Timed quiz 3 Flashcards
What do asteroids and comets have in common?
They have a similar range of orbital inclinations. They have nothing in common with each other. They have similar orbital radii. They have similar densities. Most are unchanged since their formation in the solar nebula.
Most are unchanged since their formation in the solar nebula.
The combined mass of all the asteroids in the asteroid belt is
about the same as that of Earth. about the same as that of Jupiter. about twice that of Earth. less than that of any terrestrial planet. more than that of all the planets combined.
less than that of any terrestrial planet.
What is a meteorite?
a streak of light caused by a small particle from space burning up in Earth's atmosphere a streak of light caused by a star moving across the sky a comet that burns up in Earth's atmosphere a fragment of an asteroid from the solar system that has fallen to Earth's surface a small moon that orbits one of the giant planets
a fragment of an asteroid from the solar system that has fallen to Earth’s surface
What do we call a small piece of solar system debris found on Earth?
meteorite meteor cometary fragment solar system debris meteoroid
meteorite
Most meteorites are
carbon-rich and processed. rocky and primitive. carbon-rich and primitive. iron-rich and processed. rocky and processed.
rocky and primitive.
In order to have a comet named after you, you have to
calculate its orbit and predict when it will return. be one of the first three discoverers who report it to the International Astronomical Union (IAU). be a well-known astronomer. publish a picture of it in an astronomical journal. be and do all of the above
be one of the first three discoverers who report it to the International Astronomical Union (IAU).
When do comets generally begin to form a tail?
between Mercury and Earth's orbit They always have a tail (until they run out of material). inside of Jupiter's orbit inside Mercury's orbit beyond Jupiter's orbit
inside of Jupiter’s orbit
The number of comets in the Oort cloud is probably about
a million. a trillion. a billion. a thousand. a quintillion.
a trillion.
What is the typical size of comets that enter the inner solar system?
1 km 1000 km 100 km 10 km Comet sizes are unknown because their tails obscure the nucleus.
10 km
Why won’t Pluto collide with Neptune?
It could! Pluto's orbit never comes anywhere close to Neptune's orbit. The two planets have an orbital resonance that prevents them from colliding. Pluto's orbit is completely inside Neptune's orbit. Pluto's orbit is completely outside Neptune's orbit.
The two planets have an orbital resonance that prevents them from colliding.
In the asteroid impact theory of the extinction of the dinosaurs some 65 million years ago, the dinosaurs (and over half of all the other species on Earth at that time) died off largely because
dust settled on the leaves of plants, making them inedible, so the animals died of starvation. of injuries suffered from direct hits of pieces of the asteroid or comet. radiation from iridium in the asteroid caused the dinosaurs to die of cancer. dust injected into the stratosphere from the impact absorbed visible light from the Sun, causing global temperatures to plummet. the impact caused massive earthquakes and volcanic activity worldwide.
dust injected into the stratosphere from the impact absorbed visible light from the Sun, causing global temperatures to plummet.
Which of the following methods has led to the most discoveries of massive planets orbiting near their parent stars?
detecting the gravitational effect of an orbiting planet by looking for the Doppler shifts in the star's spectrum detecting the starlight reflected off the planet detecting the shift of the star's position against the sky due to the planet's gravitational pull detecting the infrared light emitted by the planet detecting a planet ejected from a binary star system
detecting the gravitational effect of an orbiting planet by looking for the Doppler shifts in the star’s spectrum
Planets detected via the Doppler technique have been mostly
Earth-mass, in very close orbits. Jupiter-mass, in Jupiter-like orbits. a wide range of masses, in edge-on orbits. Earth-mass, in Earth-like orbits. Jupiter-mass, in very close orbits.
Planets detected via the Doppler technique have been mostly
Earth-mass, in very close orbits. Jupiter-mass, in Jupiter-like orbits. a wide range of masses, in edge-on orbits. Earth-mass, in Earth-like orbits. Jupiter-mass, in very close orbits.
What are the two main differences between extrasolar planetary systems discovered to date and our Solar System?
extrasolar planet orbits tend to be closer and more eccentric than in our Solar System extrasolar planet orbits tend to be more eccentric and inclined than in our Solar System extrasolar planets tend to be bigger and denser than Jupiter extrasolar planet orbits tend to be closer and more circular than in our Solar System extrasolar planets tend to be more massive and dense than Jupiter
extrasolar planet orbits tend to be closer and more eccentric than in our Solar System
A planet is detected via the Doppler technique. The repeating pattern of the stellar motion tells us
the planet's size. the orbital period of the planet. the planet's mass. the planet's density. the orbital eccentricity of the planet.
the orbital period of the planet.
The depth of the dip in a star’s brightness due to the transit of a planet depends most directly on
the size of the planet's orbit. the planet's size. the planet's mass. the planet's density. the eccentricity of the planet's orbit.
the planet’s size.
The composition of a planet’s atmosphere be measured during a transit by analyzing
the excess emission of starlight at specific wavelengths. the length and depth of the dip in light during the transit. the excess absorption of starlight at specific wavelengths. the wobble in a star's position on the sky. the amplitude and period of the star's motion.
the excess absorption of starlight at specific wavelengths.
How do we think the “hot Jupiters” around other stars were formed?
They formed as gas giants close to the star in the same orbits that they are seen today. Many planets were formed around the star but coalesced into a single planet close in. They spun off from the young star when it was rapidly rotating. They formed as dense, rocky planets close to the star in the same orbits that they are seen today. They formed as gas giants beyond the frost line and then migrated inwards.
They formed as gas giants beyond the frost line and then migrated inwards.
Which of the following is a consequence of the discovery of hot Jupiters for understanding our own Solar System?
It shows that life in the Universe is rare. It shows that our Solar System is very typical. It shows that Jupiter is unusually cold. It shows that our Solar System is very unusual. It shows that we do not fully understand the formation of our Solar System.
It shows that we do not fully understand the formation of our Solar System.
How does the Kepler mission plan to detect Earth-like planets around other stars?
by observing the spectrum of the planet by measuring the Doppler shift in spectral lines as the central star is tugged to and fro by the planet by observing the slight dip in brightness of the central star as the planet transits by measuring the slight shift in position of the central star as it is tugged to and fro by the planet by directly imaging the planet
by observing the slight dip in brightness of the central star as the planet transits
