Astronomy Final Exam

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In Michigan, the sun will reach its highest point in the sky on...

a solstice

Which of the following provides observational evidence that Mars has weather and an atmosphere?

all of the above

Which of the following provides observational evidence that Mars has weather and an atmosphere?

all of the above (eroded craters, wind streaks, dust devils)

The angle measured up from the horizon is called the...

altitude

Orange soil on the moon is believed to be caused by

ancient volcanic activity

On Mercury and the Moon, we notice that larger craters __________ smaller craters.

are rounder than

If the earth were flat, then the shadows of two towers at two different places on the earth would...

be the exact same length

If we could capture of the spectrum of an exoplanet, we may find evidence for life on that planet in the form of...

biosignatures

If a star is traveling toward you, its observed spectrum will be ....

blue shifted

How can you calculate the peak altitude of the sun in the sky?

by using the observer's latitude and the sun's declination

On Mercury and the Moon, we notice that larger craters _____ smaller craters.

came before

The astronomer Schiaparelli was convinced that he could observe _____ on Mars.

canals

The astronomer Schiaparelli was convinced that he could observe __________ on Mars

canals

The atmosphere of Venus is composed almost entirely of ...

carbon dioxide

The atmosphere of Venus is composed almost entirely of...

carbon dioxide

What molecules dominated the Earth's primordial atmosphere?

carbon dioxide and water vapor

Declination is measured north and south from the...

celestial equator

Kepler found that planets do not move in ____ but in ____.

circles and ellipses

A planet in orbit about the Sun will move the fastest when it is ...

closest to the sun

According to Stellarium, what was the moon phase during the time that Van Gogh painted Road with Cypress and Star?

crescent

The best time to observe the moon to see its crater is during a ....

crescent moon

Prior to plant life, a biosphere consisting of ____________ would need to be established on the red planet to raise atmospheric pressure.

cyanobacteria

The angle that measures north and south from the celestial equator is called the...

declination

The change in seasons is caused by the change in the Sun's ...

declination

The change in seasons is caused by the change in the Sun's...

declination

The two coordinates of the "celestial equitorial coordinate system" are... [Select two]

declination and right ascension

According to the small angle equation, if an object at a fixed distance is suddenly shrunk to a smaller size, then the angular size will...

decrease

For an observer located on the equator, the altitude of the stars due West will...

decrease

Gravity between two objects is ____ proportional to the product of their masses and ____ proportional to the square of the distance between them.

directly and indirectly

Gravity between two objects is _____ proportional to the product of their masses and _____ proportional to the square of the distance between them.

directly, indirectly

Which of the following would be considered life?

grass, bacteria, mushrooms, cats

What two factors influence whether gas particles stay or leave a planet's atmosphere?

gravity and heat

What factor most helps the Earth maintain a relatively constant temperature?

greenhouse gases

Compared to the Earth, Mars is about ...

half the size

Compared to the Earth, Mars is about...

half the size

If you are attempting to communicate with intelligent civilizations elsewhere in the galaxy, then the _____ part of the EM spectrum is the best to use.

radio

If you are attempting to communicate with intelligent civilizations elsewhere in the galaxy, then the _________ part of the EM spectrum is the best to use.

radio

The surface of the moon is covered with a fine powder of pulverized rock called...

regolith

Ptolemy's improvements were important because they explained ...

retrograde motion

The unusual motion of a planet is referred to as

retrograde motion

A gas particle will escape a planet's atmosphere if it moves faster than the...

"Escape speed"

A gas particle will escape a planet's atmosphere if it moves faster than the ...

"escape speed"

What was the apparent magnitude of the bright object in the first painting?

-3.83

If it takes Jupiter 13 years to orbit the sun, how long in years will it take Jupiter to go once around the sun as viewed from earth?

1.08

If it takes a planet 8 years to orbit the Sun, how long (in years) will it take the planet to go all the way around our sky once?

1.14

If it takes a planet eight years to orbit the sun how long in years will it take the planet to go all the way around our sky once?

1.14

If it takes a planet 5 years to orbit the sun, how long in years will it take the planet to go all the way around our sky once?

1.25

If it takes a planet 2.8 years to orbit the sun, how long in years Will it take the planet to go all the way around our sky once?

1.56

If it takes Mars 2.5 years to orbit the sun, how long in years will it take mars to go once around the sky as viewed from earth?

1.67

What is the distance (in meters) of an object that has an angular diameter of 100 arc seconds in a linear diameter of 50 m?

103132.2

What is the distance (in meters) of an object that has an angular diameter of 100 arcseconds and a linear diameter of 50 meters?

103132.5

On March 30, what time of day will you find the bright star Sirius setting in the west?

11pm

The length of the day on an equinox is...

12 hours

What is a^3 for the planet Coruscant?

12.65

What is the linear diameter in meters of an object that has an angular diameter of 110 arc seconds and a distance of 25,000 m?

13.33

If the peak wavelength of a star at rest is 1375 nm, then what peak wavelength is observed when the star is traveling 975,000 m/s away from the Earth.

1379.47

If the peak wavelength of a star at rest is 350 nm, but astronomers on earth observer that is has been shifted by 2.25 nm. Then how fast is the star moving relative to the earth?

1928571

What orbital period (in years) did you measure for Cybertron?

2.16

What is the force of gravity in Newtons acting between the Sun and a 1500-kg rock that is 2 AU from the Sun?

2.24

If it takes Venus 0.7 years to orbit the sun, how long in years will it take Venus to come back to its original place in our night sky?

2.33

What is the linear diameter in meters of an object that has an angular diameter of 10 arcseconds and a distance of 50,000 m?

2.424

The gas in the solar nebula began at a temperature of about ....

2000 K

What is your orbital period (in years) of a planet with a semimajor axis of 35 AU?

207.06

Suppose scientists discover a new mini planet just beyond earth's orbit that takes 1.05 years to orbit the sun. How long in years would it take this mini planet to move once all the way around our sky?

21

What is the azimuth of due west?

270 degrees

What is the approximate angular size of a tree that is for "hands" tall?

28 degrees

Suppose a comets tail stretches 25° across the night sky. How many of my hands + thumbs would it take to measure the angular size?

3 hands and 2 thumbs

How many asteroids (that we know of) are on a potential collision course with Earth?

300-500

What is the orbital period in years of a planet with a semimajor axis of 10 AU?

31.6

What is the angular diameter in arcseconds of an object that has a linear diameter of 5 m and a distance of 3 km?

343.775

What is the angular diameter (in arcseconds) of an object that has a linear diameter of 5 meters and a distance of 3 km?

343.78

If it takes a planet 0.8 years to orbit the sun, how long in years will it take the planet to go all the way around our sky once?

4

During the Tunguska Event, people were thrown 20 feet through the air, even though they were ________ away from the explosion.

40 miles

The average distance to the moon is 382,734 km. If the angular size of the moon was 0.60° then what would be the diameter of the moon in kilometers?

4018

If the peak wavelength of a star at rest is 660 nm, but astronomers on earth observer that is has been shifted by 0.001 nm. Then how fast is the star moving relative to the earth?

454.5

What is the force of gravity in Newtons acting between the Sun and a 4500-kg rocket that is 0.75 AU from the Sun?

47.8?

What is the orbital period of Caprica?

5.20

What is the semimajor axis (in AU) of a planet with an orbital period of 14 years?

5.81

What is the semimajor axis in AU of a planet with an orbital period of 14 years?

5.81

What is the force of gravity acting between the Earth and a 60-kg person who is 400 km above the surface of the Earth?

521.28

If the peak wavelength of a star at rest is 550 nm, then what peak wavelength is observed when the star is traveling 150,000 m/s toward the Earth.

550.275

What is the orbital period in years of a planet with an semimajor axis of 15 AU?

58.1

What is the distance in meters of an object that has an angular diameter of 30 arcseconds and a linear diameter of 10 cm?

687.55

What is the linear diameter in meters of an object that has an angular diameter of 25 arc seconds and a distance of 65 km?

7.88

What is the approximate CHZ Outer Boundary for a primordial star with a mass eight times that of our sun?

71 AU

If the peak wavelength of a star at rest is 725 nm, then what peak wavelength is observed when the star is traveling 800,000 m/s away from the Earth.

723.067

What is the semimajor axis in AU of a planet with an orbital period of 25 years?

8.55

Based on the simulation, approximately how much longer will earth be in the CHZ?

820 million years

The Spirit and Opportunity rover missions continued for several years despite being designed to operate for only ...

90 days

To an observer located on the earth's north pole, what is the altitude of the north celestial pole?

90 degrees

What is the altitude of the north celestial pole for an observer standing on the north pole of the earth?

90 degrees

What is the force of gravity acting between the Earth and a 100-kg person standing on the surface?

981.3

During what month of the year will the big dipper (Ursa Major) be the highest in the sky at 10:30pm?

April

Which ancient astronomer believed that the sun was at the center of our solar system?

Aristarchus

Which of the following planets exhibit the characteristic "back and forth" motion relative to the stars?

All of the above (Venus, Jupiter, Saturn)

Virtually no one acknowledged Galileo's work during his lifetime.

False

Virtually no one acknowledged Newton's work during his lifetime.

False

How many pictures go into each animated movie?

Four

The Phoenix Lander found _____ just under the surface of Mars.

Frozen water ice

The first proof that the Earth orbits the Sun was provided by...

Galileo's observation of the phases of Venus

The key observation of Venus was that it exhibited a ____ phase.

Gibbous

An advocate for terraforming Mars suggests that just _____ would be a powerful symbol of humanity's potential for expansion.

Having a single seed grow into a plant on Mars

Smooth, dark regions on the Moon where lava once flowed

Maria

The __________ missions were the first to fly-by Mars.

Mariner

A crater with a sharp, crisp rim would be considered a(n)

Preserved crater

The zero point for longitude is the...

Prime Meridian

Where did Earth's oceans come from?

Rain from water vapor in the early atmosphere

A bright line emanating outward from craters

Ray

Pulverized rock that covers the Moon as a fine dust

Regolith

The US Space Program seems to currently prefer pursuing _____ instead of launching expensive and dangerous manned missions to Mars.

Robotic Martian missions

A raised ridge on the surface of Mercury

Scarp

Why does liquid water boil away when exposed to the Martian atmosphere?

The low air pressure lowers the boiling point

The one asteroid in the gamma field is found in

The middle left

In the second painting, what is the bright object?

The moon

In Ptolemy's model, it is possible to have a planetary orbit without retrograde motion.

True

In the early 1900's it was considered common knowledge that there was intelligent life on Mars.

True

In the early 1900's, it was considered common knowledge that there was intelligent life on Mars.

True

Our living bodies ultimately come from non-living material found on Earth.

True

Professional astronomers, in general, know very few constellations in the night sky.

True

The epsilon field includes an asteroid that is headed toward the very center of the field.

True

The first landers on the surface of Mars found the Martian soil to be sterile.

True

The small angle equation was known to people in ancient times.

True

Virtually every planetary scientist agrees that liquid water did flow at one time on ancient Mars.

True

Virtually no one acknowledged Kepler's work during his lifetime.

True

We have not yet seen strong scientific evidence for even the simplest life anywhere in the universe except the Earth.

True

All of the following are constellations in the Zodiac, EXCEPT

Ursa Major

All of the following are constellations of the zodiac EXCEPT

Ursa Major

What bright star will be straight overhead at midnight on June 20?

Vega

The bright object painted in the first painting is most likely...

Venus

Which of the following has the hottest surface temperatures?

Venus

The first US missions to land on Mars were the _____ missions.

Viking

The first US missions to land on Mars were the _____________ missions.

Viking

The surface of the moon contains geologic evidence for ___________ on the moon in the past.

Volcanoes

Orson Well's famous radio broadcast of ________________ caused a minor panic among listeners that a real alien invasion was underway

War of the Worlds

The constellations that the Sun passes through are called the...

Zodiac

The constellations that the sun passes through are called the...

Zodiac

The discovery of _________ prompted astronomers to reconsider whether Pluto should really be called a planet

Eris

If the Moon is rising at midnight, what phase is it?

third quarter

If the moon is rising at midnight, what phase is it?

third quarter

Which phase comes between waning gibbous and waning crescent?

third quarter

The _____ for discovering exoplanets looks for tiny dips in light as a planet passes in front of its star.

transit method

Jupiter weighs roughly ....

twice as much as all the other planets combined

The surface of the moon contains geologic evidence for _____ on the moon in the past.

volcanoes

Which phase comes between third-quarter and new moon?

waning crescent

Which phase comes between full and third quarter?

waning gibbous

Which phase comes between full and third-quarter?

waning gibbous

Which phase comes between new and first quarter?

waxing crescent

The discovery of _________ prompted astronomers to reconsider whether Pluto should really be called a planet.

Eris

Copernicus was the first person to suggest that the sun is at the center of our solar system.

False

Copernicus was the first to be able to prove that the Earth orbited around the Sun.

False

Copernicus was the first to be able to prove that the earth orbited around the sun.

False

Copernicus' heliocentric model was able to predict the location of the planets more accurately than Ptolemy's geocentric model.

False

Copernicus' heliocentric model was able to predict the location of the planets more accurately then Ptolemy's geocentric model.

False

Galileo was able to observe polar caps on Mars with his first telescope observations.

False

If the terraforming of Mars was successful, its new bigger atmosphere would remain permanently allowing generations of new societies to survive on the red planet.

False

If the terraforming of Mars was successful, its new thicker atmosphere would remain permanently allowing generations of new societies to survive on the red planet

False

Mars comes closer to Earth than any other planet.

False

Ptolemy's Model of the solar system was by far the simplest and most elegant model.

False

The beta field includes a bright asteroid in the middle right of the field.

False

Using the Drake Equation is complete guesswork. There is no scientific basis for estimating any of the variables in the equation.

False

One of the main objections to the heliocentric model was that...

we do not feel the Earth moving

How did Copernicus figure out which planets were closer to the Sun and which were further?

NOT small angle equation

Which of the following was NOT listed as an unexpected benefit of astronomy research?

New methods for treating cancer

Which of the following was not listed as an unexpected benefit of astronomy research?

New methods for treating cancer

Does Stellarium support the claim that Venus is the planet depicted in Road with Cypress and Star?

No

On the summer solstice, the Sun sets...

North of West

On what date will you find the bright star Arcturus setting in the west at 6pm?

November 5

Which of the following is NOT a variable in the Drake Equation?

Number of radio antennas per planet

Your noon time shadow will be the longest on which day of the year?

winter solstice

The concept in science that the simpler ideas are preferred to the more complex ones is known as...

Occam's Razor

How can astronomers see stars right next to the Sun?

with space telescopes

How can astronomers see stars right next to the sun?

with space telescopes

The point directly overhead is called the...

zenith

The point with the highest altitude is the ....

zenith

Anorthosite was believed to be some of the _____ material on the surface of the moon.

Oldest

The largest mountain in the solar system is ...

Olympus Mons

The largest mountain in the solar system is...

Olympus Mons

Which of the following geological features suggest that Mars has an atmosphere?

Wind streaks and eroded craters

In the southern hemisphere, the sun will reach its highest point in the sky on...

our winter solstice

Where did the oxygen in our atmosphere come from?

photosynthesis of living organisms

What is the eccentricity of a perfectly circular orbit?

0

What is the altitude of the horizon?

0 degrees

What is the altitude of the north celestial pole for an observer located on the earth's equator?

0 degrees

What is the linear diameter in meters of an object that has an angular diameter of 22 arc seconds and a distance of 1400 m?

0.15

If it takes Mercury 0.21 years to orbit the sun, how long in years will it take mercury to come back to its original place in our sky?

0.27

What is the approximate width of the sun's primordial CHZ?

0.37 AU

How many meters across is a road sign that has an angular size of 120 arcseconds and is 1 km away?

0.582

How many millimeters will a 17 mm wavelength radiowave be shifted if the source is traveling away from the observer at 12000000 m/s?

0.68

What is the force of gravity acting between the Sun and a 80 kg person who is 0.8 AU away from the Sun?

0.747

According to National Geographic, the process of terraforming Mars would take ______ years.

1,000

One of the most promising pieces of evidence supporting ancient life on Mars came from...

A Martian meteorite found on Earth

Why do some astronomers object to the new definition of a planet that was adopted in 2006?

By this definition, Earth, Jupiter, and other planets should not be considered planets

A very large impact crater on Mercury

Caloris Basin

You are most likely to find a landslide on Mars near which of the following?

Canyon wall

Which bright star will be found straight overhead on February 15?

Capella

Which of the following would be considered life?

Cats, mushrooms, grass, bacteria

Which if the following are you most likely to find near a volcano?

Collapsed lava tube

A respected scientist and mathematician, Carl Gauss, recommended that we build a large right triangle on the surface of the Earth in order to...

Communicate with Martians

Why were constellations essential for ancient peoples?

Constellations provided a calendar to support agriculture

The best time to observe the moon to see its crater is during a...

Crescent moon

Prior to plant life, a biosphere consisting of _____ would need to be established on the red planet to raise atmospheric pressure.

Cyanobacteria

In what month will you find the constellation Orion rising in the east at 7pm?

December

The most clear evidence for the presence of water on ancient Mars is...

Dry riverbeds

Astronomers exploring Kepler Space Telescope data encountered a very unusual lightcurve, which some speculated may be caused by a partially-completed ________________ created by an advanced civilization.

Dyson Sphere

The white material around an impact crater is called

Ejecta

For an observer located on the North Pole, the azimuth of the stars in the South will...

Increase

Observing Mars is difficult because...

It is so small on our night sky

In what month will be bright star Rigel be rising in the east at 6 am?

June

Which of the following planets in our solar system have rings? (Select all that apply)

Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Saturn

Which of the following planets in our solar system have rings? (Select all that apply)

Jupiter, Uranus, Saturn, Neptune

The idea that planets do not move at constant speeds in their orbits can be attributed to...

Kepler

The statement: "Planets sweep out equal area in equal time." Is also known as...

Kepler's second law

According to the Kardashev Scale, what "type" of civilization does humanity represent?

Less than type 1

The largest mountain on Earth (as measured from the sea floor)

Mauna Kea

The appearance of Earth's moon is nearly identical to...

Mercury

Which cities would be covered with water if the Greenland Ice Sheet melted completely?

Miami and Amsterdam

The galactic habitability zone is most likely to be found...

Midway between the center and edge of a galaxy

What features must an object in the pictures have in order to confidently say it is an asteroid?

Moves in a straight line, you can see it in every picture, looks like a star

When Kepler began his work, which solar system model was able to make the most accurate predictions?

NOT Tycho's model

The best source of evidence that our solar system was once full of much larger rocks and meteors is that the moon shows

Smaller craters on the top of larger ones

On the winter solstice, the sun will rise...

South of east

For an observer located on the North Pole, the altitude of the stars in the East will...

Stay the same

When a planet orbits two the opposite side of the sun as earth and it appears near the sun in our sky, the planet is at...

Superiod conjunction

Sufficient warming of Mars could be achieved by point a mirror the size of _____ at the Martian south pole.

Texas

The first human artifact to leave the solar system was

The Pioneer 10 Plaque

The hypothesis that other planets are actually worlds like the Earth is known as ...

The Plurality of Worlds

The hypothesis that other planets are actually worlds like the Earth is known as...

The Plurality of Worlds

The first human artifact to leave the solar system was

The Voyager Golden Record

As an object gets farther away from you, what happens to its angular size?

The angular size gets smaller

One example of a "Great Filter" that humanity has (so far) managed to pass through is...

The development of nuclear weapons

In many ancient cultures, the "red planet" was named after...

The god of war

What initiated the runway greenhouse effect on Venus?

The gradual warming of the Sun

The Drake Equation is a tool for estimating...

The number of planets in the Milky Way that contain civilizations intelligent enough to communicate through space

Which if the following did Galileo NOT observe with his telescope?

The planet Neptune

The zero point of longitude is...

The prime meridian

Which of the following statements explains why a planet around a massive star (two solar masses or greater) is unlikely to evolve complex life?

The star changes too quickly

What key event allowed Kepler to develop his own model for solar system motion?

The untimely death of Tycho

Describe how the stars in a constellation are connected to one another.

They are completely unrelated to one another

Describe how the stars in a constellation are connected to one another.

They are completely unrelated to one another.

Suppose a planet had an eccentricity of 0.5. During it's orbit, when will it have the greatest speed?

When it is nearest to the sun

The most clear evidence for the presence of water on ancient Mars is...

dry riverbeds

On an equinox, the Sun sets...

due west

The path of the Sun on the celestial sphere is called the...

ecliptic

The bright circles around impact craters are called

ejecta

The bright circles around impact craters are called ...

ejecta

The location of zero latitude is the...

equator

Living creatures that thrive in environments thought to be deadly to any lifeform are known as ...

extremophiles

Which of the following scientific ideas was never discussed in the ancient world?

faint lights in the sky are galaxies

An explosion the size of the Tunguska Event is likely to happen every ....

few centuries

An explosion the size of the Tunguska Event is likely to happen every...

few centuries

If the moon is setting at midnight, what phase is it?

first quarter

Which phase of the moon comes between waxing crescent and waxing gibbous?

first quarter

The Phoenix Lander found __________ just under the surface of Mars.

frozen water ice

Almost the entirety of Jupiter's size is made up of ...

gas

The Jovian planets are composed mostly of _______ and _________.

hydrogen .... helium

A scientist hoping to find active life on Mars can only reasonably hope to find it ...

in water that exists under the Martian surface

A scientist hoping to find active life on Mars can only reasonably hope to find it...

in water that exists under the Martian surface

According to the small angle equation, if you bring an object closer to the observer, the angular size will...

increase

Over the course of the year, the right ascension of the sun...

increases

Over the course of the year, the Sun's declination...

increases and decreases

A planet will keep a large atmosphere if it _________ or __________.

is cold .... has a ton of gravity

Mercury gets incredibly hot and incredibly cold because ...

it does not have an atmosphere

"More money is spent on making movies about ____________ than on actually finding them."

killer asteroids

The presence of ___________ on the surface of Mars provides additional evidence for a wet Martian past.

life

Streamlined islands on Mars were most likely formed by the flow of

liquid water

The height of the sun in the sky at noon time is called the...

meridional altitude

As the solar nebula cooled, which compounds were the first to condense from a gas to a solid?

metals

Which phase comes between waning crescent and waxing crescent?

new moon

When a planet is on the opposite side of the sky as the Sun, we call this...

opposition

Mercury has a network of strange wrinkles across its surface called ...

scarps

Astronomers conjecture that advanced alien civilizations could rapidly spread through the galaxy through the use of ...

self-replicating machines

Astronomers conjecture that advanced alien civilizations could rapidly spread through the galaxy through the use of...

self-replicating machines

The size of the earth could be measured accurately in ancient times by using...

shadows on Earth

For an observer located on the North Pole, the altitude of the stars in the East will...

stay the same

For an observer located on the equator, the azimuth of the stars due East will...

stay the same

The longest day of the year in Michigan is...

summer solstice

If the full moon is setting, what time is it?

sun rise

If the new moon is rising, what time is it?

sun rise

If the new moon is setting, what time is it?

sun set

If the full moon is rising, what time is it?

sunset

The planets closest to the Sun are known as the ...

terrestrial planets

Aristarchus was able to prove that...

the Sun is larger than the Earth

A lunar rille is most likely formed from

the collapse of a lava tube

In many ancient cultures, the "red planet" was named after ...

the god of war

Some early observers thought that changes in the large dark regions on the surface of Mars were caused by

the growth of vegetation

Which of the following did Galileo NOT observe with his telescope?

the planet Neptune

Why doesn't Mars have active volcanoes today?

the planet lost its internal heat to cold space

The moon and the sun are almost exactly the same angular size in our sky. The ratio of "actual size divided by distance" for the sun, then, must be _____ the ratio of "actual size divided by distance" for the moon.

the same as

Suppose a balloon is slowly letting out air (and becoming smaller), at the same time it is being brought closer to an observer. According to the small angle equation, the angular size of the balloon will ...

there's not enough information to say for sure


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