← Back to Training
MCQIntermediateSolar System & Planetary Science
USAAAO — 2026 First Round
Question 27
When plotting the distribution of asteroids in the asteroid belt by their semi-major axis, we can see several regions, known as “Kirkwood gaps,” where asteroids’ orbits are unstable due to an orbital resonance with Jupiter (a = 5.20 AU). What orbital resonance is responsible for the gap marked with the arrow in the plot below?
Sign in to save your progress.
Source
USAAAO 2026 First Round, Question 27. Question text, choices, and answer were transcribed from the official USAAAO exam and solutions PDFs. Official graph omitted; consult cited exam page.