Question 1

Describe the impact the discovery of extrasolar planets h as had for understanding the origin of our own Solar System.

Accepted Answer

The discovery of extrasolar planets show...

Question 2

The composition of a planet's atmosphere be measured during a transit by analyzing

Accepted Answer

A)  the excess absorption of starlight at specific wavelengths.
B)  the excess emission of starlight at specific wavelengths.
C)  the length and depth of the dip in light during the transit.
D)  the amplitude and period of the star's motion.
E)  the wobble in a star's position on the sky.F) None of the above
G) A) and C)

Question 3

How much brighter is a Sun-like star than the reflected light from a planet orbiting around it?

Accepted Answer

A)  a hundred times brighter
B)  a thousand times brighter
C)  ten thousand times brighter
D)  a million times brighter
E)  a billion times brighterF) A) and D)
G) A) and C)

Question 4

When should we know if any extra-solar planetary systems are like ours?

Accepted Answer

A)  in just a few years
B)  any day now,thanks to new,large,ground-based telescopes
C)  in a decade or two,through our current space missions
D)  We have already discovered several systems just like ours,through the Kepler mission.E) A) and B)
F) A) and C)

Question 5

The depth of the dip in a star's brightness due to the transit of a planet depends most directly on

Accepted Answer

A)  the planet's mass.
B)  the planet's density.
C)  the planet's size.
D)  the size of the planet's orbit.
E)  the eccentricity of the planet's orbit.F) B) and C)
G) None of the above

Question 6

Why do we say that the Doppler technique gives the planet's "minimum mass"?

Accepted Answer

A)  The size of the Doppler shift that we detect depends on whether the planet's orbit is tilted.
B)  The size of the Doppler shift that we detect depends on knowing the star's mass,which can be very uncertain.
C)  Extrasolar planets are always increasing in mass.
D)  Doppler measurements are very difficult,producing noisy data that often cause astronomers to underestimate a planet's mass.E) A) and D)
F) B) and C)

Question 7

Planets detected via the Doppler technique have been mostly

Accepted Answer

A)  Earth-mass,in Earth-like orbits.
B)  Jupiter-mass,in Jupiter-like orbits.
C)  Jupiter-mass,in very close orbits.
D)  Earth-mass,in very close orbits.
E)  a wide range of masses,in edge-on orbits.F) A) and B)
G) A) and D)

Question 8

Suppose you are using the Doppler technique to look for planets around another star.What must you do?

Accepted Answer

A)  Compare many spectra of an orbiting planet taken over a period of many months or years.
B)  Compare the brightness of the star over a period of many months or years.
C)  Carefully examine a single spectrum of an orbiting planet.
D)  Compare many spectra of the star taken over a period of many months or years.E) A) and B)
F) A) and C)

Question 9

Amateur astronomers are able to detect extrasolar planets with backyard telescopes using the transit method.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

A planet is detected via the Doppler technique.The repeating pattern of the stellar motion tells us

Accepted Answer

A)  the planet's size.
B)  the planet's mass.
C)  the planet's density.
D)  the orbital period of the planet.
E)  the orbital eccentricity of the planet.F) A) and D)
G) None of the above

Question 11

Process of Science:
Name a testable hypothesis of nebular theory that was shown to be incorrect in observations of extrasolar planets. Must we throw out the theory and start from scratch, i.e., is the observation completely inconsistent with a nebular formation?

Accepted Answer

At face value, the nebular theory predic...

Question 12

How will TESS build upon the Kepler mission?

Accepted Answer

A)  It will zoom in on the best planet candidates and allow us to confirm whether or not they are actually planets.
B)  It will use the same strategy but will cover the whole sky.
C)  It will allow us to detect extrasolar planets from the Southern hemisphere instead of just the Northern hemisphere.
D)  It will allow us to observe in a different wavelength.E) A) and B)
F) A) and C)

Question 13

What would happen to the planets in a solar system where the central star did not have a strong wind?

Accepted Answer

A)  One planet would grow to dominate all the others and gravitationally eject them out of the system.
B)  All planets would continue to grow to large sizes but their orbits would be unchanged.
C)  The gas in the solar nebula would create a drag on the planets and their orbits would migrate inwards.
D)  The gas in the solar nebula would create a drag on the planets and their orbits would migrate outwards.
E)  Nothing,the star does not affect the process of planet formation.F) A) and B)
G) A) and C)

Question 14

Current evidence suggests that many massive jovian planets orbit at very close orbital distances to their stars.How do we think these planets ended up on these close orbits?

Accepted Answer

A)  These planets are jovian in nature and were able to form close to their stars because their solar nebulas were very cold in temperature.
B)  These planets migrated inward after being born on orbits much farther from their stars.
C)  Despite their large masses,these planets are terrestrial in nature and therefore could form in their inner solar systems.
D)  These planets were captured from other solar systems.E) C) and D)
F) All of the above

Question 15

Process of Science: Why did some astronomers think that we would not be able to detect planetary systems around other stars so quickly as we did?

Accepted Answer

If we simply extrapolated from our own S...

Question 16

Which of the following is a consequence of the discovery of hot Jupiters for the nebular theory of solar system formation?

Accepted Answer

A)  It has been discarded.
B)  It has been modified to allow for the formation of gas giants within the frost line.
C)  It has been modified to allow for planets to migrate inwards or outwards due to gravitational interactions.
D)  Its status is unclear and awaits further observations that will determine whether hot Jupiters are dense Earth like planets or gas giants.
E)  It remains unchanged as it only needs to explain our Solar System.F) A) and B)
G) All of the above

Question 17

Which planet can we see occasionally transit across the face of the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mercury
B)  Mars
C)  Jupiter
D)  Uranus
E)  all of the aboveF) A) and D)
G) A) and B)

Question 18

Assuming that our ideas about how "hot Jupiters" ended up on their current orbits are correct,why didn't our own solar system end up with any hot Jupiters?

Accepted Answer

A)  Our solar nebula must have been blown into space shortly after the formation of the jovian planets.
B)  Our jovian planets must have migrated outward from inside the orbit of Mercury.
C)  Our solar nebula must have stuck around for an unusually long time after the formation of jovian planets.
D)  The existence of Earth and the other terrestrial planets prevented the jovian planets from migrating inward.E) B) and C)
F) None of the above

Question 19

Because we have not found another planetary system like our own,we can conclude that our Solar System must be quite unusual.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

What is an extrasolar planet?

Accepted Answer

A)  a planet that orbits a star that is not our own Sun
B)  a planet that is larger than the Sun
C)  a planet that is extra large compared to what we'd expect
D)  a planet that is considered an "extra," in that it was not needed for the formation of its solar systemE) B) and D)
F) A) and B)

Exam 13: Other Planetary Systems: The New Science of Distant Worlds

Current evidence suggests that many massive jovian planets orbit at very close orbital distances to their stars.How do we think these planets ended up on these close orbits?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Assuming that our ideas about how "hot Jupiters" ended up on their current orbits are correct,why didn't our own solar system end up with any hot Jupiters?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The depth of the dip in a star's brightness due to the transit of a planet depends most directly on

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Planets detected via the Doppler technique have been mostly

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The composition of a planet's atmosphere be measured during a transit by analyzing

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Suppose you are using the Doppler technique to look for planets around another star.What must you do?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Describe the impact the discovery of extrasolar planets h as had for understanding the origin of our own Solar System.

Correct AnswerverifiedThe discovery of extrasolar planets show...View AnswerShow Answer

Amateur astronomers are able to detect extrasolar planets with backyard telescopes using the transit method.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Why do we say that the Doppler technique gives the planet's "minimum mass"?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What would happen to the planets in a solar system where the central star did not have a strong wind?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Because we have not found another planetary system like our own,we can conclude that our Solar System must be quite unusual.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What is an extrasolar planet?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which planet can we see occasionally transit across the face of the Sun?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A planet is detected via the Doppler technique.The repeating pattern of the stellar motion tells us

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Process of Science: Why did some astronomers think that we would not be able to detect planetary systems around other stars so quickly as we did?

Correct AnswerverifiedIf we simply extrapolated from our own S...View AnswerShow Answer

Which of the following is a consequence of the discovery of hot Jupiters for the nebular theory of solar system formation?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

When should we know if any extra-solar planetary systems are like ours?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Process of Science: Name a testable hypothesis of nebular theory that was shown to be incorrect in observations of extrasolar planets. Must we throw out the theory and start from scratch, i.e., is the observation completely inconsistent with a nebular formation?

Correct AnswerverifiedAt face value, the nebular theory predic...View AnswerShow Answer

How much brighter is a Sun-like star than the reflected light from a planet orbiting around it?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

How will TESS build upon the Kepler mission?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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The discovery of extrasolar planets show...
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If we simply extrapolated from our own S...
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At face value, the nebular theory predic...
View Answer

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