Question set 1
The largest asteroid, and probably the only one to be a spherical ʺworld,ʺ is:
Ceres.
Which planet by itself contains the majority of mass of all the planets?
Jupiter
Our understanding of the solar system has come in a way that can best be described as:
explosive, with us learning more in the past few decades than in all previous history.
What is the goal of comparative planetology?
to determine the origin and evolution of the solar system
What is true about solar system densities?
The denser planets lie closer to the Sun.
The planetʹs orbital period is:
the time it takes to return to the same location in the sky, relative to the Sun.
Masses of the planets are easiest to determine if:
they have natural satellites whose motions can be precisely measured.
The average density of each planet in the solar system is determined by taking its mass and dividing that by its:
volume.
Which of the bodies has the lowest density?
comet
Saturn
Jupiter
an asteroid
a comet
The rotation periods of Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are difficult to determine because:
their surface features are obscured by their atmospheres.
In order to determine the mass of a planet by applying Newtonʹs laws of motion and gravity, the planet must have:
moons.
The plane in which almost all planets orbit the Sun is called the:
ecliptic.
Mercuryʹs most unusual orbital feature, as compared to the other planets, is:
the shape of its orbit.
What aspects of the planets' orbits are nearly the same for most planets?
shape and tilt from the ecliptic
Planetary orbits:
are almost circular, with low eccentricities.
How do the densities of the jovian and terrestrial planets compare?
All terrestrials are more dense than any of the jovians.
Which of the following are the jovian planets?
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune only
In composition, mass, and density, Jupiter is most like:
the Sun.
Most asteroids are found:
between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
The Kuiper Belt is found where in the solar system?
beyond the orbit of Neptune
In composition and density, the asteroids most resemble:
pieces of terrestrial planets.
In composition, asteroids and meteoroids are most like:
terrestrial planets.
The difference between a meteoroid and an asteroid is the objectʹs:
size.
The smallest sort of interplanetary matter is called:
interplanetary dust.
The most detailed look weʹve had of an asteroid comes from:
spacecraft sent to an asteroid.