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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapter 1-3.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. At first, Rama is believed to be what?
(a) A rotating black hole.
(b) A collapsed star.
(c) An ergosphere.
(d) A comet.

2. What is a light curve?
(a) The degree to which an asteroid's orbit bends.
(b) The extent to which an asteroid wanes over a period of hours.
(c) The extent to which an asteroid waxes over a period of hours.
(d) A slow variation in the brilliance of all asteroids.

3. How does the book describe the world's population at the end of the 21st century?
(a) The human race is facing extinction from natural disasters.
(b) Cities in the northern hemisphere are sparsely populated.
(c) The human race has spread from pole to pole.
(d) Europe is more densely populated than fifty years earlier.

4. How long is the normal "day" for a normal asteroid versus one for Rama?
(a) Several hours versus four minutes.
(b) Nearly twelve hours versus about an hour.
(c) About the same as for Mars and Venus.
(d) About the same as for the Earth and the Moon.

5. What is Sita?
(a) A pod of special cameras intended to photograph Rama from all sides.
(b) A long range missile designed to destroy Rama.
(c) A big orbiting telescope.
(d) A space-probe that is originally intended to launch from Mars to go beyond Neptune.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the object that is first cataloged as 31/439?

2. What is the origin of the name of object 31/149?

3. What is unusual about object 31/439?

4. SPACEGUARD is keeping track of how many asteroids at once?

5. The reference to the five giants is referring to what group of five?

(see the answer key)

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