Astronomy Final

A constellation is a) A group of stars that make a pattern on the sky when seen from earth. b) A term used by professional astronomers only. c) A group of stars that formed at the same time close together. d) A group of planets which orbit the sun together.

A group of stars that make a pattern on the sky when seen from earth.

Which of the following statements about eclipses in the Sun-Earth-Moon system is correct? a) A total eclipse of the Sun occurs only during a crescent Moon. b) A total eclipse of the Sun occurs only at full Moon. c) A total eclipse of the Sun occurs only at new Moon. d) A total eclipse of the Sun occurs only at first-quarter Moon.

A total eclipse of the Sun occurs only at new Moon.

The main difference between asteroids and meteoroids is a) There is no difference - a meteoroid is an asteroid that enters the Earth's atmosphere. b) Asteroids are made of rock and metal, meteoroids are made of rock and ice. c) Asteroids are larger. d) Only meteors cross the orbit of the Earth

Asteroids are larger.

Which pair of planets' orbits are closest to each other in the Solar System? a) Earth and Mars b) Mercury and Uranus c) Uranus and Mars d) Earth and Jupiter e) Saturn and Neptune

Earth and Mars

Which pair of planets are closest in size? a) Uranus and Mars b) Earth and Venus c) Saturn and Uranus d) Jupiter and Neptune e) Mercury and Venus

Earth and Venus

The doughnut-shaped region just outside the orbit of Neptune containing a large number of comets is called the a) Oort cloud. b) asteroid belt. c) outer solar system. d) Kuiper belt.

Kuiper belt.

Which pair of planets' orbits are closest to each other in the Solar System? a) Uranus and Mars b) Mercury and Venus c) Jupiter and Neptune d) Saturn and Uranus e) Earth and Mercury

Mercury and Venus

The correct sequence of planets in our solar system from the Sun outward is a) Saturn, Mercury, Jupiter, Earth, Venus, Mars, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. b) Venus, Mercury, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. c) Mercury, Mars, Saturn, Uranus, Jupiter, Earth, Neptune, Venus. d) Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

Comets are responsible for what other phenomenon? a) the Kuiper Belt b) Meteor showers c) the Asteroid Belt d) Earth-crossing asteroids

Meteor showers

A solar eclipse occurs on the Earth when the a) Earth casts a shadow on the Moon. b) Moon passes behind the Sun. c) Moon casts a shadow on the Earth. d) Sun passes in front of the Moon.

Moon casts a shadow on the Earth.

For the Moon to appear as a crescent shape to an observer, the a) observer must be closer to the Sun than to the Moon. b) observer must be on the opposite side of the Sun from the Moon. c) observer and the Moon must be at equal distances from the Sun. d) Moon must be closer to the Sun than the observer is and somewhere between the Sun and the observer.

Moon must be closer to the Sun than the observer is and somewhere between the Sun and the observer.

The outermost part of the Solar System is a spherical shell containing many comets and icy bodies. It is called the a) outer solar system. b) Kuiper belt. c) Oort comet cloud. d) asteroid belt.

Oort comet cloud

What feature of the Earth is very different from the other terrestrial planets? a) The Earth is denser than a gas planet, the other terrestrials are not b) The Earth has a major moon, none of the other terrestrials do. c) The Earth has a very circular orbit, the other terrestrials are more ellipsoidal (oval). d) The Earth rotates on its axis, the other terrestrials keep the same face to the sun

The Earth has a major moon, none of the other terrestrials do

Kepler's third law can be described in which of the following ways? a) The smaller the orbit of a planet, the longer the planet takes to complete one revolution. b) The time to complete one revolution of its orbit depends on the size or radius of the planet. c) The smaller the radius of a planet, the more rapidly it rotates on its axis. d) The larger the orbit of a planet, the longer the planet takes to complete one revolution.

The larger the orbit of a planet, the longer the planet takes to complete one revolution.

Why do we see different phases of the Moon? a) The motion of the Moon in its orbit around Earth causes us to see different amounts of Earth's shadow falling on the Moon. b) The distance of the Moon from Earth changes because of the elliptical orbit of the Moon, causing the sunlit side of the Moon to move relative to Earth. c) The motion of the Moon in its orbit around Earth causes us to see different amounts of the sunlit side of the Moon. d) The rotation of the Moon around its own axis causes us to see different amounts of the sunlit side of the Moon.

The motion of the Moon in its orbit around Earth causes us to see different amounts of the sunlit side of the Moon.

The inner planets are more rocky than the outer planets because a) All the heavy rock and metal fell closer to the sun leaving no rock at all beyond the orbit of Mars. b) The temperature close to the sun is high enough that only rock and metal can condense into liquid or solid form. c) The rocky material of terrrestrial planets came from heavy elements in the sun's atmosphere. d) In the early solar system, all of the gas was located past the orbit of Mars.

The temperature close to the sun is high enough that only rock and metal can condense into liquid or solid form.

What is the one fundamental difference between X rays and radio waves? a) The speeds of X rays and radio waves in outer space are different. b) An object cannot radiate in the radio and X-ray bands at the same time. c) The wavelength and energy of X rays and radio waves are very different. d) Radio waves are always wavelike, whereas X rays always behave like photons

The wavelength and energy of X rays and radio waves are very different.

The Nebular and Condensation theories of the Solar System explain all of the following features of the Solar System EXCEPT a) There are eight major planets. b) The planets all orbit the sun in the same plane. c) The planets move in orbits that are mostly circular. d) The planets all orbit the sun in the same direction.

There are eight major planets.

A Solar Nebula or proto-stellar nebula is a) a flare or jet of hot gas thrown out from the sun every 2012 years. b) a cloud of gas and dust that is collapsing to form a star. c) a bright ring that can be seen around the sun on cold days. d) an imaginary plane that extends out from the sun and passes through (or very close to) the orbits of the major planets and asteroids.

a cloud of gas and dust that is collapsing to form a star.

The celestial sphere is a) a way of describing how far away the stars are b) a complicated theory of modern astronomy c) a useful way to picture the motion of objects in the sky d) an ancient superstition that is useless now

a useful way to picture the motion of objects in the sky

Match the following situations with the spectrum that will be observed. Each answer is used only once. Reference: match spectrum If a spectroscope is pointed at a hot blackbody surrounded by a cooler gas, you will see a(n) a) continuous spectrum b) emission spectrum c) absorption spectrum d) cool spectrum

absorption spectrum

Ground-based telescope can reduce the blurriness in images if they use ____ optics. a) refraction b) adaptive c) opaque d) resolution e) seeing

adaptive

Solar eclipses a) are always shorter than lunar eclipses b) can be either shorter or longer than lunar eclipses c) always last longer than lunar eclipses d) are always the same length as lunar eclipses

are always shorter than lunar eclipses

Stars in the same constellation a) cannot be seen together in the sky at any time of year b) are close together only from the viewpoint of the Earth c) are close together in space d) were created at the same time

are close together only from the viewpoint of the Earth

The Jovian Planets a) are very different from the terrestrial planets, so they were probably captured from another star. b) are small icy bodies that orbit at the far edges of the Solar System c) are made of very large rock cores surrounded by huge amounts of gas. d) are closer to the sun than the Earth, making them look large and bright

are made of very large rock cores surrounded by huge amounts of gas.

The light-gathering power of a telescope depends directly on a) the focal length of its primary mirror or lens. b) area of its primary mirror or lens. c) the area of its eyepiece. d) whether it uses a reflective or refractive design

area of its primary mirror or lens.

The region between Mars and Jupiter contains a belt of what kind of objects? a) KBO's b) dwarf planets c) comets d) asteroids

asteroids

The North Star, Polaris, will appear straight overhead for an observer a) on the equator b) anywhere in the Southern hemisphere c) at the North Pole d) anywhere in the Northern hemisphere

at the North Pole

If an object is moving away from the observer, a narrow spectral line in the yellow part of the spectrum will a) be dimmer b) be shifted towards the red c) be wider and broader than usual d) be shifted towards the blue

be shifted towards the red

A body that emits a perfect continuous spectrum that depends only on the temperature of the object is called a ___. a) spectroscope b) wavelength c) opacity d) doppler e) blackbody

blackbody

Comets are typically a) balls of gas from which some of the gas is pushed out by the Sun to form a long tail. b) chunks of rock that are generally a few tens of kilometers in diameter. c) chunks of ice that begin to vaporize if they pass close to the Sun. d) large rocky bodies covered with a layer of ice.

chunks of rock that are generally a few tens of kilometers in diameter.

Halley's Comet (which reappears every 100 years) a) is a Terrestrial Planet b) is a Jovian Planet c) is a Dwarf Planet d) comes from the Oort Cloud e) comes from the Kuiper Belt

comes from the Kuiper Belt

Comet Tempel-Austin (which appeared once and will never be seen again) a) is a Jovian Planet b) is a Dwarf Planet c) is a Terrestrial Planet d) comes from the Oort Cloud e) comes from the Kuiper Belt

comes from the Oort Cloud

Match the following situations with the spectrum that will be observed. Each answer is used only once. Reference: match spectrum If a spectroscope is pointed at a hot black body, you will see a(n) a) continuous spectrum b) absorption line spectrum c) demographic spectrum d) emission line spectrum

continuous spectrum

A blackbody emits a ______ spectrum whose shape is determined by the object's temperature. a) continuum b) conundrum c) continental d) conceptual

continuum

A light source that is moving toward you or away from you causes a change in the spectrum due to the ____ effect a) doppler b) blackbody c) spectroscope d) opacity e) wavelength

doppler

The most likely explanation for the formation of the planets is that a) the planets formed in interstellar space and were captured by the sun's gravity. b) The collapsing gas cloud around the sun became cold enough for clumps of gas to freeze into planets c) A very large megaplanet formed near the sun and was torn apart into pieces which became the current planets. d) dust grains and larger objects collided together, growing bigger and bigger to make planets.

dust grains and larger objects collided together, growing bigger and bigger to make planets

In solar system theory, accretion is the process by which a) clouds of interstellar gas and dust contract to form protostars. b) elements are transformed into heavier elements by nuclear reactions. c) massive rocky cores pull gas onto themselves to create giant planets. d) dust grains collide and stick together to eventually form planetesimals.

dust grains collide and stick together to eventually form planetesimals.

Spectral lines are of particular importance in astronomy because a) they are the only light bright enough to be seen over long distances. b) each different element has a characteristic line spectrum. c) only stars produce bright line spectra. d) they can be observed through a diffraction grating.

each different element has a characteristic line spectrum.

Most of the planets orbit the Sun on or close to the a) plane of the Milky Way Galaxy. b) equatorial plane. c) ecliptic plane. d) plane containing both north and south celestial poles and the zenith at Greenwich, England.

ecliptic plane

Kepler's first law states that a planet moves around the Sun in a(n) a) circle, with the Sun at the center. b) elliptical orbit, with the Sun on the minor axis of the ellipse. c) elliptical orbit, with the Sun at one focus. d) elliptical orbit, with the Sun at the center of the ellipse.

elliptical orbit, with the Sun at one focus.

Match the following situations with the spectrum that will be observed. Each answer is used only once. Reference: match spectrum If the spectroscope is pointed at a hot gas that is being energized by something outside the field of view, you will see a(n) a) continuous spectrum b) political spectrum c) emission line spectrum d) absorption line spectrum

emission line spectrum

Which of the following lists of different types of electromagnetic radiation is correctly ordered in energy from highest to lowest? a) infrared, ultraviolet, gamma rays b) ultraviolet, infrared, gamma rays c) ultraviolet, radio, infrared d) gamma rays, ultraviolet, infrared

gamma rays, ultraviolet, infrared

The main purpose of a telescope is ALWAYS to a) keep astronomers employed. b) gather as much light as possible for study. c) allow scientists to look through the telescope with their eyes to find new objects. d) make highly accurate images.

gather as much light as possible for study.

Mars a) is the most distant planet from the Sun b) has the most elliptical and most tilted orbit of any major planet c) is the second largest planet in the Solar System d) has a day which is almost exactly as long as an Earth day. e) is the planet closest in size to the Earth

has a day which is almost exactly as long as an Earth day.

Violet light differs from red light in that it a) travels more slowly (through a vacuum) than red light. b) travels more quickly (through a vacuum) than red light. c) has a higher energy than red light. d) has a lower energy than red light

has a higher energy than red light.

Mercury a) is the most distant planet from the Sun b) has the most elliptical and most tilted orbit of any major planet c) is the second largest planet in the Solar System d) has a day which is almost exactly as long as an Earth day. e) is the planet closest in size to the Earth

has the most elliptical and most tilted orbit of any major planet

The eccentricity of a planet's orbit describes a) its motion at any specific point in its orbit as seen from the Earth, that is, whether direct, retrograde, or stationary. b) the tilt of the planet's spin axis with respect to its orbital plane. c) its tilt with respect to the plane of the Earth's orbit (the ecliptic plane). d) how different its orbital path is from a perfect circle.

how different its orbital path is from a perfect circle.

The most common elements in the universe are a) about equal amounts of all elements up to iron but very little of any heavier elements. b) heavy elements, with smaller quantities of hydrogen and helium. c) hydrogen and helium, with small amounts of heavier elements. d) nitrogen and oxygen, with smaller quantities of hydrogen, helium, and heavier elements.

hydrogen and helium, with small amounts of heavier elements.

Ceres a) is a Jovian Planet b) is a Dwarf Planet c) comes from the Oort Cloud d) is a Terrestrial Planet e) comes from the Kuiper Belt

is a Dwarf Planet

Uranus a) comes from the Oort Cloud b) comes from the Kuiper Belt c) is a Jovian Planet d) is a Terrestrial Planet e) is a Dwarf Planet

is a Jovian Planet

Mercury a) comes from the Kuiper Belt b) is a Terrestrial Planet c) comes from the Oort Cloud d) is a Jovian Planet e) is a Dwarf Planet

is a Terrestrial Planet

The Doppler shift a) is caused by the distance of an object from an observer b) is caused by the motion of an object towards the observer or away from the observer c) is caused by the motion of an object back and forth across the sky d) applies only to light from celestial objects

is caused by the motion of an object towards the observer or away from the observer

Kepler's second law states that a planet moves fastest when it a) is farthest from the Sun. b) passes through the minor axis. c) is closest to the Sun. d) is at conjunction.

is closest to the Sun.

Neptune a) is the most distant planet from the Sun b) has the most elliptical and most tilted orbit of any major planet c) is the second largest planet in the Solar System d) has a day which is almost exactly as long as an Earth day. e) is the planet closest in size to the Earth

is the most distant planet from the Sun

Venus a) is the most distant planet from the Sun b) has the most elliptical and most tilted orbit of any major planet c) is the second largest planet in the Solar System d) has a day which is almost exactly as long as an Earth day. e) is the planet closest in size to the Earth

is the planet closest in size to the Earth

Saturn a) is the most distant planet from the Sun b) has the most elliptical and most tilted orbit of any major planet c) is the second largest planet in the Solar System d) has a day which is almost exactly as long as an Earth day. e) is the planet closest in size to the Earth

is the second largest planet in the solar system

The celestial equator is defined as the a) line in the sky that is always at the zenith for an observer on the Earth's equator. b) line traced in the sky by the Sun over one year against the background stars. c) line traced in the sky by the Moon each month against the background stars. d) band of constellations through which the Sun and Moon move in our sky.

line in the sky that is always at the zenith for an observer on the Earth's equator.

The moon goes around the earth about once every a) month b) year c) week d) day

month

A lunar eclipse does not occur at every full Moon because the a) Earth's axis is tilted away from the ecliptic. b) path of the Sun is tilted with respect to the ecliptic plane. c) orbit of the Moon is not a perfect circle. d) moon's orbit around the Earth is slightly tilted away from the Earth's orbit around the sun.

moon's orbit around the Earth is slightly tilted away from the Earth's orbit around the sun.

When we watch the nighttime sky, we find that a) the stars and constellations remain fixed in our sky, not rising or setting in a time as short as one night because they are so far away. b) most stars and constellations slowly rise in the east and set in the west. c) most stars and constellations slowly rise in the west and set in the east. d) all stars and constellations reach their highest point in the sky at midnight.

most stars and constellations slowly rise in the east and set in the west.

If two massive bodies, initially held at rest in space, are released, then they will begin to a) orbit one another in circles. b) move toward one another. c) move in elliptical orbits around one another. d) move away from each other with constant acceleration.

move toward one another.

Comets form tails a) at random times for a day or two for reasons that have not been explained. b) throughout their orbit as micrometeoroids break pieces of the comet's nucleus off. c) when they are far from the sun: the sun's heat vaporizes the tail when they come close. d) near the sun as the ice of the nucleus is vaporized.

near the sun as the ice of the nucleus is vaporized.

Summertime in the northern hemisphere is when the a) northern hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun. b) Sun is closest to the Earth. c) Moon is closest to the Earth. d) northern hemisphere is tilted away from the sun.

northern hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun.

Almost all telescope that work with visible light are located a) on mountains b) in swamps c) near airports d) in deserts

on mountains

The ___ of a gas measures how much light radiation can pass through the gas. a) opacity b) wavelength c) spectroscope d) blackbody e) doppler

opacity

Ultraviolet radiation cannot be studied from the surface of the earth because the atmosphere is _____ to that band of the electromagnetic spectrum. a) seeing b) adaptive c) opaque d) refraction e) resolution

opaque

The ecliptic can be defined as the a) extension of the Earth's equator onto the sky. b) path traced out by the Moon in our sky in one month against the background stars. c) path traced out by the Sun in our sky over one year against the background stars. d) plane that is perpendicular to the Earth's spin axis.

path traced out by the Sun in our sky over one year against the background stars.

The Earth's atmosphere is transparent to which of the following types of electromagnetic radiations? a) gamma rays b) short ultraviolet wavelengths c) radio waves d) X rays

radio waves

One major difference between radio waves and light is that a) light waves are electromagnetic, whereas radio waves are not. b) radio waves are electromagnetic, whereas light waves are not. c) radio waves have longer wavelength than light waves. d) radio waves have higher energy than light waves.

radio waves have longer wavelength than light waves.

Light is bent when it passes through the glass of a lens by an effect called ____. a) refraction b) adaptive c) opaque d) resolution e) seeing

refraction

The amount of detail in images produced by a telescope is a measure of the telescope's ____. a) resolution b) refraction c) adaptive d) seeing e) opaque

resolution

Two celestial coordinates that together describe a star's position precisely in our sky are a) longitude and latitude. b) right ascension and declination. c) right ascension and sidereal time. d) sidereal time and latitude.

right ascension and declination.

The composition of a typical asteroid is a) hydrogen and helium b) a mix of water ice and ammonia ice. c) ice with pieces of rock embedded in it.. d) rock and metal.

rock and metal.

The asteroid belt is made up of a) hundreds of rocky bodies typically about the size of our Moon. b) rocky bodies with diameters from less than a kilometer to hundreds of kilometers. c) several planet-sized objects with dense methane atmospheres. d) irregularly shaped bodies composed primarily of ices.

rocky bodies with diameters from less than a kilometer to hundreds of kilometers.

One essential condition for "seasons" to occur on a planet is that the planet's a) rotation axis always points towards the sun.. b) atmosphere is thick. c) distance from the Sun varies through a one-year cycle. d) rotation axis is tilted away from a direction perpendicular to it's orbit.

rotation axis is tilted away from a direction perpendicular to it's orbit.

The nightly motion of objects across our sky from horizon to horizon is caused by the a) motion of the solar system around the Galaxy. b) rotation of the Earth on its axis. c) rotation of the whole celestial sphere of stars around the fixed Earth. d) revolution of the Earth around the Sun.

rotation of the Earth on its axis.

A telescope in space can make images that are not blurred by the effect of ____. a) opaque b) adaptive c) seeing d) refraction e) resolution

seeing

When the moon passes directly between the Earth and the Sun there is a a) lunar eclipse b) solar eclipse c) blue moon d) full moon

solar eclipse

The spectrum of light is studied using an instrument called a _______. a) opacity b) wavelength c) blackbody d) doppler e) spectroscope

spectroscope

Approximately when does a New Moon rise? a) sunset b) noon c) midnight d) sunrise

sunrise

Absorption and emission lines are caused by a) the temperature of the body giving off the spectrum b) changes in the chemical composition of an element c) the ability of atoms to absorb certain energies of light by changing electron energies. d) problems in spectrograph design

the ability of atoms to absorb certain energies of light by changing electron energies.

An equinox is a time when a) the day is shortest in the northern hemisphere b) the day is equally long in the northern hemisphere only c) the day is longest in the northern hemisphere d) the day is equally long everywhere in the world

the day is equally long everywhere in the world

The summer solstice happens when a) the day is longest in the northern hemisphere only b) the day is longest everywhere in the world c) the day and night are equal in length everywhere in the world d) the day is shortest in the northern hemisphere only

the day is longest in the northern hemisphere only

Precession causes a) the full moon to be eclipsed every month b) the earth's seasons c) the moon to keep the same face to the Earth throughout the month d) the earth's axis to point to different parts of the sky over long periods

the earth's axis to point to different parts of the sky over long periods

From a location in the northern hemisphere, the pole star always appears at an angle above the northern horizon equal to a) 90° minus the latitude of the location. b) the longitude of the location. c) 180° plus the longitude of the location. d) the latitude of the location.

the latitude of the location.

The far side of the moon cannot be seen from earth because a) it is a very dark, black color. b) it only faces the earth during the daytime. c) the moon turns so that the near side is always facing the earth. d) it is always dark.

the moon turns so that the near side is always facing the earth.

The difference between a solar day and a sidereal day happens because of a) the tilt of the earth's axis b) the motion of the earth around the sun c) the motion of the moon around the earth d) the motion of the stars around the sun

the motion of the earth around the sun

The "umbra" and "penumbra" describe a) the dark and light portions of the moon which create phases b) the regions of shadow cast by the earth c) the tilt of the earth's axis d) the different sides of the moon

the regions of shadow cast by the earth

"Synchronous rotation" explains why a) the moon changes phase from day to day b) the moon is eclipsed during the quarter moon c) the same face of the moon is always visible from Earth d) the moon moves across the constellations from day to day

the same face of the moon is always visible from Earth

The sun emits continuum radiation that peaks in the middle of the visible spectrum, showing that the sun's surface temperature is about 5800K. If an astronomer sees a star with a dim red color, she should conclude that a) the star is much cooler than the sun b) the star is much farther away than the sun c) the star has a different chemical composition than the sun d) the star is much warmer than the sun

the star is much cooler than the sun

The continuous spectrum coming from an object tells you a) the temperature of the object. b) the excitation level of the electrons in the object. c) the chemical composition of the object. d) the distance to the object.

the temperature of the object.

Comets are important objects to study because a) they have been captured by the sun from other stars. b) poisonous gases in a comet's tail can cause extinctions on Earth. c) they are very old and come from a far part of the Solar System. d) they are fragments of asteroids.

they are very old and come from a far part of the Solar System.

The atmosphere blurs images taken at sea level because of a) the ability of the atmosphere to block some parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. b) turbulence causing slight changes in the direction of light rays. c) light pollution from cities. d) water vapor in the atmosphere.

turbulence causing slight changes in the direction of light rays.

Which of the following types of electromagnetic radiation has the highest energy? a) infrared radiation b) ultraviolet light c) radio waves d) microwaves

ultraviolet light

Different types of radiation in the electromagnetic spectrum have different values of the ___ of the radiation. a) opacity b) wavelength c) spectroscope d) doppler e) blackbody

wavelength

I have a massive purple object in my laboratory. If I were to take it to the Moon, which of its characteristics would be guaranteed to change? a) density (mass per unit volume) b) weight c) mass d) color

weight

The full Moon always occurs a) when the Moon is at right angles to the direction of the Sun. b) when the Moon is farther from the Sun than the Earth is. c) when the Moon is closer to the Sun than the Earth is. d) on the first of the month.

when the Moon is farther from the Sun than the Earth is.

Which of the following lines or points is always directly over your head, no matter where on the Earth you go? a) ecliptic b) zenith c) celestial equator d) 90° north declination

zenith

How much gravitational force acts on an astronaut in the Space Shuttle in a circular orbit 300 km above the Earth's surface? (note that the Earth's surface is about 6000 km from the center of the Earth) a) a little bit less than when the astronaut is standing on the surface of the Earth b) exactly the same as when the astronaut is standing on the surface of the Earth c) a little more than when the astronaut is on the surface of the Earth d) zero—the astronaut is weightless

zero-the astronaut is weightless