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Quiz about The Solar System From White to Black

The Solar System: From White to Black Quiz

The colours of many objects in the Solar System vary from neutral greys, reddish browns, or even stark black and white. Do you know which is which?

A multiple-choice quiz by jonthomas. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
jonthomas

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
375,656

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
343

Last 3 plays: Guest 174 (2/10), workisboring (4/10), Kabdanis (2/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Beginning at the high end of the spectrum, this object, a large satellite of Saturn, has one of the highest known surface brightnesses of any object in the Solar System. Which is it? Hint

Enceladus

Iapetus

The Moon

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Question 2 of 10

2. Which of these objects is known to be capable of drastically changing in surface brightness over the course of its orbit? Hint

Mars

Mercury

Pluto

Europa

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Question 3 of 10

3. This satellite of Saturn is known for having one side which is relatively dark while its other side is nearly all white. Which is it? Hint

Triton

Tethys

Iapetus

Miranda

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Question 4 of 10

4. Evidence supports that C-type asteroids typically have the darkest surfaces of any asteroid classification.

True

False

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Question 5 of 10

5. If one were to view this object from space, it could be thought that this object is fairly bright. However, its surface is nearly slate-black. Which object matches this description? Hint

Venus

Ganymede

Jupiter

Saturn

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Question 6 of 10

6. Which of these objects does not fit the description of an object with an exceptionally reflective surface? Hint

Orcus

Pluto

Eris

Makemake

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Question 7 of 10

7. The surface of which of these objects, given the nickname "Biden", is speculated to be primarily pink in colour? Hint

2012 VP113

2003 MW12

2007 OR10

1998 WH24

8. An anomaly of an object: one may view this one day and find it to be fairly neutral in reflectivity, but then they may view it again the next day and find that the exact same area is suddenly much more reflective! Which object could this describe? Hint

Titan

Uranus

Triton

Earth

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Question 9 of 10

9. Which object in the asteroid belt has several mysterious bright spots on its otherwise spectrally neutral surface? Hint

Vesta

Ceres

Hygiea

Phobos

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Question 10 of 10

10. Which natural satellite of Pluto was thought to be fairly bright upon its discovery, but it was later proven to be almost as dark as charcoal?

Answer: (One Word (8 letters))

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Nov 01 2024 : Guest 174: 2/10
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Oct 21 2024 : Kabdanis: 2/10
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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Beginning at the high end of the spectrum, this object, a large satellite of Saturn, has one of the highest known surface brightnesses of any object in the Solar System. Which is it?

Answer: Enceladus

Enceladus is a natural satellite of Saturn which is covered in a crust of ice. Due to this, it reflects approximately 99% of the light which shines upon it.

2. Which of these objects is known to be capable of drastically changing in surface brightness over the course of its orbit?

Answer: Pluto

Pluto orbits the Sun at an average distance of approximately 39 AU (astronomical units). Due to a fairly eccentric orbit, Pluto's atmosphere will collapse and fall to its surface as ices while it is farther from the Sun. Its atmosphere is known to reform as its orbit brings it closer to the Sun, repeating the process time and time again.

3. This satellite of Saturn is known for having one side which is relatively dark while its other side is nearly all white. Which is it?

Answer: Iapetus

Iapetus has both a rotational period and orbital period of about 79 days. As a result, despite not being locked to its parent planet as the Moon is to Earth, the same side will almost always face Saturn. It is speculated that the vast difference in colouration is due to a high amount of organic material on one side deposited by several comets over the eons.

4. Evidence supports that C-type asteroids typically have the darkest surfaces of any asteroid classification.

Answer: False

This distinction is thought to belong to D-type asteroids, one such example being 624 Hektor. It is theorized that several of these objects may have originated from the Kuiper Belt before emigrating to the inner Solar System.

5. If one were to view this object from space, it could be thought that this object is fairly bright. However, its surface is nearly slate-black. Which object matches this description?

Answer: Venus

Venus's atmosphere is so thick that it is impossible to see its surface from outer space. Despite facing some trouble, the Venera family of landers successfully transmitted images of Venus's surface back to Earth, showing that it is much like ash or obsidian.

6. Which of these objects does not fit the description of an object with an exceptionally reflective surface?

Answer: Orcus

Orcus is an object discovered in 2004. It is classified as a plutino, meaning that its orbit crosses with Neptune's. Spectroscopy from the Spitzer Space Telescope shows that its surface is fairly dark.

7. The surface of which of these objects, given the nickname "Biden", is speculated to be primarily pink in colour?

Answer: 2012 VP113

This object, nicknamed "Biden" due to the initials VP (an abbreviation for the vice president of the United States), was found in one of the outermost known regions of the Solar System, an area tentatively referred to as the Hills Cloud or inner Oort Cloud. Its perihelion, or closest possible distance to the Sun, is the largest known at approximately 80 AU.

Answer: Earth

Our very own home, Earth, is one of a very few objects with an atmosphere significant enough to be visible from space. As most of our planet is ocean, which reflects very little light, it may be hard to see at times. However, prominent cloud cover would mean the opposite, as the icy vapours of clouds reflect much more light.

9. Which object in the asteroid belt has several mysterious bright spots on its otherwise spectrally neutral surface?

Answer: Ceres

Though they were first seen by the Hubble Space Telescope as one large bright spot, the Dawn space probe discovered in 2015 that there are actually several small noticeably bright spots which vary in size. They are thought to be ice deposits on the surface.

10. Which natural satellite of Pluto was thought to be fairly bright upon its discovery, but it was later proven to be almost as dark as charcoal?

Answer: Kerberos

Kerberos was discovered in summer of 2011 while searching for hazards for the New Horizons probe. Further studies from the Hubble Space Telescope in June of 2015 showed that it is much darker than the other satellites that had been discovered at the time.

Source: Author jonthomas

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