Deck 9: Venus: Earth's Sister Planet

Question 1

The actual slow rotation of Venus was first found by radar observations from Earth.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The clouds of Venus are much higher in its atmosphere than are those in our troposphere.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Carbon dioxide is the predominant atmospheric gas on Venus.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Venus can appear as a crescent through the telescope.

Question 5

As on Earth,continent-like land masses cover over a quarter of the surface of Venus.

Question 6

Venus' temperature is fairly uniform over the entire planet,both day and night.

Question 7

Venus has a highly eccentric orbit,accounting for its large temperature extremes.

Question 8

The terra of Venus are rare,but large continent size uplifted regions over a low surface.

Question 9

The cause of Venus' slow rotation is unknown at present.

Question 10

Venus has larger volcanoes than Earth's Hawaii.

Question 11

Venus can be seen during daytime when it is near greatest brilliancy.

Question 12

Venus' surface temperature is fairly uniform,hot on both day and night sides.

Question 13

Most of the time,Venus is the third-brightest object in the sky.

Question 14

Compared to Earth,Venus spins very rapidly.

Question 15

Every time the Earth and Venus are closest,the same side of Venus is facing us.

Question 16

The surface temperature of Venus is 750K,even hotter than Mercury.

Question 17

Venus is almost the same size,mass,and density as the Earth.

Question 18

Like our own,the magnetic field of Venus has been seen to reverse polarity.

Question 19

No evidence of impact craters has been found on Venus.

Question 20

Venus' rotation period is longer than its year.

Question 21

The synodic period of Venus is the time it takes for:

A) Venus to complete a full orbit around the Sun.
B) Venus to complete a full rotation on its axis.
C) Venus to complete a full cycle of phases.
D) Earth to complete a full orbit around the Sun.
E) Earth to go from opposition to conjunction, relative to Venus.

Question 22

Venus' rotation:

A) is the fastest of the terrestrial planets.
B) is counterclockwise, like the other planets.
C) takes longer than its orbit around the Sun.
D) axis is highly tilted to its orbital plane, causing large seasonal changes.
E) is tidally locked to the Sun.

Question 23

Venus' full phase occurs when Venus is at:

A) opposition.
B) the deferent.
C) conjunction.
D) inferior conjunction.
E) superior conjunction.

Question 24

The surface of Venus can be observed with:

A) the Mt. Wilson 100" telescope.
B) radar observations from Arecibo.
C) most amateur telescopes.
D) the Hubble Space Telescope.
E) All of these have provided detailed observations about the surface of our sister planet.

Question 25

Venus Express is mapping what feature(s)of Venus?

A) elevations of Venus' surface
B) winds in Venus' atmosphere
C) craters on Venus' surface
D) temperatures of the surface and various layers of the atmosphere
E) the composition of various layers of the atmosphere

Question 26

At closest approach Venus is about how far from Earth?

A) 0.7 AU
B) 0.5 AU
C) 0.4 AU
D) 0.3 AU
E) 0.1 AU

Question 27

Our most detailed maps of Venus come from:

A) the Magellan space probe.
B) the Hubble Space Telescope.
C) direct observation from Earth based optical telescopes.
D) manned landings.
E) Earth based radio telescopes.

Question 28

Earth and Venus are often called sister planets; in which ways are they most alike?

A) atmospheric composition and density
B) size, density, and surface gravity
C) surface temperature and pressure
D) cloud composition and meteorology
E) polar caps and rusty red deserts

Question 29

Venus is only a little bit (5%)smaller than Earth,and its density is only slightly less than Earth's.Therefore,its mass is:

A) the same as Earth's.
B) just a little bit greater than Earth's.
C) much greater than Earth's (more than 20% different).
D) just a little bit less than Earth's.
E) much less than Earth's (more than 20% different).

Question 30

Our best data about the surface topography of Venus has come from:

A) Magellan radar data and radar observations of the planet from Earth.
B) spacecraft flybys like Mariner 2 and visual observations of the planet.
C) radio and visual observations.
D) orbiter photos from Pioneer Venus Orbiter.
E) the three flybys of Mariner 10.

Question 31

Why does Venus appear so bright to the eye?

A) It gets closer to us than any other planet does.
B) Venus is closer to the Sun, so gets more intense sunlight.
C) The planet's cloud-cover is highly reflective, reflecting 60% of the Sun's light.
D) As seen from Earth, the disk of Venus can appear larger than any other planet's.
E) All of the above are correct.

Question 32

Why is it reasonable to conclude that the internal structure and evolution of Venus are basically Earthlike?

A) They have similar atmospheres and masses.
B) They have similar masses and sizes.
C) They have similar surface features and sizes.
D) They have similar atmospheres and chemical compositions.
E) They have similar chemical compositions and surface features.

Question 33

In the time between two closest approaches to Earth,Venus rotates almost exactly five times relative to the Sun.The consequence of this is that:

A) Earth always presents the same face to Venus at inferior conjunction.
B) Venus always presents the same face to Earth at inferior conjunction.
C) Venus presents the opposite hemisphere to Earth at each inferior conjunction.
D) Venus presents the opposite hemisphere to Earth at each superior conjunction.
E) Venus' rotation is completely unrelated to the distant Earth.

Question 34

The synodic period of Venus is about how many Earth years?

A) about 5 years
B) about 3.5 years
C) about 2 years
D) about 1.25 years
E) about 0.7 years

Question 35

Through radar observations it was found that Venus':

A) orbit around the Sun is speeding up.
B) atmosphere is changing rapidly.
C) rotation on its axis is retrograde.
D) orbit around the Sun is in the clockwise sense.
E) orbital period is 243 days.

Question 36

The orbiter that gave us the most detailed maps of Venus' surface to date was:

A) Pioneer 11.
B) Venera 14.
C) Magellan.
D) Galileo.
E) Venus Express.

Question 37

Venus is brightest as seen from Earth:

A) at greatest eastern elongation, appearing half lit in the evening sky.
B) at greatest western elongation, appearing half lit in the morning sky.
C) 36 days before or after inferior conjunction, appearing as a large crescent.
D) at inferior conjunction, when closest to Earth and largest in apparent size.
E) at superior conjunction, and fully lit.

Question 38

Because of its slow rotation period,Venus:

A) appears to go through phases like the Moon.
B) gets closer to Earth than any other planet.
C) presents the same side to the Sun all the time.
D) presents the same side to Earth all the time.
E) presents the same side to Earth at each closest approach.

Question 39

Which of the following characterizes a shield volcano?

A) It is dormant.
B) It can erupt only briefly before being dragged off the hot spot.
C) It sits above a hot spot in the planet's mantle.
D) It forms along a plate boundary.
E) It cannot grow very large, for it has a very short span of eruption.

Question 40

Venus orbits the Sun in 225 days.How long does it take to rotate on its axis?

A) 225 days, so it keeps the same face toward the Sun
B) 24 hours, 36 minutes, very similar to Earth and Mars
C) 243 days, even though the Earth's tidal pull is not involved
D) 36 days, for reasons unknown
E) 450 days, exactly at 2:1 spin-orbit resonance

Question 41

Maxwell Mons on Venus is a huge:

A) impact crater larger than Texas.
B) shield volcano.
C) rift valley.
D) tectonic mountain chain, like the Himalayas.
E) ocean basin larger than the Pacific Ocean.

Question 42

Magellan did NOT find which of these on Venus?

A) impact craters, all larger than five kilometers across
B) large shield volcanoes
C) actual volcanic eruptions in progress
D) coronae, huge but very flat circular features
E) continent sized uplands

Question 43

Which statement is true of Venus' surface?

A) It has remained unchanged for billions of years.
B) Atmospheric pressure is very low.
C) There is an extensive hydrosphere.
D) There are no shield volcanoes.
E) There are two continent sized uplands.

Question 44

The only spacecraft to successfully land on Venus were:

A) ESA's Giotto.
B) Russian Veneras.
C) NASA's Vikings.
D) NASA's Magellan.
E) NASA's Venus Rovers.

Question 45

What is the result of the Greenhouse Effect on the surface environment of Venus?

A) It has little or no effect.
B) Its effect is about the same as on Earth.
C) It has reduced the surface temperature by about 30 degrees Celsius.
D) It has raised the surface temperature by hundreds of degrees Celsius.
E) It causes the surface temperature of Venus to become hotter than the Sun.

Question 46

Venus has a feature named Aphrodite Terra.What is this feature?

A) a very large volcano
B) a large impact crater
C) a continental-sized plateau
D) a large basin similar to the maria on the Moon
E) a great rift valley like Valles Marineris on Mars

Question 47

Why will it be hard to determine the nature of Venus' interior?

A) No orbiter has been able to find the exact mass of Venus.
B) No seismograph can last long enough at Venus' temperatures to pick up quakes.
C) No photos have ever been returned from Venus' surface.
D) The clouds prevent us from finding the exact diameter and volume of Venus.
E) The magnetic field of Venus is much stronger than our own.

Question 48

The largest volcanic structures on Venus are called:

A) shield volcanoes.
B) cinder cones.
C) coronae.
D) calderas.
E) crater cones.

Question 49

The highest peak on Venus is called:

A) Shif.
B) Gula.
C) Cleopatra.
D) Maxwell.
E) Lakshmi.

Question 50

The relatively small number of impact craters and the near absence of small craters on the surface of Venus are thought to be a result of:

A) the soft and resilient nature of the Venusian surface.
B) the thick Venusian atmosphere.
C) the position of Venus in the solar system-not many meteoroids cross Venus' orbit.
D) Venus' lack of a satellite.
E) the ancient oceans that once existed on Venus.

Question 51

The main problem spacecraft have encountered in landing on Venus is:

A) the thick atmosphere.
B) the acid rain.
C) the strong winds.
D) the rocky surface.
E) the extremely high temperatures.

Question 52

A characteristic of shield volcanoes is the formation of a crater at the summit which occurs when:

A) the volcano erupts explosively.
B) the lava withdraws and the surface collapses.
C) the lava flows melt through the thin crust of the peak.
D) the underlying hot spot suddenly turns on.
E) the volcano is impacted by a large meteorite.

Question 53

Compared to Earth,Venus has:

A) a more transparent atmosphere.
B) a lower average surface temperature.
C) a far greater percentage of its surface in low-level ocean basins.
D) about the same percentage of its surface in raised continents.
E) a far greater percentage of its surface in raised continents.

Question 54

Volcanic activity on Venus is thought to be:

A) more frequent, but less violent than volcanic activity on Earth.
B) more frequent and more violent than volcanic activity on Earth.
C) less frequent, but more violent than volcanic activity on Earth.
D) less frequent and less violent than volcanic activity on Earth.
E) the same as volcanic activity on Earth.

Question 55

Various observations suggest there may be recent or even continuing volcanic activity on Venus.Which of the following has NOT been observed?

A) bursts of radio energy, similar to those produced by lightning discharges occurring in the plumes of erupting volcanoes on Earth
B) spacecraft detection over a period of days of flowing lava on Venus
C) fluctuations in the level of sulfur dioxide in the planet's atmosphere
D) surface features resembling rift valleys on Earth
E) larger shield volcanoes than Hawaii

Question 56

A surprise from the Pioneer Venus photos was that:

A) the craters on Venus are all large.
B) the clouds rotate around the planet in only four days, very unlike the slow surface rotation.
C) the clouds of Venus are mainly water vapor, like our own.
D) the highest volcano, Maxwell Mons, protrudes above the cloud deck.
E) no impact craters at all are found on the Venusian surface.

Question 57

What percentage of the surface of Venus could be characterized as continental-sized highlands?

A) less than 10%
B) about 30%, like the Earth
C) 45%
D) 75%
E) 100%

Question 58

The atmospheric pressure on Venus:

A) shows an extreme change with the seasons.
B) is much lower than on Earth.
C) is about the same as on Mercury.
D) is much higher than on Earth.
E) causes variations in surface temperature.

Question 59

What is thought to have caused the craters on Venus?

A) Most are volcanic in origin; some are due to meteoritic impacts.
B) As in the case of Mercury, all the craters are due to meteorite impacts.
C) Because meteorites cannot survive passing through the atmosphere of Venus, all craters must be volcanic.
D) Venus has very few craters and their origin is not known.
E) Venus' craters originated during differentiation.

Question 60

The rilles found in Ovda Regio are evidence of:

A) ancient river beds.
B) plate tectonics.
C) something akin to sea-floor spreading.
D) ancient oceans.
E) lava flows.

Question 61

The planet ________ has the least variation in temperatures on the surface between day and night.

Question 62

The Greenhouse Effect on Venus is due to ________ in its atmosphere.

Question 63

Why is Venus' rotation unusual?

Question 64

The direction of the rotation of Venus is exceptional because it is in a(n)________ direction.

Question 65

The lack of water on Venus is the result of ________ of the water molecules into its component atoms by solar ultraviolet radiation.

Question 66

Venus' high surface temperature is due to the ________ effect.

Question 67

What is the composition of the clouds of Venus?

A) water, like Earth's clouds
B) frozen carbon dioxide, as on Mars
C) a combination of ammonia and methane, like Uranus
D) sulfur and sulfuric acid droplets
E) hydrogen sulfide and ammonia

Question 68

Comparing the clouds of Earth and Venus,we find that:

A) both are made chiefly of water vapor.
B) ours lie in the troposphere, within 10 kilometer of our surface, but Venus has a higher troposphere, with its clouds about 40 kilometers high.
C) like ours, they rotate around Venus slower than Venus rotates on its axis.
D) Venus has much more carbon dioxide, so dry ice clouds dominate.
E) Venus is too hot for clouds to form, so we see only a barren world telescopically.

Question 69

Venus' lack of magnetic field means that:

A) there is no lightning on Venus.
B) the surface of Venus has no protection from the Sun's radiation.
C) it doesn't have a liquid metallic core.
D) Venus' upper atmosphere is permanently ionized.
E) there are constant aurorae everywhere on Venus.

Question 70

Which of the following contributes to Venus being so hot?

A) It is closer than Earth to the Sun.
B) Its atmosphere is much denser than the Earth's.
C) Its atmosphere is made chiefly of carbon dioxide.
D) It has very little axial tilt so the equator is always directly exposed to the Sun.
E) All of the above are factors.

Question 71

The atmosphere of Venus is about 95% ________.

Question 72

The most effective wavelengths to see through the clouds of Venus to the surface are ________.

Question 73

The reason that the atmosphere of Venus is over 95% carbon dioxide is thought to be because:

A) Venus was much hotter than Earth when its atmosphere formed.
B) the early plant life on Venus produced the excess carbon dioxide and consumed the oxygen.
C) life on Earth formed earlier than on Venus.
D) the part of the solar nebula where Venus formed contained more carbon dioxide than the part where Earth formed.
E) Venus' Greenhouse Effect got out of control and became runaway after its oceans of sulfuric acid evaporated.

Question 74

While it has some high volcanoes,most of Venus is relatively ________ in elevation.

Question 75

Since its density is similar to ours,we think that Venus too has a core of ________.

Question 76

What is the main constituent of the atmosphere of Venus?

A) oxygen
B) nitrogen
C) hydrogen
D) carbon dioxide
E) sulfuric acid

Question 77

The fact that Venus' atmosphere contains carbon dioxide was discovered:

A) by the Magellan spacecraft.
B) in early spectroscopic studies.
C) by the Venera spacecraft.
D) in radar studies.
E) through CCD imagery.

Question 78

If Venus once had an ocean,where did it go?

A) It exists as abundant water vapor in the planet's atmosphere.
B) It was lost to space, stripped away by the solar wind.
C) The water broke into hydrogen, which escaped to space, and oxygen, which became trapped in the planet's surface rocks.
D) It exists trapped in the crust but below the surface.
E) It is found in the cooler polar regions, like at the Moon and Mercury.

Question 79

The Russian ________ probes are the only ones to successfully land on Venus.

Question 80

The absence of a magnetic field on Venus probably stems from its:

A) nearness to the Sun.
B) extremely thick atmosphere.
C) slow rotation.
D) high surface temperatures.
E) lower density than Earth, suggesting an absence of an iron core.