Question 1

For the following questions,classify the spacecraft in one of these categories:
-carried the first humans to the Moon on July 20,1969

Accepted Answer

A)  Earth orbiter
B)  flyby
C)  planetary orbiter
D)  landerE) None of the above
F) A) and B)

Question 2

In what way is Pluto more like a comet than a planet?

Accepted Answer

A)  It sometimes enters the inner solar system.
B)  It has a long tail.
C)  It is made mostly of rock and ice.
D)  It has a moon.E) C) and D)
F) All of the above

Question 3

In the 1800s,many people assumed that Venus would have tropical temperatures,but instead it is very hot.Explain why tropical temperatures would have made sense given what was known in the 1800s,and why Venus instead turns out to be very hot.

Accepted Answer

If Venus had an atmosphere similar to ou...

Question 4

Which of the following statements about the asteroid belt is not true?

Accepted Answer

A)  The combined mass of all the asteroids is roughly the same as the mass of Earth.
B)  It is located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
C)  Asteroids in the asteroid belt orbit the Sun in the same direction that planets orbit the Sun.
D)  Asteroids in the asteroid belt are made mostly of rock.E) B) and C)
F) A) and D)

Question 5

Choose from the spacecraft below for the following questions:
-has been collecting high-resolution images of Jupiter and its moons since 1995

Accepted Answer

A)  Curiosity
B)  New Horizon
C)  Cassini
D)  Hubble Space Telescope
E)  Galileo orbiterF) All of the above
G) B) and D)

Question 6

All the planets in the solar system have at least one moon.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

Which is the densest planet in the solar system?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mercury
B)  Venus
C)  Earth
D)  Mars
E)  JupiterF) D) and E)
G) A) and B)

Question 8

The jovian planets have no solid surface.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

Which of the following statements about the recently-discovered object Eris is not true?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is slightly larger than Pluto.
B)  It lies well beyond Pluto and Neptune.
C)  It is thought to be the first example of a new class of object.
D)  It orbits the Sun in the same direction as the other planets.E) None of the above
F) A) and B)

Question 10

The planet Uranus held a special place in the mythology of the ancient Romans.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

Which moons are sometimes called the Galilean moons?

Accepted Answer

A)  the four largest moons of Jupiter: Io,Europa,Ganymede,and Callisto
B)  the two largest moons in the solar system: Ganymede and Titan
C)  the moons that orbit their planet "backward" compared to their planet's rotation,such as Neptune's moon Triton
D)  the moons orbiting Uranus,which was once named "planet Galileo"E) None of the above
F) A) and C)

Question 12

Why was it advantageous for the Voyager mission to consist of flybys rather than orbiters?

Accepted Answer

A)  Spacecraft making flybys can return to Earth more quickly than orbiters.
B)  Each individual spacecraft was able to visit more than one planet.
C)  It was easier for data to be radioed back to Earth with flybys than orbiters.
D)  Flyby spacecraft can get closer to a planet than an orbiting spacecraft.E) B) and C)
F) A) and B)

Question 13

Compared to the distance between Earth and Mars,the distance between Jupiter and Saturn is

Accepted Answer

A)  about the same.
B)  much larger.
C)  much smaller.
D)  just slightly less.E) B) and D)
F) C) and D)

Question 14

Mars has two moons that are most similar in character to

Accepted Answer

A)  small asteroids.
B)  comets.
C)  Earth's Moon.
D)  particles in the rings of Saturn.E) A) and C)
F) B) and D)

Question 15

Which of the following is not an advantage of spacecraft flybys over ground-based telescope observations?

Accepted Answer

A)  Spacecraft can sample the gravitational field of a planet.
B)  Spacecraft can view "backlit" views of planetary rings.
C)  Spacecraft can measure local magnetic fields.
D)  Spacecraft can monitor changes in a planet's atmosphere over long times.
E)  Spacecraft can make highly detailed images of the planet and its moons.F) A) and B)
G) A) and C)

Question 16

Consider the following statement: "Rocky asteroids are found primarily in the asteroid belt and Kuiper belt while icy comets are found primarily in the Oort cloud." What's wrong with this statement?

Accepted Answer

A)  Asteroids are not made of rock.
B)  Comets are not icy.
C)  The Kuiper belt contains icy comets,not rocky asteroids.
D)  The Oort cloud has nothing to do with comets.
E)  The statement is accurate as written.F) A) and D)
G) C) and E)

Question 17

For the following questions,classify the spacecraft in one of these categories:
-visited all four giant planets between 1979 and 1989

Accepted Answer

A)  Earth orbiter
B)  flyby
C)  planetary orbiter
D)  landerE) All of the above
F) B) and C)

Question 18

For the following questions,classify the spacecraft in one of these categories:
-mapped most of the surface of Venus with radar observations from Venusian orbit

Accepted Answer

A)  Earth orbiter
B)  flyby
C)  planetary orbiter
D)  landerE) C) and D)
F) A) and C)

Question 19

The planet in our solar system with the highest average surface temperature is

Accepted Answer

A)  Venus.
B)  Mercury.
C)  Earth.
D)  Neptune.E) All of the above
F) C) and D)

Question 20

Which of the following is farthest from the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A)  Pluto
B)  Neptune
C)  an asteroid in the asteroid belt
D)  a comet in the Kuiper belt
E)  a comet in the Oort cloudF) B) and E)
G) A) and B)

Exam 7: Our Planetary System

Choose from the spacecraft below for the following questions: -has been collecting high-resolution images of Jupiter and its moons since 1995

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following statements about the recently-discovered object Eris is not true?

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Compared to the distance between Earth and Mars,the distance between Jupiter and Saturn is

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For the following questions,classify the spacecraft in one of these categories: -mapped most of the surface of Venus with radar observations from Venusian orbit

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Which of the following is farthest from the Sun?

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The planet in our solar system with the highest average surface temperature is

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The planet Uranus held a special place in the mythology of the ancient Romans.

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Which of the following is not an advantage of spacecraft flybys over ground-based telescope observations?

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The jovian planets have no solid surface.

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Which moons are sometimes called the Galilean moons?

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Which is the densest planet in the solar system?

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In the 1800s,many people assumed that Venus would have tropical temperatures,but instead it is very hot.Explain why tropical temperatures would have made sense given what was known in the 1800s,and why Venus instead turns out to be very hot.

Correct AnswerverifiedIf Venus had an atmosphere similar to ou...View AnswerShow Answer

Why was it advantageous for the Voyager mission to consist of flybys rather than orbiters?

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For the following questions,classify the spacecraft in one of these categories: -carried the first humans to the Moon on July 20,1969

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In what way is Pluto more like a comet than a planet?

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Which of the following statements about the asteroid belt is not true?

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Consider the following statement: "Rocky asteroids are found primarily in the asteroid belt and Kuiper belt while icy comets are found primarily in the Oort cloud." What's wrong with this statement?

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For the following questions,classify the spacecraft in one of these categories: -visited all four giant planets between 1979 and 1989

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Mars has two moons that are most similar in character to

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All the planets in the solar system have at least one moon.

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If Venus had an atmosphere similar to ou...
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