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Astronomy 1101 Final

Terms in this set (140)

What is the difference between visible light and X-rays?
A.Speed; X-rays go faster than visible light.
B. Speed; X-rays go slower than visible light.
C. Wavelength; X-rays have a shorter wavelength than visible light.
E. Wavelength; X-rays have a longer wavelength than visible light.
C. WAVELENGTH; X-RAYS HAVE A SHORTER WAVELENGTH THAN VISIBLE LIGHT.
The color of visible light is determined by its
A. speed.
B. wavelength.
C. mass.
D. distance from you.
E. size.
B. WAVELENGTH
How do the wavelength and frequency of red light compare to the wavelength and
frequency of blue light?
A. Red light has a longer wavelength and higher frequency than blue light.
B. Red light has a longer wavelength and lower frequency than blue light.
C. Red light has a shorter wavelength and higher frequency than blue light.
D. Red light has a shorter wavelength and lower frequency than blue light.
B. RED LIGHT HAS A LONGER WAVELENGTH AND LOWER FREQUENCY THAN BLUE LIGHT.
What does amplitude reveal about light?
A. wavelength
B. frequency
C. speed
D. brightness
D. BRIGHTNESS
Which of the following photons carries the smallest amount of energy?
A. a blue photon of the visible spectrum, whose wavelength is 450 nm
B. an infrared photon, whose wavelength is 105 m
C. a red photon in the visible spectrum, whose wavelength is 700 nm
D. a microwave photon, whose wavelength is 102
m
E. an ultraviolet photon, whose wavelength is 300 nm
D. a microwave photon, whose wavelength is 102
m
Which of the following lists different types of electromagnetic radiation in order
from the shortest wavelength to the longest wavelength?
A. radio waves, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, X-rays
B. gamma rays, ultraviolet, visible, infrared, radio waves
C. gamma rays, X-rays, infrared, visible, ultraviolet
D. X-rays, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, radio waves
E. radio waves, ultraviolet, visible, infrared, gamma rays
B. GAMMA RAYS, ULTRA VIOLET, VISIBLE, INFRARED, RADIO WAVES
If the frequency of a beam of light were to increase, its period would _________
and its wavelength would _________.
A. decrease; increase
B. increase; decrease
C. increase; increase
D. decrease; decrease
E. stay the same; stay the same
C. INCREASES; INCREASES
As wavelength increases, the energy of a photon _____ and its frequency _____.
A. increases; decreases
B. increases; increases
C. decreases; decreases
D. decreases; increases
C. DECREASES; DECREASES
If the wavelength of a beam of light were to double, how would that affect its
frequency?
A. The frequency would be four times higher.
B. The frequency would be two times higher.
C. The frequency would be two times lower.
D. The frequency would be four times lower.
E. There is no relationship between wavelength and frequency
C. THE FREQUENCY WOULD BE TWO TIMES LOWER
When an electron moves from a higher energy level in an atom to a lower energy
level,
A. the atom is ionized.
B. a continuous spectrum is emitted.
C. a photon is emitted.
D. a photon is absorbed.
E. the electron loses mass
C. A PHOTON IS EMITTED
If the Sun instantaneously stopped giving off light, what would happen on the
day-side of Earth?
A. It would immediately get dark.
B. It would get dark 8.3 minutes later.
C. It would get dark 27 minutes later.
D. It would get dark 1 hour later.
E. It would get dark 24 hours later
B. IT WOULD GET DARK 8.3 MINUTES LATER
Why is a neutral iron atom a different element than a neutral carbon atom?
A. A carbon atom has fewer neutrons in its nucleus than an iron atom.
B. An iron atom has more protons in its nucleus than a carbon atom.
C. An iron atom has more electrons than a carbon atom.
D. A carbon atom is bigger than an iron atom.
C. AN IRON ATOM HAS MORE ELECTRONS THAN A CARBON ATOM
Which of these stars would have the biggest redshift?
A. a star moving at low speed toward you
B. a star moving at high speed toward you
C. a star moving at low speed away from you
D. a star moving at high speed away from you
E. a star that is not moving away from you or toward you
D. A STAR MOVING AT HIGH SPEED AWAY FROM YOU
• A spaceship is traveling from planet B on the left, toward planet A on the right.
The spaceship is traveling at a speed of 15,000 km/s to the left while it sends out a
signal with a wavelength of 4 m. If astronomers living on planets A and B
measure the radio waves coming from the spaceship, what wavelengths will they
measure?
A. Planet A measures 6 m, and planet B measures 2 m.
B. Planet A measures 4.2 m, and planet B measures 3.8 m.
C. Planet A measures 3.8 m, and planet B measures 4.2 m.
D.Both Planet A and planet B measure 4 m.
D. BOTH PLANETS MEASURE 4M
As a blackbody's temperature increases, it also becomes _________ and
_________.
A. more luminous; redder
B. more luminous; bluer
C. less luminous; redder
D. less luminous; bluer
E. more luminous; stays the same color
B. MORE LUMINOUS; REDDER
You observe a red star and a blue star and are able to determine that they are the
same size. Which star has a higher surface temperature, and which star is more
luminous?
A. The red star has a higher surface temperature and more luminous.
B. The red star has a higher surface temperature, and the blue star is more
luminous.
C. The blue star has a higher surface temperature and more luminous.
D. The blue star has a higher surface temperature, and the red star is more
luminous.
E. They have the same luminosities and temperatures
C. THE BLUE STAR HAS A HIGHER SURFACE TEMPERATURE AND MORE LUMINOUS.
Why do some stars in the sky appear blue, whereas other stars appear red?
A. The red stars have higher surface temperatures than the blue stars.
B. The blue stars have higher surface temperatures than the red stars.
C. The blue stars are closer to us than the red stars.
D. The red stars are closer to us than the blue stars.
E. The blue stars are moving toward us, while red stars are moving away
from us.
B. THE BLUE STARS HAVE HIGHER SURFACE TEMPERATURES THAN THE RED STARS.
Star A and star B appear equally bright in the sky. Star A is twice as far away
from Earth as star B. How does the luminosity of stars A and B compare?
A. Star A is twice as luminous as star B.
B. Star B is twice as luminous as star A.
C. Star A is four times as luminous as star B.
D. Star B is four times as luminous as star A.
E. Stars A and B have the same luminosity.
C. STAR A IS FOUR TIMES AS LUMINOUS AS STAR B.
A black car left in the sunlight becomes hotter than a white car left in the sunlight
under the same conditions because
A. the white car absorbs more sunlight than the black car.
B. the white car reflects more sunlight than the black car.
C. the black car absorbs only blue photons and reflects red photons, whereas
the white car absorbs only red photons and reflects blue photons.
D. the atoms in the black car are smaller than the atoms in the white car.
B. THE WHITE CAR REFLECTS MORE SUNLIGHT THAN THE BLACK CAR.
Which of the following factors does not directly influence the temperature of a
planet?
A. the luminosity of the Sun
B. the distance of the planet from the Sun
C. the albedo of the planet
D. the size of the planet
E. the atmosphere of the planet
D. THE SIZE OF THE PLANET
Which of the following was not discovered by Galileo using a telescope?
A. The Moon has a heavily cratered surface.
B. Jupiter has four moons that orbit around it.
C. Mars has a polar ice cap similar to Earth.
D. The planet Venus goes through phases similar to those of the Moon.
E. The Milky Way is a collection of countless numbers of individual stars.
C. MARS HAS A POLAR ICE CAP SIMILAR TO EARTH.
The aperture of a telescope is which of the following?
A. the length of the telescope
B. the diameter of the telescope tube
C. the diameter of the primary lens/mirror
D. the radius of the primary lens/mirror
E. the diameter of the secondary mirror
C. THE DIAMETER OF THE PRIMARY LENS/MIRROR
A prism is able to spread white light out into a spectrum of colors based on the
property of
A. reflection.
B. refraction.
C. magnification.
D. resolution.
E. aberration.
B. REFRACTION
Before charge-coupled devices (CCDs) were invented, what was the device most
commonly used for imaging with optical telescopes?
A. Polaroid cameras
B. photographic glass plates
C. 35-mm film
D. high-speed film
E. video cameras
B. PHOTOGRAPHIC GLASS PLATES
The major advantage CCDs have over other imaging techniques is that
A. they have a higher quantum efficiency.
B. they have a linear response to light.
C. they yield output in digital format.
D. they operate at visible and near-infrared wavelengths.
E. all of the above
E. ALL OF THE ABOVE
Which of the following is not a reason to put a telescope in space?
A. to observe at wavelengths blocked by Earth's atmosphere
B. to avoid light-pollution on Earth
C. to avoid weather on Earth
D. to avoid atmospheric distortion
E. to get closer to the stars
E. TO GET CLOSER TO THE STARS
Landers, rovers, and/or atmospheric probes have visited which object(s) listed
below in an effort to gain new information about our Solar System?
A. Jupiter
B. Titan, Saturn's moon
C. Mars
D. Eros, an asteroid
E. all of the above
E. ALL OF THE ABOVE
Which planet receives the least amount of energy from the Sun?
A. Jupiter
B. Earth
C. Neptune
D. Saturn
E. Uranus
C. NEPTUNE
Which of these planets has a composition that is most like the Sun?
A. Uranus
B. Saturn
C. Neptune
D. Jupiter
E. Earth
B. SATURN
Why are Jupiter and Saturn not perfectly spherical?
A. They formed from the collision of two large planetesimals.
B. They rotate rapidly.
C. They have storms that develop preferentially along their equators.
D. They have very active auroras that heat the atmospheres along the poles.
E. They have so much more gravity that the poles get pulled harder than the
equators.
A. THEY FORMED FROM THE COLLISION OF TWO LARGE PLANETESIMALS
Each season on Uranus lasts approximate 21 Earth years because
A. Uranus takes a very long time to orbit around the Sun.
B. Uranus rotates very slowly.
C. Uranus's rotational axis is tipped by 45 degrees relative to it orbital axis.
D. The greenhouse effect is ineffective in transferring heat in Uranus'
atmosphere.
E. Uranus has many strong storms
C. URANUS'S ROTATIONAL AXIS IS TIPPED BY 45 DEGREES RELATIVE TO IT ORBITAL AXIS.
A planet will have bands in its atmosphere like Jupiter and Saturn if
A. the planet is more than 3 AU from the Sun.
B. the planet rotates slowly.
C. the wind speeds vary greatly with latitude.
D. the planet has a high temperature.
E. the planet has a large mass.
C. THE WIND SPEEDS VARY GREATLY WITH LATITUDE
What causes the distinct bluish tint of the ice giants Uranus and Neptune?
A. Methane in their atmospheres preferentially absorbs the red component of the Sun's light and re-emits the blue part, giving the bluish tint.
B. Water ice in their atmospheres preferentially absorbs infrared light from
the Sun and re-emits the blue part, giving the bluish tint.
C. There is less red light from the Sun reaching ice giants at their large
distances, resulting in their bluish appearance.
D. The clouds consist of hydrocarbons producing their own light, which
comes out in the blue region of the spectrum.
A. METHANE IN THEIR ATMOSPHERES PREFERENTIALLY ABSORBS THE RED COMPONENT OF THE SUN'S LIGHT AND RE-EMITS THE BLUE PART, GIVING THE BLUISH TINT.
The poles of Uranus can have a higher temperature than its equator because
Uranus
A. has a large axial tilt relative to its equator.
B. has a high mass.
C. is mostly made of water.
D. is far from the Sun.
E. has large storms on the surface.
A. HAS A LARGE AXIAL TILT RELATIVE TO ITS EQUATOR.
We refer to some of the inner regions of Jupiter and Saturn as metallic hydrogen
because they
A. are as dense as lead.
B. are solid.
C. provide support for the upper layers of hydrogen and helium.
D. efficiently conduct electricity.
E. are found in the core like iron is found at the core of Earth
D. EFFICIENTLY CONDUCT ELECTRICITY
IF YOU COULD WATCH SATURN FORM STARTING FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM, WHICH OF THESE FEATURES OF SATURN WOULD COME TOGETHER FIRST?
A. MAGNETOSPHERE
B. METALLIC HYDROGEN
C. MOLECULAR HYDROGEN
D. ROCKY CORE
E. AMMONIA ICE
D. ROCKY CORE
Neptune and Uranus probably took longer to form than Jupiter and Saturn because
the solar nebula was _________ at the radius of Neptune and Uranus.
A. rotating faster
B. composed of rockier planetesimals
C. not as dense
D. hotter
E. colder
C. NOT AS DENSE
Which property of a moon might lead you to believe it was a captured asteroid?
A. It is tidally locked.
B. Its orbital axis is tilted by 5 degrees compared to the planet's rotational
axis.
C. It rotates in the opposite direction than its planet rotates.
D. Its surface is very smooth and lacks craters.
E. It is roughly the size of Earth's moon.
C. IT ROTATES IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION THAN ITS PLANET ROTATES
If a moon has a retrograde orbit, then it
A. orbits in the opposite direction than its planet rotates.
B. orbits in the opposite direction than its planet revolves around the Sun.
C. orbits in a clockwise direction as viewed from the planet's north pole.
D. both a and c
E. all of the above
B. ORBITS IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION THAN ITS PLANET REVOLVES AROUND THE SUN.
Cryovolcanism occurs when
A. molten lava freezes when it reaches the surface because of extremely low
temperatures.
B. volcanoes erupt underwater.
C. an icy moon has volcanoes emitting molten lava from deep underground.
D. low-temperature liquids explode through the surface because of increasing pressure underground.
E. a comet hits an object and causes volcanic eruptions.
D. LOW-TEMPERATURE LIQUIDS EXPLODE THROUGH THE SURFACE BECAUSE OF INCREASING PRESSURE UNDERGROUND.
Which giant planets have rings?
A. All of them
B. Only Jupiter and Saturn
C. Only Saturn
D. None of them
A. ALL OF THEM
Extremophiles on Earth have been found
A. in the scalding waters of Yellowstone's hot springs.
B. in the bone-dry oxidizing environment of Chile's Atacama Desert.
C. in the Dead Sea.
D. in the deep subsurface ice of the Antarctic ice sheet.
E. all of the above
E. ALL OF THE ABOVE
Suppose we discover a comet whose orbit was very highly eccentric, retrograde,
had a very large tilt with respect to the ecliptic plane, and a period of 2,000 years.
Where is the most likely place of origin for this comet?
A. the Kuiper Belt
B. the Oort Cloud
C. the asteroid belt
D. the Jovian family
E. outside the Solar System
B. THE OORT CLOUD
The meteoroids in the Leonids meteor shower, which occurs every November,
come from
A. dust in the star-forming Leo nebula.
B. dust melted off Comet Tempel-Tuttle.
C. debris from the collision of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9.
D. zodiacal dust.
E. dust blown off of Earth's surface
B. DUST MELTED OFF COMET TEMPEL-TUTTLE
Antarctica is the best hunting ground for meteorites for all of the following
reasons except
A. the ground is covered with ice.
B. more meteorites fall there than on other locations on Earth.
C. few native rocks are found on the glaciers.
D. meteorites are protected from weathering and contamination there.
E. by searching at different depths in the ice you can determine the history of
impacts over time
B. MORE METEORITES FALL THERE THAN ON OTHER LOCATIONS ON EARTH.
Density, temperature, and pressure increase as you move inward in the interior of
the Sun. This means that the weight of the star pushing inward at a given radius
_________ as you move inward toward the core.
A. increases
B. decreases
C. stays the same
D. There is not enough information to answer.
A. INCREASES
What do astronomers mean when they say that the Sun makes energy by
hydrogen burning?
A. The Sun is combusting hydrogen in a fire and releasing energy.
B. The Sun is fusing hydrogen into uranium and releasing energy.
C. The Sun is made of mostly hydrogen at very high temperature.
D. The Sun is fusing hydrogen into helium and releasing energy.
E. The Sun is accumulating hydrogen from the solar wind and releasing
energy
D. THE SUN IS FUSING HYDROGEN INTO HELIUM AND RELEASING ENERGY
Which of the following is not a result of an increase in solar activity?
A. The altitudes of orbiting satellites decrease.
B. Airplanes have trouble navigating.
C. Stronger auroras are seen.
D. Power grids can be damaged.
E. None of the above; all of these are caused by increased solar activity
E. NONE OF THE ABOVE; ALL OF THESE ARE CAUSED BY INCREASED SOLAR ACTIVITY
The Sun's internal magnetic field becomes tangled up over time because of
A. coronal holes.
B. coronal mass ejections.
C. differential rotation.
D. temperature changes in the Sun's core.
E. all of the above
C. DIFFERENTIAL ROTATION
What advantage do you gain by having two eyes that are separated on your face,
rather than being very close together?
A. better collecting area, which allows you to see dimmer objects
B. double vision, which allows you to see multiple objects at once
C. color vision, which allows you to determine temperatures
D. stereoscopic vision, which allows you to determine distances
E. better magnification, which allows you to see smaller objects
D. STEREOSCOPIC VISION, WHICH ALLOWS YOU TO DETERMINE DISTANCES
Stars with a larger brightness must be
A. closer to us than fainter stars.
B. larger in size than fainter stars.
C. intrinsically brighter than fainter stars.
D. any combination of the above.
C. INTRINSICALLY BRIGHTER THAN FAINTER STARS.
Which spectral type has the strongest hydrogen absorption lines?
A. O
B. B
C. A
D. M
A. O
Which sequence correctly lists the spectral classes of stars in order from hottest to
coolest?
A. A B F G K M O
B. O A B G F M K
C. A F O B M G K
D. O B A F G K M
E. M K G F A B O
D. OBAFGKM
What spectral class is the Sun?
A. A0
B. B7
C. F5
D. M3
E. G2
E. G2
Which stars are the most common?
A. Stars with a mass and a radius larger than the Sun's are the most common.
B. Stars with a smaller mass and radius than the Sun's are most common.
C. Stars with a mass larger than the Sun's and a radius smaller than the Sun's
are the most common.
D. Stars with a mass smaller than the Sun's and a radius larger than the Sun's
are the most common.
E. All of the above are equally common.
B. STARS WITH A SMALLER MASS AND RADIUS THAT THE SUN'S ARE MOST COMMON
Main-sequence stars range in mass from approximately
A. 0.5 to 10 M.
B. 0.08 to 150 M.
C. 1 to 100 M.
D. to 75 M.
E. 5 to 50 M.
B. 0.08 TO 150 M
The Hertzsprung-Russell diagram is a graph of _________ for stars.
A. mass versus brightness
B. size versus mass
C. luminosity versus temperature
D. mass versus spectral type
E. luminosity versus brightness
C. LUMINOSITY VERSUS TEMPERATURE
Any of the following properties could be plotted on the horizontal axis of an H-R
diagram except for:
A. Color
B. Luminosity
C. Temperature
D. Spectral class
E. All of the above are plotted on the horizontal axis of an H-R diagram.
B. LUMINOSITY
In which region of an H-R diagram would you find the main-sequence stars with
the closest habitable zones?
A. upper left
B. upper right
C. center
D. lower left
E. lower right
A. UPPER LEFT
The habitable zone for the Sun covers the area that is between _________ from
the Sun.
A. 0 to 0.8 AU
B. 0.5 to 10 AU
C. 1.2 to 4.2 AU
D. 0.9 to 1.4 AU
E. 0.2 to 10.2 AU
D. 0.9 TO 1.4 AU
Why was the comet or asteroid impact 65 million years ago (ironically) an event
that benefited the evolution of humans?
A. It deposited a significant amount of nitrogen into the Earth's atmosphere.
B. It led to an increase in global UV radiation, which killed off most of the
forests and jungles.
C. Mammals got an evolutionary boost.
D. Plant life began to decline.
E. It brought human DNA to Earth
C. MAMMALS GOT AN EVOLUTIONARY BOOST
Which of the following is not a property of life known on Earth?
A. It has evolved.
B. It is self-sufficient, since it has its own internal source of energy
C. It is capable of reproduction.
D. It involves carbon-based chemistry.
E. It uses water as a biological solvent.
B. IT IS SELF-SUFFICIENT, SINCE IT HAS ITS OWN INTERNAL SOURCE OF ENERGY
The earliest life-forms on Earth likely appeared
A. within a billion years after the formation of the Solar System.
B. 3.65 billion years after the formation of the Solar System.
C. 4.6 billion years ago.
D. 250 million years ago.
E. 20 million years ago.
A. WITHIN A BILLION YEARS AFTER THE FORMATION OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM
Which of the following is not an example of extremophiles?
A. organisms that thrive at high temperatures
B. organisms that thrive without light
C. organisms that photosynthesize
D. organisms that thrive in highly acidic environments
E. organisms that thrive in environments with high radiation levels
C. ORGANISMS THAT PHOTOSYNTHESIZE
If you travel in your time machine 2 billion years back in time. What would
happen?
A. You would see dinosaurs roaming Earth.
B. You would see forests and insects everywhere on Earth.
C. You probably would be killed by the ongoing heavy bombardment of
Earth.
D. You would probably die due to the severe scarcity of oxygen.
E. You would be floating in space because, Earth hadn't formed yet
D. YOU WOULD PROBABLY DIE DUE TO THE SEVERE SCARCITY OF OXYGEN
If we model the history of the Earth as a single calendar year, on what day would
the dinosaurs be wiped out by a large asteroid or comet?
A. Christmas Day
B. Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving)
C. Easter Sunday
D. The Forth of July
E. New Years Eve, around 11:45pm
B. BLACK FRIDAY (THE DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING)
Which one of the following is not an element commonly found in living
organisms?
A. helium
B. hydrogen
C. oxygen
D. phosphorus
E. nitrogen
A. HELIUM
Which element is not represented in the acronym SPONCH?
A. Hydrogen
B. Nitrogen
C. Oxygen
D. Carotene
E. Phosphorous
D. CAROTENE
The Drake equation estimates the number of
A. exoplanets in the Milky Way
B. exoplanets in their respective habitable zones
C. extraterrestrial life forms within the Milky Way, capable of communication
D. advanced civilizations that would self-destruct
E. planets with a high Earth index of similarity (EIS)
C. EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE FORMS WITHIN THE MILKY WAY, CAPABLE OF COMMUNICATION
• Which of the following Solar System objects is not a good candidate for future
searches for life?
A. Mars, because it once had liquid water on the surface
B. Jupiter's moon Europa, because it appears to have liquid water under its
frozen surface
C. Saturn's moon Titan, because it has an atmosphere containing many organic molecules
D. Venus, because it can host extremophiles
E. Saturn's moon Enceladus, because its cryovolcanoes indicate that it has
liquid water under the surface
D. VENUS, BECAUSE IT CAN HOST EXTREMOPHILES
If we wanted to look for other civilizations within the Milky Way, where should
we look?
A. near high-mass stars, because they live longer
B. near low-mass stars, because their habitable zones are farther from their
stars
C. near the galactic center, because the higher temperature makes life more
likely
D. far from the galactic center, because planets are less exposed to harmful
gamma rays and X-rays coming from the galactic center
E. in the halo of the Milky Way, because stars in the halo have more heavy
elements than stars in the disk
D. FAR FROM THE GALACTIC CENTER, BECAUSE PLANETS ARE LESS EXPOSED TO HARMFUL GAMMA RAYS AND X-RAYS COMING FROM THE GALACTIC CENTER
If future exploration of the moons of Jupiter and Saturn discover primitive life
forms, it would imply a __________ probability of finding an advanced
civilization somewhere else in the Milky Way because
____________________________________.
A. higher; it shows that life can exist in environments that are very different
from those found on Earth
B. higher; it would show that life can survive travel through space after
leaving the Earth
C. much lower; primitive life forms have nothing to do with the existence of
advanced civilizations
D. decreased; it would show that primitive life forms outside the Earth cannot
evolve into more complex species
E. decreased; it would show that primitive life forms are far more common
than advanced ones
A. HIGHER; IT SHOWS THAT LIFE CAN EXIST IN ENVIRONMENTS THAT ARE VERY DIFFERENT FROM THOSE FOUND ON EARTH
Which of the following bodies of the Solar System has not yet been landed upon
by spacecraft?
A. Europa
B. Titan
C. Moon
D. Mars
E. Venus
A. EUROPA
The Solar System body to which humans have dedicated the largest number of
landing missions so far is
A. Europa.
B. Titan.
C. Enceladus.
D. Mars.
E. Venus
D. MARS
What does "habitable zone around a star" mean in the current framework of the
search for exoplanets?
A. the region around the star where the inhabitants of nearby planetary
systems can safely visit
B. the region around the star where planetary temperatures would not be too
hot or too cold and liquid water could exist
C. the region around the star where planets have icy moons
D. the region around the star where planets can form an atmosphere
E. the region around the star where intelligent civilization are not exposed to
harmful doses of radiation
B. THE REGION AROUND THE STAR WHERE PLANETARY TEMPERATURES WOULD NOT BE TOO HOT OR TOO COLD AND LIQUID WATER COULD EXIST
•The ability of a celestial body to retain an atmosphere would depend mainly on
which of the following properties?
A. mass and size
B. age and composition
C. presence of life forms on it
D. tilt of the axis of rotation
E. period of rotation
A. MASS AND SIZE
•Planets that are close to their stars may lack the day-night cycle due to
A. having a large fraction of the sky covered by the stellar disk.
B. being tidally locked.
C. having short orbital periods.
D. lacking an atmosphere.
E. lacking moons
B. BEING TIDALLY LOCKED
Scientists define the habitable zone in our Solar System as being (roughly) bracketed
by the orbits of
A. Mercury and Mars.
B. Mercury and the main asteroid belt.
C. Venus and Mars.
D. Earth and Saturn.
E. Earth and comets in the trans-Neptunian region.
C. VENUS AND MARS
•Why are the high-mass stars less likely to have planets with advanced/intelligent life
forms?
A. High-mass stars are short-lived; hence evolution has less time to happen.
B. High-mass stars are too big, and their habitable zone is very narrow.
C. High-mass stars are too hot, and their habitable zone is too far from them.
D. High-mass stars are too blue, and intelligent life forms can see only white
light.
E. High-mass stars don't form planets around them.
A. HIGH-MASS STARS ARE SHORT-LOVES; HENCE EVOLUTION HAS LESS TIME TO HAPPEN
Based on what you know of the Earth's evolutionary timeline, what percent of
Earthlike planets in a star cluster with an age of 2 billion years likely hosts
intelligent life?
A. 0 percent
B. 10 percent
C. 30 percent
D. 50 percent
E. 100 percent
A. 0 PERCENT
What would be the main factors determining whether water can exist in a liquid state
on the surface of a planet?
A. the presence of photosynthetic and highly intelligent life forms
B. the age and mass of the central star
C. the atmospheric pressure and temperature on the planetary surface
D. the color and temperature of the central star
E. the existence of carbon-based biology
C. THE ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE ON THE PLANETARY SURFACE
We search for intelligent life in the universe most effectively by
A. sending out spacecraft with messages on them.
B. using radio telescopes to search for radio signals.
C. monitoring ultraviolet radiation emitted by stars.
D. sending spacecraft to explore other worlds.
E. all of the above
B. USING RADIO TELESCOPES TO SEARCH FOR RADIO SIGNALS
SETI, the Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence, is an initiative developed and
supported by the federal government.
A. True
B. False
B. FALSE
Nowadays, the number of confirmed exoplanets is approaching
A. a dozen.
B. 10^6
C. 5,000.
D. 100.
E. 104
C. 5,000
People argue against the possibility of time travel by saying, "If humans will
eventually be able to travel back in time, then where are all the tourists from the
future?" This idea is similar to the ___________, only applied to time travel
instead of alien space travel.
A. Drake equation
B. cosmological principle
C. Fermi paradox
D. Urey-Miller experiment
C. FERMI PARADOX
In 1974, astronomers sent a message toward globular cluster M13. If life exists
there, and it returns our signal, we won't receive it for at least another 50,000
years. Why?
A. It will take that long for the space probe carrying our signal to reach the
life forms there.
B. Based on the age of the stars in M13, we anticipate it would take that long
for a civilization to evolve enough to interpret and respond to our signal.
C. M13 is far enough away that even light takes a very long time to reach it.
D. It will take that long before our Solar System and M13 are properly
aligned again.
E. The universe will have expanded substantially after M13 receives our
message; therefore, it will take much longer for their response to make it
back to Earth.
C. M13 IS FAR ENOUGH AWAY THAT EVEN LIGHT TAKES A VERY LONG TIME TO REACH IT.
•If the most pessimistic assumptions in the Drake equation were true, we would
A. have to wait for millions of years to get a message back from the nearest
intelligent life.
B. have to wait approximately 40 years to get a message back from the
nearest intelligent life.
C. be the only intelligent life in the universe.
D. need to concentrate on the Andromeda Galaxy when searching for
intelligent life.
E. need to concentrate on the most distant galaxies to find signs of intelligent
life
A. HAVE TO WAIT FOR MILLIONS OF YEARS TO GET A MESSAGE BACK FROM THE NEAREST INTELLIGENT LIFE.
In a simplified version of the Drake equation (N = NHabitable Planets × f
life × f civ × f now), we expect the term f
civ to be small if
A. most civilizations destroy themselves within just a few hundred years of
arising.
B. most of the civilizations that have ever existed are still out and about in the
galaxy.
C. primitive life is common but intelligent life is rare.
D. most habitable planets never actually get life on them
C. PRIMITIVE LIFE IS COMMON BUT INTELLIGENT LIFE IS RARE
In general, how does the size and location of a star's habitable zone depend on the star's mass?
A. The smaller (less massive) the star, the larger and the closer-in the
habitable zone.
B. The smaller (less massive) the star, the smaller and the closer-in the
habitable zone.
C. The smaller (less massive) the star, the larger and the farther-out the
habitable zone.
D. The habitable zone is always about the same size, but its location moves
inward for smaller stars.
B. THE SMALLER (LESS MASSIVE) THE STAR, THE SMALLER AND THE CLOSER-IN THE HABITABLE ZONE
Which of the following is not considered crucial for life to exist on some world?
A. liquid water
B. a source of energy that can be used by life
C. a source of nutrients
D. an atmosphere
A. LIQUID WATER
How did oxygen (O2) get into Earth's atmosphere?
A. It was captured from the solar nebula.
B. It was outgassed from volcanoes.
C. It came from chemical reactions with surface rocks.
D. It was released by life through the process of photosynthesis.
D. IT WAS RELEASED BY LIFE THROUGH THE PROCESS OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS
The two Voyager spacecraft carry a message from Earth, just in case an alien
civilization ever runs across them.
A. True
B. False
A. TRUE
Why is the spectral sequence of stars not alphabetical?
A. The letters refer to the initials of the original discovers.
B. The original alphabetical labeling did not correspond to surface
temperature and thus had to be reordered.
C. They were chosen to fit a mnemonic.
D. Because there is still uncertainty over what generates the energy in stellar
cores.
E. Because it refers to stellar masses and these were difficult to measure
accurately.
B. THE ORIGINAL ALPHABETICAL LABELING DID NOT CORRESPOND TO SURFACE TEMPERATURE AND THUS HAD TO BE REORDERED.
Which of the following statements about spectral types of stars is not true?
A. The spectral type of a star can be used to determine its surface
temperature.
B. The spectral type of a star can not be used to determine its color.
C. A star with spectral type A is cooler than a star with spectral type B.
D. A star with spectral type F2 is hotter than a star with spectral type F3.
E. The O spectral type is the hottest kind of star in the Galaxy
E. THE O SPECTRAL TYPE IS THE HOTTEST KIND OF STAR IN THE GALAXY
On a Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, where would we find stars that are cool and
large?
A. upper right
B. lower right
C. upper left
D. lower left
E. In the middle
A. UPPER RIGHT
Which of the following is the most common type of main-sequence star?
A. an O star
B. an A star
C. an F star
D. an M star
E. a G star
D. M STAR
A star of spectral type G lives approximately how long on the main sequence?
A. 1,000 years
B. 10,000 years
C. 1 million years
D. 100 million years
E. 10 billion years
E. 10 BILLION YEARS
All stars spend approximately the same amount of time on the main sequence.
A. True
B. False
B. FALSE
From the center outward, which of the following lists the "layers" of the Sun in
the correct order?
A. core, radiation zone, convection zone, corona, chromosphere, photosphere
B. core, corona, radiation zone, convection zone, photosphere, chromosphere
C. core, radiation zone, convection zone, photosphere, chromosphere, corona
D. core, convection zone, radiation zone, corona, chromosphere, photosphere
E. core, convection zone, radiation zone, photosphere, chromosphere, corona
C. CORE, RADIATION ZONE, CONVECTION ZONE, PHOTO SPHERE, CHROMOSPHERE, CORONA
Why do sunspots appear dark in pictures of the Sun?
A. They are too cold to emit any visible light.
B. They actually are fairly bright but appear dark against the even brighter
background of the surrounding Sun.
C. They are holes in the solar surface through which we can see to deeper,
darker layers of the Sun.
D. They are tiny black holes, absorbing all light that hits them.
E. They emit light in other wavelengths that we can't see.
B. THEY ACTUALLY ARE FAIRLY BRIGHT BUT APPEAR DARK AGAINST THE EVEN BRIGHTER BACKGROUND OF THE SURROUNDING SUN.
Suppose that, for some unknown reason, the core of the Sun suddenly became
hotter. Which of the following best describes what would happen?
A. Higher temperature would cause the rate of nuclear fusion to rise, which
would increase the internal pressure, causing the core to expand and turn
the Sun into a giant star.
B. Higher temperature would cause the rate of nuclear fusion to rise, which
would increase the internal pressure, causing the core to expand and cool
until the fusion rate returned to normal.
C. Higher temperature would cause the rate of fusion to fall, decreasing the
internal pressure and causing the core to collapse until the rate of fusion
returned to normal.
D. The higher temperature would not affect the fusion rate but would cause
the core to expand and cool until the temperature returned to normal, with
the core at a new, slightly larger size.
B. HIGHER TEMPERATURE WOULD CAUSE THE RATE OF NUCLEAR FUSION TO RISE, WHICH WOULD INCREASE THE INTERNAL PRESSURE, CAUSING THE CORE TO EXPAND AND TURN THE SUN INTO A GIANT STAR.
Most of the energy produced in the Sun is released in the form of visible light
from the photosphere. However, some energy is released from the upper layers of the solar atmosphere. Which of the following best describes where other forms of
light are released?
A. The chromosphere is the source of ultraviolet light, and the corona is the
source of X rays.
B. The chromosphere is the source of infrared light, and the corona is the
source of ultraviolet light.
C. The chromosphere is the source of X rays, and the corona is the source of
radio waves.
D. The convection zone is the source of ultraviolet light, and the upper
photosphere is the source of X rays.
E. Radio waves can pass directly through the gas which allows us to see the
core.
A. THE CHROMOSPHERE IS THE SOURCE OF ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, AND THE CORONA IS THE SOURCE OF X-RAYS
Which of the following statements about the sunspot cycle is not true?
A. The number of sunspots peaks approximately every 11 years.
B. With each subsequent peak in the number of sunspots, the magnetic
polarity of the Sun is the reverse of the previous peak.
C. The rate of nuclear fusion in the Sun peaks about every 11 years.
D. The cycle is truly a cycle of magnetic activity, and variations in the
number of sunspots are only one manifestation of the cycle.
E. The number of solar flares peaks about every 11 years.
C. THE RATE OF NUCLEAR FUSION IN THE SUN PEAKS ABOUT EVERY 11 YEARS
What processes are involved in the sunspot cycle?
A. gravitational contraction of the Sun
B. wave motions in the solar interior
C. variations of the solar thermostat
D. the winding of magnetic field lines due to differential rotation
E. the interaction of the Earth's magnetic field with that of the Sun
D. THE WINDING OF MAGNETIC FIELD LINES DUE TO DIFFERENTIAL ROTATION
The Sun generates energy primarily by nuclear fission.
A. True
B. False
B. FALSE
Nuclear power plants on Earth do not create energy in the same way as the Sun.
A. True
B. False
A. TRUE
The core of the Sun is at a temperature of about 20,000 K
A. True
B. False
B. FALSE
The Sun will exhaust its nuclear fuel in about
A. 5000 AD.
B. 5 million years.
C. 5 billion years.
D. 50 billion years.
C. 5 BILLION YEARS
To estimate the central temperature of the Sun, scientists
A. send probes to measure the temperature.
B. use hot gas to create a small Sun in a laboratory.
C. monitor changes in Earth's atmosphere.
D. use computer models to predict interior conditions
D. USE COMPUTER MODELS TO PREDICT INTERIOR CONDITIONS
How does the Sun's mass compare to Earth's mass?
A. The Sun's mass is about 300 times the mass of Earth.
B. The Sun's mass is about 30 times the mass of Earth.
C. The Sun's mass is about 300,000 times the mass of Earth.
D. Both have approximately the same mass.
E. The Sun is a plasma, so it has no mass.
C. THE SUN'S MASS IS ABOUT 300,000 TIMES THE MASS OF EARTH
The Sun's surface seethes and churns with a bubbling pattern. Why?
o The Sun's surface is boiling.
o The churning gas is being stirred up by the strong solar wind.
o The churning is an illusion created by varying radiation, as the gas on the
Sun's surface is actually quite still.
o We are seeing hot gas rising and cool gas falling due to the convection that
occurs beneath the surface
D. WE ARE SEEING HOT GAS RISING AND COOL GAS FALLING DUE TO THE CONVECTION THAT OCCURS BENEATH THE SURFACE.
Which of the following correctly compares the Sun's energy generation process to
the energy generation process in human-built nuclear power plants?
o Both processes involve nuclear fusion, but the Sun fuses hydrogen while
nuclear power plants fuse uranium.
o The Sun generates energy through nuclear reactions while nuclear power
plants generate energy through chemical reactions.
o The Sun generates energy through fission while nuclear power plants
generate energy through fusion.
o The Sun generates energy by fusing small nuclei into larger ones, while
our power plants generate energy by the fission (splitting) of large nuclei.
D. THE SUN GENERATES ENERGY BY FUSING SMALL NUCLEI INTO LARGER ONES, WHILE OUR POWER PLANTS GENERATE ENERGY BY THE FISSION (SPLITTING) OF LARGE NUCLEI
Every second, the Sun converts about 600 million tons of hydrogen into 596
million tons of helium. The remaining 4 million tons of mass is
A. ejected into space in a solar wind.
B. ejected into space by solar flares.
C. converted to an amount of energy equal to 4 million tons times the speed
of light squared.
D. reabsorbed as molecular hydrogen
C. CONVERTED TO AN AMOUNT OF ENERGY EQUAL TO 4 MILLION TONS TIMES THE SPEED OF LIGHT SQUARED.
The first planets around other Sun-like stars were discovered
A. by Cassini, following his realization that other stars are Suns.
B. by Galileo following the invention of the telescope.
C. at the turn of last century.
D. about two decades ago.
E. at the turn of this century
D. ABOUT TWO DECADES AGO
Which of the following methods has not yet detected planets around other stars?
A. detecting the gravitationally lensed light by a massive object in front of a
planetary system
B. detecting the periodic Doppler shifts in a star's spectrum
C. detecting the light from the planet itself by expertly blocking out the light
of the host star
D. detecting the decrease in light as a planet transits a star
E. All of the above have succeeded.
C. DETECTING THE LIGHT FROM THE PLANET ITSELF BY EXPERTLY BLOCKING OUT THE LIGHT OF THE HOST STAR
Most of the planets discovered around other stars
A. are more massive than Earth and orbit very far from the star.
B. are more massive than Earth and orbit very close to the star.
C. are less massive than Earth and orbit very far from the star.
D. are less massive than Earth and orbit very close to the star.
E. are found around high-mass stars.
B. ARE MORE MASSIVE THAN EARTH AND ORBIT VERY CLOSE TO THE STAR
By itself, the Doppler technique provides a measure of a planet's
A. Minimum mass.
B. radius.
C. Tectonic activity.
D. orbital period.
E. Both A and D
A. MINIMUM MASS
The transit method of planet detection works best for
A. big planets in edge-on orbits around small stars.
B. big planets in face-on orbits around small stars.
C. small planets in edge-on orbits around big stars.
D. small planets in face-on orbits around big stars.
E. Earth-like planets in any orbit.
A. BIG PLANETS IN EDGE-ON ORBITS AROUND SMALL STARS
A planet is detected via the Doppler technique. The velocity change of the star is a
measure of
A. the planet's size and density.
B. the planet's mass and orbital distance.
C. the planet's mass and composition.
D. the planet's orbital period and eccentricity.
E. the planet's size and orbital distance
B. THE PLANET'S MASS AND ORBITAL DISTANCE
The depth of the dip in a star's brightness due to the transit of a planet depends
most directly on
A. the planet's mass.
B. the planet's density.
C. the planet's size.
D. the size of the planet's orbit.
E. the eccentricity of the planet's orbit.
C. THE PLANET'S SIZE
Why are many of the newly detected extrasolar planets called "hot Jupiters"?
A. Their masses and composition are similar to what we would expect if
Jupiter were hotter.
B. The planets tend to be detected around more massive, hotter stars than our Sun.
C. Their masses are similar to Jupiter but they are very close to the central
star and therefore hot.
D. Their masses are similar to Jupiter but their composition is similar to
Mercury.
E. The discovery of other planets is very exciting.
C. THEIR MASSES ARE SIMILAR TO JUPITER BUT THEY ARE VERY CLOSE TO THE CENTRAL STAR AND THEREFORE HOT
Prior to 2009, most known exoplanets were discovered by
A. the astrometric technique.
B. the Doppler technique.
C. the transit technique.
D. the Hubble Space Telescope.
B. THE DOPPLER TECHNIQUE
How does the Kepler mission look for planets around other stars?
A. It looks for Doppler shifts in stellar spectra.
B. It takes low-resolution photographs of planets orbiting nearby stars.
C. It looks for slight back and forth shifts in a star's position in our sky.
D. It looks for slight changes in a star's brightness that repeat at regular
intervals.
D. IT LOOKS FOR SLIGHT CHANGES IN A STAR'S BRIGHTNESS THAT REPEAT AT REGULAR INTERVALS
Which of the following is not expected for a "hot Jupiter" that orbits 0.05 AU
from its star?
A. cloudtop temperatures over 1000 K
B. intense volcanism
C. clouds made of rock dust
D. density similar to or lower than Jupiter's
B. INTENSE VOLCANISM
• What is a meteorite?
A. a streak of light caused by a star moving across the sky
B. a streak of light caused by a small particle from space burning up in
Earth's atmosphere
C. a fragment of an asteroid from the solar system that has fallen to Earth's
surface
D. a small moon that orbits one of the giant planets
E. a comet that burns up in Earth's atmosphere
C. A FRAGMENT OF AN ASTEROID FROM THE SOLAR SYSTEM THAT HAS FALLEN TO EARTH'S SURFACE
A typical shooting star in a meteor shower is caused by a ________ entering
Earth's atmosphere.
A. boulder-size particle from an asteroid
B. boulder-size particle from a comet
C. pea-size particle from an asteroid
D. pea-size particle from a comet
E. microscopic particle of interstellar dust
D. PEA-SIZE PARTICLE FROM A COMET
Why does the plasma tail of a comet always point away from the Sun?
A. The solar wind electromagnetically "blows" the ions directly away from
the Sun.
B. Radiation pressure from the Sun's light pushes the ions away.
C. The conservation of the angular momentum of the tail keeps it always
pointing away from the Sun.
D. Gases from the comet, heated by the Sun, push the tail away from the Sun.
E. It is allergic to sunlight.
A. THE SOLAR WIND ELECTROMAGNETICALLY "BLOWS" THE IONS DIRECTLY AWAY FROM THE SUN.
The number of comets in the Oort cloud is probably about
A. a thousand.
B. a million.
C. a billion.
D. a trillion.
E. a quintillion.
D. A TRILLION
On average, how often do impactors about 10 km in size, large enough to produce
mass extinction, hit Earth?
A. once every century
B. once every thousand years
C. once every million years
D. once every hundred million years
E. once in Earth's history
D. ONCE EVERY HUNDRED MILLION YEARS
A spacecraft traveling through the asteroid belt has a high risk of being destroyed
through a collision.
A. True
B. False
B. FALSE
Pluto's gravity affects the orbit of Uranus, and this fact was used to discover
Pluto.
A. True
B. False
B. FALSE
Why is Saturn almost as big as Jupiter, despite its smaller mass?
A. Jupiter's greater mass compresses it more, thus increasing its density.
B. Saturn's rings make the planet look bigger.
C. Saturn is further from the Sun, thus cooler, and therefore less compact.
D. Saturn has a larger proportion of hydrogen and helium than Jupiter, and is
therefore less dense.
E. Jupiter's strong magnetic field constrains its size.
A. JUPITER'S GREATER MASS COMPRESSES IT MORE, THUS INCREASING ITS DENSITY
Why are there no impact craters on the surface of Io?
A. It is too small to have been bombarded by planetesimals in the early solar system.
B. Jupiter's strong gravity attracted the planetesimals more strongly than Io
and thus none landed on its surface.
C. Io did have impact craters but they have all been buried in lava flows.
D. Any craters that existed have been eroded through the strong winds on Io's
surface.
E. Io's thick atmosphere obscures the view of the craters.
C. IO DID HAVE IMPACT CRATERS BUT THEY HAVE ALL BEEN BURIED IN LAVA FLOWS.
What causes synchronous rotation?
A. Most jovian moons were formed out of their planet's nebula with the same
rotational period as their parent planet.
B. Most jovian moons were formed out of their planet's nebula with the same
orbital period.
C. A massive planet exerts a tidal force on a moon that causes the moon to
obtain the same rotational period as its parent planet.
D. A massive planet exerts a tidal force on a moon that causes the moon to
align itself such that its tidal bulges always point toward and away from
the planet.
E. orbital resonances with other moons
D. A MASSIVE PLANET EXERTS A TIDAL FORCE ON A MOON THAT CAUSES THE MOON TO ALIGN ITSELF SUCH THAT ITS TIDAL BULGES ALWAYS POINT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE PLANET.
Which of the following is not due to tidal forces?
A. the synchronous rotation of the Moon around Earth
B. the volcanos on Io (a moon of Jupiter)
C. the rings of Saturn
D. the grooved terrain of Enceladus (a moon of Saturn)
E. the retrograde orbit of Triton (a moon of Neptune)
E. THE RETROGRADE TERRAIN OF TRITON ( A MOON OF NEPTUNE)
Planetary rings are
A. nearer to their planet than any of the planet's large moons.
B. orbiting in the equatorial plane of their planet.
C. composed of a large number of individual particles that orbit their planet
in accord with Kepler's third law.
D. known to exist for all of the jovian planets.
E. all of the above
E. ALL OF THE ABOVE
Which of the following planets cannot be seen with the naked eye?
A. Venus
B. Mars
C. Jupiter
D. Saturn
E. Neptune
E. NEPTUNE
We can see each other in the classroom right now because we
A. emit thermal radiation.
B. emit visible light.
C. emit infrared light.
D. reflect visible light.
E. reflect infrared light.
D. REFLECT VISIBLE LIGHT
You observe a distant star. You find that a spectral line normally found in the
visible part of the spectrum is shifted toward the infrared. What do you conclude?
A. The star is moving away from you.
B. The star is moving toward you.
C. The star has very weak gravity.
D. The star is made purely of hydrogen.
E. The composition of the star is changing.
A. THE STAR IS MOVING AWAY FROM YOU
Lines of a particular element appear at the same wavelength in both emission and
absorption line spectra.
A. True
B. False
A. TRUE
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