Astronomy Test #2

The largest planets also have the largest densities. (T/F)

The total mass of all the planets is much less than the mass of the Sun. (T/F)

Asteroids were recently formed by the collision and breakup of an object orbiting in the asteroid belt. (T/F)

Most comets have short periods and orbit close to the ecliptic plane. (T/F)

The solar system is of largely uniform composition. (T/F)

Asteroids, meteoroids, and comets are remnants of the early solar system. (T/F)

Astronomers have no theoretical explanation for the "hot Jupiters" observed orbiting some other stars. (T/F)

If we were to construct an accurate scale model of the solar system on a football field with the sun at one end and Pluto at the other, the planet closest to the center of the field would be:

In the leading theory of solar system formation, the planets:

The solar system is differentiated because:

Water on Earth was:

The number of confirmed exoplanets is:

Astronomers have not yet reported any Earth-like planets orbiting other stars because:

Because of tidal forces, the Moon is in a synchronous orbit around the Earth. (T/F)

Lunar maria are extensive lava-flow regions. (T/F)

Except for the layer of air closest to Earth's surface, the ozone layer is the warmest part of the atmosphere. (T/F)

Earth's magnetic field is the result of our planet's large, permanently magnetized iron core. (T/F)

Motion of the crustal plates is driven by convection in Earth's upper mantle. (T/F)

Volcanic activity continues today on the surface of the Moon. (T/F)

Like Earth, the Moon has a molten metal core. (T/F)

If you were making a scale model of Earth, representing our planet by a 12-inch basketball, the inner core would be about the size of:

Earth's average density is about the same as that of:

Sunlight absorbed by Earth's surface is reemitted in the form of:

The deepest that geologists have drilled into Earth is about the same as:

If Earth had no Moon, the tides would:

The most likely theory of the formation of the Moon is that it:

Mercury's solar day is longer than its solar year. (T/F)

Numerous surface features on Venus can be seen in Earth-based images in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum. (T/F)

Evidence of lava flows is common on the surface of Venus. (T/F)

There is strong circumstantial evidence that active volcanism continues on Venus. (T/F)

Mars has the largest volcanoes in the solar system. (T/F)

There are many indications of past plate tectonics on Mars. (T/F)

Valles Marineris is comparable in size to Earth's Grand Canyon. (T/F)

Mercury's large overall density suggests that the planet:

Venus's surface is permanently obscured by clouds. As a result, the surface has been studied primarily by:

Compared with Earth, Venus has a level of plate tectonic activity that is:

Venus's atmospheric temperature is:

In terms of area, the extinct Martian volcano Olympus Mons is about the size of:

In comparison to the atmosphere of Venus, the vastly different atmospheric character of Mars is likely due to a(n):

The solid surface of Jupiter lies just below the cloud layers that are visible from Earth. (T/F)

Storms in the jovian planets' atmospheres are generally much longer lived that storms on Earth. (T/F)

The element helium plays an important role in producing Saturn's atmospheric colors. (T/F)

Jupiter emits more energy than it receives from the Sun. (T/F)

Although often referred to as a gaseous planet, Jupiter is mostly liquid in its interior. (T/F)

Neptune probably does not have a rocky core. (T/F)

Around northern midsummer on Uranus, an observer near the north pole would observe the Sun high and almost stationary in the sky. (T/F)

The magnetic fields of Uranus and Neptune are highly tilted relative to their rotation axes and offset from the planets' centers. (T/F)

The main constituent of Jupiter's atmosphere is:

Saturn's cloud layers are much thicker than those of Jupiter because Saturn has:

Compared to Earth, Saturn's core is roughly:

Uranus was discovered about the same time as:

Compared with Uranus, the planet Neptune is: