Question 1

Consider three comets that have orbital periods of 10, 100, and 1,000 years. Where would each of these comets likely originate, in the Oort Cloud or the Kuiper Belt? If you wanted to study material that was the best example of pristine Solar System material, which would you study?

Accepted Answer

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Question 2

Which of the following likely helps replenish the zodiacal dust in the vicinity of Earth the most?
A) comets
B) asteroids
C) the Moon
D) volcanoes on Earth
E) tornados on Earth

Accepted Answer

Comets are known to be the biggest contributors to the replenishment of the zodiacal dust cloud in the inner Solar System. As they orbit the Sun, they release a significant amount of dust and gas particles that contribute to the formation of this cloud. Asteroids can also add dust particles to the zodiacal cloud, but their contribution is considered to be less significant compared to that of comets. The Moon, volcanoes, and tornados do not play a role in replenishing the zodiacal dust cloud.

Question 3

All of the zodiacal dust in the Solar System combined is roughly equal in mass to:
A) a meteoroid
B) a comet
C) Jupiter
D) the Moon
E) a terrestrial planet

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Question 4

Do icy cometary nuclei melt and move from solid to liquid phase as they are warmed by the radiation from the Sun?

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Question 5

Identify the object in the picture below. 
A) a meteor
B) a chondrite meteorite
C) an achondrite meteorite
D) an iron meteorite
E) an asteroid

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Question 6

The most common type of meteorites are:
A) stony meteorites
B) iron meteorites
C) achondrite meteorites
D) stony-iron meteorites
E) carbonaceous chondrite meteorites

Accepted Answer

Stony meteorites are the most common type, accounting for about 94% of all meteorite falls. Iron meteorites make up about 5%, while achondrites, stony-iron, and carbonaceous chondrites account for less than 1% each.

Question 7

Meteorites contain clues to all of the following EXCEPT:
A) the age of the Solar System
B) the temperature in the early solar nebula
C) changes in the rate of cratering in the early Solar System
D) the composition of the primitive Solar System
E) the physical processes that controlled the formation of the Solar System

Accepted Answer

Meteorites do not contain clues about changes in the rate of cratering in the early Solar System. They do, however, provide information on the age of the Solar System, the temperature in the early solar nebula, the composition of the primitive Solar System, and the physical processes that controlled the formation of the Solar System.

Question 8

While most meteorites have ages around 4.5 billion years, a small subset have ages around 1.3 billion years. What caused the substantial difference in age between these two populations of meteorites?
A) These meteorites just happened to form later than most meteorites.
B) Not all meteorites hit the Earth in the early Solar System. We should expect to find younger meteorites as more meteors pass through the atmosphere.
C) The younger meteorites were created when a protoplanet collided with Earth, creating the Moon. The leftover fragments became meteorites.
D) These meteorites were thrown into space after an impact with Mars and afterward some happened to collide with Earth.
E) The younger ones are the result of comets repeatedly passing close to the Sun, melting their surfaces and making them appear younger.

Accepted Answer

The younger meteorites are believed to have originated from Mars, ejected into space by impacts, and later collided with Earth.

Question 9

Identify the object in the picture below. 
A) an active comet
B) a meteor shower
C) a meteorite
D) an asteroid
E) zodiacal dust

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Question 10

How is it possible for the tail of a comet to actually move ahead of the comet itself?

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Question 11

Assume the larger circle shown below is the Sun, and the smaller circle is the head of a comet. If the comet is moving AWAY from the Sun, draw and label the two tails onto the comet.

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Question 12

Comets have highly eccentric orbits, with eccentricities of 0.95-0.99 being common. Suppose a certain comet has an eccentricity of 0.99. If the semimajor axis of its orbit is 2,500 AU, what will be its distance at perihelion and at aphelion? Is this most likely a Kuiper Belt object or an Oort Cloud comet? (Note: For an ellipse, a(1+e) is the distance from one focus to the farther edge of the long axis and a(1 - e) is the distance from the same focus to the closer edge of the long axis.)

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Question 13

List the names of the known dwarf planets and their approximate location in the Solar System.

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Question 14

Name three properties of the dwarf planets Pluto and Eris that are similar.

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Question 15

Which group of meteorites represents the conditions in the earliest stages of the formation of the Solar System?
A) chondrites
B) achondrites
C) icy meteorites
D) iron meteorites
E) stony-iron meteorites

Accepted Answer

Chondrites are considered the most primitive meteorites because they have not undergone significant melting or differentiation since their formation in the early Solar System. They contain a mix of minerals that suggest they formed at relatively low temperatures and pressures, and they often contain small spherical inclusions called chondrules that are thought to have formed by rapid heating and cooling in the early Solar System. Therefore, chondrites are considered to represent the conditions in the earliest stages of the formation of the Solar System.

Question 16

Why do long-period comets usually put on a much more visually spectacular display than short-period comets?

Accepted Answer

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Question 17

Give examples of a C-type asteroid and an S-type asteroid that have been observed by spacecraft. What did we learn about each type?

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Question 18

In its 1986 trip around the Sun, it was estimated that Comet Halley lost approximately 100 billion kg of material. The total mass of the nucleus was estimated to be 3*10¹⁴ kg. Assuming the mass loss rate is constant with each passage, and assuming the nucleus remains intact until there is nothing left, how many more times will we see Comet Halley? Explain why your answer is an upper limit.

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Question 19

What does the existence of M-type asteroids tell us about their origin?

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Question 20

In the early universe, when the Solar System had yet to be cleared of the debris out of which it formed, which type of object would have been most likely to deposit water onto Earth's surface?
A) comets
B) asteroids
C) a Mars-sized protoplanet
D) a rogue moon
E) none, because water is not a major component of any of the objects above

Accepted Answer

Comets are made up of ice and dust, and they are believed to have delivered water to Earth during its early formation. They are thought to have formed in the outer regions of the solar system, where water was abundant, and then migrated inward toward the sun. As they approached the sun, the heat caused the ice in the comet to vaporize, creating a tail and depositing water and other volatile substances onto the inner planets, including Earth.

Quiz 12: Dwarf Planets and Small Solar System Bodies

Consider three comets that have orbital periods of 10, 100, and 1,000 years. Where would each of these comets likely originate, in the Oort Cloud or the Kuiper Belt? If you wanted to study material that was the best example of pristine Solar System material, which would you study?

Which of the following likely helps replenish the zodiacal dust in the vicinity of Earth the most?

All of the zodiacal dust in the Solar System combined is roughly equal in mass to:

Do icy cometary nuclei melt and move from solid to liquid phase as they are warmed by the radiation from the Sun?

Identify the object in the picture below.

The most common type of meteorites are:

Meteorites contain clues to all of the following EXCEPT:

While most meteorites have ages around 4.5 billion years, a small subset have ages around 1.3 billion years. What caused the substantial difference in age between these two populations of meteorites?