we would expect an eclipse at every full moon and new moon if
A the moon had a larger orbit around the Earth
B the Earth had a larger orbit around the sun
C the moon's orbit around the Earth were perpendicular to the Earth's orbit around the sun
D the plane of the moon's orbit around the Earth coincided with the plane of the Earth's orbit
around the sun
the oldest moon rocks are older than the most ancient rocks found on the Earth because
A the moon was formed long before the Earth
B the radioactive elements used for dating are rare on Earth
C the oldest Earth rocks were destroyed (recycled) by erosion and continental draft
D the moon formed from older material than the Earth did
examination of the whole surface of the moon shows us that
A craters exist only on one side of the moon
B the northern hemisphere is distinctly different from the southern hemisphere
C the moon can be considered as having two distinctly different sides, that seen from Earth, and that hidden from Earth
D there are no differences in surface features around the whole moon
which of the following does not support a capture theory for the moon's origin?
A the different compositions of the Earth and moon.
B the moon has a lower average density than the Earth.
C it would be very easy for the Earth to have captured the moon.
D the moon is moving away from the Earth at the rate of a few centimeters a year.
E the lack of water in the moon rocks.
which of the following describes the formation of the lunar maria?
A melting and solidification followed by impact
B volcanism
C impact followed by volcanism
D volcanism followed by impact
which of the following describes the formation of the lunar highlands?
A melting, solidification of crust followed by impact
B impact followed by widespread volcanism and solidification of crust
C solidification of crust immediately after lunar formation
D tectonic activity followed by large scale fluid flows and erosion
the moon, in its orbit around the Earth
A rotates once every 24 hours, to keep in step with Earth
B always keeps the same side towards the Earth
C always keeps the same side towards the sun
D always keeps the sunlit side towards the Earth
during which of its phases is the moon relatively conspicuous during the d time
A full
B the moon is never visible in daylight
C quarter
D new
the oldest surface features on the moon are the:
A maria.
B rilles.
C highlands.
D ray systems.
the moon lacks an atmosphere because
A it never had one
B its gravity is too small to hold an atmosphere
C the Earth's strong gravity pulled it away
D it atmosphere condensed and fell to the surface because it was so cold
I would look for a slender crescent moon in the western sky
A any time after midnight
B just before sunrise
C during the early part of the evening
D some time between 11 p.m. and midnight
a rille is
A the pattern seen in the tail of a comet
B a shallow winding valley on the moon
C another name for a mare on the moon
D a meandering valley on Mars
which is correct?
A the moon does not fall to Earth because the Earth's gravity gets weak as one moves away from the Earth and it is so weak at the distance of the moon that it has an insignificant influence.
B the moon does not fall to Earth because the moon is under the gravitational influence of the sun and other massive planets that tends to draw it away from the Earth.
C neither of the above explanations is correct.
in working out a history of the moon, Apollo results require that
A the highlands formed after the lowlands.
B the highlands formed before the lowlands.
C the entire moon must have been completely molten at one time.
D the highlands formed long after the maria.
in which way does the moon move day by day in the sky, against the background of stars, when viewed from Earth?
A towards the north in summer and the south in winter
B towards the west
C in no particular direction and with no particular pattern
D towards the east
the reason for the alignment of the moon with one face always towards the Earth is
A that the moon was spinning in this way when it was formed and has maintained this rotation
B the sporadic impact of meteorites on the moon which influence its rotation
C that gravitational forces from the Earth act upon the non-uniform lunar ma distribution to maintain this rotation
D that gravitational forces from the sun act upon the non-uniform lunar mass distribution to
maintain this rotation
the third quarter moon will rise at approximately what time?
A noon
B 6 a.m.
C 6 p.m.
D midnight
we know the lunar highlands are older than the maria because
A radioactive dating of lunar samples showed the maria rocks to be younger.
B the maria have fewer craters then the highlands.
C highland regions on the Earth are older than the ocean basins.
D all of the above
E only a and b above
the direction of motion of the moon in our sky, against the background of stars, is
A sometimes eastward but mostly westward
B always westward, in concert with the stars
C always eastward
D mostly eastward, but occasionally, (at full moon) westward
erosion on the moon is brought about by
A the seas
B micrometeorites
C the solar wind
D astronauts
how much of the total surface of the moon is illuminated by the sun at quarter phase?
A one half
B very little
C all of the moon
D one quarter
the Earth and the moon are both about the same distance from the sun, yet the Earth (on the average) is much warmer than the moon. why?
A the moon is smaller than the Earth.
B the moon's night is longer than the Earth's.
C the moon has almost no atmosphere compared to the Earth.
D the surface of the moon is, on the average, darker than the surface of the Earth.
the presence of breccias among the lunar rock samples shows that
A the lunar surface was fragmented by meteorite impacts.
B volcanism did not occur on the moon.
C molten lava once flowed over the lunar surface.
D the crust must have been made of anorthosite.
which of the following lunar features were primarily created by the outflow of lava?
A maria
B craters
C highlands
D mountains
the presence of breccias among the lunar rock samples shows that
A the lunar surface was fragmented by meteorite impacts
B volcanism did not occur on the moon
C molten lava once flowed over the lunar surface
D the crust must have been made of anorthosite
which of the following lunar features was primarily caused by lava flows?
A the maria
B the craters
C the highlands
D the mountains
detailed examination of the overall surface of the moon and of the rocks brought back by Apollo astronauts reveals that
A there is little or no evidence that water ever existed on the moon
B no liquid (or solid, ice) water exists on the moon now, but, like terrestrial rocks, some water is contained within lunar rocks
C water probably existed on the moon in earlier times, because of the remain valleys or rilles, but it has all evaporated away
D there have probably been short time periods in geological time when water existed on the
moon, but there is no water now
the Earth-moon system is sometimes called a double planet because
A the moon's rotation period is equal to its synodic period
B the moon and Earth are so nearly equal in size compared to the other plane and their satellites
C the Earth is the only terrestrial planet to have a satellite
D the moon is geologically active, like a planet
features found only on the near side of the moon are
A craters
B maria
C mountains
D rilles
a crescent moon just after new moon will be easily seen only at or close t
A sunrise
B midday
C midnight
D sunset
according to the Apollo mission results, the generally oldest regions of the moon's surface are the
A maria (lowlands).
B highlands.
C poles.
D equator.
based on the Apollo results, which of the following is probably the best description of the moon's core?
A hot, perhaps molten, made of non-metals.
B hot, and partially molten, made of metals.
C cool, made of non-metals.
D cool, made of metals.
E none of these; the moon has no core.
during a wild party on Saturday night you lose your watch. you wake sometime during the next day, and see a first quarter moon just rising in the east roughly what time must it be?
A 6 a.m.
B 12 noon
C 6 p.m.
D this cannot be estimated from the information given
the fact that the density of the moon is somewhat different from that of the Earth is an argument against which theory of the origin of the moon?
A the capture theory.
B the fission theory.
C the double planet theory.
D the large impact theory.
E both (b) and (c) above.
full moon always occurs
A when the moon is at quadrature
B when the moon is closer to sun than is the Earth
C when the moon is further from the sun than is the Earth
D on the first of every month
if you lived on the moon
A the Earth would seem to go through phases, from your point of view
B the Earth would always appear full
C the Earth would always appear half full
D the Earth would seem to rise and set periodically
what is happening to the Earth's rotation as a result of the tidal interaction between the Earth and the moon?
A nothing is happening to the Earth's rotation that has anything to do with the moon.
B the tidal interaction is causing the Earth's rotation to remain constant.
C the length of an Earth day is decreasing.
D the length of an Earth day is increasing.
the rotation period of the moon is about
A 1 year
B 1 day
C 1 week
D 1 month
the lunar maria are
A the lava plains of the lunar lowlands.
B the smooth plateaus of the lunar highlands.
C less than 1 billion years old.
D moving plates of lunar crust.
full moon will always be on the horizon at about
A midday
B midnight
C mid-afternoon
D sunrise or sunset
which of the following theories of the moon's origin seems to fit the data best?
A the capture theory.
B the fission theory.
C the double planet theory.
D the large impact theory.
E either (a) or (c) above.
the lunar origin theory that is supported by the agreement in density between the Earth's mantle and the moon's interior is called:
A the capture theory.
B the fission theory.
C the binary accretion theory.
D the spontaneous origin theory.
if sunset is at 6:00 p.m., and if the moon sets at 9:00 p.m., what phase I it?
A waxing crescent
B first quarter
C full
D waning crescent
the moon rises
A later every night
B earlier every night
C always at sunset
D at sunset only if it is in the first quarter phase
E more than one of the above
the one correct sequence of appearances of moon phases in the sky, of the following selection, is
A waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon
B new moon, waning crescent, first quarter, full moon
C full moon, waxing gibbous, last quarter, waning crescent
D new moon, full moon, waxing crescent, waning crescent
lunar rocks have ages
A uniformly smaller than those of most rocks on Earth
B generally in the range 2 to 4.5 billion years
C that cannot be found by known geological techniques
D that are as young as ten million years
as a result of the tidal interactions between the Earth and the moon
A the moon is moving closer and closer to the Earth
B the solar day is getting shorter
C the lunar month is getting shorter
D the solar day is getting longer
the phases of the moon are caused by
A the Earth's shadow, which darkens part of its surface
B different portions of its sunlit side being presented to the Earth as it revolves around the Earth
C reflection of light from the Earth
D variations in the intensity of the sunlight reflected from the moon at different distances
from the Earth
because of the tidal interaction between the moon and the Earth, the moon rotates synchronously. this means:
A the moon's orbital and rotational periods are the same.
B it rotates with the same period as the Earth.
C it rotates exactly 12 times per year.
D it rotates once each year.
a crescent moon just after new moon can be easily seen from Earth only
A in the eastern sky
B in the western sky
C near the zenith
D in the northern sky
which of the following is true?
A the moon orbits around the center of the Earth
B the force of gravity that the Earth exerts on the moon is greater than the moon's gravitational force on the Earth
C the Earth and moon each orbit around their common center of mass (which is actually inside the Earth, but not at the planet's center)
D the Earth and moon each orbit around their common center of mass, which is halfway
between them
to observers on Earth, the moon
A shows only one side to Earth at all times
B shows only its northern half because of the tilt of the moon's rotational axis
C shows its whole surface once per month as it rotates
D shows its whole surface once per year as the Earth moves around the sun
the moon
A rotates on its axis with the same period as its revolution about the Earth
B does not rotate
C was formed from material identical in chemical composition to the Earth's crust
D always points the same face toward the sun
if you see a smaller crater on the moon overlaid on a larger one, you can conclude that
A the smaller crater is older than the larger one.
B the smaller crater is younger than the larger one.
C both craters are the same age.
D both craters are very old.
E both craters are relatively young.
which of the following lunar features was primarily caused by lava flows?
A maria
B craters
C highlands
D mountains
to observers on Earth, the moon shows
A only the sunlit side at all times
B its whole surface once per month as it rotates
C only one side to Earth at all times
D its whole surface once per year, as the Earth moves around the sun
the lunar highlands differ from the lowlands because they are______ and have ______ craters.
A older, more
B older, fewer
C younger, more
D younger, fewer
which of the following lunar features were caused by lava flows?
A craters
B highlands
C mountains
D maria
the moon keeps the same face turned toward the Earth because
A the tidal attraction of the Earth upon the moon has caused the moon to decrease its orbital speed while increasing its rotational speed
B the length of the sidereal month is about one week longer than the length of the synodic month
C it does not rotate on its axis
D the period of the moon's rotation is the same as the period of its revolution around the
Earth
rilles on the moon's surface are most probably
A grooves cut by interplanetary material, which hit the moon's surface at shallow impact angles
B collapsed lava tubes or cracks from ancient flows of molten materials
C the dried-up beds of ancient rivers, along which water flowed in the moon' past
D cracks in the moon's surface caused by recent massive moonquakes
the smooth surfaces of the lunar maria were most likely caused by
A lava flows in the early history of the moon
B volcanic ash which rained upon the surface of the basins in recent geologic times
C water flowing into the basins and allowing sediments to settle over their surfaces
D dust storms which smoothed the surface
what is the atmosphere of the moon like?
A it has essentially no atmosphere.
B it has an atmosphere about like that of the Earth but much less dense.
C its atmosphere is mostly co2.
D its atmosphere is almost totally hydrogen with a little helium.
the moon's appearance, when its whole surface is examined, could be describe as
A surface features uniformly distributed
B maria only on the near side, no major maria on the far side
C many maria, distributed uniformly on near and far sides
D craters only on the near side, smooth surface on far side
if the plane of the moon's orbit were to be the same as the ecliptic plane there would be a lunar eclipse
A twice per month
B only twice per year
C every day
D once every month
when viewed from a point directly above the plane of the planetary system, how would the moon appear to rotate on its axis?
A it would rotate once per year as Earth and moon orbit the sun together
B it would rotate once per month, or once per revolution about the Earth
C it would rotate once per day, to maintain its direction towards the Earth
D it would not rotate at all, since on Earth we always see the same face
suppose you were to live on the rim of the lunar crater Copernicus, which is visible from Earth. how often would the Earth set below your horizon?
A once every 27.5 days
B once every 24 hours
C never
D once every 29.5 days
the maria are thought to have originated as
A bodies of water which are now dried-up
B lava flows
C uplifted plains (highlands)
D areas eroded by wind before the moon lost its atmosphere
when the moon is between the sun and the Earth, we call its phase
A full moon
B last quarter
C new moon
D you can't fool me; the moon can never get between the sun and the Earth
the near and far sides of the moon are particularly different, as seen by the fact that
A the average height of the overall terrain is much lower on the far side
B the numbers of craters differs markedly, with fewer on the far side
C the far side has no maria
D the far side is always in darkness
the first quarter moon will rise at approximately what time?
A midnight
B 6 a.m.
C noon
D 6 p.m.
if you lived on the moon, at a location from which you could see the Earth, the Earth
A would seem to go through phases.
B would always appear full.
C would appear in about a quarter phase.
D would seem to rise and set periodically.
E both (a) and (d) above.
the moon
A has an atmosphere of co2, but no evidence of water
B has no measurable atmosphere, but plenty of ground water
C has lots of evidence for an atmosphere and the presence of water (e.g., rilles)
D has no measurable atmosphere or water
the fission theory of the moon's origin has been criticized because
A the moon is more spherical than the Earth.
B the moon's composition is different from the Earth's.
C the tidal forces are making the moon approach the Earth.
D it requires too many coincidences.
the lunar seas are composed almost entirely of
A basalt
B anorthosite
C water
D granite
why is the temperature range so extreme on the moon as compared to a location on Earth?
A meteor impact is more frequent on the moon's surface
B the moon gets significantly nearer the sun
C volcanic activity heats the moon
D the moon has no atmosphere
the face of the moon we can't see from Earth
A looks quite similar to the face we can see
B is darker than the side facing the Earth
C has few seas
D is hotter than the side facing the Earth
the reason for the alignment of the moon with one face always towards the Earth as it moves in its orbit is
A periodic impact of meteorites on the moon, leading to alignment
B gravitational forces from the sun, acting upon the high density maria
C gravitational forces from the Earth, acting upon the high density maria
D the original motion of the moon, with which it was formed
the mean density of the moon is that of the Earth's mantle which tells us that
A the Earth's mantle formed from lunar material.
B the moon has a hollow interior.
C the moon has a magnetic field.
D the moon does not have a large iron core.
the average temperature of the moon's surface is about -10x f. this low average surface temperature is probably due primarily to:
A its great distance from the sun.
B the lack of an internal heat source.
C the lack of an insulating atmosphere.
D its rocky surface.
the moon's period of rotation
A is equal to its period of revolution
B is shorter than its period of revolution
C is longer than its period of revolution
D is meaningless because it doesn't actually rotate
the fact that some crater walls are sharply defined while others are more rounded is evidence for
A a volcanic origin for all craters
B differing ages of craters
C differing sizes of the impact bodies
D seismic activity on the moon
if the moon did not rotate we would observe
A the same as we now observe
B only the lunar backside
C the lunar north polar region
D both the front and backside of the moon
the reason there is no dense atmosphere on the moon is that
A it simply never had one to begin with
B the high temperature and low mass allowed it to escape
C the gravitational tidal forces from the Earth stripped it away
D when the moon formed by breaking away from the Earth the powerful forces involved
stripped away all gases
at what time will the full moon rise, approximately?
A at sunset
B at noon
C at midnight
D at sunrise
the dark, flatter areas on the moon are called
A maria
B regolith
C rilles
D terrae
the overall density of the moon is:
A about like that of the Earth.
B a little greater than Earth's surface rock.
C almost exactly like that of Earth's surface rock.
D greater than that of Earth.
what is happening to the size of the moon's orbit as a result of the tidal interaction with the Earth?
A nothing because the tidal interaction only causes the synchronous rotation.
B the moon's orbit is getting larger.
C the moon's orbit is getting smaller.
D the moon's orbit is staying the same size specifically because of the tidal interaction.
why does the moon keep the same face to the Earth?
A it does not rotate because of tidal locking.
B its rotation is synchronized to its revolution because of tidal locking.
C it doesn't really. both sides of the moon look the same.
D the dark side of the moon, according to pink floyd, is never visible.
the moon in its orbit around the Earth
A always keeps the same side towards the Earth
B always keeps the same side towards the sun
C rotates once every 24 hours, to keep in step with Earth
D always keeps the sunlit side towards the Earth
which of the following statements about the footprints left on the moon's surface by the astronauts is true?
A the prints will be worn away in a few centuries by meteorite and micrometeorite bombardment
B the prints will be covered in a few thousand years by lava flows originating in a layer beneath the moon's surface
C the prints will be erased in a few years by the relentless blowing of the solar wind
D the footprints will remain sharply imprinted for millions of years
the fission theory of the moon's origin has been criticized because
A the moon is more spherical than the Earth
B the moon's composition is different from the Earth's
C the tidal forces are making the moon approach the Earth
D it requires too many coincidences
in a period of 1 month, the moon moves across the sky
A parallel to the horizon
B precisely along the ecliptic plane
C along no particular plane, not the celestial equator, or the ecliptic plan or parallel to the horizon
D precisely along the celestial equator
according to the fission model of the moon's origin
A the moon was captured by the Earth.
B the moon split off from the Earth.
C the moon and Earth formed separately but in the same gas cloud.
D none of the above.
most of the mountain ranges on the moon are
A the result of water flow and erosion on the moon's soft surface
B the circular edges and rims of large maria, caused by impacts from large objects
C the result of volcanic activity and build-up in the moon's early history
D the result of plate tectonic movement, similar to that on Earth
when the moon is almost between sun and Earth we call its phase
A gibbous
B you cannot fool me, the moon can never get between the sun and the Earth
C full moon
D new moon
the first-quarter moon rises at
A noon.
B sunset.
C midnight.
D sunrise.
seismometers placed on the moon by Apollo astronauts indicated that the moon
A has more Earthquakes than the Earth.
B has a liquid metal core like Earth.
C is more active internally than Earth.
D has a solid mantle much like Earth's.
most of the craters on the moon were formed by
A bombardment by interplanetary meteoritic material
B volcanic action, the craters being the old calderas of volcanoes
C slumping of the surface following the outflow of lava from below the regio
D wind and water erosion of mountains and hills in the distant past
the lunar maria
A are vast plains flooded with lava
B are high mountains scarred by impact craters
C are where the oldest moon rocks were found
D cover the moon uniformly
in comparison to its maria, the moon's highland areas are
A smoother
B drier
C older
D younger
how does the moon's far side differ from the near side? the far side has
A no craters
B no maria
C no highlands
D no craters with clear central peaks
the age of moon rocks has been determined primarily by what method?
A careful examination of the site and surroundings from which the rocks were acquired
B careful chemical analysis of the constituents
C counting of the numbers of micro-meteoroid craters on the rock surface
D measurements of radioactive decay products in the rocks
the moon's regolith is
A a surface layer of fine powder and rock fragments
B a region deep in the core made mainly of iron
C the high mountains around the largest craters
D highly magnetic rock zone on the far side of the moon
why does the moon have more craters than the Earth?
A the moon is closer to the asteroid belt
B the moon has move volcanos than Earth does
C erosion and continental drift erase craters on Earth
D no debris from space reaches Earth's surface; it all burns up when it enters the atmosphere
the moon's maria were once thought to be seas. in reality they are:
A densely cratered highlands.
B ejecta blankets from meteoric bombardment.
C brecciated land forms.
D lava filled basins.
the fact that the lunar maria are less cratered than the highlands tells us that
A they formed after the highlands.
B they formed before the highlands.
C the highlands attract more meteorites.
D erosion is stronger on the maria.
the giant impact model for the origin of the moon is supported by which of the following?
A the lack of volatile metals on the moon.
B different chemical composition of the moon.
C different bulk densities of the Earth and moon.
D all of the above
E none of the above
the moon's mean density is ______than the Earth's which suggests that it has ______.
A greater, little or no iron core
B greater, a large iron core.
C lower, little or no iron core.
D lower, a large iron core.
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