which of the following three factors would affect the size of a star's Doppler shift caused by an
exoplanet?
The planet's mass
The size of the planet's orbit
The planet's composition
Only A and B
All of A, B and C
Question 35
1 / 1 point
Which statement best describes the transit method of discovering exoplanets?
Measuring the Doppler shift of a star as it orbits its combined
centre of mass with an exoplanet.
Taking a photograph of planets around a star through a
telescope that can block the light of the star.
Measuring the size of the star around which the exoplanet is
orbiting.
Measuring the periodic dimming of light as an exoplanet
crosses in front of the star.
Measuring the distance a star wobbles on the sky as it is
tugged in its orbit by an exoplanet.
1 / 1 point
Question 36
What does the exoplanet descriptor "hot Jupiter" mean?
It's the latest fast car made by Toyota having Jupiter as its
model name.
It's an exoplanet the same size as Jupiter but with an extensive
ring system.
It's an exoplanet just like Jupiter but orbiting much further
away from its sun than 5 AU.
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It's any exoplanet orbiting around a much bigger star than our
Sun.
It's an exoplanet jult like Jupiter but orbiting much closer to its
sun than 5 AU.
Question 37
1 / 1 point
What is so special about a star known as 51 Pegasi?
It is a pulsar with planets orbiting around it.
It is the largest known white dwarf star.
It was the first star found with multiple planets orbiting it.
It is the first main sequence star (stars like our Sun) found to
have a planet orbiting it.
It was the first star found with a planet orbiting it that is known
to support intelligent life.
Question 38
0 / 1 point
Which of the following statements about exoplanets is false?
The information about exoplanets we have been able to
determine so far seem to indicate that most of them are similar
to our own solar system component.
A considerable number of exoplanets seem to have orbits that
are quite elliptical.
The large majority of confirmed exoplanets orbit their stars at
radii less than 5 AU.
No planets have been found orbiting their stars at radii less
than Mercury's orbital radius.
The masses of the large majority of confirmed exoplanets that
we have been able to measure with any degree of certainty are
larger than Earth's mass.
Question 39
1 / 1 point
Thinking about our own solar system, which planet will have the greatest effect on the Sun's
movement about the solar system's centre of mass?
Mercury, because it is closest to the Sun.
Jupiter, because of its huge mass.
Mars, because it's the red planet.
Earth, because we live here.
Saturn, because of its large ring structure.
1 / 1 point
Question 40
What is an extrasolar planet?
A planet that is extra large compared to what we would expect.
A planet that is considered an "extra" in that it was not needed for the
formation of its solar system.
A planet that is found orbiting another planet outside our solar system.
A planet that is larger than the Sun.
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A planet that orbits a star that is not our Sun.
Q) Without telescope of other aid, we can see the moon in the night sky because it
A) Reflects visible lighm,l
,\
00000000000 coming from the sun
Q) Which of the following statements about x-rays and radio waves is not true?
A) Neither x-rays nor radio waves can penetrate the earth’s atmosphere
Q) Galileo was a very important figure in astronomy. Which of the following
statements about Galileo’s accomplishments is false?
A) Galileo looked at the moon through his telescope and observed rivers,
mountains, and lakes filled with liquid
Q) the scientific method is best described by which of the following?
A) a system of collecting and analyzing data, formulating a hypothesis, testing
the hypothesis and reformulating the hypothesis as needed
Q) which statement about the cosmological principle is valid?
A) it is based on two tenets involving the universality of the laws of physics
and chemistry and the belief that there is nothing special about the earth
Q) Galileo observed that venus had phases very similar to the phases out moon goes
through. From this he concluded that
A) Venus therefore must orbit the sun and not the earth
Q) Suppose a planet is discovered orbiting a star in a highly elliptical orbit. While the
planet is close to the star it _______, but while it is far away it _________
A) moves faster, moves slower
Q) which of the following is not an example of “pseudoscience”?
A) astronomy
Q) Who built Stonehenge?
A) Nobody really knows for sure
Q) Galileo observed that Jupiter had moons. From this info you may conclude that
A) some things do not orbit the earth
Q) Kapler’s 3rd law of planetary motion states that
A) the cube of the semi-major axis of a planets orbit is directly proportional
to the square of its period of motion around the sun
Q) Which of the following best describes the origin of ocean tides on earth?
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A) tides are caused by the difference in the force of gravity exerted by the
moon across the sphere of the earth
Q) spring tides occur
A) at any time of the year when the moon is full
Q) which of the following is not part of newtons universal law of gravitation
A) the gravitational attraction between 2 objects depends directly on the
distance between their centres of mass
Q) Ptolemy was important in the history of astronomy because he
A) developed a model of the solar system that made sufficiently accurate
predictions of planetary positions to remain in use for many centuries
Q) which one of the following in not one of, nor follows directly from, Kepler’s law?
A) when a planet travels at slower speeds it must be nearer the sun and
when it speeds up it must be as far from the sun as it can get
Q) a skater can spin faster by pulling in her arms closer to her body or spin slower
by spreading her arms out from her body. This is due to
A) the conservation of angular momentum
Q) what is acceleration?
A) it is the rate of change of velocity with change
Q) which of the following is not regarded as a heat transfer mechanism?
A) segregation
Q) Radiative (or radiant) energy is
A) light energy
Q) upon what quantities does angular momentum depend?
A) three quantities – an objects mass, its rotational speed, and its radius of
distance from the rotational centre
Q) which of the following statements about orbital motion is not true?
A) an elliptical orbit is an example of an open orbit
Q) which of the following statements correctly describes the law of conservation of
energy?
A) the total quantity of energy in the universe never changes
Q) what does temperature measure?
A) the average kinetic energy of particles of substance
Q) which of the following is not a unit of speed?
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A) centimetres/light years
Q) if your mass is 75 kg on earth, what would your mass be on Saturn which is about
95 times as massive as the earth?
A) about the same, 75kg
Q) the amount of matter contained in an object is called its mass. Which of the
following statements about mass is false?
A) the average human mass is about 150 pounds
Q) when a rock is held above the ground, we say it has some potential energy. When
we let it go, it falls and we say the potential energy to kinetic energy when it hits the
ground. What has happened to the energy?
A) the energy goes to producing sound and to heating the ground, rock, and
surrounding air
Q) at which lunar phase(s) are the tides most pronounced? (the highest tide levels)
A) both new and full moons
Q) suppose there are 2 monochromatic light beams. Beam 1 has half the wavelength
of beam 2. How do their frequencies compare?
A) beam 1 has 2x the frequency of beam 2
Q) from lowest energy to highest energy, which of the following correctly orders the
different categories of electromagnetic radiation?
A) radio, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, x-ray, gamma rays
Q) Suppose the angular separation of 2 stars is smaller than the angular resolution
of your eyes. How will the stars appear to your eyes?
A) the 2 stars will look like a single point of light
Q) which of the following is not an advantage of the hubble space telescope over
ground based telescopes?
A) although it orbits the earth and is outside the atmosphere, it is, after all,
closer to the stars
Q) the larger the size of the telescope, the greater the what?
A) light gathering ability
Q) which of the following statements best describes the pricinple advantage of
telescopes over eyes?
A) telescopes can collect far more light with far better angular resolution
Q) the trouble with refraction telescopes is that
A) different colours of visible starlight get focused to different points in space
making the image blurry
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Q) the Doppler shift is a wave phenomenon that
A) uses the change in wavelength of light to determine the speed of a moving
star
Q) a hot star emits primarily what colour of visible light
A) blue
Q) most of everything we know from outside earth we know because of our use of
what?
A) light
Q) the wavelength of a wave is
A) the distance between 2 adjacent peaks of the wave
0 / 1 point
tion 1
Which of the following statements about conjunctions and opposition is false?
Mercury and Venus both have superior and inferior conjunctions
because they are closer to the Sun than Earth.
Mercury can never be in opposition from Earth's perspective.
Jupiter can never appear in an inferior conjunction position from
Earth's perspective.
Mar can have an inferior conjunction but not a superior
conjunction from Earth's perspective.
Conjunction and opposition are orbital mechanics terms.
1 / 1 point
Question 2
Which component of our atmosphere has steadily increased in the last 100 years and has led to
warming temperatures?
Argon
Carbon Dioxide
Oxygen
Nitrogen
Water Vapour
Question 3
1 / 1 point
Which of the following statements about Earth is false?
The Earth's atmosphere is mostly nitrogen and oxygen.
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The poles of the Earth's magnetic field are precisely aligned with
Earth's rotational axis.
It appears as if the average temperature on the surface of the
Earth has been increasing regularly over the past 100 years.
A liquid shell of molten iron surrounds a solid core of iron.
the Van Allen belts surround the Earth's equator and contain
charged particles from the solar wind.
Question 4
0 / 1 point
How would you describe Venus's retrograde rotation?
It rotates in the opposite direction to Earth's spin and at the
same rate so that a day on Venus is the same 24 hours.
It rotates very slowly in a direction opposite to its revolution.
Its rate of rotation matches its rate of revolution.
It appears to make a loop on the celestial sphere over many
months as Earth "overtakes" it.
Its axis of rotation is tilted 90 degrees from the ecliptic.
0 / 1 point
Question 5
Why does the burning of fossil fuels increase the greenhouse effect on Earth?
Burning fuel warms the planet.
Burning releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Burning depletes the amount of ozone, thereby warming the
planet.
Burning produces infrared light, which is then trapped by
existing greenhouse gases.
All of the above are true.
1 / 1 point
Question 6
All but one of the following statements about Mercury are true. Which one is false?
Mercury is now geologically dead.
Mercury has a very thin atmosphere which is strange because
there are still active volcanoes outgassing carbon dioxide and
water vapour.
Despite the fact that the surface temperature is over 700 K there
may well be water ice hidden below the surface of Mercury.
Mercury's surface is covered with craters revealing a battered
past.
Mercury has a magnetic field, although it is only 1% as strong as
Earth's.
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1 / 1 point
Question 7
How have we been able to construct maps of surface features on the planet Venus?
by using radar from spacecraft that were sent to orbit Venus
by making computer models of geological processes on Venus
by studying Venus with powerful telescopes on spacecraft that
were sent to orbit Venus
by studying Venus from Earth with powerful telescopes
by landing spacecraft on the surface for close-up study
1 / 1 point
Question 8
Earth's atmosphere contains only small amounts of carbon dioxide because
Earth doesn't have as strong a greenhouse effect as is present
on Venus.
carbon dioxide dissolves in water, and most of it is now
contained in the oceans and carbonate rocks.
chemical reactions with other gases destroyed the carbon
dioxide and replaced it with the nitrogen that is in the
atmosphere now.
most of the carbon dioxide was lost during the age of
bombardment.
the Earth's volcanoes did not outgas as much carbon dioxide as
those on Venus and Mars.
Question 9
1 / 1 point
All but one of the following statements about Venus are true. Which one is false?
The atmospheric pressure on Venus is significantly greater than
on Earth, about 9 times as great.
Past volcanic activity is responsible for the greenhouse gases in
the atmosphere.
Venus' significant greenhouse effect results in a surface
temperature over 700 K.
One elevated landmass, Aphrodite Terra, is about as large as
the African continent.
Venus' atmosphere has sulphuric acid that absorbs uv radiation
from the Sun.
Question 10
1 / 1 point
What function does the ozone layer provide on the Earth?
It is a by-product of the process of photosynthesis involving
plant life.
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It absorbs and re-radiates infrared radiation from the Sun,
which helps keep the Earth warm.
It is dissolved in water and reacts with nutrients to form
limestone.
It shields us from ultraviolet radiation that is harmful to life.
None of the above.
1 / 1 point
Question 11
The origin of Earth's only natural satellite, Moon, is
Earth - it was formed when a huge comet hit Earth, some 4.5
billion years ago, and the land mass that existed where the
current Pacific Ocean is became the Moon.
the same nebula from which the Earth formed - both the Earth
and the Moon formed at about the same time and since the
Earth was bigger the Moon began circling it.
a combination of the "capture" theory and the "daughter"
theory, sometimes called the impact theory which posits that
early in the solar system history the formative years. a young,
molten Earth collided with a Mars-like object in a sort of
glancing blow.
outer space, beyond our solar system - a small, dead star
careening through the Milky Way Galaxy became attracted by
our Sun and somehow wound up orbiting Earth through chance
orbital mechanics.
a planet that once orbited the Sun somewhere between Mars
and Jupiter about where the asteroid belt is. which collided with
the largest asteroid, Ceres, sending it toward Earth which then
captured it with its large gravitational force.
Question 12
1 / 1 point
There are no auroras on Venus because it
is too hot.
lacks atmospheric oxygen.
lacks strong winds.
lacks an ionosphere.
lacks a strong magnetic field.
Question 13
0 / 1 point
All of the following statements about Venus are true but one. Which one is false?
Although there are no water oceans on Venus there are two fairly large,
raised landforms, Ishtar Terra and Aphrodite Terra.
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The magnetic field on Venus has about the same intensity as on Earth,
although it appears to change directions every 100,000 years or so.
Venus' rotation is retrograde, a fact discovered only within the past 50
years.
The temperature on the surface of Venus is a hot 740 K approx...
Venus orbits the Sun in about 225 days and has a day that is about 117
Earth days long.
Group B
0 / 1 point
Jupiter and Saturn emit ________ heat than absorbed from the Sun due to ___________ .
1) more; heat left over from their formation
2)
more; nuclear reactions in their liquid metallic hydrogen
cores.
3) less; nuclear fusion of hydrogen in their cores.
4) less: heat left over from their formation
5)
about the same: a balance of heat absorbed and heat
generated by various processes.
1 / 1 point
Question 15
Why does Jupiter have several distinct cloud layers?
1)
Clouds form randomly, so on average there are always
several layers.
2)
Different layers represent clouds made of gases that
condense at different temperatures.
3)
Different layers represent the various regions where the
temperature is cool enough for liquid water to condense.
4)
Different gases are present at different altitudes in Jupiter's
atmosphere.
5)
Winds prevent clouds from forming at some altitudes, so we
see clouds only at the other altitudes.
0 / 1 point
Question 16
Which of the following statements about Saturn is false?
1) Saturn was first discovered by Galileo about 400 years ago.
Saturn's density is less tha the density of water, meaning
2) that it would float in your cottage lake it would have to be a
big lake!..
3)
Saturn is the second most massive planet in our solar
system.
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4) Saturn has one big moon, Titan, and lots of small ones.
5) Saturn takes about 29.5 years to orbit the Sun once.
1 / 1 point
Question 17
All of the following statements about Jupiter are true but one. Which one is false?
1)
The Great Red Spot is a large storm centre that has been
observed for only the last 75 years.
2)
Of the four Jovian planets Jupiter is the only one that
doesn't have seasons.
3) Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system.
4) Jupiter has the shortest rotational period of all the planets.
5) Jupiter has a solid core that is more massive than the Earth.
0 / 1 point
Question 18
Which of the following statements about Uranus is false?
1)
Uranus has the Great Red Spot on its surface that has been
visible for the last 400 years.
2)
Uranus appears blue in telescopes resulting from lots of
methane in its upper atmosphere.
3)
Uranus appears to "roll" along in its orbit because its
equatorial inclination is close to 90 degrees.
4) Uranus is the least massive of the Jovian planets.
5) Uranus's average distance from the Sun is about 19.2 AU.
1 / 1 point
Question 19
How does the atmospheric pressure on Mars compare to that on Earth and Venus?
1) Greater than on both Earth and Venus.
2) Lower than on Earth but greater than on Venus.
3) Greater than on Earth but lower than on Venus.
4) Lower than on both Earth and Venus.
5) Greater than on Venus but lower than on Earth.
1 / 1 point
Question 20
Which of the following do the Jovian planets not have in common?
They all have comparatively large hydrogen and helium
1) atmospheres surrounding relatively small rock and metal
cores.
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2) They are all less dense than water.
3) They all rotate faster than the Earth.
4)
They are all many times more massive than terrestrial
planets.
5) They all have ring systems and dozens of satellites.
1 / 1 point
Question 21
Which of the following does Jupiter not have?
1) a hot interior
2) crustal plates on its surface
3) convection occurring in the atmosphere
4) any rings
5) a dynamo effect
1 / 1 point
Question 22
All of the following statements about Jupiter are true but one. Which one is false?
1) Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system.
2)
Of the four jovian planets Jupiter is the only one that
doesn't have seasons.
3) Jupiter has the smallest rotational rate of all the planets.
4) Jupiter has a solid core that is bigger than Earth.
5)
The density of Jupiter is greater than that of air but less
than that for water.
1 / 1 point
Question 23
What is a Roche zone?
1)
the region within a planet's magnetic field where charged
particles accumulate
2) a bright layer of gas on Jupiter
3)
a region where gravitational resonances clear a gap in a
planet's rings
4)
the region surrounding a planet where it may have large
moons
5)
the region near a planet where tidal forces would tear apart
an object held together only by gravity
1 / 1 point
Question 24
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Exploration on Mars has been accomplished by orbiters, lander and rovers. Which of the following
statements about Martian exploration is false?
1)
We are fairly certain that water was once abundant on the
Martian surface.
2)
As you take this test, a rover named Curiosity is exploring
the Martian surface in a place known as the Gale Crater.
3)
Early exporation began in the 1970s with
NASA's Viking program.
4)
Two very successful Martian rovers have
been Spirit and Opportunity.
5)
The remains of some type of life form have been found
near Olympus Mons, the largest volcano on Mars.
1 / 1 point
Question 25
About how far from the Sun, on average, is Saturn?
1) 10 AU
2) 20 AU
3) 5 AU
4) 15 AU
5) 1 AU
Question 26
0 / 1 point
Why does Mars have more extreme seasons than Earth?
1) because it is farther from the Sun
2) because it has a larger axis tilt
3) because it has a more eccentric orbit
4) because it has more carbon dioxide in its atmosphere
5) all of the above
1 / 1 point
Question 27
Saturn is how far from the Sun, on average?
1) 5 AU
2) 20 AU
3) 10 AU
4) 15 AU
5) 1 AU
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Group C
1 / 1 point
n 28
Which of the following statements about the rings of the four jovian planets is not true?
All are made of individual particles of rock or ice that orbit in
accord with Kepler's laws: inner ring particles orbiting faster,
and outer ring particles orbiting slower.
All rings lie within their planet's Roche zone.
All probably look much like they did when the solar system first
formed.
All have gaps and ringlets, probably due to gap moons,
shepherd moons, and orbital resonances.
All the particle orbits are fairly circular, near their planet's
equatorial plane.
1 / 1 point
Question 29
Why is Triton referred to as Neptune's "backward" moon?
It orbits Neptune in the expected prograde direction but it spins
backward.
It orbits in the opposite direction of its revoluation.
It has different surface features on its leading and trailing
hemispheres
It continually pulls backward on Neptune, causing Neptune to
slow down.
It is named after a mythological figure known for speaking
backwards.
1 / 1 point
Question 30
Where do the majority of confirmed dwarf planets in the solar system reside?
The iCloud
The Oort Cloud
The Kuiper Belt
Between Mars and Jupiter
In orbit around Neptune
Question 31
1 / 1 point
All of the following statements about Charon, Pluto's moon, are true except which one?
Charon is half the size of Pluto, but 1/10th the mass.
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As strange as it may seem, astronomers have actually
observed seasonal effects on Charon.
The discovery of Charon allowed astronomers to determine that
Pluto's rotation is retrograde.
Charon's orbit around Pluto is fairly close to Pluto's surface
20,000 km..
The orbital period of Charon is equal to the rotation period of
Pluto.
Question 32
0 / 1 point
Why do astronomers believe Triton may have been a planet that was captured by Neptune?
It is too large to have been formed in the outer portion of the
nebula that formed Neptune.
It has an atmosphere and a measurable greenhouse effect.
It is colder than any other moon or planet.
It undergoes seasonal changes.
It orbits Neptune in the opposite direction of Neptune's
rotation.
1 / 1 point
Question 33
Why isn't there a planet where the asteroid belt is located?
Gravitational tugs from Jupiter prevented material from
collecting together to form a planet.
There was not enough material in this part of the solar nebula
to form a planet.
There was too much rocky material to form a terrestrial planet,
but not enough gaseous material to form a jovian planet.
The temperature in this portion of the solar nebula was just
right to prevent rock from sticking together.
A planet once formed here, but it was broken apart by a
catastrophic collision.
0 / 1 point
Question 34
Which of the following statements about the moons of the Jovian planets is false?
Galileo discovered the four largest moons of Jupiter in 1610.
Io, one of the Galilean moons of Jupiter, is the most
volcanically active object in the solar system.
Mimas, a small moon of Saturn, is responsible for the existence
of the Cassini division.
Titania, one of the largest jovian moons, has a wrinkly surface
that is often referred to as "cantaloupe terrain".
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Europa, a larger moon of Jupiter, has the smoothest surface in
the solar system.
Question 35
0 / 1 point
What is the Cassini division of Saturn's rings?
the imaginary circle marking the halfway point of Saturn's rings
the widest ring of Saturn, located between two large ring gaps
the most opaque ring of Saturn, made of highly reflective ice
particles
a dark ring, visible from Earth, composed of dark, dusty
particles
a large gap, visible from Earth, produced by an orbital
resonance with the moon Mimas
1 / 1 point
Question 36
What mechanism is most responsible for generating the internal heat of Io that drives the volcanic
activity?
tidal heating
bombardment
differentiation
accretion
radioactive decay
1 / 1 point
Question 37
Which of these moons is the most geologically active?
Leo
Enceladus
Europa
Callisto
Io
Question 38
1 / 1 point
Why are there no impact craters on the surface of Io?
Jupiter's strong gravity attracted the planetesimals more
strongly than Io and thus none landed on its surface.
Any craters that existed have been eroded through the strong
winds on Io's surface.
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Io did have impact craters but they have all been buried in lava
flows.
Io's thick atmosphere obscures the view of the craters.
It is too small to have been bombarded by planetesimals in the
early solar system.
Question 39
1 / 1 point
What did the Huygens probe discover about Saturn's moon, Titan?
An atmosphere that consists of about 90% oxygen.
Methane rains onto the surface, evaporates, and rains again
cyclically.
A system of caverns and tunnels that appear to run throughout
the interior of the satellite.
A plume of water vapour erupting from a geothermal vent.
An atmosphere that is about 10 times that on Earth.
1 / 1 point
Question 40
Which of the following is not classified as a dwarf planet?
Ceres
Triton
Makemake
Eris
Pluto
1 / 1 point
Question 1
Mercury's large core is composed of
iron
carbon dioxide ice
rock
water ice
silicon
Question 2
1 / 1 point
Which of the following statements about Earth is false?
It appears as if the average temperature on the surface of the
Earth has been increasing regularly over the past 100 years.
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A liquid shell of molten iron surrounds a solid core of iron.
The Earth's atmosphere is mostly nitrogen and oxygen.
the Van Allen belts surround the Earth's equator and contain
charged particles from the solar wind.
The poles of the Earth's magnetic field are precisely aligned with
Earth's rotational axis.
Question 3
0 / 1 point
The origin of Earth's only natural satellite, Moon, is
a planet that once orbited the Sun somewhere between Mars
and Jupiter about where the asteroid belt is. which collided with
the largest asteroid, Ceres, sending it toward Earth which then
captured it with its large gravitational force.
the same nebula from which the Earth formed - both the Earth
and the Moon formed at about the same time and since the
Earth was bigger the Moon began circling it.
Earth - it was formed when a huge comet hit Earth, some 4.5
billion years ago, and the land mass that existed where the
current Pacific Ocean is became the Moon.
outer space, beyond our solar system - a small, dead star
careening through the Milky Way Galaxy became attracted by
our Sun and somehow wound up orbiting Earth through chance
orbital mechanics.
a combination of the "capture" theory and the "daughter" theory,
sometimes called the impact theory which posits that early in the
solar system history the formative years. a young, molten Earth
collided with a Mars-like object in a sort of glancing blow.
Question 4
1 / 1 point
What function does the ozone layer provide on the Earth?
It is a by-product of the process of photosynthesis involving
plant life.
It absorbs and re-radiates infrared radiation from the Sun, which
helps keep the Earth warm.
It is dissolved in water and reacts with nutrients to form
limestone.
It shields us from ultraviolet radiation that is harmful to life.
None of the above.
1 / 1 point
Question 5
A solar day on Mercury is about how long?
176 Earth days
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Earth day
57 Earth days
365.25 Earth days
17 Earth days
1 / 1 point
Question 6
At what special time in Venus's orbit might we be able to see a solar transit?
greatest western elongation
July 1
superior conjunction
greatest eastern elongation
inferior conjunction
1 / 1 point
Question 7
There are no auroras on Venus because it
is too hot.
lacks strong winds.
lacks an ionosphere.
lacks atmospheric oxygen.
lacks a strong magnetic field.
1 / 1 point
Question 8
The orbit of Venus around the Sun is almost circular. What is the radius of its orbit?
1.72 AU
0.72 AU
0.39 AU
1.0 AU
1.42 AU
Question 9
0 / 1 point
All but one of the following statements about Mercury are true. Which one is false?
Mercury's orbit about the Sun is almost circular, more so than
any other planet in the solar system.
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Mercury orbits close to the Sun and is best viewed during dawn
or dusk.
Mercury's interior is about 60% iron.
A solar day on Mercury is very long, 176 Earth days, due to its
slow rotation.
Mercury has been visited by one spacecraft in the mid1970s, Mariner 10, and now MESSENGER, which has now
settled into orbit around Mercury.
1 / 1 point
Question 10
What is the Moon's average orbital distance from the Sun?
1.5 AU
0.9 AU
2.0 AU
1.0 AU
0.5 AU
Question 11 1 / 1 point
How have we been able to construct maps of surface features on the planet Venus?
by using radar from spacecraft that were sent to orbit Venus
by studying Venus from Earth with powerful telescopes
by making computer models of geological processes on Venus
by landing spacecraft on the surface for close-up study
by studying Venus with powerful telescopes on spacecraft that
were sent to orbit Venus
Question 12
1 / 1 point
How would you describe Venus's retrograde rotation?
It appears to make a loop on the celestial sphere over many
months as Earth "overtakes" it.
It rotates very slowly in a direction opposite to its revolution.
Its axis of rotation is tilted 90 degrees from the ecliptic.
Its rate of rotation matches its rate of revolution.
It rotates in the opposite direction to Earth's spin and at the
same rate so that a day on Venus is the same 24 hours.
Question 13
1 / 1 point
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Which component of our atmosphere has steadily increased in the last 100 years and has led to
warming temperatures?
Water Vapour
Nitrogen
Oxygen
Carbon Dioxide
Argon
Group B
1 / 1 point
n 14
Which of the following planets was found using Newton's laws after discrepancies were observed in
another planet's orbit?
1) Saturn
2) Pluto
3) Uranus
4) Neptune
5) Jupiter
0 / 1 point
Question 15
Jupiter and Saturn emit ________ heat than absorbed from the Sun due to ___________ .
1)
about the same: a balance of heat absorbed and heat
generated by various processes.
2)
more; nuclear reactions in their liquid metallic hydrogen
cores.
3) less: heat left over from their formation
4) more; heat left over from their formation
5) less; nuclear fusion of hydrogen in their cores.
1 / 1 point
Question 16
Why does Mars have more extreme seasons than Earth?
1) because it is farther from the Sun
2) because it has a larger axis tilt
3) because it has a more eccentric orbit
4) because it has more carbon dioxide in its atmosphere
5) all of the above
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1 / 1 point
Question 17
Why does Jupiter have several distinct cloud layers?
1)
Different layers represent clouds made of gases that
condense at different temperatures.
2)
Clouds form randomly, so on average there are always
several layers.
3)
Different layers represent the various regions where the
temperature is cool enough for liquid water to condense.
4)
Different gases are present at different altitudes in Jupiter's
atmosphere.
5)
Winds prevent clouds from forming at some altitudes, so we
see clouds only at the other altitudes.
1 / 1 point
Question 18
Which of the following statements about Neptune is true?
1)
Neptune has very few moons; only four have been
observed.
2) Neptune is distinctly green in colour.
Neptune's largest surface feature is the Great Dark Spot
3) that is about the size of Earth and is probably a storm of
some sort.
4)
Neptune is different from the other Jovian planets in that it
doesn't appear to have a rocky, metallic core.
5) Neptune is located in between Saturn and Uranus.
1 / 1 point
Question 19
Which of the following do the Jovian planets not have in common?
1) They all rotate faster than the Earth.
2) They are all less dense than water.
3)
They are all many times more massive than terrestrial
planets.
They all have comparatively large hydrogen and helium
4) atmospheres surrounding relatively small rock and metal
cores.
5) They all have ring systems and dozens of satellites.
1 / 1 point
Question 20
How does the atmospheric pressure on Mars compare to that on Earth and Venus?
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1) Greater than on Venus but lower than on Earth.
2) Lower than on both Earth and Venus.
3) Lower than on Earth but greater than on Venus.
4) Greater than on Earth but lower than on Venus.
5) Greater than on both Earth and Venus.
0 / 1 point
Question 21
Which of the following statements about Uranus is false?
1) Uranus is the least massive of the Jovian planets.
2) Uranus's average distance from the Sun is about 19.2 AU.
3)
Uranus appears to "roll" along in its orbit because its
equatorial inclination is close to 90 degrees.
4)
Uranus appears blue in telescopes resulting from lots of
methane in its upper atmosphere.
5)
Uranus has the Great Red Spot on its surface that has been
visible for the last 400 years.
0 / 1 point
Question 22
Exploration on Mars has been accomplished by orbiters, lander and rovers. Which of the following
statements about Martian exploration is false?
1)
We are fairly certain that water was once abundant on the
Martian surface.
2)
Two very successful Martian rovers have
been Spirit and Opportunity.
3)
Early exporation began in the 1970s with
NASA's Viking program.
4)
The remains of some type of life form have been found
near Olympus Mons, the largest volcano on Mars.
5)
As you take this test, a rover named Curiosity is exploring
the Martian surface in a place known as the Gale Crater.
1 / 1 point
Question 23
Saturn is how far from the Sun, on average?
1) 15 AU
2) 10 AU
3) 5 AU
4) 1 AU
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5) 20 AU
1 / 1 point
Question 24
What is the region around a planet called where the magnetic field is able to deflect the solar wind
and other charged particles?
1) Aurora
2) Hydrosphere
3) Ice line
4) Corona
5) Magnetosphere
1 / 1 point
Question 25
The belts and zones of Jupiter are
1)
alternating bands of rising and falling air at different
latitudes.
2)
alternating regions of charged particles in Jupiter's magnetic
field.
3) names for different cloud layers on Jupiter.
material that is left over from the once expansive rings of
Jupiter.
4)
5) cyclonic and anti-cyclonic storms.
1 / 1 point
Question 26
About how far from the Sun, on average, is Saturn?
1) 10 AU
2) 20 AU
3) 15 AU
4) 1 AU
5) 5 AU
Question 27
1 / 1 point
What is a Roche zone?
1) a region where gravitational resonances clear a gap in a planet's rings
2) a bright layer of gas on Jupiter
3)
the region near a planet where tidal forces would tear apart an object
held together only by gravity
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4)
the region within a planet's magnetic field where charged particles
accumulate
5) the region surrounding a planet where it may have large moons
Group C
1 / 1 point
n 28
This satellite's interior has probably warmed enough by tidal stressing to have a liquid water ocean
below an icy crust.
Charon
Ariel
Titan
Io
Europa
Question 29 0 / 1 point
Which of the following statements about Jovian moons is false?
Many of the moons of Uranus have been named after sprites
and spirits in Shakespearean plays.
Neptune's largest moon, Triton, has a wrinkly surface often
called "cantaloupe terrain".
Volcanic plumes containing water vapour, nitrogen, methane
and other hydrocarbons have been observed on Enceladus, a
moon of Saturn.
All of the Jovian moons orbit their planet in the same direction,
counter-clockwise as seem from above the solar system.
The Galilean moons of Jupiter from smallest to largest are
Europa, Io, Callisto and Ganymede.
1 / 1 point
Question 30
Why is Triton referred to as Neptune's "backward" moon?
It continually pulls backward on Neptune, causing Neptune to
slow down.
It is named after a mythological figure known for speaking
backwards.
It orbits in the opposite direction of its revoluation.
It orbits Neptune in the expected prograde direction but it spins
backward.
It has different surface features on its leading and trailing
hemispheres
1 / 1 point
Question 31
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What is the Cassini division of Saturn's rings?
the most opaque ring of Saturn, made of highly reflective ice
particles
a dark ring, visible from Earth, composed of dark, dusty
particles
a large gap, visible from Earth, produced by an orbital
resonance with the moon Mimas
the widest ring of Saturn, located between two large ring gaps
the imaginary circle marking the halfway point of Saturn's rings
1 / 1 point
Question 32
Why isn't there a planet where the asteroid belt is located?
A planet once formed here, but it was broken apart by a
catastrophic collision.
Gravitational tugs from Jupiter prevented material from
collecting together to form a planet.
The temperature in this portion of the solar nebula was just
right to prevent rock from sticking together.
There was not enough material in this part of the solar nebula
to form a planet.
There was too much rocky material to form a terrestrial planet,
but not enough gaseous material to form a jovian planet.
Question 33
0 / 1 point
Which of the following statements about the moons of the Jovian planets is false?
Io, one of the Galilean moons of Jupiter, is the most
volcanically active object in the solar system.
Titania, one of the largest jovian moons, has a wrinkly surface
that is often referred to as "cantaloupe terrain".
Mimas, a small moon of Saturn, is responsible for the existence
of the Cassini division.
Europa, a larger moon of Jupiter, has the smoothest surface in
the solar system.
Galileo discovered the four largest moons of Jupiter in 1610.
1 / 1 point
Question 34
Which of the following statements about Pluto is false?
Pluto is one of the larger Kuiper Belt Objects discovered to date
and is actually bigger than Mercury.
Plluto has one large moon, Charon, and a few other smaller
ones
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Pluto has a fairly eccentric orbit but it spends about 20 years of
its 248-year orbit around the Sun inside the orbit of Neptune.
Pluto was discovered by Clyde Tombaugh around 1930 after
years of searching.
We don't know very much about the surface features of Pluto
because it is too far away and too small to view even with the
Hubble Space Telescope.
Question 35
1 / 1 point
Which of these moons is the most geologically active?
Leo
Callisto
Enceladus
Europa
Io
Question 36
0 / 1 point
All of the following statements about Charon, Pluto's moon, are true except which one?
Charon is half the size of Pluto, but 1/10th the mass.
The discovery of Charon allowed astronomers to determine that
Pluto's rotation is retrograde.
The orbital period of Charon is equal to the rotation period of
Pluto.
As strange as it may seem, astronomers have actually
observed seasonal effects on Charon.
Charon's orbit around Pluto is fairly close to Pluto's surface
20,000 km..
1 / 1 point
Question 37
Why do astronomers believe Triton may have been a planet that was captured by Neptune?
It is too large to have been formed in the outer portion of the
nebula that formed Neptune.
It orbits Neptune in the opposite direction of Neptune's
rotation.
It has an atmosphere and a measurable greenhouse effect.
It undergoes seasonal changes.
It is colder than any other moon or planet.
1 / 1 point
Question 38
How thick are Saturn's rings from top to bottom?
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a few hundred kilometers
a few tens of meters
a few kilometers
a few million kilometers
a few tens of thousands of kilometers
0 / 1 point
Question 39
Why was Pluto's status was changed to that of "dwarf planet" by the IAU?
A) Because it is too small.
B) Because it is not round.
C)
Because it has not cleared its orbital region of other
objects.
D) Because it has the wrong name.
E) All of A, B, C and D.
1 / 1 point
Question 40
Where do the majority of confirmed dwarf planets in the solar system reside?
The iCloud
The Oort Cloud
In orbit around Neptune
The Kuiper Belt
Between Mars and Jupiter
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