The Cosmic Perspective Fundamentals 2e: CH. 1-11, 12.3, 13.2, 14.1, 14.3

Which of these stars is the most massive? A G or M

A main-sequence A star

Which of these stars has the longest lifetime? A G or M

A main-sequence M star

Which of the following correctly lists our "cosmic address" from smallest to largest?

Earth, solar system, Milky Way Galaxy, Local Group, Local Supercluster, universe

True/False Although the sun does not generate energy by gravitation contraction today this energy generation mechanism was important when the sun was forming

True

True/False Fusion in the sun coverts about 4 million tons of matter into energy each second

True

True/False Observers in different frame of reference measure the same vacuum speed of light

True

True/False On the lower end of the main sequence are the cool, dim M stars, with as little as .08 times the mass of the Sun

True

True/False Refracting telescopes use lenses

True

True/False Suppose two stars have the same luminosity. Star x is spectral type f, star y is spectral type k. therefore star y is larger in radius than star x

True

True/False The Ptolemaic model was quite good at predicting planetary positions

True

True/False The absoluteness of the vacuum speed of light is an experimentally-verified fact

True

True/False The color of a star tells us how hot it is

True

True/False The face that the sun is gradually transforming its core hydrogen into helium means that the sun will eventually run out of hydrogen

True

True/False The poles of the sun rotate at a different rate from the equator of the sun

True

True/False The vacuum speed of light is constant

True

True/False The vacuum speed of light is the speed limit of the Universe; nothing can move faster than speed

True

True/False With a blank in which the galaxy is the grape fruit the next is a few thousand kilometers away

True

True/False With a blank in which the sun is the grape fruit the next is a few thousand kilometers away

True

True/False a collapsing object becomes a black hole when the escape velocity from its surface exceeds the speed of light

True

Volcanism occurs when underground molten rock finds a path through the lithosphere to the surface

True

the age of a of a globular cluster can be determined from its HR diagram

True

Which Danish astronomer made very accurate observation of the positions of the planets over many years before the invention of the telescope

Tycho Brahe

Why doesn't Venus have as many craters as Earth's moon or mercury?

Venus's thick atmosphere prevents all but the larger meteoroids from striking the surface. Also, Venus's volcanism has "paved over: the craters that were there.

How do we learn what is going on in the center of our own galaxy the milky way

We cannot see the galactic center with visible or ultraviolet light, but radio and X rays from the center can be detected

Why do we see the same face of the moon at all times

Because the Moon's rotational period and orbital period are equal

The asteroid belt is located

Between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter

How have we been able to construct detailed maps of venusian surface features

By using radar from spacecrafts that were sent to orbit Venus

Which of the following is furthest from the Sun?

A comet in the Oort Cloud

What is a metorite

A fragment of an asteroid from the solar system that has collided with the surface of the Earth

What is the Cassini division of Saturn's rings?

A large gap, visible from Earth, produced by an orbital resonance with the moon Mimas

A star of spectral type o lives approximately how long on the main sequence

1 million years

Roughly what is the thickness of the disk of the Milky Way Galaxy?

1,000 light-years

What are the sources of Earth's internal heat?

1. Gravitational potential energy of accreting planetesimals 2. Differentiation 3. Radioactivity

What unique features of Earth are important for life?

1. Surface liquid water 2. Atmospheric oxygen 3. Plate tectonics 4. Climate stability

What is the approximate threshold temp where hydrogen fuses into helium

10 million degrees

the total number of galaxies in the observable universe is estimated to be approximately

100 billion

Roughly what is the diameter of the Milky Way Galaxy?

100,000 light-years

How old is the Universe

14 billion years

Roughly what is the age of the universe

14 billion years

Which is the closest to the temperature of the core of the Sun?

15,000,000 kelvins

How many star systems are in the milky way galaxy

300 Billion

If we viewed the sun from twice earth's distance, it would appear dimmer by a factor of

4

How old is the solar system

4.6 billion years

What is the approximate temperature of the surface of the sun

6,000 Kelvins

When were dinosaurs extict

65 million years

Which of these stars ha the coolest surface temperature? A F or K

A K star

The number of stars in the Milky Way Galaxy is roughly A) 100 billion B) 100,000 C) 100 million

A) 100 billion

Which of the following is not true about a scientific theory? A) A theory is essentially an educated guess. B) Even the strongest theories can never be proved true beyond all doubt. C) A theory must explain a wide range of observations or experiments.

A) A theory is essentially an educated guess.

Which of the following best describes why the Greeks rejected the correct explanation for apparent retrograde motion? A) They predicted that if Earth orbited the Sun, then stellar parallax should occur, but they could not detect this parallax. B) They did not realize that planets sometimes appear to move backward relative to the constellations. C) They never even considered the possibility that Earth could orbit the Sun.

A) They predicted that if Earth orbited the Sun, then stellar parallax should occur, but they could not detect this parallax.

If there is going to be a total lunar eclipse tonight, then you know that the Moon's phase is A) full. B) new. C) first or third quarter.

A) full.

Suppose you see a crescent moon; how much of the Moon's entire surface (the full globe of the Moon) is in daylight? A) half B) one eighth C) one quarter

A) half

We can be sure that variations in Earth's distance from the Sun are not the cause of the seasons, because A) if distance were responsible for the seasons, both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres would have summer at the same time. B) if distance were responsible for the seasons, seasonal temperature changes would be much more extreme. C) Earth is always exactly the same distance from the Sun.

A) if distance were responsible for the seasons, both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres would have summer at the same time.

When Einstein's theory of gravity (general relativity) gained acceptance, it demonstrated that Newton's theory had been A) incomplete. B) really only a guess. C) wrong.

A) incomplete.

The reason we do not have a solar eclipse at every new moon is that A) the Moon's orbit is inclined relative to Earth's orbit around the Sun. B) a solar eclipse can occur only at full moon. C) the nodes of the Moon's orbit gradually move around the orbit.

A) the Moon's orbit is inclined relative to Earth's orbit around the Sun.

We are "star stuff" in the sense that A) we are made of elements that were produced in stars. B) our bodies have the same chemical composition as stars. C) we are born, live, and die, just like stars.

A) we are made of elements that were produced in stars.

The star Antares is 604 light-years away. If it explodes tonight, A) we won't know about it for another 604 years. B) we'll know because it will be brighter than the full Moon. C) we'll know because debris from the explosion will rain down on us from space.

A) we won't know about it for another 604 years.

If an object doubles its luminosity in 10 hours how large can the emitting source of light be

About 10 light-hours across

Most active galactic nuclei are usually found at large distances from us, relatively few nearby galaxies have active galactic nuclei. What does this imply?

Active galactic nuclei tend to become less active as they age

The most active galactic nuclei are usually found at large distances from us; relatively few nearby galaxies have active galactic nuclei. What does this imply?

Active galactic nuclei tend to become less active as they age.

How many of the planets orbit the Sun in the same direction that Earth does?

All

Use the same scale model where the Sun is the size of a grapefruit. Which object and position would correspond to the correct location for the nearest star system, Alpha Centauri?

Another grapefruit in Los Angeles, California

Where do nuclear reactions occur in the sun

At the center, where the gravitational pressure is highest

When we see Saturn going through a period of apparent retrograde motion, it means that A) Saturn is temporarily moving backward in its orbit around the Sun. B) Earth is passing Saturn in its orbit, with both planets on the same side of the Sun. C) Saturn and Earth must be on opposite sides of the Sun.

B) Earth is passing Saturn in its orbit, with both planets on the same side of the Sun.

Earth is closer to the Sun in January than in July. Therefore, in accord with Kepler's second law, A) Earth travels faster in its orbit around the Sun in July than in January. B) Earth travels faster in its orbit around the Sun in January than in July. C) it is summer in January and winter in July.

B) Earth travels faster in its orbit around the Sun in January than in July.

Tycho Brahe's contribution to astronomy included A) proving that Earth orbits the Sun. B) collecting data that enabled Kepler to discover the laws of planetary motion. C) inventing the telescope.

B) collecting data that enabled Kepler to discover the laws of planetary motion.

The event that triggered the change in Pluto's status from planet to dwarf planet was the discovery that A) it has a comet-like composition of ice and rock. B) it is not the largest object in its region of the solar system. C) it is smaller than the planet Mercury.

B) it is not the largest object in its region of the solar system.

Two stars that are in the same constellation A) must both have been discovered at about the same time. B) may actually be very far away from each other. C) must both be part of the same cluster of stars in space.

B) may actually be very far away from each other.

The fact that we always see the same face of the Moon tell us that A) the Moon looks the same on both sides. B) the Moon's rotation period is the same as its orbital period. C) the Moon does not rotate.

B) the Moon's rotation period is the same as its orbital period.

When we say the universe is expanding, we mean that A) everything in the universe is growing in size. B) the average distance between galaxies is growing with time. C) the number of stars in the universe is growing with time.

B) the average distance between galaxies is growing with time.

In winter, Earth's axis points toward the star Polaris. In spring, A) the axis points toward the Sun. B) the axis also points toward Polaris. C) the axis points toward Vega.

B) the axis also points toward Polaris.

One week after full moon, the Moon's phase is A) first quarter. B) third quarter. C) new.

B) third quarter.

The age of our solar system is about A) the same as the age of the universe. B) 3/4 of the age of the universe. C) 1/3 of the age of the universe.

C) 1/3 of the age of the universe.

According to Kepler's third law, A) Mercury travels fastest in the part of its orbit in which it is closest to the Sun. B) all the planets have elliptical orbits. C) Jupiter orbits the Sun at a faster speed than Saturn.

C) Jupiter orbits the Sun at a faster speed than Saturn.

Could we see a galaxy that is 20 billion light-years away? A) Yes, if we had a big enough telescope. B) No, because a galaxy could not possibly be that far away. C) No, because it would be beyond the bounds of our observable universe.

C) No, because it would be beyond the bounds of our observable universe.

Which of the following is not true about scientific progress? A) Science progresses through the creation and testing of models of nature. B) Science avoids explanations that invoke the supernatural. C) Science advances only through strict application of the scientific method.

C) Science advances only through strict application of the scientific method.

Kepler made a major break from ancient beliefs when he A) decided to look for a system that could explain actual observations. B) realized that gravity holds the planets in their orbits. C) abandoned circular orbits in favor of elliptical orbits

C) abandoned circular orbits in favor of elliptical orbits

A light-year is A) the time it takes light to reach the nearest star. B) the time it takes light to travel around the Sun. C) about 10 trillion kilometers.

C) about 10 trillion kilometers.

A geocentric model of the universe is A) any model that places the Sun at the center of the universe. B) any model that has Earth as a planet orbiting the Sun. C) any model that places Earth at the center of the universe.

C) any model that places Earth at the center of the universe.

In Ptolemy's geocentric model, the retrograde motion of a planet occurs when A) Earth is about to pass the planet in its orbit around the Sun. B) the planet is aligned with the Moon in our sky. C) the planet actually goes backward in its orbit around Earth.

C) the planet actually goes backward in its orbit around Earth.

If we represent the solar system on a scale that allows us to walk from the Sun to Pluto in a few minutes, then A) the planets are microscopic and the stars are millions of miles away. B) the planets are the size of basketballs and the nearest stars are a few miles away. C) the planets are marble size or smaller and the nearest stars are thousands of miles away.

C) the planets are marble size or smaller and the nearest stars are thousands of miles away.

Of the four gases, CO2, H20, N2, and O2 which are greenhouse gases?

CO2 & H20

What drives the motion of the continental plates on Earth

Convection cells in the mantle

Compared to the star it evolved from, how would you describe a red giant?

Cooler but more luminous

Which is false? A) vacuum speed of light is constant observers in different frames of reference measure the same vacuum speed of light B) the absoluteness of vacuum speed of light is an experimentally verified fact C) the vacuum speed of light is the speed limit of the universe, nothing can move faster than that speed D) light slows down in strong gravitational fields such as near a black hole.

D) Light slows down in strong gravitational fields such as near a black hole

Latitude on the earth is analogous to what on the celestial sphere?

Declination

According to newtons theory of gravitation if you triple the distance between two objects then the graitational force between them will

Decrese by a factor of 3. inverse square law

Which two properties are most important in determining the surface temperature of a planet

Distance from the Sun and atmosphere

True/False Dark matter is purely hypothetical, because we have no way of detecting its presence

FALSE

Suppose we made a rotation curve for the moons orbiting Jupiter. It would

Fall with increasing distance from Jupiter

Most planets orbit same speeds

False

The further away a star, the larger its parallax angle

False

The geologic activity of the Jovian moons is solely produced by its heat [question is something like that idk]

False

The rings consist entirely of material from the time the planets formed

False

True/False High mass main sequence stars live longer than low mass main sequence stars

False

True/False the electromagnetic force is the force that holds nuclei togehter

False

True/False The phases of the Moon are caused by Earth's shadow falling on the Moon

False: the phase of the moon depends on its position relative to the sun as it orbits the earth.

Why should galaxy collisions have been more common in the past than they are today?

Galaxies were closer together in the past because the universe was smaller.

What part of the comet points straight away from the sun

Gas (Ion) tail

What are the oldest members of the milky way galaxy

Globular clusters

In which of the following lists are the major steps of solar system formation in the correct order

Gravitational collapse of the solar nebula, condensation, accretion

Why didn't a planet form where the asteroid belt is now located?

Gravitational tugs from Jupiter prevented material from collecting together to form a planet

Suppose you see a crescent moon; how much of the Moon's entire surface (the full glove of the Moon) is illuminated by the Sun?

Half

Compared to the star it evolved from, a white dwarf is

Hotter and dimmer

For the most part, what is the composition of Jupiter

Hydrogen and Helium

Which ingredients made up about 98% of the solar nebula?

Hydrogen and Helium

If the present warming trends continue, sea level could rise another meter or more during this century

True

Our sun was probably formed in a cluster

True

Small moons have important effects on ring structure

True

Where are the xrays produced that are emitted by quasars and other active galactic nuclei?

In hot gas in an accretion disk around a central black hole

Why are the inner planets made of denser materials than the outer planets

In the inner part of the nebula only metals and rocks were able to condense because of the high temperatures, whereas hydrogen compounds, although more abundant, were only able to condense in the cooler outer regions

Heat escapes from a planet's surface into outer space by thermal radiation. Planets radiate almost entirely in the wavelength range of the

Infrared

Why are there no impact craters on the surface of Io?

Io did have impact craters but they have all been buried in lava flows.

Which element has the lowest mass per nuclear particle ad therefore cannot release energy by either fusion or fission?

Iron

What happens to the core of a star after a planetary nebula is ejected

It becomes a white dwarf

What happens to the core of a star after a planetary nebula is ejected?

It becomes a white dwarf

What is the leading theory for the origin of the Earth's Moon

It formed from the material ejected from Earth in a giant impact

Newtons second law of motion tells us that the net force applied to an object equals its

It is directly proportional

Which have more moons on average?

Jovian planets

Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto (The Galilean Moons) are the four largest moons of (and are all tidally-locked to) which planet?

Jupiter

Which planets have rings

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

According to the nebular theory, what are asteroids and comets

Leftover planetesimals that never accreted into planets

The average distances between galaxies are not much larger then the sizes of galaxies

True

The largest volcano on mars is much larger than any mountain on earth

True

Since all stars begin their lives with the same basic composition, what characteristic most determines how they will differ

Mass they are formed with

which of the following planets has the least substantial atmosphere

Mercury

What is the composition of the sun?

Mostly hydrogen and helium with other heavier elements

What did Galileo observe through his primitive telescope

Mountains and craters on the Moon, sunspots, Jupiter's four largest moons, phases of moons making observations and conducting experiments that dispelled scientific objections to the Sun-centered model.

How do main sequence stars generate energy

Nuclear fusion with hydrogen and helium

The observed composition of ordinary matter in the universe-roughly 75 percent hydrogen and 25 percent helium-closely matches theoretical predictions based on the Big Bang model.

True

Which of the following is not true of quasars?

Quasars are powered by the intense production of large numbers of stars that can only be sustained for a relatively short time.

When was Pluto discovered

Roughly 80 years ago

Cosmic photon background radiation

Satellite launched in 1989 that precisely measured background radiation and found it to be exactly what was predicted

Earth

Size: The ball from the tip of a ballpoint pen

Sun

Size: grapefruit

Which of the following terms is given to a pair of stars that we can determine are orbiting each other only by measuring their periodic Doppler shifts?

Spectroscopic binary

Suppose you see two main-sequence stars of the same spectral type. Star 1 is dimmer in apparent brightness than Star 2 by a factor of 100. What can you conclude? (Neglect any effects that might be caused by interstellar dust and gas.)

Star 1 is 10 times more distant than Star 2

What types of star end their lives with supernovae

Stars that are at least several times the mass of the Sun

True/False Dark matter is probably made of exotic material (not protons, neutrons, and electrons)

TRUE

True/False Gravitational lensing enables us to measure the mass of galaxy clusters

TRUE

True/False Our explanation for the observed fact that the expansion rate of the universe is accelerating is called "dark energy"

TRUE

True/False The angular size of venus looks smallest to us when its phase is full

TRUE

True/False The big bang theory predicts that the cosmic microwave background should have an essentially perfect thermal radiation spectrum because it came from the heat of the universe itself

TRUE

True/False The expansion rate of the universe is accelerating

TRUE

True/False We can measure a galaxy cluster's mass from the orbital speeds of its galaxies

TRUE

Trule/False the observed composition of ordinary matter in the universe - roughly 75% hydrogen and 25% helium - closely matches theoretical predictions based on the big bang model

TRUE

Which of the following is the closest in size to a white dwarf?

The Earth

Which is true?

The sun is 100 times more massive than the earth

saturns many moons affect its rings primarily through

orbital resonances

Why do all galaxies beyond the Local group appear to be moving away from us

The Universe is expanding

What is a stars luminosity

The amount of light it emits from its surface

What is a planetary nebula

The expanding shell of gas that is no longer gravitationally held to the remnant of a low-mass star

What is a quasar

The extremely bright center of a distant galaxy, thought to be powered by a massive black hole

The age of a star cluster can be determined from

The main-sequence turnoff

Why do we believe 90% of the mass of the milky way galaxy is in the form of dark matter

The orbital speeds of stars far from the galactic center are surprisingly high, suggesting that these stars are feeling gravitational eects from unseen matter in the halo

Why do we believe 90 percent of the mass of the Milky Way is in the form of dark matter?

The orbital speeds of stars far from the galactic center are surprisingly high, suggesting that these stars are feeling gravitational effects from unseen matter in the halo.

Which layer of the sun do we normally see?

The photosphere

Why is mars red

The surface rocks were rusted by oxygen

Which of the following observations indicate that conditions on mars has been suitable for life in the past?

There are dried up riverbeds on Mars

Why do sunspots appear dark in pictures of the sun?

They actually are fairly bright but appear dark against the even brighter background of the surrounding Sun

What mechanism is most responsible for generating the internal heat of Io that drives the volcanic activity?

Tidal Heating

If you are on the equator which way is the Polaris star?

To the north. it lies on the axis of the earth

At the upper end of the main sequence are the hot, luminous o stars, with masses as 1s 150 times that of the Sun

True

Erosion can occur only on worlds with atmospheres

True

When does the angular size of Venus look the smallest

When it is full

The fact that most moons always show the same face to their planet is

a natural consequence of tidal forces acting on the moons.

On a scale where the Sun is about the size of a grapefruit and the Earth is about 15 meters away, how far away are the nearest stars besides the Sun?

about the distance across the United States

what gas is primarily responsible for recent global warming

c02

what does runaway greenhouse gas effect?

causes planets like venus to become much hotter

When an electron in an atom jumps from a higher energy level to a lower energy level, it

emits a photon of a specific frequency

True/False xray photons have more energy therefore they travel faster than visbile light photons

false

Compared with elliptical galaxies, how would you describe spiral galaxies

flatter shapes with younger and bluer stellar population

What makes up the interstellar medium?

gas and dust

What makes up interstellar medium?

gasses, 75% hydrogen and 25% helium and dust particles

the outer layer of most jovian moons are made of

ice

why are jovian moons so geologically active

ice geology occurs at lower temperature than rock geology. tidal heating.

Where are the X rays produced that are emitted by quasars and other active galactic nuclei?

in hot gas in an accretion disk around a central black hole

Where does most star formation occur in the Milky Way Galaxy today

in the spiral arms of the galactic disk

why is io more volcanically active than our moon

io has a difference internal heat source

Which of the following statements about the cosmic photon background radiation is false?

it is the result of a mixture of radiation from many independent sources, such as stars and galaxies

why does venus lack water

its water molecules were split by sunlight allowing the hydrogen to escape to space

list the jovian planets in order of increasing distance from the sun

jupiter, saturn, uranus, neptune

what objects have the most eliptical and tilted orbit

oort cloud comets

how does an atmostphere affect conditions for life

protecting surface from dangerous solar radiation greenhouse effects that trap heat in a planets atmostphere and makes it warmer

Why are we unlikely to find terrestrial planets orbiting stars in the galactic halo?

stars in the galactic halo formed in an environment where there were few heavy elements metals to create rocky planets

what unique features of earth are important for life

surface liquid - made possible by earths moderate temp atmospheric oxygen - product of photo synthesis plate techtonics - driven by internal heat climate stability - c02 cycle relies on plate techtonics

An astronomical unit (AU) is

the average distance from the earth to the sun

What is the frequency of a wave

the cycles per second

What is a planetary nebula?

the expanding shell of gas that is no longer gravitationally held to the remnant of a low-mass star

The disk component of a spiral galaxy involves which of the following parts

the spiral arms

You discover a binary system in which a star is a fifteen solar mass main sequence star and the other is a ten solar mass giant. Why should you be surprised at least at first

the two stars should be the same age so the more massive star should have become a giant first

Why were ancient peoples unable to observe stellar parallax?

they did not have the ability to measure very small angles

which moon shows evidence of rainfall and erosion by some liquid substance

titan

What two quantities did Edwin Hubble plot against each other to discover the expansion of the universe

velocity/speed and distance

which terrestrial world has the most atmospheric gas

venus

3 types of movement on a worlds surface

volcanism erosion impact cratering

what is unusual about triton

what is unusual about triton it orbits its planet backward

when does the angular size of venus look the smallest

when it is full

what determines a worlds level of geological activity?

worlds size larger worlds retain more internal heat also experience more volcanism and tectonics