Question 1

The number of comets in the Oort cloud is probably about

Accepted Answer

A)  a thousand.
B)  a million.
C)  a billion.
D)  a trillion.
E)  a quintillion.F) B) and C)
G) A) and E)

Question 2

Suppose we discover a new comet on an orbit that brings it closer to the Sun than Mercury every 125 years.What can we conclude?

Accepted Answer

A)  It came from the Oort cloud.
B)  It came from the Kuiper belt.
C)  It has been on its current orbit for only a very short time compared to the age of our solar system.
D)  It has a coma and tail during most of each orbit.E) B) and D)
F) C) and D)

Question 3

Comets appear to race across the sky in photographs,but in reality they remain nearly stationary relative to the stars.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 4

Which of the following Pluto observations did not help convince scientists to change Pluto's status from that of a planet?

Accepted Answer

A)  discovery of the Kuiper Belt
B)  discovery of seasonal atmosphere,similar to comets
C)  discovery of large Kuiper Belt Objects
D)  discovery of Pluto's 5 moonsE) A) and B)
F) All of the above

Question 5

What do asteroids and comets have in common

Accepted Answer

A)  Most are unchanged since their formation in the solar nebula.
B)  They have similar densities.
C)  They have similar orbital radii.
D)  They have a similar range of orbital inclinations.
E)  They have nothing in common with each other.F) D) and E)
G) C) and E)

Question 6

Halley's comet is named after the English scientist Edmund Halley (1656-1742) because

Accepted Answer

A)  he was first person to see it when it passed near Earth in 1682.
B)  the discoverers named it for him in honor of his financial support.
C)  he was the most famous astronomer alive in England during its appearance in 1758.
D)  he calculated its orbit and predicted the year in which it would next be seen.E) C) and D)
F) None of the above

Question 7

We know that there are large gaps in the average distances of asteroids from the Sun (within the asteroid belt) because we

Accepted Answer

A)  see the gaps through telescopes.
B)  see the gaps via stellar occultation.
C)  know they are there theoretically,although we haven't detected them.
D)  actually don't know whether there really are gaps or not.
E)  have plotted distributions of the orbital radii of the asteroids.F) B) and E)
G) A) and E)

Question 8

Most meteorites collected on Earth are of the rocky primitive variety,although most asteroids are of the carbon-rich variety.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

What happens to Pluto's atmospheric gases over time?

Accepted Answer

A)  Pluto traps gases from other Kuiper Belt Objects,causing its atmosphere to become much,much thicker.
B)  Pluto does not have an atmosphere.
C)  Pluto's atmosphere vaporizes over time,due to low gravity in the exosphere.
D)  Pluto's atmosphere is collapsing gases that freeze and fall to the surface.E) A) and B)
F) B) and D)

Question 10

Oort-cloud comets are so far from the Sun that the gravity of neighboring stars can alter their orbits.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

A rock found on Earth that crashed down from space is called

Accepted Answer

A)  a meteor.
B)  an asteroid.
C)  a meteorite.
D)  an impact.E) None of the above
F) A) and D)

Question 12

What characteristic distinguishes a meteorite from a terrestrial rock?

Accepted Answer

A)  A meteorite is usually covered with a dark crust from burning in Earth's atmosphere.
B)  A meteorite usually has a high metal content.
C)  Meteorites have different isotope ratios of particular elements when compared to terrestrial rocks.
D)  Meteorites contain rare elements,such as iridium,that terrestrial rocks do not.
E)  All of the above are true.F) A) and B)
G) A) and D)

Exam 12: Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets: Their Nature, Orbits, and Impacts

Suppose we discover a new comet on an orbit that brings it closer to the Sun than Mercury every 125 years.What can we conclude?

Correct Answer
verified

Comets appear to race across the sky in photographs,but in reality they remain nearly stationary relative to the stars.

Correct Answer
verified

What do asteroids and comets have in common

Correct Answer
verified

A rock found on Earth that crashed down from space is called

Correct Answer
verified

Which of the following Pluto observations did not help convince scientists to change Pluto's status from that of a planet?

Correct Answer
verified

Most meteorites collected on Earth are of the rocky primitive variety,although most asteroids are of the carbon-rich variety.

Correct Answer
verified

What characteristic distinguishes a meteorite from a terrestrial rock?

Correct Answer
verified

We know that there are large gaps in the average distances of asteroids from the Sun (within the asteroid belt) because we

Correct Answer
verified

What happens to Pluto's atmospheric gases over time?

Correct Answer
verified

The number of comets in the Oort cloud is probably about

Correct Answer
verified

Halley's comet is named after the English scientist Edmund Halley (1656-1742) because

Correct Answer
verified

Oort-cloud comets are so far from the Sun that the gravity of neighboring stars can alter their orbits.

Correct Answer
verified

Exam 12: Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets: Their Nature, Orbits, and Impacts

Suppose we discover a new comet on an orbit that brings it closer to the Sun than Mercury every 125 years.What can we conclude?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Comets appear to race across the sky in photographs,but in reality they remain nearly stationary relative to the stars.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What do asteroids and comets have in common

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A rock found on Earth that crashed down from space is called

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following Pluto observations did not help convince scientists to change Pluto's status from that of a planet?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Most meteorites collected on Earth are of the rocky primitive variety,although most asteroids are of the carbon-rich variety.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What characteristic distinguishes a meteorite from a terrestrial rock?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

We know that there are large gaps in the average distances of asteroids from the Sun (within the asteroid belt) because we

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What happens to Pluto's atmospheric gases over time?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The number of comets in the Oort cloud is probably about

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Halley's comet is named after the English scientist Edmund Halley (1656-1742) because

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Oort-cloud comets are so far from the Sun that the gravity of neighboring stars can alter their orbits.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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