Question 1

Within the asteroid belt an asteroid collision ____________.

Accepted Answer

All of these choices are correct. When an asteroid collision occurs within the asteroid belt, it can knock an asteroid towards an area of extra gravitational acceleration, which can change the asteroid's trajectory. These collisions can also be rare but spectacular, with impacts reaching speeds of up to 16,000 km/h. Additionally, a collision can alter an asteroid's orbital path so that it is more likely to collide with a planet in the future.

Question 2

Extreme variations in the Earth's magnetic field induce telluric currents on all but which of the following technological systems?

Accepted Answer

Computers are not affected by telluric currents induced by extreme variations in the Earth's magnetic field.

Question 3

In 1994,the comet Shoemaker-Levy crashed with spectacular results into _______________.

Accepted Answer

Comet Shoemaker-Levy crashed into Jupiter in July 1994, creating a series of spectacular explosions and leaving dark impact scars on Jupiter's surface.

Question 4

Comets are composed of _____________________.

Accepted Answer

Comets are composed of ice and rocky debris, which is known as a "dirty snowball" composition. This is supported by observations and measurements made by spacecraft that have visited comets. While comets do contain some gas, it is primarily released as a result of heating from the sun and the sublimation of ice. Comets do not typically contain solid rock or plasma.

Question 5

The origin of the geomagnetic disturbances affecting technological systems is _________________.

Accepted Answer

Geomagnetic disturbances affecting technological systems, such as power grids and satellite communication, are primarily caused by solar activity and its interaction with the Earth's magnetosphere. Flares and coronal mass ejections from the sun can create intense magnetic storms that disrupt and even damage technological infrastructure. Processes occurring at the boundary between the Earth's inner and outer core can also contribute to geomagnetic disturbances, but they are typically less significant than solar activity. Polar wandering and the Earth's rotation are not direct causes of geomagnetic disturbances.

Question 6

Which of the following statements regarding asteroids is false?

Accepted Answer

The orbital path of Trojan asteroids do not pass near the Earth, but rather they are located at stable points in Jupiter's orbit, which are called the Trojan Points. Furthermore, Trojan asteroids do not cross the orbital path of Mars, but rather they follow the same path as Jupiter around the Sun.

Question 7

Figure 14.11 plots the return period of impact events and shows ___________.

Accepted Answer

Figure 14.11 shows that smaller meteoroids have a higher frequency of impact events, which corresponds with a shorter return period. As the size of the meteoroids increases, their impact frequency decreases and their return period lengthens.

Question 8

A comet's tail ____________________.

Accepted Answer

A comet's tail aligns with the solar wind because the solar wind, which is a stream of charged particles ejected from the upper atmosphere of the Sun, pushes dust and gas away from the comet's nucleus, forming the tail that always points away from the Sun.

Question 9

Why are there so many more impact craters visible on the Moon than on the Earth?

Accepted Answer

Craters on the Earth can be destroyed by geological processes such as erosion, tectonic activity, and vegetation growth, which are not present on the Moon. This leads to the preservation of more craters on the Moon's surface compared to Earth.

Question 10

Halley's comet contains carbon,hydrogen,oxygen and nitrogen in ratios similar to ratios in _________________.

Accepted Answer

Halley's comet is composed of the same elements that make up the human body, including carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen.

Question 11

Comets are found mostly in _______________.

Accepted Answer

Comets are found mostly in both the Kuiper belt and the Oort cloud. The Kuiper belt is a region of the outer solar system extending from Neptune's orbit up to approximately 50 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun, while the Oort cloud is a hypothesized spherical cloud of comets that may extend out to 100,000 AU or more. Comets from both of these regions are often perturbed by gravitational interactions with the gas giants and may be sent on orbits that bring them much closer to the Sun, where they can create spectacular displays in the night sky. The Trojan belt is a region of space near Jupiter inhabited by groups of asteroids, not comets.

Question 12

Asteroids lie mostly ____________________.

Accepted Answer

Asteroids are located mostly between Mars and Jupiter in what is called the asteroid belt. There are also asteroids that cross Earth's orbit or orbit closer to the Sun, but their majority is found in the asteroid belt.

Question 13

Stony meteorites are less commonly collected than iron-rich meteorites because ________________.

Accepted Answer

Stony meteorites break up more easily than iron-rich meteorites due to their composition, which makes them more fragile as they pass through the Earth's atmosphere. Additionally, those that do make it to the ground are often weathered and destroyed more rapidly due to their composition. This, combined with the fact that stony meteorites are not as easily recognized as iron-rich meteorites, means they are less commonly collected overall.

Question 14

The space between Mars and Jupiter is occupied by ________.

Accepted Answer

The space between Mars and Jupiter is occupied by asteroids, which are small rocky or metallic bodies that orbit the Sun. Bolides are another name for large meteors or fireballs that are visible streaks across the sky. Meteorites are asteroids or other space debris that have landed on Earth's surface. Comets are icy bodies that originate in the outer solar system and have tails of gas and dust when they are near the Sun. Ejecta refers to material that is ejected from a celestial body due to impact or volcanic activity.

Question 15

When space debris blazes through the Earth's atmosphere as a streak of light or shooting star,they are referred to as a _________________.

Accepted Answer

Space debris that enters the Earth's atmosphere is commonly known as a meteor or shooting star.

Question 16

The solar wind is _____________________.

Accepted Answer

The solar wind is the stream of subatomic particles, including protons and electrons, flying outward from the Sun.

Question 17

Magnetic storms ___________.

Accepted Answer

Magnetic storms are often associated with solar activity and sunspots. These storms are caused by disturbances in the Sun's magnetic field, which send out bursts of charged particles that can impact Earth's magnetic field and cause various effects such as auroras, disruptions in communication and navigation systems, and power outages. B, C, and D are incorrect as they do not accurately describe the effects of magnetic storms.

Question 18

Sunspots are dark areas on the Sun that are _________.

Accepted Answer

Sunspots are actually cooler than the surrounding areas of the Sun, which is why they appear dark in contrast to the brighter and hotter areas around them. They are not floating bodies, their number varies in an approximately 11-year cycle, and they are not areas where gases have burned out but rather regions of intense magnetic activity.

Question 19

Relatively few impact craters have been discovered on Earth because _________________.

Accepted Answer

Weathering, erosion, and tectonic processes constantly reshape the Earth's surface, making it difficult to find and identify impact craters. Additionally, the Earth's atmosphere burns up smaller impactors before they can reach the surface, which further reduces the number of visible impact craters.

Question 20

The North magnetic pole ________________.

Accepted Answer

The North magnetic pole has been in Canadian territory since its discovery.

Quiz 14: Hazards From Space