Astronomy Solar System and Planetary Science 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The asteroid belt lies mainly between the orbits of which two planets?
- Mars and Jupiter (Correct answer)
- Earth and Mars
- Jupiter and Saturn
- Venus and Earth
Correct answer: Mars and Jupiter
Most asteroids orbit in the belt located between Mars and Jupiter.
Question 2: What is the primary reason Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006?
- It has not cleared its orbital neighborhood (Correct answer)
- It has no moons
- It does not orbit the Sun
- It is not spherical
Correct answer: It has not cleared its orbital neighborhood
Pluto fails the IAU criterion requiring a planet to clear other objects from its orbital path.
Question 3: Which planet experiences the most extreme surface temperatures due to a runaway greenhouse effect?
- Venus (Correct answer)
- Mercury
- Mars
- Jupiter
Correct answer: Venus
Venus's thick carbon dioxide atmosphere traps heat, giving it surface temperatures around 465 degrees Celsius.
Question 4: Comets typically develop tails that point in which direction?
- Away from the Sun (Correct answer)
- Toward the Sun
- Along their direction of travel
- Toward Earth
Correct answer: Away from the Sun
Solar wind and radiation pressure push a comet's tail to point away from the Sun.
Question 5: Which Jovian moon shows strong evidence of a subsurface liquid water ocean beneath an icy crust?
- Europa (Correct answer)
- Io
- Callisto
- Ganymede
Correct answer: Europa
Europa's smooth icy surface and induced magnetic field point to a global subsurface ocean.
Question 6: What is the approximate age of the Solar System?
- About 4.6 billion years (Correct answer)
- About 13.8 billion years
- About 1 billion years
- About 10 million years
Correct answer: About 4.6 billion years
Radiometric dating of meteorites places the Solar System's formation at roughly 4.6 billion years ago.
Question 7: Which planet is home to Olympus Mons, the tallest known volcano in the Solar System?
- Mars (Correct answer)
- Venus
- Earth
- Mercury
Correct answer: Mars
Olympus Mons on Mars rises about 22 kilometers, nearly three times the height of Mount Everest.
Astronomy Solar System and Planetary Science 3
The asteroid belt lies mainly between the orbits of which two planets?