Earth Science Astronomy Test (Study)

Front 1

What is the least dense planet in the Solar System?

Back 1

Saturn

Front 2

You are asked to make a scale model of two objects that are 50,000,000 km apart. If you used a scale of 1 m = 10,000,000 km, how far apart will the two objects be on the model?

Back 2

5m

Front 3

Order these into size ranking, from SMALLEST to LARGEST (universe, solar system, galaxy )

Back 3

1.solar system

2. galaxy

3. universe

Front 4

What is the name of our galaxy ?

Back 4

Milky Way

Front 5

If the Sun blew up right NOW, how long would it take for us to know?

Back 5

8 minutes

Front 6

Which distance is the greatest out of the following list? ( 1 parsec, 2 light-years, 1 light-year, 1 AU )

Back 6

1 parsec

Front 7

The average distance from the Earth to the Sun is approximately ....

[List 3 Answers]

Back 7

150,000,000 km

93,000,000 miles

1 AU

Front 8

This is a list of distances in Astronomy (parsec, light-year, AU). Order them from FARTHEST to SHORTEST

Back 8

1. parsec

2. Light-year

3. AU

Front 9

The average distance from Earth to the Sun is approximately...

Back 9

1 AU

Front 10

How much of the mass of our solar system is contained in the Sun?

Back 10

nearly 99 percent

Front 11

What force caused the planets to form from a nebula?

Back 11

gravity

Front 12

TRUE OR FALSE: Scientists have found evidence of extrasolar planets by looking for red and blue shifts of stars.

Back 12

True

Front 13

What color of the electromagnetic spectrum are the waves of a galaxy being shifted to if the galaxy is moving away from the center of the universe?

Back 13

red

Front 14

Scientists have discovered that galaxies in the universe show a red shift (except those closest to us). This helps to prove that the universe is...?

Back 14

expanding

Front 15

What best describes the big bang?

Back 15

the rapid expansion of matter at the beginning of the universe

Front 16

What color of the electromagnetic spectrum are the waves of a galaxy being shifted to if the galaxy is moving towards the center of the universe?

Back 16

blue

Front 17

According to the best evidence currently available, how old is the universe?

Back 17

12 to 14 billion years old

Front 18

What is a possibility for the fate of the universe?

[3 Answers]

Back 18

Stop expanding

stop expanding and begin to collapse

continue expanding forever

Front 19

What is the name given to the dispersed energy in the universe that provides evidence for the big bang?

Back 19

Cosmic Background Radiation

Front 20

Kepler developed what laws of planetary motion?

[3 Answers]

Back 20

The orbit of each planet around the Sun is an ellipse with the Sun at one focus

As a planet moves around the Sun in its orbit, it covers equal areas in equal times.

The time a planet takes to complete one orbit is related to its average distance from the Sun.

Front 21

The tilt of the Earth's rotation axis varies on...?

Back 21

Varies on a 41,000 year cycle

Front 22

What describes an ellipse whose shape is very close to a circle?

Back 22

low eccentricity and close to 0

Front 23

Why do planets move slower as they are further from the Sun?

Back 23

gravity is greater closer to the Sun, making planets move faster

Front 24

What does the precession of Earth's axis mean?

Back 24

that the axis wobbles over time

Front 25

Which of the following is NOT true about Earth's orbit?

a. Earth travels on a plane (flat geometric surface)

b. Earth travels around the Sun

c. Earth has an elliptical orbit

d. Earth's orbit remains constant

Back 25

d. Earth's orbit remains constant

Front 26

Motion

Back 26

change in position relative to a fixed reference point

Front 27

speed

Back 27

distance traveled over a certain amount of time

Front 28

velocity

Back 28

speed of an object in a given direction

Front 29

acceleration

Back 29

rate at which velocity changes

Front 30

Why doesn't the Moon crash into Earth?

Back 30

The combination of the Moon's inertia and Earth's gravitational pull keep the Moon in orbit around Earth

Front 31

Describe semidiurnal

Back 31

two high and two low each day

Front 32

Describe diurnal

Back 32

one high and one low each day

Front 33

Describe mised

Back 33

combination of semidiurnal and diurnal

Front 34

What tide occurs during a Full Moon?

Back 34

Spring Tide

Front 35

What tide occurs during a New Moon?

Back 35

Spring Tide

Front 36

What tide occurs during a First Quarter Moon?

Back 36

Neap Tide

Front 37

What tide occurs during a Third Quarter Moon?

Back 37

Neap Tide

Front 38

What tide occurs during a Waxing Gibbous Moon?

Back 38

Normal Tide

Front 39

What tide occurs during a Waning Crescent Moon?

Back 39

Normal Tide

Front 40

What tide occurs during a Waxing Crescent Moon?

Back 40

Normal Tide

Front 41

What tide occurs during a Waning Gibbous Moon?

Back 41

Normal Tide

Front 42

A _______ eclipse occurs when the _____ is in the Moon's shadow and a ____ eclipse occurs when the ______ is in the Earth's shadow.

Back 42

A solar eclipse occurs when the Earth is in the Moon's shadow and a lunar eclipse occurs when the moon is in the Earth's shadow .

Front 43

TRUE OR FALSE: It is impossible to see the Moon during daylight hours.

Back 43

False

Front 44

Why have we never seen the back sides of the Moon (besides in pictures)?

Back 44

The period of rotation for the Moon is the same as the period in which it completes its orbit.

Front 45

The force that creates the ocean tides is...?

Back 45

the gravitational attraction of the Moon and Sun

Front 46

Why does the Moon's shape change in the sky?

Back 46

The Moon's position changes with respect to Earth and the Sun

Front 47

Earth has fewer visible craters than the Moon because...?

Back 47

Craters have been destroyed by geologic processes

Front 48

When do spring tides occur?

Back 48

Twice a month

Front 49

How do comets differ from asteroids?

Back 49

They are mostly composed of masses of frozen gases

Front 50

The size of an impact crater is....?

Back 50

always bigger than the impactor

Front 51

Describe a Meteoroid

Back 51

tiny particles still in space

Front 52

Describe a Meteor

Back 52

enters Earth's atmosphere

Front 53

Describe Meteorites

[Two Answers]

Back 53

Reach Earth's surface

Add about 1000 tons of material each year to Earth

Front 54

TRUE OR FALSE?: The dinosaurs likely died out in the mass extinction 65 million years ago due to an asteroid impact.

Back 54

True

Front 55

TRUE OR FALSE? : Humans do not need to be concerned about possible asteroid and comet impacts as the vast majority of both objects have already impacted other planets in our solar system.

Back 55

False

Front 56

ASTEROID OR COMET? : Highly eccentric orbit

Back 56

asteroids and comets

Front 57

ASTEROID OR COMET? : Large inclinations

Back 57

asteroids and comets

Front 58

ASTEROID OR COMET? : mass of frozen gases and rocky particles

Back 58

comets

Front 59

ASTEROID OR COMET? : leftover from the solar system formation

Back 59

asteroids and comets

Front 60

ASTEROID OR COMET? : forms a "tail" as it gets closer to the sun and vaporizes

Back 60

comets

Front 61

rocky body smaller than planets

Back 61

asteroids

Front 62

KUIPER BELT OR OORT CLOUD? : disk shaped region

Back 62

Kuiper Belt

Front 63

KUIPER BELT OR OORT CLOUD? : contains mostly comets, but does have some asteroids

Back 63

Kuiper Belt

Front 64

KUIPER BELT OR OORT CLOUD? : beyond the Kuiper belt

Back 64

Oort Cloud

Front 65

KUIPER BELT OR OORT CLOUD? : holds billions of objects

Back 65

Oort Cloud

Front 66

KUIPER BELT OR OORT CLOUD ? : sphere shaped region

Back 66

Oort Cloud

Front 67

What best describes what Newton's prism revealed?

[3 Answers]

Back 67

Light can pass through transparent objects

light can be reflected into different wavelengths

light can be refracted into different wavelengths

Front 68

The gaseous elements ionized in the fluorescent light bulb that you observed caused the light spectrum to...?

Back 68

exhibit characteristic bright emission lines

Front 69

SPACE OR EARTH SURFACE? : gamma rays

Back 69

space

Front 70

SPACE OR EARTH SURFACE? : X-Rays

Back 70

space

Front 71

SPACE OR EARTH SURFACE? : Ultraviolet

Back 71

space

Front 72

SPACE OR EARTH SURFACE? : visible light

Back 72

both space and Earth Surface

Front 73

SPACE OR EARTH SURFACE? : infrared

Back 73

space

Front 74

SPACE OR EARTH SURFACE? : microwave

Back 74

space

Front 75

SPACE OR EARTH SURFACE? : radio

Back 75

Earth Surface

Front 76

Put the following sections of the electromagnetic spectrum into order from SHORTEST wavelength to LONGEST wavelength:

(gamma rays, radio, X-rays, microwave, ultraviolet, infrared, visible light )

Back 76

1. gamma rays

2. x-rays

3. ultraviolet

4. visible light

5. infrared

6. microwave

7. radio

Front 77

List waves in ascending levels of energy.

Back 77

microwave, infrared, visible light, x-rays

Front 78

What can spectra reveal about an object?

[3 answers]

Back 78

motion

composition

size

Front 79

Electromagnetic radiation has the properties of ....?

Back 79

both waves and particles

Front 80

What is Earth's "sunscreen"?

Back 80

ozone

Front 81

What is the name of the superheated outer part of the Sun?

Back 81

corona

Front 82

The order of colors observed in the visible light spectrum is determined by the ..?

Back 82

wavelength of the light

Front 83

A future scientist observes that the sunspot cycle has just reached a minimum. The year is 2016. On the basis of this observation, the scientist would then predict the next maximum in sunspot activity to occur in...

Back 83

2021

Front 84

Why is the sky blue?

Back 84

molecules in the atmosphere scatter visible light in the blue range

Front 85

core

Back 85

fusion occurs here- hydrogen becomes helium

Front 86

radiative zone

Back 86

energy passes through this area after leaving the core

Front 87

convective zone

Back 87

currents of gas move in convective patterns

Front 88

photosphere

Back 88

visible surface

Front 89

chromosphere

Back 89

produces most of the UV

Front 90

corona

Back 90

very hot area- can only be seen during eclipses (natural or man-made)

Front 91

If the Sun stopped producing energy, then all fusion would cease in its ....?

Back 91

core

Front 92

sunspot

Back 92

cooler, darker spot

Front 93

flare

Back 93

explosions from the surface

Front 94

solar wind

Back 94

flow of charged particles from the Sun

Front 95

Do stars exist forever?

Back 95

No

Front 96

A and B are identical stars and B is four times farther from Earth than A. Which of the following is true?

Back 96

B will not appear as bright as A

Front 97

Which type of star is on the HR Diagram from the upper left to lower right?

Back 97

main-sequence

Front 98

TRUE OR FALSE? : All elements are created in stars as they age.

Back 98

True

Front 99

What kind of star is our Sun?

Back 99

a main-sequence star

Front 100

What type of star is in the upper right corner of the HR Diagram?

Back 100

supergiants

Front 101

What will our Sun eventually become?

Back 101

red giant then white dwarf

Front 102

What determines the life cycle of a star?

Back 102

mass