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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. Besides the Voyager spacecraft, what does Sagan cite as a major triumph by NASA?

2. As of 1990, how many planets did the Voyager craft explore?

3. What abstract concept does Sagan specifically say he is optimistic about?

4. The Voyager probes found large amounts of what element on Titan?

5. What astronomical discovery did Galileo make that significantly damaged the geocentric theory?

Short Essay Questions

1. What may have happened to other planets from the early solar system?

2. When this book was written, what was known about planets in other solar systems?

3. What questions does Sagan say he intends to address in this book?

4. How does Saga claim that human beings expressed their desire to wander as civilization grew?

5. What was Sagan's involvement in the passage of Mars by the Viking probe?

6. What does Sagan think about the failure of the Voyager probes to find life in the solar system?

7. Why did ancient people believe there could not be any other planets beyond the ones they knew about?

8. Why is it difficult to detect intelligent life on Earth?

9. How could Dermott's calculations about Titan be confirmed?

10. What undesirable features of human activity might be easily noticed from space?

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

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.

Essay Topic 3

At the time this book was written, about 200 large asteroids were known to have orbits that would take them close to Earth. Asteroids have caused major catastrophes in the past and could be a threat in the future.

1) Describe how Earth-bound asteroids are identified and tracked.

2) Discuss the danger that asteroids pose to the Earth and some of the catastrophes that major impacts have brought about in the past.

3) Explain some of the methods that Sagan discusses in the book for dealing with Earth-bound asteroids.

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