AST 1002
Test 2, Spring 2004
QQ 1 The type of telescope having a paraboloidal primary mirror with a hole 
in the center and a convex secondary mirror that reflects light back 
through the hole to a focus is the 
AA S 1 (1) Cassegrain reflector
(2) Newtonian reflector
(3) prime focus reflector
(4) astronomical refractor
(5) NVA

QQ 2 The aberration which causes light rays of different colors to be 
focused at different distances from the objective lens is called 
AA S 1 (1) chromatic aberration
(2) spherical aberration
(3) coma
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 3 The device attached to a telescope for very precisely measuring 
the apparent brightness of an individual star in one wavelength region 
or "color" is the 
AA S 1 (1) photoelectric photometer
(2) spectrograph
(3) interferometer
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 4 Before the development of so-called "adaptive optics," the 
resolution of very large telescopes was limited mainly by 
AA S 1 (1) atmospheric "seeing"
(2) diffraction by the edges of the mirrors
(3) the quality of the optics
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 5 In which of the following regions of the electromagnetic spectrum 
is the Earth's atmosphere most transparent?
AA S 1 (1) radio
(2) infrared
(3) X-ray
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 6 The ultimate solution to the problem of limited resolution for 
radio telescopes was 
AA S 1 (1) interferometer arrays
(2) large fixed reflectors, like the 1000-ft one at Arecibo
(3) large movable dishes, like the 330-ft in Germany
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 7 Which of the following statements is incorrect?
AA S 1 (1) all the major planets rotate in the same direction
(2) all the major planets revolve in the same direction
(3) the major planets' orbits lie in very nearly the same 
plane (the ecliptic plane)
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 8 Which of the following is a terrestrial planet?
AA S 1 (1) Mars
(2) Neptune
(3) Pluto
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 9 Which of the following is a characteristic of jovian planets?
AA S 1 (1) high escape velocity
(2) high mean density
(3) slow rotation
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 10 The major problem with the original nebular hypothesis for 
the origin of the Solar System was 
AA S 1 (1) the Sun's slow rotation (angular momentum problem)
(2) the fact that material pulled from the Sun wouldn't be 
cool enough to condense into planets
(3) the fact that it was extremely improbable
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 11 An important concept in understanding why the terrestrial 
and jovian planets are located where they are as well as the 
differences among the asteroids is the 
condensation sequence.  According to this concept, the 
kinds of materials that condensed out in the inner solar nebula, 
which was relatively hot, were the refractories.  What 
kinds of materials make up this category?
AA S 1 (1) metals and rock
(2) hydrogen compounds, such as water, methane, hydrocarbons, etc.
(3) hydrogen and helium
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 12 The currently accepted theory of the Moon's origin is that 
it formed
AA S 1 (1) from material blasted out of the Earth when a giant 
planetesimal hit it (giant impact theory)
(2) somewhere else in the Solar System and was captured by the 
Earth (capture theory)
(3) when the Earth became unstable and split apart (fission theory)
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 13 Which of the following techniques has not yet been 
successfully used to detect a planet orbiting a star other than 
the Sun?
AA S 1 (1) direct detection (as a point of light next to a star)
(2) detection of the star's orbital motion around the center 
of mass of the planetary system (radial velocity variation)
(3) detection of a transit by the planet (crossing directly 
between the star and us, thus dimming the light)
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 14 The process in a molten body by which the denser material 
settles towards the center and the lighter material rises is 
termed
AA S 1 (1) differentiation
(2) the dynamo mechanism
(3) condensation
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 15 Which object is most active geologically?
AA S 1 (1) Earth
(2) Mars
(3) Mercury
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 16 Which planet has the strongest greenhouse effect?
AA S 1 (1) Venus
(2) Earth
(3) Mars
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 17 Which of the following makes thermal escape of a 
gas from a planet's atmosphere more likely?
AA S 1 (1) low atomic/molecular mass (or weight)
(2) low temperature
(3) high escape velocity
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 18 Jupiter's interior is believed to consist of, from 
the outside to the center,
AA S 1 (1) gaseous hydrogen, liquid molecular hydrogen, 
liquid metallic hydrogen, rock and metal core
(2) rock outer crust, rock mantle, metal core
(3) gaseous hydrogen, liquid molecular hydrogen, rock and 
ice core
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 19 Which of the following is not believed to 
account for a significant amount of the extra energy 
(i.e., beyond that absorbed from sunlight) radiated by 
some of the jovian planets?
AA S 1 (1) natural radioactivity
(2) gravitational potential energy from formation
(3) gravitational potential energy from differentiation, 
e.g. helium "rain"
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 20 Jupiter's Great Red Spot is 
AA S 1 (1) a giant anticyclone, like a hurricane but 
with a high-pressure center instead of a low
(2) a giant plume of gases from a volcano below the 
clouds
(3) the long-lasting scar from a comet impact
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 21 The geological activity on Io (geysers, etc.) is 
driven by heating due to 
AA S 1 (1) tidal friction
(2) gravitational potential energy from formation
(3) meteorite impacts
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 22 The four large Galilean satellites of Jupiter have 
compositions which change systematically with distance in 
a manner reminiscent of the terrestrial planets.  This 
may be seen in their respective mean densities.  With 
increasing distance they have 
AA S 1 (1) less rock and more ice
(2) more rock and less metal
(3) more rock and less ice
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 23 One large moon of a major planet has a retrograde 
(backwards) orbit.  At one time it was suggested that 
this might have been because of an interaction with 
another large moon of that planet, which was then 
ejected.  Now it seems more likely that this moon was 
captured; captured moons often have such orbits.  This moon 
is 
AA S 1 (1) Triton, moon of Neptune
(2) Titan, moon of Saturn
(3) Callisto, moon of Jupiter
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 24 The large gaps in Saturn's rings, like the Cassini 
Division, are attributed to 
AA S 1 (1) resonances with one of the larger moons, such 
as Mimas
(2) pairs of satellites called "shepherd satellites"
(3) tidal forces due to Saturn itself
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 25 The reason why there are gaps at some resonances 
with Jupiter in the Asteroid Belt (e.g, at 1/3 Jupiter's 
orbital period) and clumps at others (e.g., at 2/3) 
turns out to be that
AA S 1 (1) the orbits in the gaps are chaotic, whereas 
the ones in the clumps are not
(2) the orbits in the gaps are not chaotic, whereas 
the ones in the clumps are
(3) it just happened that way by chance
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 26 The large iron crystals known as Widmanstaetten 
figures are found in which type of meteorite?
AA S 1 (1) iron
(2) stony-iron
(3) stony
(4) carbonaceous chondrite
(5) NVA

QQ 27 Most, but not all, of the meteorites impacting 
Earth are from
AA S 1 (1) asteroids
(2) comets
(3) the Moon and Mars
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 28 The straight tail of a comet (if it has one) 
pointing almost exactly away from the Sun 
AA S 1 (1) consists of ions pushed away from the 
Sun by the solar wind
(2) consists of dust grains pushed away from the 
Sun by solar radiation pressure
(3) consists of ions pushed away from the Sun by 
solar radiation pressure
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 29 The nucleus of a comet is 
AA S 1 (1) a "dirty snowball" -- ices with rock 
and dust mixed in
(2) a "flying gravel-bank" -- a swarm of small 
rocks covered with ices
(3) a large cloud of gases
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 30 While some still refer to it as a planet, 
some astronomers consider Pluto to be a 
AA S 1 (1) large Kuiper Belt Object, like an 
icy planetesimal
(2) large icy asteroid
(3) former satellite of Neptune
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 31 Neptune was discovered by 
AA S 1 (1) Galle and d'Arrest
(2) LeVerrier and Adams
(3) Tombaugh
(4) Lowell
(5) NVA

QQ 32 Meteor showers are generally associated with 
streams of debris from
AA S 1 (1) past or present comets
(2) asteroids
(3) the Moon and Mars
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 33 Hydrostatic equilibrium is the balance between 
AA S 1 (1) the inward pull of gravity and the outward 
push of the pressure difference
(2) the inward pull of gravity and the outward push 
of the magnetic field
(3) the upward push of convection and the downward 
pull of gravity
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 34 The Sun's energy is produced mainly by 
AA S 1 (1) fusion of hydrogen to helium by the 
proton-proton chain
(2) fusion of hydrogen to helium by the 
carbon or CNO cycle
(3) conversion of gravitational potential energy 
(4) fission of uranium
(5) NVA

QQ 35 Energy transport in the inner part of the Sun 
is by
AA S 1 (1) radiation
(2) convection
(3) conduction
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 36 Which of the following is found in the 
photosphere?
AA S 1 (1) sunspots
(2) prominences
(3) plages
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 37 According to the "butterfly" diagram, the first 
sunspots of a new cycle generally appear 
AA S 1 (1) away from the equator, at latitudes near 
30 degrees
(2) very near the equator, at latitudes near zero 
(3) at completely random latitudes between zero and 
40 degrees
(4) NVA
(5) NVA