Asteroid Knowledge Quiz

What percentage of near-Earth objects have been identified by scientists?

• 40%

• 60%

• 80%

• 20%

What is the likelihood of being killed by an asteroid according to the text?

• 1 in 250,000

• 1 in 100,000

• 1 in 500,000

• 1 in 1,000,000

What is the speed of dust and gravel-size particles entering Earth's atmosphere?

• 45,000 mph

• 30,000 mph

• 60,000 mph

• 15,000 mph

What is the main reason smaller asteroids are hard to detect?

• They shine less brightly

• They move too fast

• They are too far away

• They are too small

What is the distance within which potentially hazardous asteroids orbit Earth?

• 4.5 million miles

• 3 million miles

• 5 million miles

• 2 million miles

What is the chance of dying in an airplane crash compared to an asteroid impact?

• 1 in 30,000

• 1 in 50,000

• 1 in 100,000

• 1 in 10,000

What was the estimated size of the space rock that exploded over Siberia in 1908?

• 60 to 100 feet wide

• 160 to 260 feet wide

• 300 to 400 feet wide

• 500 to 600 feet wide

What is the estimated size of the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs?

• 3 to 5 miles in diameter

• 6 to 9 miles in diameter

• 10 to 12 miles in diameter

• 15 to 20 miles in diameter

What is one proposed method to stop an asteroid from hitting Earth?

• Blowing it up with a nuclear weapon

• Using a laser to destroy it

• Nudging it off course

• Freezing it with liquid nitrogen

What would be the consequence of an asteroid more than a half-mile wide hitting Earth?

• Minor earthquakes

• Global catastrophe

• Localized flooding

• Temporary darkness