New Pupil Toolkit for GCSE (9-1) Astronomy

GCSE (9-1) Astronomy

Pupil Worksheet

Week 16 Topic 11.2

Spec. refs 11.2, 11.3, 11.4, 11.5, 11.13

1. The image shows Comet Hale-Bopp.

Its orbital period is about 2500 years. From where did Comet Hale-Bopp most likely
originate?

x A Kuiper Belt

x B Orion’s Belt

x C Large Magellanic Cloud

x D Oort Cloud
(1)

2. Which of the following Astronomy students is correct?

Chunhua: The two tails of a Ned: The two tails of a

comet are called its ion tail comet are called its gas tail
and dust tail. and ion tail.

(1)

New Pupil Toolkit for GCSE (9-1) Astronomy

© Mickledore Publishing 2017
 New Pupil Toolkit for GCSE (9-1) Astronomy

3. Which of the following statements is INCORRECT?

x A Cometary tails generally point away from the Sun.

x B Most short-period comets originate from the Kuiper Belt.

x C The ion tail of a comet is visible because it reflects sunlight.

x D The nuclei of most comets are only a few tens of kilometres in size.
(1)

4. What is the approximate distance to the Oort Cloud?

x A 2 AU

x B 2 l.y.

x C 2 pc

x D 2 million km
(1)

5. Are the following statements concerning comets TRUE or FALSE?

(a) The orbits of long-period comets are confined to the plane of the Solar System.
Your answer: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(b) The orbits of long-period comets can be parabolic as well as elliptical.

Your answer: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(c) It is quite possible that water on Earth was deposited by comets and/or large
asteroids.
Your answer: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(3)

6. What is the name for the region in which the effects of the solar wind and the Sun’s
magnetic field are felt?

Choose from:

heliograph heliopause heliosphere

Your answer: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(1)
New Pupil Toolkit for GCSE (9-1) Astronomy
© Mickledore Publishing 2017
 New Pupil Toolkit for GCSE (9-1) Astronomy

7. A student sketched some diagrams showing the possible orbits of comets.

Which of the diagrams represents the typical orbit of a short-period comet?

A B

C D

(1)
8. What makes the ion tail of a comet visible?
Choose from:

adolescence effervescence fluorescence

Your answer: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(1)

9. Members of the Bullinfield Astronomical Society were observing a meteor shower. One
of its members explained that the meteors were caused by small particles of dust
passing through the Earth’s atmosphere.
What was the likely origin of the particles of dust?
Choose from:

dusty nebulae dust tails of comets volcanoes

Your answer: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(1)
New Pupil Toolkit for GCSE (9-1) Astronomy
© Mickledore Publishing 2017
 New Pupil Toolkit for GCSE (9-1) Astronomy

10. What makes the dust tail of a comet visible?

Choose from:

fluorescence reflection of sunlight the solar wind

Your answer: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(1)

Solutions
1. D (1 mark)
2. Chunhua (1)
3. C (1)
4. B (1)
5 (a) FALSE (1)
(b) TRUE (1)
(c) TRUE (1)
6. heliosphere (1)
7. C (1)
8. fluorescence (1)
9. dust tails of comets (1)
10. reflection of sunlight (1)

Your score: / 12

New Pupil Toolkit for GCSE (9-1) Astronomy

© Mickledore Publishing 2017