Earth in Space and Near-Earth Objects

Review Questions with Answers

1. The inner planets are composed mainly of ________.

A. Water
B. Methane
C. Rocks
D. Gases

Feedback: Although Earth has water, it and the other inner planets are composed mainly of rock.

2. The Sun appears to rise and set because ________.

A. the shape of the Sun
B. the rotation of the Earth
C. the orbit of the Moon
D. the orbit around the Sun

Feedback: When Earth moves around the Sun, it appears that the Sun is moving.

3. What is the order during a solar eclipse?

A. Earth, Sun, Moon
B. Moon, Earth, Sun
C. Sun, Moon, Earth
D. Moon, Sun, Earth

Feedback: During a solar eclipse, the Moon is between Earth and the Sun.

4. The __________ of the Moon were formed from lava flows.

A. Craters
B. Oceans
C. Maria
D. Surface features

Feedback: These were formed many years ago when lunar volcanoes flowed lava on the surface.

5. An astronomical unit is __________.

A. equal to a light-year
B. distance between the Earth and the Sun
C. smaller than a kilometer
D. distance between the Earth and the Moon

Feedback: An astronomical unit, which is based on the distance between Earth and the Sun, is 150,000,000
km.

6. Which is the only outer planet that is not a gas giant?

A. Jupiter
B. Pluto
C. Saturn
D. Neptune
Feedback: Pluto is a small, rocky planet beyond the orbit of Neptune. Pluto is a dwarf planet (very small,
weak gravitational pull to have a thick atmosphere)

7. Which moon of Jupiter might contain oceans of water?

A. Callisto
B. Io
C. Europa
D. Ganymede
Feedback: Europa, which orbits Jupiter, might have large oceans beneath its icy surface. This has led to
speculation that life might exist there. Another trivia, Jupiter has 63 moons in total.

8. What is the shape of Earth?

A. Almost spherical
B. Perfectly spherical
C. Flat
D. Varying

Feedback: Earth is spherical but not perfectly spherical.

9. One orbit of Earth around the Sun is called a(n) __________.

A. Orbit
B. Spin
C. Rotation
D. Revolution

Feedback: Earth makes one revolution around the Sun each year.

10. When the daytime is as long as the night, this is a(n) __________.
A. Solstice
B. Eclipse
C. Equinox
D. Tropic

Feedback: The equinox occurs during the spring and the fall.

11. When the Moon phases go from the full moon to the new moon, this is called __________.
A. Waning
B. Eclipsing
C. Crescent
D. Waxing

Feedback: A waxing moon occurs when the full moon seems to disappear in the sky. It takes about 29.5-30
days for the moon to complete its cycle (8 phases)
 12. Where might the Moon have come from?
A. from the orbit of another planet
B. material ejected from Earth's mantle and crust
C. material ejected from the sun
D. the asteroid belt

Feedback: Some scientists believe this to be true because Moon rocks contain minerals similar to Earth's
mantle and crust.

13. In which direction does a comet's tail always point?

A. Upward from the orbit
B. Away from the Sun
C. Behind its path
D. Towards the Sun

Feedback: Comets' tails always point away from the Sun, no matter what direction the comet is heading.
Why? Solar wind emitting from Sun in all directions. These are charged p[articles with high energy. They
push the dust and gas tail away from Sun

14. Earth's solar system might have begun as a __________.

A. Comet
B. Black hole
C. Nebula
D. Galaxy

Feedback: Beginning as a nebula, the solar system probably began spinning as debris gathered together to
form the planets, moons, and Sun.

15. Which is the order during a lunar eclipse?

A. Sun, Earth, Moon
B. Sun, Moon, Earth
C. Earth, Sun, Moon
D. Earth, Moon, Sun

Feedback: During a lunar eclipse, Earth is between the Moon and the Sun
 16. What happens during a solstice?
A. The Sun reaches an equal distance between the north and south poles.
B. The Sun is directly over the north or south pole.
C. The Sun reaches its greatest distance north or south from the equator.
D. The Sun is directly over the equator.

Feedback: A solstice occurs on the longest day or the longest night.

17. How have scientists been able to hypothesize how the Moon formed?
A. By examining the Earth
B. By looking through a telescope
C. By watching other moons form
D. By examining moon rocks

Feedback: By examining rocks on the Moon, scientists can discover evidence of their origin. Age is
determined via Radiometric Dating.

18. Water is found on which inner planets?

A. Earth and Mars
B. Earth and Venus
C. Earth and Mercury
D. Mars and Venus

Feedback: Earth is more than 70 percent water. Mars has water located on the polar ice caps.

19. What causes the seasons to change?

A. the distance from the Earth to the Sun
B. the orbit of the Moon around the Sun
C. the position of the Moon
D. the tilt of Earth's axis

Feedback: Seasons change because Earth tilts toward or away from the Sun.

20. What separates inner and outer planets?

A. Jupiter
B. Saturn’s rings
C. Mercury
D. The asteroid belt

Feedback: The asteroid belt is a ring of asteroids in orbit around the Sun. The asteroid belt is the
circumstellar disc in the Solar System located roughly between the orbits of the planets Mars and Jupiter. It
is occupied by numerous irregularly shaped bodies called asteroids or minor planets. Asteroids meaning
star-like.

21. It takes 24 hours – one day – for one complete rotation of Earth. How long would it take for
the Sun’s rays to strike every location on the equator if Earth did not rotate on its axis?
 A. It would take one season
B. It would take one day
C. It would take one year
D. It would never happen

Feedback: One revolution would strike every location on the equator if Earth did not rotate.

22. What would happen to the seasons if the tilt of the axis was opposite to what it is now?

A. All seasons would reverse

B. Only winter and summer would reverse
C. Only fall and spring would reverse
D. None would reverse

23. Based on what we know of how moons form, which direction is the moon shown on this
diagram most likely orbiting?

A. Direction a.
B. Direction b.
C. Direction c.
D. Direction d.

Feedback: Revolution of moon is same as the direction of the planet’s rotation.

24. The following diagram shows the relative position of some galaxies (2.5 Mly = 2.5 million light
years). The location labeled "X" is the observation point.

Suppose these galaxies were observed at location X using the Hubble telescope. Place them in order
from most red shift to least red shift.
A. A, B, C
B. C, B, A
C. B, A, C
D. C, A, B

Feedback: Red shift is the reddening of light sent out by an object that is moving away from an observer.
The red shift that can be observed in light from distant galaxies suggests that the universe is expanding, and
thus supports the Big Bang theory.
 25. The Doppler Effect is the change in ______ due to relative motion of a light source.
A. Wavelength of light
B. Speed of Light
C. Luminosity of Light
D. Brightness of light
Feedback: Doppler effect is the change in the frequency of sound, light, or other waves as the source and
observer move toward (or away from) each other. The effect causes the sudden change in pitch noticeable
in a passing siren, as well as the red shift seen by astronomers.

26. Which of the following requirements is NOT met by Pluto for it to be considered as a planet?
A. It has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit
B. It is in orbit around the Sun
C. It is nearly spherical
D. It has sufficient mass to assume hydrostatic equilibrium

Feedback: Pluto has not cleared the neighborhood around its orbit, which means it has not become
gravitationally dominant and it shares its orbital space with other bodies of a similar size.

27. The expansion of the universe began ______ ago which is known as the Big Bang.
A. 150,000
B. 15 million
C. 15 billion
D. 15 trillion

Feedback: Big Bang Theory was proposed by Georges Lamaitre and Alfred Friedmann. But it is credited to
Edwin Hubble. Matter and space is contained in a single, compacted, dense point known as Singularity. This
point exploded and resulted to the formation of the universe and everything that is in it. The event
happened 15BYA and this was discovered due to the cosmic microwave background discovered by Arno
Penzias and Robert Wilson. CMB is an electromagnetic radiation left over from an early stage of the
universe in Big Bang cosmology. In older literature, the CMB is also variously known as cosmic microwave
background radiation (CMBR) or "relic radiation".
 28. Based on this graph of the number of sunspots per month data from the U.S. Dept. of
Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC), when can we expect the next
significant disruption to electronic communications?

A. 2008
B. 2012
C. 2018
D. 2023

Feedback: The sun has a 11-year sunspot cycle. If 2001 marks the start of the cycle, then the end of the
cycle must be on 2012.

29. How would an increase in rotational tilt angle change the locations of the Tropics of Cancer
and Capricorn?
A. Both would move toward the poles
B. Both would move toward the equator
C. Both would move north of their present locations
D. Both would move south of their present locations

Feedback: Tropic of Cancer is located on the northern hemisphere. It is the most northerly circle of latitude
on Earth at which the Sun can be directly overhead during the Summer solstice (June 21). Tropic of
Capricorn, on the other hand, is the circle marking the latitude 23.5 degrees south where the sun is directly
overhead at noon on December 21, the beginning of winter in the northern hemisphere.

The Arctic and Antarctic Circles are located at ±66.5 degrees latitude. Note that 66.5 + 23.5 equals 90
degrees. This means that on December 21, when the Sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn at noon, it
will not be visible from the Arctic Circle. So above the Arctic Circle, there is a period during the winter when
the sun remains below the horizon. The same is true of the Antarctic Circle during Southern Hemisphere
winter. On June 21st, when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer at noon, it is not visible from below
the Antarctic Circle.

30. The Greek philosopher Aristotle, like many people at his time, believed the Earth was the
center of the universe and that other planets revolved around our own. What is the name
 given to this ancient concept?
A. The heliocentric orbit hypothesis
B. The geocentric orbit hypothesis
C. The One Earth hypothesis
D. The Many Worlds hypothesis

Feedback: Aristotle and Ptolemy proposed that the Earth was the center of the universe (geocentric view).
It remained prominent for 2000 years until Nicolaus Copernicus during the 16th century proposed a new
hypothesis which is the heliocentric view. This view states that the Sun is the center of the solar system.
Upon the discovery of the telescope, Galileo Galilei observed the different phases of Venus which
supported Copernicus’ heliocentric view.

31. How do scientists estimate the age of the Universe?

A. By measuring the age of the oldest known asteroids
B. By measuring the relative motion of other galaxies
C. By measuring speed of light from distant stars

Feedback: The red shift phenomenon is used to determine the age of the Universe

32. An astronomer has been observing two Cepheid variable stars over the course of a month.
Both variable stars have the exact same period of pulsation. Star A is twice as bright as Star B.
Which of the following statements most accurately reflects the relationship between the
astronomer (on Earth) and both Cepheid variable stars?
A. Stars A and B have the same luminosity, but Star A is closer to Earth than Star B.
B. Stars A and B have the same luminosity, but Star B is closer to Earth than Star A.
C. Stars A and B are both the same distance from Earth, but the luminosity of Star A is
greater than Star B.

Feedback: The brighter or more luminous the light is, the closer the star is on Earth.

33. What process formed heavy elements, such as iron, found in your body?
A. They formed in the Earth's core during its early stages.
B. They formed during supernovae of ancient stars.
C. They formed during the Big Bang.

Feedback: Heavy elements were formed during the birth of stars billions of years ago.

34. How does "space weather" affect you?

A. It causes moving air and clouds on Earth that causes weather systems.
B. It causes the Earth's magnetic field to form and permits navigation.
C. It causes electrical surges that can disrupt power systems.

Feedback: When you say “space weather” Space weather is a branch of space
physics and aeronomy concerned with the time varying conditions within the Solar System, including
the solar wind, emphasizing the space surrounding the Earth, including conditions in
the magnetosphere, ionosphereand thermosphere. Solar winds when it interacts with the magnetic field
produces light displays known as auroras and it can also cause electrical blackouts.

35. Which statement comparing terrestrial and Jovian planets in our solar system is most
accurate?
A. Jovian planets are smaller and more dense than terrestrial planets.
B. Jovian planets are larger and more dense than terrestrial planets.
C. Jovian planets are smaller and less than terrestrial planets.
D. Jovian planets are larger and less dense than terrestrial planets.

Feedback: Jovian planets are less dense since they are mostly made up of gasses unlike terrestrial planets
which are composed mainly of rocks.

36. How did scientists initially deduce part of the Earth's core is molten?
A. Because certain vibrations do not pass through it.
B. Because it is the source of molten material for active volcanoes.
C. Because the Earth has a magnetic field that requires the presence of a molten core.

Feedback: You have learned that in Chapter 5: Earthquakes that some seismic waves cannot pass through
liquid or molten materials. Only the primary waves can pass through all kinds of materials. Since the S-
waves and the surface waves were not detected in the seismographs located in the other parts of the Earth
then it means that it must have been caught in a layer that is in liquid form.

37. "Heat mining", a new means of energy generation that is currently being studied, relies upon
what known characteristic of Earth?
A. Presence of a liquid outer core
B. Relatively thin nature of the oceanic crust
C. Geothermal gradient
D. Magnetic field

38. A team of scientists has discovered an Earth-sized planet orbiting the star Epsilon Eridani,
about 10.5 light-years from Earth. After careful calculation, the scientists estimate that the
new planet has a stronger gravity field than Earth. Based upon this information, which of the
following is the most reasonable hypothesis for the scientists to make about the new planet?
A. The new planet has a thicker atmosphere compared to Earth.
B. The new planet has a stronger magnetic field compared to Earth.
C. The new planet has liquid water.
D. The new planet receives more solar insolation from its parent star compared to Earth.

Feedback: Larger planet (greater mass) means greater gravitational pull which means thicker
atmosphere and stronger magnetic field.

39. Why does Earth have a magnetic field?

A. Due to the abundance of different atmospheric gases
B. Due to the types of rocks found in the lithosphere
 C. Due to the Earth's liquid outer core
D. Due to the proximity to the Sun

Feedback: Our planet's magnetic field is believed to be generated deep down in the Earth's core. The
Coriolis force, resulting from the Earth's spin, also causes swirling whirlpools. This flow of liquid iron
generates electric currents, which in turn produce magnetic fields (geodynamo effect).

40. What do you call the near-earth objects that orbit between Mars and Jupiter?
A. Comets Only
B. Comets and Asteroids
C. Asteroids Only
D. Neither asteroids nor comets

Feedback: The Asteroid belt lies between Mars and Jupiter. It consists of thousands of rocks with all kinds of
different shapes and sizes.

41. This consists of icy rocks and is a major source of short-period comets in the solar system. It
extends beyond the planet Neptune.
A. Asteroid Belt
B. Kuiper Belt
C. Oort Cloud
D. None of the above

Feedback: It consists of icy rocks and it is a major source of short-period comets in the solar system. It
extends beyond the planet Neptune. Pluto is one of the largest objects found in the belt.Comets can be
divided into two basic groups depending on their orbital periods. There are long-period comets with orbital
periods that can be thousands to millions of years long, and short period comets with orbital periods less
than about 200 years. Their alignments with the plane of the planet orbits is also different. The long period
comet orbits are oriented in all different random angles while the short period comets orbits are within
about 30 degrees of the solar system plane (ecliptic). These orbital characteristics point to two regions
beyond the realm of the planets: the Oort Cloud and the Kuiper Belt.

42. This consists of a collection of comets and is believed to extend far beyond the planets in our
solar system.
A. Asteroid Belt
B. Kuiper Belt
C. Oort Cloud
D. None of the above

Feedback: The Oort Cloud is a large spherical cloud with a radius from 50,000 to 100,000 A.U. surrounding
the Sun filled with billions to trillions of comets. It has not been directly observed. Its existence has been
inferred from observations of long period comets.
 43. A relatively small, at times active, object whose ices can vaporize in sunlight forming an
atmosphere of dust and gas and, sometimes, a tail of dust and/or gas.
A. Asteroid
B. Comets
C. Meteroids
D. Meteors

44. These are mostly made of rock and/or metal.

A. Comets only
B. Comets and asteroids
C. Asteroids only
D. Neither asteroids nor comets

45. These may have been responsible for bringing water to Earth.
A. Comets only
B. Comets and asteroids
C. Asteroids only
D. Neither comets nor asteroids
Feedback for 43-45:

Object Description
Asteroid A relatively small, inactive, rocky body orbiting the Sun.
A relatively small, at times active, object whose ices can vaporize in sunlight forming an
Comet
atmosphere (coma) of dust and gas and, sometimes, a tail of dust and/or gas.
Meteoroid A small particle from a comet or asteroid orbiting the Sun.
The light phenomenon which results when a meteoroid enters the Earth’s atmosphere and
Meteor
vaporizes; a shooting star.
A meteoroid that survives its passage through the Earth’s atmosphere and lands upon the
Meteorite
Earth’s surface.

46. Think about the orbits of Kuiper belt comets, Oort cloud comets and asteroids. Place them in
order from longest to shortest average amount of time required for each of them to orbit the
sun.
A. Kuiper belt, Oort cloud, asteroid
B. Oort cloud, Kuiper belt, asteroid
C. Asteroid, Kuiper belt, Oort cloud

Feedback: Asteroid belt lies between Mars and Jupiter. Kuiper belt extends beyond Neptune. Oort cloud
extends beyond the planets of the solar system.

47. What scale predicts the potential threat posed by an asteroid impact?
A. Richter scale
B. Torino scale
C. Fujita scale
D. Mercalli scale
Feedback: The Torino Scale, adopted by the IAU in 1999, is a tool for categorizing potential Earth impact
events. An integer scale ranging from 0 to 10 with associated color coding, it is intended primarily to
facilitate public communication by the asteroid impact hazard monitoring community. The scale captures
the likelihood and consequences of a potential impact event, but does not consider the time remaining
until the potential impact. More extraordinary events are indicated by a higher Torino Scale value.

48. Which impact is thought to be responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs?
A. Tunguska
B. Meteor Crater
C. Chicxulub
D. Chelyabinsk

Feedback:
Chicxulub crater
This crater resulted from an impact of comet/asteroid was found in Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. The
comet/asteroid hit the place around 66MYA during the Cretaceous-Paleogene Period which marks a
massive extinction. This is believed to be the cause why the dinosaurs became extinct.

Tunguska Event
This event happened on June 30, 1908. In a remote part of Russia, a fireball was seen streaking across the
daytime sky. Within moments, something exploded in the atmosphere above Siberia’s Podkamennaya
Tunguska River in what is now Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia. It is believed to have been caused by an incoming
asteroid (or comet), which never actually struck Earth but instead exploded in the atmosphere, causing
what is known as an air burst, three to six miles (5–10 kilometers) above Earth’s surface.The explosion
released enough energy to kill reindeer and flatten trees for many kilometers around the blast site. But
no crater was ever found.

Meteor Crater or Barringer Meteorite Crater

It is a hole in the middle of the desert outside Flagstaff, Arizona. The crater is about 1 mile wide nad 570
ft. deep.About 50,000 years ago, a meteorite traveling about 20km/s smashed into Arizona. The explosion
was equal to 2.5 megatons of TNT.

Chelyabinsk Meteor
The Chelyabinsk meteor was caused by an approximately 20-metre near-Earth asteroid that entered
Earth's atmosphere over Russia on 15 February 2013. Over 7,200 damaged buildings, collapsed factory
roof, shattered windows.

49. A fellow classmate hands you a rock that they claim is a meteorite. What characteristics
would you look for in order to confirm that the rock really is a meteorite?
A. A dark, smooth surface
B. Attracts a magnet
C. Heavy
D. All are correct
E. None of the choices are correct
 50. It is a periodic comet and returns to Earth's vicinity about every 75 years, making it possible
for a human to see it twice in his or her lifetime.
A. Shoemaker Levy
B. Halley’s Comet
C. Hale Bopp
D. Comet Borelly
Feedback:

Halley’s Comet
Halley’s Comet is the most famous of all comets. British astronomer Edmund Halley was the first to
realise that comets are periodic, after observing it in 1682 and tallying it to records of two previous comet
appearances. He correctly predicted it would return in 1757. The comet is also though to be depicted in
the 1066 Bayeux Tapestry. Halley’s Comet, which is 8 kilometres (5 miles) wide and 16 km (10 miles) long,
travels around the Sun every 75 to 76 years in an elongated orbit. It last passed close to Earth in February
1986.

Shoemaker Levy-9
Comet Shoemaker Levy-9 distinguished itself by breaking into 21 pieces under the stresses of Jupiter’s
gravity in 1992 and then slamming in succession into the giant planet in 1994. The spectacular show was
watched by telescopes across Earth, in orbit and aboard the space probe Galileo.
The impact of one fragment – around 3 km across – is said to have yielded an explosion and fireball
equivalent to 6 million megatonnes of TNT. The plume reached 22,000 km (13,700 miles) above the cloud
tops.

Hale Bopp
Comet Hale Bopp made its closest approach to Earth for 4000 years in January 1997. The last time the
cosmic wanderer was seen near Earth was during the Bronze age in 2000 BC. Hale Bopp is much larger
and more spectacular than Halley’s comet. It has a nucleus up to 40 km (24 miles) in diameter and could
be viewed from Earth with the naked eye. Hale Bopp is so bright that it was visible from Earth as early as
1995, when it was still outside the orbit of Jupiter.The advent of Hale Bopp led to a bizarre and tragic
human event – 39 members of the Heaven’s Gate cult in San Diego, US, marked the arrival by committing
suicide.
Comet Borrelly
After Halley’s Comet, Comet Borrelly was only the second to be spied close-up by a spacecraft. NASA’s
Deep Space 1 paid a visit in 2001 and gave researchers a detailed glimpse of the comet’s pitch black core.
Its snapshots revealed that the rocky nucleus is shaped like a giant 8-kilometre-long bowling pin, and the
entire comet is curiously lopsided.
Unlike Halley’s Comet, which formed in the Oort Cloud at the outer edges of the Solar System, Borrelly is
believed to originate in an icy cloud of rocks beyond Neptune called the Kuiper Belt.

END OF EXAM