Astronomy 150 - Exam #2 Name:November 15, 1996 TA’s Name & Section:Answer all questions in the space provided. Please write in complete sentences.If you have any questions raise your hand. 80 points possible.1 (6 pts) The surfaces of Venus and the Earth have very few small impact craterscompared to the Moon. Explain why this is (there are two reasons).2 (4 pts) This is a diagram of a cometin orbit around the Sun. Indicate onthe diagram the position of the gas anddust tails of the comet.3 (4 pts) Indicate on the diagram thelocation in Earth’s orbit where meteorshowers would occur.4 (4 pts) Is this comet in a prograde orretrograde orbit?Earth’sOrbitComet’sOrbitComet5 (3 pts) The Kirkwood gaps of the asteroid belt are not physical gaps in space like thegaps in the rings of Saturn. What does the ”gap” in the Kirkwood gaps refer to?6 (6 pts) What are two pieces of evidence that show that most meteorites came from theasteroid belt?7 (6 pts) Explain how we know that iron meteorites came from the cores of a large body(i.e. an asteroid).8 (8 pts) Explain why the existence of carbonaceous chondrite meteorites means that theasteroid belt can not be the result of a single planet that has exploded.9 (5 pts) Long range scanners have detected a planetary system around the star Wolf 359.Sensors were able to determine the density and albedo of 5 of the solid airless worlds butnot their distance from the star. Arrange the planets in order of increasing distance fromWolf 359. Please consider both the density and albedo when making your decision. (1 -closest, 5 - farthest).Planet A ρ = 2.1 g/cm3Albedo = 0.70Planet B ρ = 6.0 g/cm3Albedo = 0.10Planet C ρ = 5.2 g/cm3Albedo = 0.20Planet D ρ = 3.4 g/cm3Albedo = 0.25Planet E ρ = 1.3 g/cm3Albedo = 0.0510 (6 pts) Explain why you ordered the planets the way you did.11 (9 pts) Assume that the planets above have fully differentiated and are composed onlyof iron, rocks and ice (they do NOT have to contain all three). Based on your data fromQuestion 9, draw what the interiors of planets A, B, and D would look like. Your drawingshould reflect the relative sizes and compositions of the interior zonesPlanet A Planet B Planet D12 (3 pts) In lecture I said that the “Snow Line” occurs at about the position of theasteroid belt in our solar system. What is the “Snow Line”?13 (6 pts) How does the gross composition of worlds inside the “Snow Line” differ fromthose outside it?14 (6 pts) Describe how the appearance of the Earth’s moon (as seen in the sky from theEarth) would change if it had the same physical properties (size, albedo, etc) of Jupiter’smoon Ganymede?15 (4 pts) Describe one similarity and one difference between the surfaces of the Earth’sMoon and Jupiter’s moon
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