Deck 23: Planets and Their Moons

Question 1

Venus is much hotter than Earth because of a runaway ____________________.

Answer 1

greenhouse effect

Question 2

The ____________________ is a stream of electrons and positive ions radiating outward from the Sun at high speed.

Answer 2

solar wind

Question 3

The bright outer sheath surrounding the nucleus of a comet is called the ____.

A) halo
B) corona
C) mare
D) coma

Answer 3

D

Question 4

A falling meteoroid that enters Earth's atmosphere and glows as it vaporizes is called a(n) ____________________.

Question 5

Some meteorites contain small, round grains about one millimeter in diameter called ____________________, which contain amino acids or other organic molecules.

Question 6

____________________ hydrogen is a form of hydrogen under extreme temperature and pressure, which forces the atoms together so tightly that the electrons move freely throughout the packed nuclei.

Question 7

The Moon's ____________________ are dry, barren, flat expanses of volcanic rock.

Question 8

Uranus and Neptune are enveloped in thick atmospheres composed primarily of ____________________ and ____________________.

Question 9

____________________ is the largest planet in the Solar System.

Question 10

A(n) ____________________ is an interplanetary orbiting body composed of loosely bound rock and ice, which forms a bright head and extended fuzzy tail when it approaches the Sun.

Question 11

Galileo thought that the Moon's maria were ____________________.

Question 12

Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are called the ____ planets.

A) dwarf
B) terrestrial
C) Jovian
D) solar

Question 13

Mercury, Venus, Earth, and ____________________ are known as the terrestrial planets.

Question 14

Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the Solar System, is located on the planet ____.

A) Jupiter
B) Earth
C) Mars
D) Mercury

Question 15

The solid portion of a comet is called the ____________________.

Question 16

____________________ was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006.

Question 17

The ____________________ planets are composed primarily of non-volatile metals and silicate rocks.

Question 18

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are known as the ____________________ planets and have retained large amounts of hydrogen, helium, and other light elements.

Question 19

The atmosphere of Venus is ____.

A) hot and dense
B) cold and dense
C) cold and thin
D) hot and thin

Question 20

The cloud of dust and gas from which the Solar System formed was about 92% ____.

A) silicon
B) oxygen
C) hydrogen
D) carbon

Question 21

Mercury is pockmarked with meteorite craters, while the Earth is not. Why?

A) The Earth is farther from the Sun than Mercury.
B) Tectonic activity and erosion have obliterated the craters on Earth.
C) The Earth's surface was liquid when the great meteorite showers fell.
D) Meteorites did not strike Earth.

Question 22

Scientists deduce that Jovian weather is driven by ____.

A) solar heat
B) heat deep within Jupiter
C) Jupiter's magnetic field
D) solar flares

Question 23

Why has Earth remained geologically active compared to the Moon?

A) The Earth is so much larger that it took longer to cool.
B) The Earth's ocean surface is smaller, so it cooled more quickly.
C) The Moon has no atmosphere.
D) The lunar crust retained pools of magma.

Question 24

The tens of thousands of small orbiting bodies between Mars and Jupiter are called ____.

A) asteroids
B) meteorites
C) comets
D) meteors

Question 25

The Moon formed ____.

A) before Earth formed
B) about 4.45 to 4.5 billion years ago
C) about 400 million years ago
D) about 4.5 million years ago.

Question 26

____ is the most active volcanic body in the Solar System.

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

Question 27

The surface of Jupiter consists mainly of ____.

A) cold liquid metallic hydrogen and atomic helium
B) water ice
C) oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and argon
D) silicate rocks

Question 28

The Spirit and Opportunity rovers found evidence of ____ in Mars' past.

A) planetary rings
B) an impact with Earth
C) life
D) liquid water

Question 29

____ have a mass ratio of rock to metal similar to the mass ratio of Earth's mantle to Earth's core.

A) Stony meteorites
B) Metallic meteorites
C) Comets
D) The Jovian planets

Question 30

Over 97% of Venus' atmosphere is composed of ____.

A) carbon dioxide
B) oxygen
C) water vapor
D) hydrogen

Question 31

A meteor that does not completely vaporize and that strikes Earth's surface is called a ____.

A) planetesimal
B) comet
C) meteorite
D) chondrule

Question 32

Asteroids may change their orbits frequently and erratically. Why?

A) Volcanic activity can push off their current orbit.
B) Gravitational pulls from planets can deflect them into new orbits.
C) Magnetic fields cause them to spin.
D) They decrease in mass over time by losing volatiles.

Question 33

The tectonic activity on Venus has been described as ____ tectonics.

A) pile
B) split
C) blob
D) crack

Question 34

A ____ is composed of ice mixed with bits of silicate rock, metals, and frozen crystals of methane, ammonia, carbon dioxide, and other compounds.

A) meteoroid
B) comet
C) chondrule
D) meteor

Question 35

A comet's tail is caused by ____.

A) gravitational attraction to nearby planets
B) the slow crumbling of the comet's head due to its great velocity
C) geysers that spew dust and gas from the comet's head
D) the solar wind blowing some of the lighter particles away from the comet's head

Question 36

Kuiper belt objects can be found ____.

A) orbiting Jupiter
B) orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter
C) orbiting the Sun at the outer reaches of the Solar System
D) in the rings of Saturn

Question 37

According to the most popular current hypothesis, the Moon formed ____.

A) at the same time as Earth, but was later captured by Earth's gravity
B) from the meteorite that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago
C) after an asteroid collided with Mars a little less than one billion years ago
D) shortly after the formation of Earth when an object the size of Mars or larger smashed into Earth

Question 38

____ is notable for its surface, which is made of a shell of water ice that probably surrounds subsurface oceans.

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

Question 39

The terrestrial planets are rocky but have ____ cores.

A) icy
B) liquid hydrogen
C) gaseous
D) metallic

Question 40

Titan is the largest moon of ____ and is the only moon in the Solar System with an appreciable atmosphere.

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

Question 41

If it weren't for active plate tectonics and weather, Earth's surface would be heavily cratered like the Moon or Mercury.

Question 42

Because Mercury is so close to the Sun and its days are so long, the difference in temperature between the sunny side and the dark side is huge.

Question 43

Which of the following ordering of sizes is correct, from largest to smallest?

A) Uranus → Earth → Mercury
B) Jupiter → the Moon → Earth
C) Pluto → Saturn → the Moon
D) Saturn → Mars → Earth

Question 44

Which of the Jovian planets have one or more rings?

A) all four have rings
B) Saturn only
C) Saturn and Neptune only
D) Uranus only

Question 45

Venus is more than twice the size of Earth.

Question 46

The Jovian planets are much larger than the terrestrial planets. Why?

A) They formed under the extreme pressure necessary to create massively dense bodies of matter.
B) They were fully formed earlier than the terrestrial planets, and thus had time to grow.
C) They were miniature versions of the Sun before the Sun became a star through fusion.
D) They captured and retained large amounts of the hydrogen and helium that formed the Solar System.

Question 47

Jupiter's Great Red Spot is a(n) ____.

A) cloud of carbon dioxide
B) massive volcano
C) giant hurricane-like storm
D) impact crater

Question 48

Jupiter's Great Red Spot only appeared about 20 years ago.

Question 49

Organic molecules have been detected in some meteorites.

Question 50

The Solar System formed about three billion years ago.

Question 51

Escape velocity is proportional to the mass, and hence the gravitational force, of a planet.

Question 52

Much of the Moon's surface consists of igneous rocks.

Question 53

Io's volcanic activity is powered by frictional heating caused by the gravitational pull of Jupiter and several of its other moons.

Question 54

The rings of Saturn are composed of ____.

A) an auroral display of ionized gases
B) small particles of dust, rock, and ice
C) the remains of a hurricane-like storm that was first recorded by Galileo
D) solid, continuous sheets of rock

Question 55

The Sun never rises or sets on the poles of Mercury.

Question 56

Mercury has a thick atmosphere of carbon dioxide.

Question 57

Venus and Earth probably had similar atmospheres early in their histories.

Question 58

Water ice is present on Mars today.

Question 59

Dwarf planets are unable to dominate and gravitationally clear their orbital regions of all or most other objects.

Question 60

Saturn would float on water if there were a basin large enough to hold it.

Question 61

Describe the surface temperatures and atmosphere of Mars.

Question 62

Describe Mercury in terms of its size, rotation, and temperature.

Question 63

Describe Saturn's atmosphere and core.

Question 64

How did the Earth's moon form?

Question 65

What is the Great Red Spot on Jupiter?

Question 66

What is the composition of the Venus atmosphere?

Question 67

How did the Moon become hot enough to melt?

Question 68

What is the main force that drives Earth's internal heat?

Question 69

What is blob tectonics?

Question 70

List the terrestrial planets in order.

Question 71

Describe Mercury's interior and it's magnetic field.

Question 72

Describe the largest volcano on Mars and in our Solar System.

Question 73

Describe the 1991 radar images of Mercury.

Question 74

Describe the findings of the rover Opportunity on Mars.

Question 75

Describe the two NASA mobile robots that landed on Mars in 2004 and their capabilities.

Question 76

Compare the evolution of Mercury to the evolution of Jupiter.

Question 77

Describe the atmosphere of Venus.

Question 78

What is the escape velocity?

Question 79

List the Jovian planets in order.

Question 80

Who studied the Earth's moon and named the plains maria?