Question 1

What is the reason that it is so difficult to view Mercury from Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)   Mercury is very dim.
B)   Mercury is very small.
C)   Mercury can't be seen at night.
D)   Mercury is often hidden by the Moon.
E)   Mercury is always very close to the Sun.F) A) and D)
G) A) and C)

Question 2

For Mercury,the tidal stress of the Sun is much greater at aphelion than at perihelion.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 3

What surface region of the Moon is oldest? How do we know this?

Accepted Answer

The highlands are older than t...

Question 4

Which type of feature is the best evidence of lunar volcanism?

Accepted Answer

A)   rays around the latest eruptions
B)   craters all over the Moon
C)   vents seen erupting in the mountainous highlands
D)   rilles associated with lava flows accompanying the mare formation
E)   the Orientale BasinF) B) and C)
G) C) and D)

Question 5

Mercury's magnetic field is thought to be due to:

Accepted Answer

A)   dynamo action, like the Earth's magnetic field.
B)   a mechanism entirely unique to Mercury.
C)   being close to the Sun.
D)   being a fossil remnant dating back to the distant past when the core was more liquid.E) A) and B)
F) A) and C)

Question 6

Mercury presents the same side to the Sun:

Accepted Answer

A)   every other orbit.
B)   all the time, just like our Moon.
C)   every 12 hours.
D)   every third orbit.
E)   twice every orbit.F) A) and B)
G) None of the above

Question 7

Moonquakes on the Moon were detected by:

Accepted Answer

A)   the radar observations over time from Earth.
B)   the seismographs left these by the Apollo astronauts.
C)   laser beams reflected off mirrors left on the Moon by Apollo missions.
D)   seismographs attached to the Russian Lunar rovers.
E)   telescopic observations of lunar landslides.F) C) and E)
G) B) and C)

Question 8

What aspect of Mercury's interior structure is used to explain the presence of its magnetic field?

Accepted Answer

its unusua...

Question 9

Mercury's magnetic field is surprisingly comparable to the Earth's field in strength.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

How does Mercury's magnetic field compare to our own?

Accepted Answer

A)   Like Venus, Mercury has no detectable magnetic field.
B)   Like Mars and the Earth, it too has undergone polarity reversals.
C)   It is 1/100th as strong as ours, but does deflect the solar wind to some degree.
D)   It is amazingly strong, comparable to our own.
E)   It was predicted from Mercury's rapid rotation and molten core.F) A) and B)
G) B) and C)

Question 11

To measure how Mercury spins,astronomers sent ________ to Mercury and used the Doppler shift to determine how fast it was rotating.

Accepted Answer

A)   probes
B)   laser beams
C)   radar beams
D)   a satellite
E)   a single frequency radio signalF) C) and E)
G) None of the above

Question 12

What did radar astronomers find in the polar regions of Mercury?

Accepted Answer

A)   rift valleys
B)   large mare basins, such as near our Moon's south pole
C)   water ice that never melts in the deep craters
D)   polar caps of dry ice that vary seasonally, much like Mars
E)   auroral displays much like Earth'sF) A) and E)
G) A) and D)

Question 13

What considerations are involved in determining whether or not a planet will have an atmosphere? What physical factors are involved in determining the temperature of a planet?

Accepted Answer

Escape velocity and temperature are the ...

Question 14

How are surfaces of Mercury and the Moon similar? Different? Why?

Accepted Answer

Both are airless worlds with many ancien...

Question 15

Mercury's tenuous atmosphere of sodium,magnesium,and potassium comes from:

Accepted Answer

A)   atoms that have been kicked off the surface by the solar wind.
B)   volcanic outgassing.
C)   residual gases from Mercury's formation.
D)   impacts of asteroids or comets.E) B) and D)
F) C) and D)

Question 16

Because of its high mean density and magnetic field,Mercury's large core must be made chiefly of ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Because of its high mean density and...

Question 17

The scarps on Mercury were probably caused by:

Accepted Answer

A)   tectonic activity.
B)   meteorite bombardment.
C)   a tidal bulge.
D)   volcanism.
E)   the interior cooling and shrinking.F) A) and B)
G) A) and C)

Question 18

The dominant features of the highlands of the Moon,________ are chiefly the result of impacts of comets and asteroids early in the Moon's history.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The dominant features of the highlands of...

Question 19

Why was the discovery of a substantial magnetic field around Mercury a surprise? How was it detected?

Accepted Answer

In its close passes by Mercury...

Question 20

The hollows on Mercury are:

Accepted Answer

A)   isolated depressions found in all parts of impact craters.
B)   clusters of depressions found near the center of impact craters.
C)   large depressions found in the Caloris Basin.
D)   large depressions found in the smooth plains.
E)   clusters of depressions that are not associated with impact craters in the smooth plains.F) B) and C)
G) All of the above

Exam 8: The Moon and Mercury: Scorched and Battered Worlds

To measure how Mercury spins,astronomers sent ________ to Mercury and used the Doppler shift to determine how fast it was rotating.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

How are surfaces of Mercury and the Moon similar? Different? Why?

Correct AnswerverifiedBoth are airless worlds with many ancien...View AnswerShow Answer

How does Mercury's magnetic field compare to our own?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Why was the discovery of a substantial magnetic field around Mercury a surprise? How was it detected?

Correct AnswerverifiedIn its close passes by Mercury...View AnswerShow Answer

Mercury presents the same side to the Sun:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What is the reason that it is so difficult to view Mercury from Earth?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What aspect of Mercury's interior structure is used to explain the presence of its magnetic field?

Correct Answerverifiedits unusua...View AnswerShow Answer

Because of its high mean density and magnetic field,Mercury's large core must be made chiefly of ________.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What did radar astronomers find in the polar regions of Mercury?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The dominant features of the highlands of the Moon,________ are chiefly the result of impacts of comets and asteroids early in the Moon's history.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The scarps on Mercury were probably caused by:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which type of feature is the best evidence of lunar volcanism?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What surface region of the Moon is oldest? How do we know this?

Correct AnswerverifiedThe highlands are older than t...View AnswerShow Answer

Mercury's tenuous atmosphere of sodium,magnesium,and potassium comes from:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Mercury's magnetic field is thought to be due to:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

For Mercury,the tidal stress of the Sun is much greater at aphelion than at perihelion.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The hollows on Mercury are:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Mercury's magnetic field is surprisingly comparable to the Earth's field in strength.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Moonquakes on the Moon were detected by:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What considerations are involved in determining whether or not a planet will have an atmosphere? What physical factors are involved in determining the temperature of a planet?

Correct AnswerverifiedEscape velocity and temperature are the ...View AnswerShow Answer

Correct Answer
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Both are airless worlds with many ancien...
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In its close passes by Mercury...
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its unusua...
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The highlands are older than t...
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Escape velocity and temperature are the ...
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