Deck 7: The Outer Solar System

Question 1

Liquid metallic hydrogen is found in the interior(s) of

A) Uranus
B) Neptune
C) both of the above a and b.
D) neither of the above a and b

Answer 1

neither of the above a and b

Question 2

In what way is the rocky material of Jupiter s core different from the rocks found on Earth?

A) It is much cooler because Jupiter is further from the sun.
B) It contains more liquid water.
C) It is much hotter and denser because of the extreme pressure at the core of Jupiter.
D) It is not composed of iron and nickel because this material will float of the surface
E) It is composed entirely of ices that have frozen into a large rock like structure.

Answer 2

It is much hotter and denser because of the extreme pressure at the core of Jupiter.

Question 3

The grooved terrain found on Ganymede is believed to be

A) flow channels or liquid water.
B) flow channels or liquid methane.
C) a system of faults in the crust.
D) the peaks of water waves in a large ocean.
E) caused by meteor impacts with the surface of Ganymede.

Answer 3

a system of faults in the crust.

Question 4

Belt and zone circulation

A) occurs on Jupiter.
B) occurs on Saturn
C) is caused by rising and sinking gases.
D) is more obvious on Jupiter than on Saturn.
E) All the above

Question 5

The graph below indicates the temperature of Saturn s atmosphere as a function of distance from the upper cloud layer. Water will condense to form droplets at a temperature of approximately 270 K in the atmosphere of Saturn. At what distance from the upper cloud layer will clouds of water vapor form?

A) - 250 km
B) - 150 km
C) 0 km
D) 150 km
E) 250 km

Question 6

Liquid metallic hydrogen is found in the interior(s) of

A) Jupiter.
B) Saturn
C) both of the above a and b.
D) neither of the above a and b

Question 7

As a moon in a very elliptical orbit moves closer to and then farther from a planet, gravity flexes the moon with tides, and friction heats the interior. This process is referred to as

A) tidal heating.
B) occultation.
C) vaporization.
D) differentiation.
E) sublimation.

Question 8

The fresh newly created surfaces of icy satellites of Jovian planets

A) appear dark in color with few impact craters.
B) appear dark in color with many impact craters.
C) appear very bright because fresh ice is very reflective.
D) generally show long bright grooves and a modest number of impact craters.
E) generally have small volcanoes that are active.

Question 9

At Jupiter s very center is a core of

A) heavy element (molten rock and iron) core
B) helium
C) hydrogen
D) Both A and B

Question 10

____ are Kuiper belt objects that are in a 3:2 resonance orbit with the orbit of Neptune.

A) Plutinos
B) Charons
C) Protons
D) Lepton
E) Resonons

Question 11

Both Jupiter and Saturn

A) have liquid metallic hydrogen in their interiors.
B) have rings.
C) emit more energy than they absorb from the sun.
D) have belt and zone circulation.
E) all of the above

Question 12

Which of these Galilean satellites is most geologically active?

A) Io
B) Europa
C) Callisto
D) Ganymede

Question 13

The old surfaces of icy satellites of Jovian planets

A) appear dark in color with few impact craters.
B) appear dark in color with many impact craters.
C) appear very bright because ice is very reflective.
D) generally show long bright grooves and a modest number of impact craters.
E) generally have small volcanoes that are active.

Question 14

The ____ of a planet is the region around the planet where the magnetic field is able to deflect the solar wind and other charged particles.

A) aurora
B) magnetosphere
C) hydrosphere
D) corona
E) Schwarzschild radius

Question 15

Which of the following objects may have organic particles on its surface as a result of the interaction of sunlight with methane in its upper atmosphere?

A) Io
B) Titan
C) Mimas
D) Ganymede
E) Callisto

Question 16

The Roche limit is the

A) distance from the sun within which a planet can not retain an atmosphere.
B) minimum mass of an object in the solar system that would be classified as a planet.
C) maximum separation distance between the sun and a given planet.
D) distance from Earth at which we loose radio communication with a satellite.
E) distance from a planet within which a planet can not hold itself together.

Question 17

Though Titan has a small mass , it is able to retain an atmosphere because it

A) is very cold.
B) is very hot
C) has an iron surface
D) attracts gas from the solar wind.

Question 18

In terms of mass, Jupiter is made mostly of

A) rock.
B) molten iron.
C) water.
D) hydrogen and helium.
E) carbon dioxide.

Question 19

The Galilean satellites orbit

A) Jupiter
B) Saturn
C) Uranus
D) Neptune
E) All of the above.

Question 20

____ in Saturn s rings is/are produced by the gravitational interaction of Mimas with the particles in the rings and appears as a large ____ in the rings.

A) Cassini s division; gap
B) Cassini s division; clump
C) Moons; gap
D) Moons; clump

Question 21

The graph below plots the escape velocity of several solar system objects along the vertical axis and the surface temperature along the horizontal axis. The lines plotted in the figure are the speeds of the fastest gas particles as a function of temperature for various gases. Which of the objects in this diagram has the greatest surface temperature?

A) Ganymede
B) Pluto
C) Titan
D) Triton
E) Miranda

Question 22

Some narrow rings of Saturn are seen in space probe photos to be caused by

A) gravitational interactions between ring particles.
B) a spiral density wave which confines them.
C) the magnetic field which holds them in place.
D) small shepherd moons that orbit inside and outside the rings

Question 23

Which of the following are found on Triton?

A) craters
B) flooded basins
C) atmospheric clouds
D) a thick nitrogen atmosphere
E) all of the above

Question 24

The rings of Uranus were discovered during ______

A) an occultation of a star by the rings (as well as by the planet)
B) during an eclipse of one of the moons by the rings.
C) a voyage to Uranus by astronauts
D) as Uranus and the rings passed behind Jupiter.
E) an encounter by the Voyager 1 space probe.

Question 25

Uranus and Neptune do not contain liquid metallic hydrogen because they

A) are not massive enough.
B) do not contain enough hydrogen.
C) rotate too slowly.
D) are too far from the sun.
E) have magnetic fields that are much too weak.

Question 26

The narrowness of the rings of Uranus and Neptune is believed to be caused by

A) gravitational interactions between ring particles.
B) a spiral density wave which confines them.
C) the magnetic field which holds them in place.
D) the smaller mass of Uranus and Neptune as compared to that of Saturn.
E) small shepherd moons that orbit near the rings.

Question 27

The atmosphere of ____ contains mostly nitrogen with some methane.

A) Jupiter
B) Earth s Moon
C) Callisto
D) Titan
E) Miranda

Question 28

The reddish particles in Jupiter s ring are less than 1 percent as reflective as Saturn s whiter particles. Saturn s ring particles are thought to be ____while Jupiters are thought to be ______

A) icy; rocky
B) rocky; icy
C) icy; also icy
D) rock; also rock

Question 29

The rotation of Uranus is peculiar in that

A) it is very slow, nearly zero.
B) it is much faster than is typical for Jovian planets.
C) it first turns in one direction, then stops and turns in the opposite direction
D) the axis is nearly parallel to the plane of its orbit.

Question 30

Which of these are nearly 90 degrees to the orbit plane of Uranus

A) Uranus equator
B) The orbit planes of its major satellites
C) The orbit plane of its rings
D) All of the above.

Question 31

Uranus and Neptune appear blue or blue-green because

A) their atmospheres absorb blue light very efficiently.
B) their solid air-less surfaces are this color
C) their surfaces are covered with liquid water with no atmosphere
D) traces of methane in their atmospheres absorb red light very efficiently.

Question 32

____ is a satellite of Pluto.

A) Miranda
B) Charon
C) Venus
D) Krypton
E) Nereid

Question 33

On its icy surface, Uranus satellite Ariel has smooth valleys with few craters. Other areas are rough with many craters. Based on this, it can be concluded that

A) valleys are young and the rough areas are old
B) the valleys are old and the rough areas are young
C) both valleys and rough areas are young
D) both valleys and rough areas are old

Question 34

Jupiter and Saturn emit ____ heat than absorbed from the Sun due to _____ is the result of____

A) excess; nuclear reactions in their liquid metallic hydrogen cores.
B) less; nuclear fusion of hydrogen to helium in their liquid metallic hydrogen cores.
C) excess; heat left over from their formation
D) less; heat left over from their formation

Question 35

Triton has a retrograde orbit around Neptune. This means that ____________ .

A) Triton orbits in the same direction as Neptune rotates on its axis.
B) Triton orbits in the opposite direction to the way Neptune rotates on its axis.
C) Triton does not orbit around Neptune. Instead, it stands still.

Question 36

Which of these wins the prize as the blandest appearing planet as revealed visually by space probes?

A) Jupiter
B) Saturn
C) Uranus
D) Neptune

Question 37

The magnetic fields of Uranus and Neptune are peculiar in that they are

A) highly inclined to their planet s axis of rotation.
B) very weak (virtually zero).
C) produced by the solar wind.
D) produced by disturbances caused by the orbits of the moons.
E) all of the above

Question 38

The diagram below shows a cross section of the interior of Uranus. Which of the regions do current computer models suggest is composed primarily of liquid water? The lowest pressure regions will be gaseous.

A) region 1
B) regioN₂
C) region 3
D) all of the regions
E) none of the regions

Question 39

We can be sure the particles in the rings of Neptune are very small because

A) the rings are faint in forward scattered light.
B) the rings are bright in forward scattered light.
C) only small particles are produced in comet impacts with larger moons.
D) the magnetic field of Neptune would quickly force large particles out of the rings.
E) the larger particles would be quickly destroyed by impacts with the shepherd satellites.

Question 40

Jupiter does not have

A) a hot interior.
B) convection occurring in its atmosphere.
C) crustal plates on its surface.
D) a dynamo effect.
E) any rings.

Question 41

What is one possible reasons Jupiter and Saturn radiate more energy than they receive from the sun?

A) Magnetic and electric fields heat the planet.
B) Fusion reactions of hydrogen into helium inside the planet provide an additional heat source.
C) The planets are still radiating heat from when they first formed.
D) Friction between the planet and its moons heat the planet.

Question 42

Volcanism is apparent on many objects in the solar system. However, volcanic activity is known to be currently occurring only on Earth and Jupiter s satellite____________________.

Question 43

Which moon of the Jovian planets has a thick, hazy atmosphere?

A) Io
B) Triton
C) Europa
D) Titan

Question 44

Pluto s density is 1.8 g/cm 3 . Iron is about 5 g/cm 3 . Rock is about is 3 g/cm 3 . Ice or water is 1.0 g/cm 3 . . This implies that

A) Pluto has a large iron-nickel core.
B) Pluto is about 50% water and 50% rocky material.
C) Pluto is all rock.
D) Pluto is all water or water ice.

Question 45

____________________ is the smallest of the large moons of Uranus and its surface has features called ovoids. These ovoids may have been formed by the upheaval of material by convection in the interior.

Question 46

What type of geological activity is seen on Neptune s moon Triton?

A) Plate tectonics and earthquakes are a common occurrence on Triton.
B) Volcanoes of molten lava, similar to Earth, have been seen there.
C) Geysers of liquid nitrogen are seen erupting from its surface.
D) Geysers of liquid water are seen erupting from its surface.

Question 47

Saturn s atmosphere

A) has more distinctive zones and belts than Jupiter s.
B) is rich in free oxygen.
C) is hazy above the clouds.
D) is all of the above
E) is none of the above

Question 48

Saturn s rings are

A) composed of ice particles.
B) in the plane of the planet s equator.
C) within the planet s Roche limit.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 49

What causes the geological activity seen on some of the inner moons of Jupiter?

A) Constant collisions with space debris provide a power source for geological activity.
B) The strong magnetic field of Jupiter heats the surface of the inner moons.
C) Tidal friction as a result of being so close Jupiter heats their interiors.
D) Solar radiation reflected of Jupiter s surface provides a power source for geological activity.

Question 50

Pluto is no longer classified as a planet; instead it is classified as a(n) ____________________.

Question 51

The largest satellites of Jupiter are known as the ____________________ satellites.

Question 52

The one object in the solar system besides Earth suspected of currently having a liquid on its surface is ____________________.

Question 53

Saturn s F ring and the rings of Uranus are similar in that

A) they are made of dark material.
B) they are made of icy material.
C) they are found near large moons.
D) they show well defined spokes.
E) they are very narrow.

Question 54

Why is Saturn oblate?

A) The gravity of its moons flattens the planet.
B) The rapid rotation of the planet flattens it.
C) It formed that way originally and has no way to reshape itself.
D) The magnetic fields of Jupiter and Saturn interact and cause the planet to flatten.

Question 55

The graph below plots the escape velocity of several solar system objects along the vertical axis and the surface temperature along the horizontal. The lines plotted in the figure are the fastest speeds of gas particles as a function of temperature for various gases. Which of the gases plotted in this diagram could be retained by Miranda?

A) only CO₂
B) only NH₃
C) CO₂ , NH₃, and O₂
D) all of them
E) none of them

Question 56

Why is Saturn s moon Titan able to retain an atmosphere?.....

A) Titan only contains light gases which are easy to retain.
B) Titan has a large enough mass and is cold enough.
C) Titan is biologically active.
D) It is so close to Saturn that Saturn s gravity retains Titan s atmosphere.

Question 57

The region of Jupiter that is responsible for the magnetic field is composed of ____________________.

Question 58

Europa has few craters because

A) it is protected from impacts by Jupiter s gravity.
B) it does not have a solid surface.
C) it has erased craters nearly as fast as they have formed.
D) its surface is not strong enough to support craters.
E) it keeps one face always pointed toward Jupiter which screens it from incoming meteorites.

Question 59

The rings of ____________________ were discovered when they occulted a star.

Question 60

Why is it believed that the rings of Saturn could not have formed just as the planet itself formed?

A) Over time the solar wind should have blown away the particles in the rings.
B) The particles in the rings should eventually fall into the planet in a short period of time.
C) The rings are made of ice particles which would have been vaporized by the heat released as Saturn formed
D) The outer planets do not have enough mass to hold on to the rings.

Question 61

Why are the belts and zones on Saturn less distinct than those on Jupiter?

Question 62

Jupiter s interior is mostly liquid helium.

Question 63

Satellites that lack craters are generally old, inactive bodies.

Question 64

Why can Saturn have a ring of icy particles, while terrestrial planets cannot?

Question 65

What do the densities of the moons of Jupiter tell us about their origin?

Question 66

Saturn s belts and zones are obscured by haze high in its atmosphere.

Question 67

The rings of Uranus were discovered by the Voyager 2 spacecraft.

Question 68

The rings around Uranus and Neptune are confined by shepherd satellites.

Question 69

How do we know that the interior of Jupiter is a liquid metallic material?

Question 70

For an observer on Uranus, the ecliptic passes only a few degrees from the celestial poles.

Question 71

Although Uranus and Neptune have no liquid metallic hydrogen in their interiors, they do have magnetic fields.

Question 72

Both Jupiter and Saturn contain liquid metallic hydrogen.

Question 73

Jupiter s ring is composed of particles of frozen ice.

Question 74

Jupiter s intense magnetic field traps high-energy particles from the solar wind and forms a radiation belt around the planet.

Question 75

Shepherd satellites keep Saturn s F ring narrow.

Question 76

What evidence do we have that volcanism occurs on Io? on Europa? on Enceladus?

Question 77

Saturn s rings are composed of icy particles.

Question 78

Nereid s orbit is peculiar in that it is highly elliptical.

Question 79

Describe theories to account for the belt-zone circulation on Jupiter.

Question 80

Jupiter radiates less heat than it absorbs from the sun.