Astronomy 150 – Midterm Name:April 27, 2006 – Spring 2006 TA’s Name & Section (2 pts):Answer all questions in the space provided. If you have any questions, raise your hand.100 points possible. No calculators.You have discovered a new planet orbiting the Sun at a distance of 0.7 AU. This planet is half (1/2) thesize of the Earth, and an eighth (1/8) as massive.1 (4 pts) How does the gravity of this planet compare to the Earth’s gravity? [Be quantitative; show yourwork.]2 (6 pts) Would you expect the geological activity on this world to be greater or less than the Earth’s?Explain your answer.3 (6 pts) Explain why it is very unlikely that this world would have an atmosphere.4 (6 pts) Explain why it is possible to build higher mountains on Mars than it is on the Earth.5 (6 pts) Explain why a radioactive isotope with a half-life of 1 million years is not very useful for determiningthe ages of Moon rocks.6 (6 pts) Most impact craters currently being discovered on the Earth are buried deep underground. Explainhow we can tell these are impact craters even though there is nothing to see at the surface.7 (6 pts) Explain why the lack of volatiles in the Earth-Moon system implies that the Earth-Moon systemwas subjected to intense heating.8 (6 pts) The Mars Rovers have seen evidence of heavily weathered rocks on the surface of Mars. If thisweathering had continued until today, how would the composition of Mars’ atmosphere be different?9 (6 pts) Explain why simple impact craters were visited by every Apollo mission as well as by both MarsRovers. [Hint: it is not only because they are common on the Moon and Mars.]The image on the left shows a geological feature on the planetMars.10 (2 pts) What is the name of this type of feature?11 (3 pts) What type of rock would be most commonly found at this feature?12 (6 pts) Describe how this feature was formed. (Make sure to include a description of the source of energythat formed this feature.)13 (4 pts) Explain whether or not this type of feature is being formed on the present-day Moon.The image on the left shows a geological feature on the planetVenus.14 (2 pts) What is the name of this type of feature?15 (3 pts) What type of rock would be most commonly found at this feature?16 (6 pts) Describe how this feature was formed. (Make sure to include a description of the source of energythat formed this feature.)17 (4 pts) Explain whether or not this type of feature is being formed on the present-day Moon.The plot on the left shows a R-Plot for a surface of a worldin our inner solar system.18 (4 pts) Describe the population of craters on thesurface of this world.19 (6 pts) Explain why this is probably not the R-Plot for craters on Venus.20 (6 pts) Explain why this plot probably does not represent a population of impactors from the late
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