AST101 Exploring Ideas in Astronomy Final Exam
2025 Questions And Answers Graded A+ WEST
COAST UNIVERSITY(MAY)
Which of the following statement is FALSE about the Moon?
(a) The Moon is cooler than the core of the Earth.
(b) All geological processes have virtually stopped on the Moon.
(c) There are some signs of past geological activity on the Moon.
(d) The lunar maria formed before the period of heavy bombardment.
(e) There are recent craters on the Moon.
D
Which occurrence is NOT part of Earth's Carbon Cycle?
(a) Minerals combine with carbon to make rocks on the ocean floor.
(b) CO2 is heated and escapes the atmosphere, cooling the Earth's surface.
(c) Continental drift carries rock containing carbon down into the Earth's mantle.
(d) Atmospheric CO2 dissolves in rainwater.
(e) Rain erodes minerals that flow into ocean
B
The atmosphere of Mars is 95% CO2. Given that CO2 is a powerful greenhouse gas, why is Mars so cold?
,(a) Mars is too far from the Sun for the greenhouse effect to work.
(b) Mars is rotating too fast for the greenhouse effect to work.
(c) The greenhouse effect also needs nitrogen, and the atmosphere of Mars does not
contain any nitrogen.
(d) There is too much CO2 on Mars for the greenhouse effect to work.
(e) There is not enough CO2 on Mars for the greenhouse effect to work.
E
Why does Mercury have far more craters than Earth or Venus?
(a) Mercury is located closer to the Sun and so is more likely to collide with asteroids.
(b) Mercury has a smaller core and therefore has a less resilient surface.
(c) Mercury is not geologically active and has no atmosphere to erode craters.
(d) Mercury formed well before Earth or Venus, and so has had a longer time to build up
craters on its surface.
(e) Mercury does not have a magnetic field to shield it from asteroids.
C
The Curiosity rover on Mars is not operated by using a joystick from the Earth, because the
communication delay time is too long, that is, the time it takes for a light signal to make a round-trip
between the Earth and Mars. Earth is 8 light minutes from the Sun. Mars orbits at about 12 light minutes
from the Sun. What is the lowest possible communication delay time between the Earth and Mars?
(a) 4 minutes
(b) 8 minutes
(c) 12 minutes
(d) 24 minutes
,(e) 40 minutes
B
Which of the following statements is evidence for geological activity of Mars
(a) We see dried river beds on Mars.
(b) We see erupting volcanoes and lava flows on Mars.
(c) We see earthquakes occurring on Mars.
(d) We see the carbon cycle occurring on Mars.
(e) We see ice caps on Mars.
A
Saturn's rings have what looks like extremely dark bands. What are they?
(a) Regions of dark (low reflectivity) material.
(b) Gaps between the rings caused by collisions with other moons in orbit around Saturn.
(c) Shadows cast by other moons in orbit around Saturn.
(d) Gaps between rings caused by the gravitational pull of other moons in orbit
around Saturn.
(e) Slightly warmer regions of the ring, where the ices have evaporated to form gas.
D
Which of the following is the main reason that Pluto is no longer considered a planet?
(a) It is much less massive compared to other planets.
, (b) Its moon Charon is about half of its size.
(c) Pluto's orbit is highly eccentric.
(d) Pluto shares its orbital neighbourhood with other icy Kuiper Belt Objects.
(e) The dwarf planet Eris is more massive than Pluto.
D
A Jovian planet has three moons of similar size, named Eee, Iye, and Re. The innermost of the three,
Eee, has large portions of un-cratered surface, while Re and Iye are heavily cratered. This is most likely
because:
(a) Eee was formed much later than Re and Iye.
(b) Eee is in an orbital resonance with another moon, causing an elliptical orbit and
tidal heating.
(c) Eee is orbiting closer to the sun, so it is warmer than the others, producing geological activity.
(d) Eee was protected from craters by something.
(e) Eee was originally a dwarf planet, but was captured by the larger Jovian planet.
B
When does a comet have its longest tail and largest coma?
(a) When it is moving most slowly.
(b) When it makes its closest approach to the Earth.
(c) When it crosses the ecliptic plane.
(d) When it is at its farthest point from the Sun in its elliptical orbit.
(e) When it is at its nearest point to the Sun in its elliptical orbit.
E
2025 Questions And Answers Graded A+ WEST
COAST UNIVERSITY(MAY)
Which of the following statement is FALSE about the Moon?
(a) The Moon is cooler than the core of the Earth.
(b) All geological processes have virtually stopped on the Moon.
(c) There are some signs of past geological activity on the Moon.
(d) The lunar maria formed before the period of heavy bombardment.
(e) There are recent craters on the Moon.
D
Which occurrence is NOT part of Earth's Carbon Cycle?
(a) Minerals combine with carbon to make rocks on the ocean floor.
(b) CO2 is heated and escapes the atmosphere, cooling the Earth's surface.
(c) Continental drift carries rock containing carbon down into the Earth's mantle.
(d) Atmospheric CO2 dissolves in rainwater.
(e) Rain erodes minerals that flow into ocean
B
The atmosphere of Mars is 95% CO2. Given that CO2 is a powerful greenhouse gas, why is Mars so cold?
,(a) Mars is too far from the Sun for the greenhouse effect to work.
(b) Mars is rotating too fast for the greenhouse effect to work.
(c) The greenhouse effect also needs nitrogen, and the atmosphere of Mars does not
contain any nitrogen.
(d) There is too much CO2 on Mars for the greenhouse effect to work.
(e) There is not enough CO2 on Mars for the greenhouse effect to work.
E
Why does Mercury have far more craters than Earth or Venus?
(a) Mercury is located closer to the Sun and so is more likely to collide with asteroids.
(b) Mercury has a smaller core and therefore has a less resilient surface.
(c) Mercury is not geologically active and has no atmosphere to erode craters.
(d) Mercury formed well before Earth or Venus, and so has had a longer time to build up
craters on its surface.
(e) Mercury does not have a magnetic field to shield it from asteroids.
C
The Curiosity rover on Mars is not operated by using a joystick from the Earth, because the
communication delay time is too long, that is, the time it takes for a light signal to make a round-trip
between the Earth and Mars. Earth is 8 light minutes from the Sun. Mars orbits at about 12 light minutes
from the Sun. What is the lowest possible communication delay time between the Earth and Mars?
(a) 4 minutes
(b) 8 minutes
(c) 12 minutes
(d) 24 minutes
,(e) 40 minutes
B
Which of the following statements is evidence for geological activity of Mars
(a) We see dried river beds on Mars.
(b) We see erupting volcanoes and lava flows on Mars.
(c) We see earthquakes occurring on Mars.
(d) We see the carbon cycle occurring on Mars.
(e) We see ice caps on Mars.
A
Saturn's rings have what looks like extremely dark bands. What are they?
(a) Regions of dark (low reflectivity) material.
(b) Gaps between the rings caused by collisions with other moons in orbit around Saturn.
(c) Shadows cast by other moons in orbit around Saturn.
(d) Gaps between rings caused by the gravitational pull of other moons in orbit
around Saturn.
(e) Slightly warmer regions of the ring, where the ices have evaporated to form gas.
D
Which of the following is the main reason that Pluto is no longer considered a planet?
(a) It is much less massive compared to other planets.
, (b) Its moon Charon is about half of its size.
(c) Pluto's orbit is highly eccentric.
(d) Pluto shares its orbital neighbourhood with other icy Kuiper Belt Objects.
(e) The dwarf planet Eris is more massive than Pluto.
D
A Jovian planet has three moons of similar size, named Eee, Iye, and Re. The innermost of the three,
Eee, has large portions of un-cratered surface, while Re and Iye are heavily cratered. This is most likely
because:
(a) Eee was formed much later than Re and Iye.
(b) Eee is in an orbital resonance with another moon, causing an elliptical orbit and
tidal heating.
(c) Eee is orbiting closer to the sun, so it is warmer than the others, producing geological activity.
(d) Eee was protected from craters by something.
(e) Eee was originally a dwarf planet, but was captured by the larger Jovian planet.
B
When does a comet have its longest tail and largest coma?
(a) When it is moving most slowly.
(b) When it makes its closest approach to the Earth.
(c) When it crosses the ecliptic plane.
(d) When it is at its farthest point from the Sun in its elliptical orbit.
(e) When it is at its nearest point to the Sun in its elliptical orbit.
E
