Deck 14: Satellites

Question 1

What is the main reason why some of the Galilean satellites of Jupiter are denser than the others?

A)The denser ones contain more rocky material
B)The denser ones are smaller
C)The low density ones are made mostly of gas
D)The denser ones are compressed more by gravity

Answer 1

The denser ones contain more rocky material

Question 2

Which of the following is a possible cause of the division of the surface of Ganymede into two distinct types of terrain?

A)Impact cratering
B)Snowfall only at high elevations
C)Covering and uncovering of surface features by dust
D)Ancient plate tectonics

Answer 2

Ancient plate tectonics

Question 3

How do we know that the surface of Io was formed very recently?

A)It has no impact craters
B)It is still hot from radioactive decays
C)No rocks have yet had a chance to form
D)Io is larger than it would be if it were very old

Answer 3

It has no impact craters

Question 4

Why do astronomers strongly suspect that there is an ocean of liquid water beneath the icy surface of Europa?

A)The surface shows many deep impact craters
B)The surface is broken into many pieces that resemble arctic ice fields
C)Geysers have been seen erupting on Europa
D)There are gaps in the icy surface through which liquid water has been seen

Question 5

What is particularly noteworthy about Titan?

A)It has a thick atmosphere
B)It has volcanoes
C)It has a very large magnetic field
D)It is the only satellite with rings around it

Question 6

The satellites of Saturn are made up mostly of

A)Ice
B)Rock
C)Metal
D)Gas

Question 7

What is remarkable about the surface of Ganymede?

A)It shows evidence of ancient tectonic activity
B)It is the most heavily cratered surface in the solar system
C)It contains pockets of liquid water
D)It is dotted with many volcanoes

Question 8

Which of the following correctly describes the atmosphere of Saturn's satellite,Titan?

A)Dense and cold
B)Dense and warm
C)Thin and cold
D)Thin and warm

Question 9

Suppose a planet is orbited by a number of satellites.Which of the satellites will feel the weakest tidal forces due to the planet?

A)A large satellite in a close orbit
B)A large satellite in a distant orbit
C)A small satellite in a close orbit
D)A small satellite in a distant orbit

Question 10

Which of the following does the surface of Mercury most closely resemble?

A)Callisto
B)Io
C)Venus
D)Mars

Question 11

The volcanic activity of Io is a consequence of

A)Tidal heating
B)Radioactive materials in Io's interior
C)Frequent meteoroid impacts
D)Frictional heating due to atmospheric winds

Question 12

Why are no impact craters seen on Io?

A)It does not have a solid surface
B)It has extensive volcanic activity
C)Io is shielded by the gravitational influence of Jupiter
D)Its icy surface heals very rapidly

Question 13

In what respect are the atmospheres of Titan and Earth most different?

A)Chemical composition
B)Presence of clouds
C)Density
D)Temperature

Question 14

Which of the following is the best description of Jupiter's outermost Galilean satellite,Callisto?

A)Dotted with volcanoes
B)Criss-crossed with many cracks and mountain ridges
C)Heavily cratered
D)Smooth,nearly featureless

Question 15

What is remarkable about Uranus's satellite,Miranda?

A)It has several distinct types of surface terrain
B)It is more massive than any other satellite of Uranus
C)It reflects essentially all the sunlight that strikes it
D)It has a satellite of its own

Question 16

The lakes of Titan are made of

A)Water
B)Sulfuric acid
C)Molten metal
D)Methane

Question 17

What are the most notable surface features of Jupiter's satellite Io?

A)Volcanoes
B)Grooved ridge systems
C)Regions with high impact crater densities
D)Smooth regions produced by flows of liquid water

Question 18

Bright patches on the surfaces of Callisto are thought to be freshly exposed ice.How did the ice get exposed?

A)Surface winds
B)Meteoroid impacts
C)Volcanic activity
D)Plate tectonics

Question 19

Except for Titan,the other satellites of Saturn seem to be made primarily of

A)Metal
B)Rock
C)Ice
D)Hydrogen and helium

Question 20

The largest Gallilean satellite,Ganymede,is comparable to which planet in size?

A)Pluto
B)Earth
C)Venus
D)Mercury

Question 21

Which of the following is true of the orbit of Triton?

A)It is direct (prograde)and getting larger
B)It is direct (prograde)and getting smaller
C)It is retrograde and getting larger
D)It is retrograde and getting smaller

Question 22

Why did the Cassini spacecraft use infrared detectors to obtain images of Titan?

A)Titan is too cold to emit visible light
B)Titan is too bright in the visible part of the spectrum
C)High clouds emit brightly in the infrared
D)Infrared from the surface can escape through the atmosphere

Question 23

What surface features of Triton are caused by geyser-like activity?

A)Dark streaks
B)Long ridge systems
C)Large impact craters
D)Icy mounds that are several km high

Question 24

If you fell off of the 20 Km high cliff on Miranda,what would happen to you?

A)Your acceleration would be low,and you final velocity on impact would also be low.
B)Your acceleration would be high,but your final velocity on impact would be low.
C)Your acceleration would be low,and you final velocity on impact would be high.
D)Your acceleration would be high,and you final velocity on impact would also be high.

Question 25

Triton's decaying orbit around Neptune is caused by what interaction?

A)Tidal bulge of Neptune leads Tritons orbital position.
B)Tidal bulge of Neptune lags Tritons orbital position.
C)Triton had a near collision with a massive object,which threw it toward Neptune.
D)Triton's spin axis is pulled on by Neptune's gravity,causing Triton's orbit to decay.

Question 26

What energy source is believed to be responsible for the internal activity of the satellites of Uranus?

A)Radioactive heating
B)Tidal heating
C)Impact heating
D)Electric currents produced by the magnetic field of Uranus