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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What country does Sagan believe is best suited for undertaking a terraforming effort?

2. At the time this book was written, how many Mars Observers had been flown successfully?

3. What element does Sagan say motivated the space programs of the 60s and 70s?

4. What is the shape of the galaxy closest to the Milky Way?

5. It is believed that some of Saturn's rings may eventually form into what?

Short Essay Questions

1. What profit motivations exist in a manned mission to Mars?

2. How does Sagan believe that humanity will progress in the next hundred or so generations?

3. What does Sagan want to see on Mars?

4. What resources does Sagan believe that carbon asteroids have that make them suitable for human habitation?

5. What does Sagan conclude about the morality of terraforming and planetary colonization?

6. How well can an asteroid's path be calculated?

7. How is Venus different from Earth?

8. What is unusual about the surface of Venus?

9. What types of strategies are most practical for stopping an Earth-bound asteroid?

10. What major environmental catastrophes does Sagan warn against in Chapter 14, "Exploring Other Worlds and Protecting One"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Venus was once considered to be a "sister planet" to Earth, but is now known to be dramatically different from our own planet.

1) Discuss the characteristics of Venus, including the oddities in its climate, atmosphere, and surface.

2) Explain some of the similarities and differences between Earth and Venus and explain why this planet was once considered a "sister planet" to Earth.

3) Discuss Venus' unique place in the mythologies of ancient cultures around the world, as well as its unique positioning in the night sky as seen from Earth.

Essay Topic 2

Saturn is known for its beautiful ring system, although at the time this book was written, it was not known how or why planets formed rings.

1) Describe the planet Saturn, its ring system, and its moons.

2) Summarize some of the important information that the Voyager probes gleaned from their passage of the planet.

3) Discuss how planetary tidal forces are believed to contribute to the formation of ring systems.

Essay Topic 3

The geocentric theory of the solar system stated that the sun, the moon, and the planets orbit around the Earth. This world-view was formally endorsed for more than fifteen hundred years, but was eventually shattered by the heliocentric theory.

1) Explain the geocentric theory, including the details of its layout for the solar system and how it accounted for some of the abnormalities in the orbits of the planets.

2) Discuss the origin of this theory and how it came to be embraced by scholars and religious leaders alike.

3) Describe some of the shortcomings of this theory, according to Sagan's arguments.

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