Astronomy - Mercury, Venus, Moon, Mars

Why does Mars appear fainter than Venus, as seen from Earth?

• because of its red color

• because its two moons block the light from getting to Earth

• because it is often eclipsed by Jupiter

• because it is smaller, farther away and less reflective

• because it doesn't have water on its surface

What physical feature of Mars is atypical compared with the other terrestrial planets?

• its size

• its atmospheric content

• its surface composition

• its density

• its rotation rate

Which is the correct size order, from smallest to largest?

• Mercury, Venus, Mars

• The Moon, Earth, Mars

• Mercury, Mars, Venus

• Mercury, the Moon, Mars

• Venus, Mars, Earth

How long is a day on Mars?

• 243 Earth days

• about 4.2 Earth days

• 24 hours, 36 minutes

• 23 hours, 56 minutes

• 9 hours, 55 minutes

How does the axial tilt of Mars compare with our own?

• Like Jupiter, Mars always keeps its equator pointing at the Sun.

• It is about half our own, 12 degrees.

• It is almost identical to the Earth.

• Like Saturn, it's about 27 degrees.

• Like Uranus, it is 98 degrees and flopped over on its side.

Unlike Earth, Mars' seasons are affected (enhanced and diminished) by the distance between Mars and the Sun. This is because:

• Earth is closer to the Sun to begin with.

• an Earth year is shorter.

• Mars is tilted more on its axis than Earth is.

• the orbit of Mars is significantly more elliptical.

• Mars gets closer to the Sun than the Earth does.

Where do the names for the moons of Mars (Phobos and Deimos) come from?

• the founders of Rome

• the twins depicted in the constellation Gemini

• the names of their discoverers

• the sons of Ares and Aphrodite

• the names of the dogs of Orion

The most prominent feature of Mars observable from Earth is:

• its thick atmosphere.

• its two prominent moons.

• its bright polar caps

• the large volcano Olympus Mons.

• the prominent feature, Valles Marineris.

The largest shield volcano yet discovered is:

• Maxwell Mons on Venus.

• Kilimanjaro on Earth.

• Olympus Mons on Mars.

• Prometheus on Io.

• Caloris on Mercury.

At closest approach Venus is about how far from Earth?

• 0.3AU

• 0.5AU

• 1AU

• 0.7AU

• 0.8AU