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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. When did a "disrupted" comet famously fall into Jupiter?
(a) 1964.
(b) 1982.
(c) 2000.
(d) 1994.

2. At the time this book was written, how many Mars Observers had been flown successfully?
(a) One.
(b) Three.
(c) None.
(d) Five.

3. According to the plans Sagan discussed, how would nuclear weapons typically be used to stop an asteroid from colliding with the Earth?
(a) By reversing its orbit.
(b) By splitting it in two.
(c) By pushing it off-course.
(d) By destroying it completely.

4. What is the farthest orbital location that humans have ventured to since the last time men went to the moon?
(a) Geosynchronous orbit.
(b) Low Earth orbit.
(c) Parking orbit.
(d) High Earth orbit.

5. How far out does the solar corona die out?
(a) 5 AU.
(b) 70 AU.
(c) 1200 AU.
(d) 550 AU.

6. According to Sagan, what was the major advantage of the attitude of the government towards the Apollo project?
(a) There was plenty of funding for space.
(b) Rocket science progressed quickly.
(c) New propulsion systems were developed.
(d) Computers advanced in power rapidly.

7. What element does Sagan say motivated the space programs of the 60s and 70s?
(a) Brinksmanship.
(b) Nationalism.
(c) Scientific endeavor.
(d) Curiosity.

8. How well does Sagan say his typical audience handles the practical details of a Mars mission?
(a) They are hopelessly incapable of dealing with them.
(b) They are uninterested in the details.
(c) They are meticulous thinkers on the subject.
(d) They are well-connected and able to deal with the details.

9. What hazard from nuclear weapons causes "nuclear winter"?
(a) Acid rain.
(b) Smoke particles in the upper atmosphere.
(c) Cloud scattering.
(d) The erosion of land after plant life is wiped out.

10. What was the name of the second mission that sent probes into the atmosphere of Venus?
(a) Brahe.
(b) Kepler.
(c) Hubble.
(d) Mariner.

11. Which of the following is one of the moons of Mars?
(a) Gilgamesh.
(b) Phobos.
(c) Orpheus.
(d) Hecuba.

12. Sagan says that the moon was once understood as a symbol of which of the following?
(a) The unattainable.
(b) Prosperity.
(c) Madness.
(d) Fertility.

13. Which of the following is NOT a major resource on Mars that makes it viable for "terraforming"?
(a) Water.
(b) Calcium deposits.
(c) Sunlight.
(d) Carbon dioxide.

14. What types of information does SETI analyze?
(a) Radio waves.
(b) Cosmic rays.
(c) Gravitational waves.
(d) Magnetic waves.

15. What country does Sagan believe is best suited for undertaking a terraforming effort?
(a) The United States.
(b) Japan.
(c) China.
(d) The European Union.

Short Answer Questions

1. Sagan describes the "myth" that he believes should be created as centering around what?

2. CFCs are chemicals that is primarily hazardous to the environment in what area?

3. According to Sagan, how profitable is it for a nation to invest in space exploration?

4. What fuel source might be viable within asteroids?

5. What was the major result of the Cretaceous-Tertiary Collision?

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