Astronomy Quiz: How Well You Know?
How well do you know astronomy? This quiz will reveal your smarts. Astronomy is one of the few disciplines in which ordinary people play an active role. People have helped with many important discoveries, such as finding new comets. Observational astronomy may be grouped according to the corresponding region of the electromagnetic spectrum. This exercise will help you better understand the scope of your knowledge concerning astronomy—good luck taking this quiz.
- 1.Jupiter's appearance shows striking:
- A.
Heavily cratered highlands with smooth, almost crater-less lowlands
- B.
An almost completely uniform yellow-brown coloration
- C.
Distinct alternating light and dark "bands"
- D.
All of the above
- E.
None of the above
- 2.Jupiter's "belts" and "zones" are:
- A.
Visible evidence of vertical convective motion in the atmosphere
- B.
Alternating regions of dominantly east-moving and west-moving material
- C.
Alternating regions of dominantly down-moving(low pressure) and up-moving(high pressure) material
- D.
All of the above
- E.
None of the above
- 3.The rotation axis of Jupiter is tilted at only 3 degrees from being at right angles to the plane of its orbit. As a consequence, Jupiter's seasons:
- A.
Are similar to seasons on Earth
- B.
Are much more extreme than seasons on Earth
- C.
Are almost non-existent(much less seasonal differences than on Earth)
- D.
None of the above
- 4.Because Jupiter has no "solid surface" to "tie-down its atmosphere", the period of rotation of the atmosphere varies with latitude. This is termed:
- A.
Differentiation
- B.
Differential rotation
- C.
Rotational disparity
- D.
All of the above
- E.
None of the above
- 5.Because Jupiter is so large, its period of rotation is:
- A.
Similar to the period of revolution of Mercury around the Sun
- B.
Similar to the period of rotation of the planet Venus
- C.
Too slow to be measurable
- D.
None of the above
- 6.On Jupiter the variation of rotational period with latitude means that the period is greatest (ie. the "day" is longest):
- A.
At the equator
- B.
Halfway between the equator and the poles
- C.
At the poles
- D.
At the equator in spring/fall and at the poles in summer/winter
- E.
None of the above
- 7.The rotation period of the planet can also be measured from periodic radio emission (tied to the magnetic field of Jupiter). This rotation period most closely agrees with the atmospheric rotation observed:
- A.
At the equator
- B.
Halfway between the equator and the poles
- C.
At the poles
- D.
At the equator in spring/fall and at the poles summer/winter
- E.
None of the above
- 8.The "banded" structure of Jupiter's clouds:
- A.
Is most visble only near the equator
- B.
Is most visible near the equator and at mid-latitudes
- C.
Is most visible only near the poles
- D.
Varies with time but equally visible at all latitudes
- E.
None of the above
- 9.The "surface" of Jupiter is chosen as:
- A.
The top of the troposphere (which is also the first later of significant haze or cloud as on Earth)
- B.
The "ammonia ice" layer
- C.
The "ammonium hydrosulfide ice" layer
- D.
The "water ice" layer
- E.
The top of the "liquid hydrogen" region
- 10.The temperature at the "surface" of Jupiter is:
- A.
Somewhat warmer than expected based on the energy Jupiter receives from the Sun
- B.
About the expected based on the energy Jupiter receives from the Sun
- C.
Somewhat cooler than expected based on the energy of Jupiter receives from the Sun
- D.
A total mystery as the temperature is much colder than expected based on the energy Jupiter receives from the Sun
- 11.Evidence for the interaction between the "Great Red Spot" and the adjacent "zonal flow" is seen in:
- A.
The rotation period of the "Great Red Spot" is very different from the rotation period of the adjacent "zonal flow"
- B.
The turbulent eddies that form and drift away from the dege of the "Great Red Spot"
- C.
The tranquil appearance of the center region of the "Great Red Spot"
- D.
All of the above
- E.
None of the above
- 12.The "white ovals" seen on Jupiter are white because:
- A.
They form a deep vortex that exposes the white "water ice" cloud layer
- B.
They have very high cloud tops
- C.
They mix the cloud colors giving a net "white" appearance
- D.
All of the above
- E.
None of the above
- 13.The "brown ovals" seen on Jupiter are brown because:
- A.
They form a deep vortex that exposes the low lying "brown" cloud layer(s)
- B.
They have very high clouds tops
- C.
They mix the cloud colors giving a net "brown" appearance
- D.
All of the above
- E.
None of the above
- 14.Jupiter's strong magnetic field is believed to be a consequence of:
- A.
Permanent magnetic materials (like iron) in the rocky core
- B.
Extensive cloud layers that inhibit charged particles from the Sun from reaching the interior of Jupiter
- C.
Rapid rotation and an extensive, highly conductive, fluid region in the interior of Jupiter
- D.
All of the above
- E.
None of the above
- 15.Jupiter's excess heat is thought to be the result of:
- A.
Remnant heat from its formation
- B.
(slow) continuing gravitational contraction
- C.
Low thermal conductivity of the gaseous outer layers of the planet
- D.
All of the above
- E.
None of the above
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