Astr 104 pass or fail test answers
What is the most important factor causing the seasons of the year?
The Sun is higher up in the sky at noon in the summer than in the winter.
What do asteroids orbit around?
The Sun.
What do comets orbit around?
The Sun.
Which one is the closest star?
The Sun.
When were the stars of the sky born?
Stars are being born at all times.
What is infrared (IR)?
A type of light with longer wavelength than red.
How many galaxies are there in the Solar System?
0
How many stars are there in the Solar System?
1
What is ultraviolet (UV)?
A type of light with shorter wavelength than blue.
How large is the Universe (rounded)?
10 billion light years.
How old is the Universe?
14 billion years.
How old is the Sun (rounded)?
4 billion years .
How large is the diameter of the Earth?
7,500 miles.
What is a black hole?
A star with very strong gravity.
How does a star look like in a good telescope?
A bright dot.
What is a constellation?
A bunch of unrelated stars which form a shape due to perspective only
Which of the following does not get its light from the Sun?
A star.
What is a light year?
A distance; the closest star is a few light years away (exclude the Sun).
What is a shooting star?
A dust particle hitting Earth
How many stars are visible to the naked eye?
A few thousand.
State Kepler's III law
A planet's distance from its star (a) is related to its period of revolution (T) and the mass of the star (M) is a3 = M T2
What is a galaxy?
A system formed by a large number of stars.
What is the relation of astrology to astronomy?
Astronomy is science, astrology is fake
What is the correct relation of astronomy, astrology, and science?
Astronomy is the science of stars; astrology is predicting the future.
What is the best time to observe the Moon early night?
At first quarter.
Why is it that the constellation of Orion cannot affect events in human life?
Because constellations are not real objects.
Non-nuclear radiation cannot affect humans at all. Why?
Because each individual particle has too little energy to cause damage, and only one can act at a time.
Why does the Hubble Space Telescope make very good images?
Because it is in space where there is no seeing.
When the shape of the Moon is like the letter D, why is the half of the Moon's disk dark?
Because it is night on that part of the Moon.
Why is Polaris special?
Because the axis of Earth points at it.
Why can we not see the stars during the day?
Because the bright blue glow of the sky overwhelms starlight.
Is it possible to change a chemical element into another at all?
Chemical processes cannot change one chemical element into another, but nuclear reactors/bombs can.
Where in the Universe are comets located?
Comets, like planets, are part of the Solar System.
Which direction does the Sun move in the sky from morning to evening?
E to S to W
Which of the following takes up most of the Solar System?
Empty space.
What does 'burning' really mean?
Fast fusion with oxygen
How high does the International Space Station rise above see level?
Four hundred miles.
How are stars, such as the Sun, born?
From a collapsing gas cloud.
Where is the Sun located in the Universe?
Halfway from the center of the Galaxy, between two spiral arms
What is Copernicus famous for?
He suggested that the planets, including Earth, revolve around the Sun.
What is the Sun mostly made of?
Hydrogen.
Where has the gold we have on Earth originally formed?
Inside a supernova.
What solid or liquid substances do magnetic fields act on?
Iron, cobalt, nickel.
Who discovered the law of universal gravitation?
Isaac Newton.
Has "Big Bang Theory" (correctly called Big Bang Cosmology) been proven?
It has been proven correct.
How does the Milky Way look like in the sky in a dark location?
It is a faint band of hazy light in a strip all around the sky.
Every year more than a hundred supernovae are discovered. How does a supernova appear in the sky?
It is a star that appears in a galaxy, shines as bright as the galaxy for a few weeks, then it slowly fades.
Why doesn't the Moon fall down?
It is falling but it is also moving sideways.
How fast does a comet move in the sky, compared to the stars?
It shifts a little each day.
What provides the energy of the Sun?
It turns hydrogen into helium.
What is the most important measure of a telescope?
Its diameter.
Which of the following is not a star?
Jupiter
What are the dark areas on the Moon that form the "face" we can see with the naked eye?
Lava-filled basins.
What is aurora?
Light caused by charged particles originating in the Sun, hitting the atmosphere close to the N and S poles.
What percentage of the stars have planets orbiting them?
More than half.
What particles of matter do magnetic fields act on?
Moving charged particles.
Will the Sun turn into a supernova?
No
In which of the following circumstances is it impossible for any liquid water to exist?
No air pressure.
Do the laws of nature exclude interstellar travel?
No, but we would need much a more effective energy source than we have now
How many spaceships have arrived at the closest star, Proxima Centauri?
None
How many stars or planets have been discovered to host intelligent life (aliens; do not count Earth)?
None
What dangerous radiation is generated in astronomical observatories?
None
What instrument do you need to see the Milky Way?
None
How many craters can you see on the Moon by the naked eye?
None, because they are too small for that.
What is an organic substance?
One containing complex molecules that include carbon atoms.
Is the far side of the Moon always in darkness?
Only for two weeks a month.
Radar is very rarely used in astronomy. How far does it reach, max?
Only within the Solar System.
Which one is the brightest star in the sky?
Sirius.
Is the Sun smaller or bigger than a star?
The Sun is an average star
What is in the center of the Universe?
The Universe does not have a center.
What keeps people on the other side of Earth from falling down, away from Earth?
The gravitational force between them and Earth.
What causes the tides of the sea?
The gravity of the Moon.
What is the light of the Milky Way in actual fact?
The light of a few billion stars washed together.
State Kepler's I law
The shape of the orbit of the planets is an ellipse.
What causes weightlessness in a spaceship?
The spaceship is not supported on wheels or any other way.
What is the source of dangerous radiation on Earth (exclude atomic reactors/bombs and nuclear laboratories)?
There is none.
What are Kepler's laws?
They explain with mathematical accuracy how the planets revolve around the Sun.
Where do stars get their light?
They glow on their own.
Where do planets get their light?
They reflect sunlight.
How do we know black holes exist when no light can ever leave them?
They still have their gravity.
Did the Sun exist five thousand light years ago?
This question makes no sense.
Which constellation is the closest of all to Earth?
This question makes no sense.
What is needed in order to change sulphur into gold?
To turn one type of atomic nucleus into another.
Astronomy books are full of impressive pictures of deep-sky objects. Why don't they look as good in the telescope?
When these pictures were taken, light was collected for many hours.
What is the largest magnification you would reasonably use with any telescope on Earth?
around 500.
Laser is a type of ... what?
light
