Question 1

The largest volcano on Mars is called:

Accepted Answer

Olympus Mons (Mt. Olympus) is the largest volcano on Mars, with a height of 22 km and a diameter of about 600 km. The Red Spot is actually a feature on Jupiter, Mariner Valley is a large canyon system on Mars, Hellas is a large impact crater on Mars, and Mount Maxwell does not exist on Mars.

Question 2

Valles Marineris is a wide, deep network of chasms stretching for some 2500 miles on the surface of Mars. How do we believe such a big set of canyons formed originally?

Accepted Answer

Valles Marineris is believed to have formed due to tectonic activity caused by pressures from deep within the planet. The planet's crust may have experienced tensional stresses, leading to the formation of the chasm. This theory is supported by the presence of faults and other features within the canyon system.

Question 3

The troposphere (the lowest layer in the atmosphere) of Venus

Accepted Answer

The troposphere of Venus is extremely dense and hot due to the thick carbon dioxide atmosphere and the runaway greenhouse effect, creating conditions similar to being deep under the Earth's ocean in terms of pressure and temperature uniformity.

Question 4

The canals that late 19th and early 20th observers thought they saw on Mars turned out to be:

Accepted Answer

After further observation with better technology, it was determined that the canals seen on Mars were simply optical illusions and not physical structures.

Question 5

The total surface area of planet Mars is roughly equal to the

Accepted Answer

The total surface area of Mars is roughly equal to the surface area of Earth's continents. This comparison highlights Mars' significant land area, despite its smaller overall size compared to Earth.

Question 6

There was a pair of spacecraft whose components both orbited the planet Mars and landed on its surface in 1976. These spacecraft were called:

Accepted Answer

The pair of spacecraft that both orbited and landed on Mars in 1976 were named Viking 1 and Viking 2.

Question 7

What is one way that we humans are currently making the atmosphere of the Earth more like that of Venus?

Accepted Answer

Mars is a planet that has a geology similar to that of Earth. Like Earth, Mars has volcanoes, canyons, and valleys. However, Mars lacks a strong magnetic field, which has allowed the solar wind to strip away much of its atmosphere over time. Mars also has the largest volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons, and the longest canyon, Valles Marineris.

Question 8

Which of the following statements about the atmosphere of Mars today is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

According to current scientific understanding, the atmosphere of Mars is too thin and cold for liquid water to exist on its surface or to rain down. Therefore, droplets of liquid water do not irrigate the surface of Mars regularly, making statement D false.

Question 9

One of the most impressive features of the geology of Mars is an uplifted area about the size of North America, with volcanoes on it, which is called the

Accepted Answer

The uplifted area on Mars with volcanoes is called Tharsis Bulge. The other options are incorrect.

Question 10

A crucial difference that helps explain why Venus is so hot and the Earth isn't is that:

Accepted Answer

Venus lost its oceans due to a runaway greenhouse effect, which caused the carbon dioxide to accumulate in the atmosphere, leading to a much stronger greenhouse effect than on Earth. This resulted in Venus having an extremely hot surface temperature, while Earth's surface temperature remained relatively stable due to the ongoing oceanic and geological processes that regulate the atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.

Question 11

Which of the following would NOT be one of the problems faced by an unprotected Earthling stranded on Mars? (Unprotected meaning no space suit.)

Accepted Answer

An unprotected Earthling would not experience extreme heat at most latitudes on Mars because the planet has a thin atmosphere and lacks a strong greenhouse effect, causing temperatures to be generally colder than on Earth.

Question 12

What makes astronomers believe that Mars once had rivers and running water?

Accepted Answer

Images from orbiting spacecraft and data from rovers have revealed ancient channels and geological formations on Mars that resemble dried-up river beds on Earth, indicating the past presence of running water.

Question 13

A very rich and eccentric tourist in the future hires you to fly him to a region of Venus' atmosphere where the temperatures and pressures are the most Earth-like. Where would you take him?

Accepted Answer

While there is no place in Venus' atmosphere where the temperature and pressure are exactly like Earth, the cloud layers about 50km above the surface are the closest in terms of temperature and pressure. These cloud layers have temperatures of around 30-60°C and pressures similar to those at sea level on Earth. Flying in this region would provide the most Earth-like conditions and would also offer spectacular views of the clouds and Venus' surface below.

Question 14

The first spacecraft to orbit another planet circled Mars in 1971. It was:

Accepted Answer

Mariner 9 was the first spacecraft to orbit another planet, Mars, in 1971. Viking 1 and Voyager 1 were also spacecraft that explored space but did not orbit Mars. Apollo 1 was a spacecraft that was destroyed on the launch pad, and Venera 11 was a spacecraft that explored Venus.

Question 15

On some parts of Mars, it gets cold enough for a gas to freeze out of the atmosphere that does not freeze out by itself at the temperatures and pressures on Earth. This gas makes up some of the polar caps on Mars and is:

Accepted Answer

The gas that freezes out of the atmosphere on Mars is carbon dioxide, which makes up some of the polar caps on the planet. Water ice and traces of other gases such as argon and methane have also been detected on Mars, but they do not freeze out at the temperatures and pressures seen on Mars as much as carbon dioxide does.

Question 16

Which of the following is NOT a way we have studied the planet Mars so far?

Accepted Answer

So far, we have not sent any spacecraft to Mars which have brought samples of the planet back to Earth.

Question 17

Which of the following statements about Valles Marineris, the great "grand canyon system" on Mars is true?

Accepted Answer

Landslides have contributed to the widening of Valles Marineris since it was first formed.

Question 18

The observation that began the 19th and early 20th century fascination with Mars as a place for life was:

Accepted Answer

Schiaparelli's seeing what seemed to him to be long straight features on the red planet, which he called "canali," began the fascination with Mars as a possible place for life. This was later misinterpreted as "canals" and led to theories about intelligent life on Mars, most notably by Percival Lowell.

Question 19

The process by which Venus became so much hotter than the Earth is called:

Accepted Answer

The process by which Venus became so much hotter than the Earth is called the runaway greenhouse effect. This occurs when greenhouse gases trap heat in a planet's atmosphere, causing the temperature to continue to rise until it reaches a point where it becomes uninhabitable. Venus has a thick atmosphere with a high concentration of carbon dioxide, which has led to its extreme temperatures.

Question 20

One way in which Mars closely resembles the Earth is:

Accepted Answer

Mars closely resembles Earth in the length of its day (period of rotation). A Martian day is approximately 24 hours and 37 minutes, which is very similar to the 24-hour day on Earth.

Quiz 10: Earthlike Planets: Venus and Mars