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103 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Every day, the Sun...
A) Moves along the Meridian B) Rises in the West and sets in the East C) Moves along the ecliptic D) Rises in the East and sets in the West |
A)...Moves along the Meridian
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What Observations lead the Greek to believe that Earth was spherical?
A) They can see that the Earth is spherical from a tall mountain. B) They had no observational evidence, just a good guess! C) the shape of the Earth's shadow on the Moon D They had ships that went around the Earth. |
C) the shape of the Earth's shadow on the Moon
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Why did Ptolemy's model require that all the objects in the sky just barely miss each other?
A)They observed the planets passing very near each other. B) It was the only way Ptolemy could get the model to work. C) Because, why would the creator waste empty space? |
C) Because, why would the creator waste empty space?
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Under what circumstances can you find the Sun above or below the Ecliptic?
A) In the Winter B) Never C) During a Total Eclipse D) In the Summer |
B) Never
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On What day is the Sun lowest in the sky and daylight is the shortest?
A) Vernal Equinox B) Summer Solstice C) Autumnal Equinox D) Winter Solstice |
D) Winter Solstice
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In order to have a total Solar Eclipse, you need to have
A) the new moon on or near the Ecliptic B) Any full moon C) the full moon on your near the Ecliptic D) Any New Moon |
A) The new moon on or near the Ecliptic
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The Path of the Sun in the Sky relative to the background stars in known as the
A) Zeinith B) Equator C) Horizon D) Ecliptic |
D) Ecliptic
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What time of the day is the sun on the Meridian?
A) Midnight B) Noon C) Sunset D) Sunrise |
B) Noon
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What "Color" could best describe the moon at total eclipse of the Moon?
A) White B) Red C) Black D) Blue |
B) Red
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Which of these object do NOT retrograde
A) Venus B) Saturn C) Mars D) Sun |
D) Sun
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The point straight overhead is the...
A) Zenith B) Horizon C) Ecliptic D) Equator |
A) Zenith
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Why does an annular eclipse of the sun occur?
A) Some solar eclipses are annular because they occur Every year B) The moon barely misses the Sun C) the moon is at it's farthest point from the earth and is too small to cover the sun D) The sun expands and becomes too large for the moon to cover |
C) the moon is at it's farthest point from the earth and is too small to cover the sun
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He discovered that the orbits of the plants are Ellipses
A) Galileo B) Kepler C) Ptolemy D) Copernicus E) Tycho Brahe |
B) Kepler
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What was one of the contributions to astronomy made by Galileo?
A) He discovered the planets move around the sun in elliptical orbits. B) He developed a theory of gravity that could explain orbital motion. C) He said the earth was the center of the Universe D) He used telescopes to observe the heavens E) He made observations of the positions of the planet mars |
D) He used telescopes to observe the heavens
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Compared to your mass on Earth, your mass on the moon is
A) More B) Less C) The same |
C) The same
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Galileo discovered with his telescope the moons of Jupiter. This observation was to refute an argument in supper of the Ptolemaic model; which one did it challenge?
A) The Heavens are perfect B) the Earth is the Center of the Universe C) the Universe is small and finite D) None of the above |
B) the Earth is the Center of the Universe
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What is your weight in the Space Shuttle in orbit?
A) Zero B) Less than your weight on earth C) The same as your weight on earth D) More than your weight on earth |
A) Zero
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If the Earth's gravity suddenly disappeared, what would happen to the moon?
A) The moon would move away from the Earth in a straight line B) The moon would disappear C) The moon would hit the Earth D) Nothing would happen; the moon would continue to orbit the Earth |
A) The moon would move away from the Earth in a straight line
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You are standing on the floor. Your weight is actually measured by
A) What you want your weight to be! B) the force pushing you upward by the floor. C) your free fall acceleration D) the earth's gravity pulling you downward |
B) the force pushing you upward by the floor.
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What force holds you to the Earth?
A) Gravity B) Magic C) Inertia D) Hot gas shoots out from the rocket and, by Newton's third law, the shuttle moves in the opposite direction. |
A) Gravity
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You are weightless in space. You push a large spacecraft away from you. Which object has the largest acceleration?
A) The accelerations depend on the speed of the orbit B) The Spaceship C) You. D) The accelerations are equal. |
C) You.
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You are on the planet Mars. When will Jupiter retrograde?
A) Whenever it wants to. B) Jupiter will not retrograde C) When the earth passes the planet D) When Mars passes Jupiter. |
D) When Mars passes Jupiter.
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What was one of the contributions to astronomy made by Copernicus?
A) He used telescopes to observe the heavens. B) He said the Earth is not the center in the Universe C) He made observations of the positions of the planet Mars D) He developed a theory of gravity that could explain orbital motion E) He discovered that planets move around the sun in an elliptical motion. |
B) He said the Earth is not the center in the Universe
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According to Kepler's Second Law, a planet moves farther from the sun in it's orbit,
A) it changes to the focal point of the ellipse B) it slows down. C) it speeds up D) it undergoes retrograde motion. |
B) it slows down.
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The real reason we (the US) went to the moon was
A) to conquer the unknown B) because Kennedy told us to go C) to beat the Russians D) for scientific gains |
C) to beat the Russians
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Galileo discovered with his telescope sunspots on the sun. This observation was to refute an argument in support of the Ptolemaic model; which one did it challenge?
A) The Earth is the center of the Universe. B) The Universe is small and finite. C) The Heavens are perfect. D) None of the above. |
C) The Heavens are perfect.
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You are aboard the International Space Station. While you are sleeping with your teddy bear, your colleagues move you to the center of the room, out of the reach of the walls. What is the best way for you to move when you wake up?
A) Make a swimming motion with your arms and legs. B) Make a sail with your shirt and blow into it. C) Throw your teddy bear in the opposite direction. D) Blow hard in the direction you want to go. |
C) Throw your teddy bear in the opposite direction.
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Tycho Brahe's major contribution was
A) three laws of Planetary motion B) Epicycles C) To prove that you can still party and do something useful! D) very accurate observations of Mars. |
D) very accurate observations of Mars.
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As you walk, you push on the Earth. The Earth pushes on you with a force that is
A) smaller than the force you push on the earth. B) the same as the force you push on the Earth C) great than the force you push on the Earth. |
B) the same as the force you push on the Earth
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The Heliocentric model of Copernicus explains the retrograde motion of Mars by
A) The earth passing Mars B) Mars orbits around the Earth C) Earth orbiting Mars. D) Earth rotates west to east |
A) The earth passing Mars
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In order for the Sapce Shuttle to come home, the Shuttle must fire it's rockets in order to
A) move away from the Earth B) slow down C) move toward the Earth D) speed up |
B) slow down
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Which of the following is true about the charge of a neutron?
A) negative B) no charge C) either positive or negative D) positive |
B) no charge
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The hydrogen atom consists of
A) Two electrons and one proton B) One electron and two protons C) One proton and one electron D) Two protons and neutrons |
C) One proton and one electron
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Which force holds the nucleus of the atom together?
A) strong B) gravity C) electromagnetic D) weak |
A) strong
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an electron and proton are pulled by the electrical force. Which particle accelerates the most?
A) The accelerations are zero. B) electron C) proton D) the accelerations are equal |
B) electron
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What is the most important function of a telescope?
A) jobs B) the magnification of the image C) to gather light D) to improve the resolution |
C) to gather light
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What makes an object appear white?
A) Light at all colors B) Ultraviolet light C) Yellow and green light D) No visible light |
A) Light at all colors
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Why are radio telescopes so big?
A) To receive cable TV better B) To improve the wavelengths C) To magnify the image better. D) To improve resolution |
D) To improve resolution
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Compared to the atom as a whole, the nucleus of the atom is
A) quite large and has very little mass B) white small and has very little mass C) very small and has most of the mass D) quite large and has most of the mass. |
C) very small and has most of the mass
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How long does it take of the average photon of light to reach the surface of the sun from the for?
A) 1 year B) 1 second C) more than 50,000 years D) 8 minutes |
C) more than 50,000 years
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The surface of venus is hotter than the surface of the Earth. The atoms in the atmosphere of Venus _______ than the atoms in the atmosphere of the earth
A) move slower B) move at the same speed C) move faster D) are more massive |
C) move faster
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The eyepiece of the telescope is primarily used
A) To see the emission line spectrum B) To hold your eye in place C) to magnify the image D) to collect as much light as possible |
C) to magnify the image
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Which of the following types of light can only be observed from space?
A) radio B) gamma ray C) visible D) infrared |
B) gamma ray
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You want to buy your own telescope, which question is the WRONG question to ask the salesman?
A) "How big is the mount of the telescope?" B) "How much does the telescope cost?" C) "How big is the mirror?" D) "What is the power of the telescope?" |
D) "What is the power of the telescope?"
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You are emitting what kind of light?
A) Infrared light B) Ultraviolet light C) Absorption line spectrum D) Emission line spectrum |
A) Infrared light
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If you view hydrogen gas through a prism or grating, you could expect to see what kind of spectrum?
A) Continuous B) other C) Emission D) Absorption |
C) Emission
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Which of the following statements about electrons is NOT TRUE?
A) Electrons orbit the nucleus exactly like planets orbiting the sun. B) Within an atom an electron can have only particular energies. C) Electrons have very little mass compared to protons or neutrons. D) an electron has a negative electrical charge. |
A) Electrons orbit the nucleus exactly like planets orbiting the sun.
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List the following forms of light from longest to shortest wavelength:
A) radio, visible, x-rays B) x-rays, visible, radio C) visible, radio, x-rays D) visible, x-rays, radio |
A) radio, visible, x-rays
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What local man gave money for a major observatory in Santa Clara county
A) Hubble B) Keck C) Lick D) Hammer |
C) Lick
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The resolution of a telescope determines
A) te determination of the telescope. B) the magnification of the telescope C) the ability to distinguish details in an object D) the faintest star visible |
C) the ability to distinguish details in an object
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In general, stars produce what kind of spectrum?
A) Continuous B) other type C) Absorption D) Emission |
C) Absorption
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What is the primary advantage of the Hubble space telescope over ground based telescopes?
A) it's mirror is the most perfect ever built B) It's instruments are the most sophisticated ever built C) It is the largest telescope D) It is above the earth's atmosphere |
D) It is above the earth's atmosphere
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The atmosphere of Mars has similar composition to
A) Venus B) Jupiter C) Pluto D) Earth |
A) Venus
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The present theory for the origin of your moon is:
A) the moon formed from the same molecular cloud that formed the earth B) a Mars-sized body hit the Earth C) the Earth threw the moon from the oceans. D) the moon formed elsewhere and was captured by the Earth |
B) a Mars-sized body hit the Earth
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The atmosphere of Jupiter has a similar composition to
A) Sun B) Earth C) Pluto D) Venus |
A) Sun
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The surface of Venus is extremely hot because of the ______ effect which is the result of too much ________ in the atmosphere
A) Radiation, dust B) Whitehouse, Political Dust C) Greenhouse, Dust D) Greenhouse, Carbon dioxide |
D) Greenhouse, Carbon dioxide
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The northern lights (aurora borealis) are caused by
A) Lights from big cities B) charged particles from the sun, pulled to the poles, hitting the Earth's atmosphere C) living matter in the air. D) blue light scattered by the air more than red light |
B) charged particles from the sun, pulled to the poles, hitting the Earth's atmosphere
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The Great Red Spot is
A) a Storm B) a shadow of one of jupiter's moons on it's surface C) a mountain, protruding above Jupiter's atmosphere D) an optical illusion E) A continent |
A) a Storm
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In what way is Venus most like Earth?
A) Size B) Number of moons C) Sufrace temperature D) Composition of the Atmosphere |
A) Size
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Why are all the planets orbiting in a flattened disk?
A) The planets actually move around the sun at different angles, not in a flattened disk B) The planets pull on each other pulling them into a disk C) As gravity of the sun pulled the planets inward, the material along the equator started to rotate faster and did not get pulled all the way to the sun D) the material near the north and south poles of the sun was pushed away by the light of the sun. |
C) As gravity of the sun pulled the planets inward, the material along the equator started to rotate faster and did not get pulled all the way to the sun
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Saturns moon Titan has a thick atmosphere, yet it is the same size as our moon which doesn't have an atmosphere. How is this possible?
A) Volcanoes on Titan constantly erupt and create the atmosphere? B) The temperature is colder at Saturn and the atoms move slower. C) Titan has a stronger gravitational pull than the moon does. D) the temperature is colder at Saturn and gravity is stronger. |
B) The temperature is colder at Saturn and the atoms move slower.
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Which objects has no form of water?
A) Callisto B) Earth C) Mars D) Venus |
D) Venus
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The Terrestrial planets include
A) Mercury, Venus, Earth and Pluto B) Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter C) Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars D) Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune |
C) Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars
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The Blue Sky is caused by
A) charged particles fro the sun, pulled to the poles, hitting the Earth's atmosphere. B) lights from big cities C) blue light scattered by the air more than red light. D) living matter in the air |
C) blue light scattered by the air more than red light.
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Which of the following lunar features were caused by lava flows?
A) Highlands B) Maria C) Mountains D) Craters |
B) Maria
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Why are the inner planets so small?
A) The inner planets are not small at all! B) A giant impact removed the hydrogen and helium C) The suns light pushed out the hydrogen and helium D) Collisions destroyed the hydrogen and helium |
C) The suns light pushed out the hydrogen and helium
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The age of the Earth is roughly
A) 5 billion years B) older than 10 billion years C) 5 million years D) 4 thousand years |
A) 5 billion years
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What is the main source of the free Oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere?
A) Volcanoes B) Condensation from the formation of the Earth. C) Plants D) Animals |
C) Plants
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Based on the size of the ecosphere around a star an the lifetime of the star, which type of star would we expect to have life around it?
A) white dwarfs B) massive O stars C) Sunlike stars D) Low mass M stars |
C) Sunlike stars
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When the Heliocentric parallax of a star is SMALL, the star is:
A) small in radius B) nearby C) far away D) not very bright |
C) far away
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Will our sun ever undergo a white dwarf supernova (type I) explosion? Why or Why not?
A) Yes, when iron is formed in the core B) No, because the Sun's core will never be hot enough to fuse carbon and other elements C) Yes, after it becomes a white dwarf. D) |
B) No, because the Sun's core will never be hot enough to fuse carbon and other elements
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A pulsar is a:
A) White Dwarf B) Main Sequence star C) Neutron Star D) Red Giant |
D) Red Giant
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Some regions of the Milky Way appear dark because
A) Parts of the galaxy have not been formed yet B) There are numerous black holes that capture all light of the stars behind them. C) Dust blocks the light from the background stars. D) There are no stars there. |
C) Dust blocks the light from the background stars.
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The more massive a main sequence star is, the
A) longer it lives B) more luminous it is C) farther it is from us D) redder it is |
B) more luminous it is
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Which of the following statements about an open cluster is true?
A) All the stars in the cluster are approximately the same color B) there an an approximately equal number of all types of stars in the cluster C) All stars in the luster have approximately the same mass D) All stars in the cluster will evolve similarly E) All stars in the cluster are approximately the same age |
E) All stars in the cluster are approximately the same age
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The stars that are burning Hydrogen into Helium in the core:
A) Main Sequence Stars B) White Dwarfs C) Red Giants D) Neutron stars |
A) Main Sequence Stars
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The source of all the atoms in the room, except Hydrogen inside you, is
A) Dust B) Supernova C) Molecular Clouds D) the atoms have always been there |
B) Supernova
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To measure the distance to a distant Cepheid star, we need to observe
A) The period and apparent brightness of the star B) The spectrum of the star C) The parallax of he star D) The redshift of the star |
A) The period and apparent brightness of the star
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What is the best way to find the distance to nearby stars?
A) Measuring tape B) Cepheid Variables C) Measure the time required for the light to reach the Earth D) Heliocentric Parallax |
D) Heliocentric Parallax
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Which of the following is closest in size to a neutron star?
A) a city B) a basketball C) the earth D) a football stadium e) the Sun |
A) a city
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What happens to the core of a star after a planetary nebula occurs?
A) It breaks apart in a violent explosion B) It contracts from a protostar C) none of the above D) It becomes a white dwarf E) It becomes a neutron star |
D) It becomes a white dwarf
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Stars made of Carbon
A) White Dwarfs B) Neutron Stars. C) Red Giants. D) Main Sequence Stars |
A) White Dwarfs
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The final phase in the life of the sun:
A) Neutron star B) Red Giant C) White Dwarf D) Main Sequence Star |
C) White Dwarf
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Why do massive stars die quickly?
A) To support their great weight (gravity), these stars have to fuse more Hydrogen to Helium B) The massive stars live as long as low mass stars C) These stars have less Hydrogen to burn D) Because they don't have enough heavy elements |
A) To support their great weight (gravity), these stars have to fuse more Hydrogen to Helium
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Which of the following is not used to prove quasars are very far away?
A) They all have a large redshift B) They are all gravitationally lensed by nearby galaxies C) They appear faint in the sky D) They hav absorption lines at lower redshift |
C) They appear faint in the sky
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Where did the Universe begin?
A) The milky way galaxy B) Outside the local group C) Every place in the universe is at the beginning of the Universe D) Mission College |
C) Every place in the universe is at the beginning of the Universe
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Dark Energy is believed to exist to explain:
A) The power of a quasar B) Darth Vader's power C) the large rotational speeds at the center of our galaxy D) the observation that the rate of expansion in the Universe is accelerating |
D) the observation that the rate of expansion in the Universe is accelerating
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Most of the Helium in the sun was created by
A) volcanoes B) by fusion of hydrogen in the early universe C) supernova D) planetary nebula |
B) by fusion of hydrogen in the early universe
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Irregular galaxies are
A) globular cluster B) galaxies with no black holes C) just forming D) galaxies that are not spiral or elliptical |
D) galaxies that are not spiral or elliptical
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Why is the sky dark at night?
A) The Universe has finite age B) Because the sun sets! C) Because stars are just holes punched into the celestial sphere D) The stars are all located in one area of the Universe |
A) The Universe has finite age
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Most stars form in
A) giant elliptical galaxies B) in spiral arms C) galaxy collisions D) the center of the galaxies |
B) in spiral arms
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The number of stars in a giant elliptical galaxy increases because
A) the elliptical "eat" surrounding spiral galaxies B) the galaxies create matter and thus stars C) the black holes in the center throw out stars D) the stars form in the spiral arms of the galaxy |
A) the elliptical "eat" surrounding spiral galaxies
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What is the power source for a Quasar?
A) Many supernova exploding at once B) Stars colliding between galaxies C) A quasar is the light from a normal star that diffracts around the secondary mirror of the telescope D) Matter falling into a black hole at the center of a galaxy |
D) Matter falling into a black hole at the center of a galaxy
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What is the most accurate way to determine the distance to a very distance galaxy?
A) using Cepheid variables B) Heliocentric parallax C) using a white-dwarf supernova D) main-sequence fitting E) Hubble's law |
C) using a white-dwarf supernova
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Most of the stars that we see in the night sky are:
A) just a small part of our Galaxy B) Spread throughout the galaxy C) in our solar system D) in other galaxies |
A) just a small part of our Galaxy
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Put the following objects in order from nearest to the earth to farthest from the earth: Andromeda Galaxy, Globular Cluster, Neptune, Quasars, Stars in the Night Sky, the Sun
A) Andromeda Galaxy, Stars in the Night Sky, Globular Clusters, Neptune, The Sun B) Sun, Neptune, Stars in the Night Sky, Globular Clusters, Andromeda Galaxy, Quasars C) Sun, Stars in the Night Sky, Neptune, Globular Clusters, Quasars, Andromeda Galaxy D) Sun, Quasars, Neptune, Globular Clusters, Stars in the Night Sky, Andromeda Galaxy |
B) Sun, Neptune, Stars in the Night Sky, Globular Clusters, Andromeda Galaxy, Quasars
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What is the evidence that black hole exists in the center of our galaxy?
A) We saw a supernova that will create a Black Hole B) We don't see any light at the center of our galaxy C) We see that time slows down at the center of the Galaxy D) We see gas and stars moving very fast at the center of the Galaxy |
D) We see gas and stars moving very fast at the center of the Galaxy
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How many stars are in our Galaxy?
A) 1 hundred (100) B) 1 million C) 1 billion D) 100 billion |
D) 100 billion
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What is the charge of an antiproton?
A) negative B) neutral C) positive D) none of the above |
A) negative
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When the universe formed, all energy was in
A) electrons B) hydrogen C) protons D) light |
D) light
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What kind of Galaxy is our Galaxy?
A) Irregular B) We cannot tell C) Elliptical D) Spiral |
D) Spiral
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What is the primary role of Spiral arms in our galaxy?
A) To form planets from the stars b) to wrap up the stars in the galaxy C) to form Black Holes D) to Form stars out of molecular clouds |
D) to Form stars out of molecular clouds
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Of the items listed below, which provides astronomers with the best distance determinations for Galaxies?
A) Proper motions B) RR Lyrae stars C) main sequence fitting D) parallax E) Cepheid Variables |
E) Cepheid Variables
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