Which of the following has your "address" in the correct order?
you, Earth, solar system, Milky Way, Local Supercluster, Local Group
you, Earth, solar system, Milky Way, Local Group, Local Supercluster
you, Earth, solar system, Local Group, Milky Way, Local Supercluster
you, Earth, Local Group, Local Supercluster, solar system, Milky Way
you, Earth, solar system, Local Group, Local Supercluster, Milky Way
What is an astronomical unit?
an basic unit used in astronomy
the length of time it takes Earth to revolve around the Sun
the average distance from Earth to the Sun
the diameter of Earth's orbit around the Sun
the average speed of Earth around the Sun
Roughly how many stars are in the Milky Way Galaxy?
100 million
10 billion
1 billion
100 trillion
100 billion
Which is the following statements about the celestial sphere in not true?
The "celestial sphere" is just another name for our universe.
The celestial sphere does not exist physically.
Earth is placed at the center of the celestial sphere.
From and location on Earth, we can see only half of the celestial sphere at any one time.
When we look into the sky, the stars all appear to be located on the celestial sphere.
Which is of the following statements about the celestial equator is true at all latitudes?
It cuts the dome of your sky exactly in half.
It extends from your horizon due north, through your zenith, to your horizon due south.
It lies along the band of light we call the Milky Way.
It represents an extension of Earth's equator onto the celestial sphere.
It extends from your horizon due east, through your zenith, to your horizon due west.
What is the ecliptic?
when the Moon passes in front of the Sun
the Sun's apparent path along the celestial sphere
the Moon's apparent path along the celestial sphere
the Sun's daily path across the sky
the constellations commonly used in astrology to predict the future
Which of the following correctly describes the meridian in your sky?
a half-circle extending from your horizon due east, through the north celestial pole, to your horizon due west
a half-circle extending from your horizon due east, through your zenith, to your horizon due west
the boundary between the portion of the celestial sphere you can see at any moment and the portion that you cannot see
the point directly over your head
a half-circle extending from your horizon due north, through your zenith, to your horizon due south
How may arcseconds are in 1°?
3,600
100
10,000
360
60
What is a circumpolar star?
a star that is close to the north celestial pole
a star that is visible from the Arctic or Antarctic circles
a star that makes a daily circle around the celestial sphere
a star that is close to the south celestial pole
a star that always remains above your horizon
Which of the following is not a phase of the Moon?
third-quarter moon
new moon
first-quarter moon
full moon
half moon
If the Moon is setting at 6 AM, the phase of the Moon must be
waning cresent
first quarter
new
third quarter
full
How did Eratosthenes estimate the size of the Earth in 240 BC?
by observing the duration of a solar eclipse
by comparing the maximum altitude of the Sun in two cities at different latitudes
by measuring the size of Earth's shadow on the Moon in a lunar eclipse
by sending fleets of ships around Earth
We don't know how he did it since all his writings were destroyed.
Where was the Sun in Ptolemy's model of the universe?
between the orbits of Venus and Mars
slightly offset from the center
at the outer edge, beyond Saturn's orbit
at the center
between Earth and the Moon's orbit
The controversial book of this famous person, published in 1543 (the year of his death), suggested that Earth and other planets orbit the Sun.
Tycho Brahe
Copernicus
Kepler
Galileo
Ptolemy
He discovered that the orbits of planets are ellipses.
He discovered that Jupiter has moons.
Aristotle
If your mass is 60 kg on Earth, what would your mass be on the Moon?
10 lb
50 kg
60 kg
10 kg
60 lbs
What would happen if the Space Shuttle were launched with a speed greater than Earth's escape velocity?
It would orbit Earth at a faster velocity
It would travel in a higher orbit around Earth.
It would be in an unstable orbit.
It would travel away from Earth into the solar system.
It would take less time to reach its bound orbit.
The force of gravity is an inverse square law. This means that, if you double the distance between two large masses, the gravitational force between them
also doubles
strengthens by a factor of 4
weakens by a factor of 2
is unaffected
weakens by a factor of 4
According to the universal law of gravitation, if you double the masses of both attracting objects, then the gravitational force between them will
not change at all
decrease by a factor of 4
increase by a factor of 4
increase by a factor of 2
decrease by a factor of 2
An atom in an excited state contains more of what type of energy than the same atom in the ground state?
gravitational potential energy
thermal energy
electric potential energy
mass-energy
kinetic energy
The wavelength of a wave is
the distance between where the wave is emitted and where it is absorbed.
the distance between two adjacent peaks of the wave.
the distance between a peak of the wave and the next trough.
how strong the wave is.
equal to the speed of the wave times the wave's frequency.
How are wavelength, frequency, and energy related for photons of light?
Longer wavelength means lower frequency and lower energy.
Longer wavelength means higher frequency and lower energy.
Longer wavelength means higher frequency and higher energy.
Longer wavelength means lower frequency and higher energy.
There is no simple relationship because different photons travel at different speeds.
From lowest energy to highest energy, which of the following correctly orders the different categories of electromagnetic radiation?
infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X rays, gamma rays, radio
radio, X rays, visible light, ultraviolet, infrared, gamma rays
visible light, infrared, X rays, ultraviolet, gamma rays, radio
radio, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X rays, gamma rays
gamma rays, X rays, visible light, ultraviolet, infrared, radio
When an electron in an atom goes from a higher energy state to a lower energy state, the atom
absorbs several photons of a specific frequency.
emits a photon of a specific frequency.
absorbs a photon of a specific frequency.
can absorb a photon of any frequency.
can emit a photon of any frequency.
The spectra of most galaxies show redshifts. This means that their spectral lines
have wavelengths that are shorter than normal.
have normal wavelengths, but absorption of light makes them appear red.
have wavelengths that are longer than normal.
have a higher intensity in the red part of the spectrum.
always are in the red part of the visible spectrum.
From laboratory measurements, we know that a particular spectral line formed by hydrogen appears at a wavelength of 121.6 nanometers (nm). The spectrum of a particular star shows the same hydrogen line appearing at a wavelength of 121.8 nm. What can we conclude?
The star is getting hotter.
The star is moving toward us.
The star is moving away from us.
The "star" actually is a planet.
The star is getting colder.
How does the Sun's mass compare with that of the planets?
It is a hundred times more massive than Earth.
It is a thousand times more massive than all the planets combined.
It is a thousand times more massive than Earth.
It is a hundred times more massive than all the planets combined.
It is about as massive as all the planets combined.
Which planet has the highest average surface temperature, and why?
Jupiter, because it is so big
Venus, because of its dense carbon dioxide atmosphere
Mercury, because it is closest to the Sun
Mars, because of its red color
Mercury, because of its dense carbon dioxide atmosphere
Which planet, other than Earth, has visible water ice on it?
Mars
Mercury
Venus
the Moon
Jupiter
Which of the following is furthest from the Sun?
Neptune
Pluto
a comet in the Kuiper belt
an asteroid in the asteroid belt
a comet in the Oort cloud
Which is the densest planet in the solar system?
Earth
The planet closest in size to Earth is
Which of the following is not a characteristic of the inner planets?
They all have solid, rocky surfaces.
Their orbits are relatively closely spaced.
They have very few, if any, satellites.
They are relatively smaller than the outer planets.
They all have substantial atmospheres.
Which of the following is not a characteristic of the outer planets?
They are all large balls of gas.
Their orbits are separated by relatively large distances.
They are primarily made of hydrogen and helium.
They all have rings.
Why did the solar nebula heat up as it collapsed?
Collisions among planetesimals generated friction and heat.
The shock wave from a nearby supernova heated the gas.
Radiation from other nearby stars that had formed earlier heated the nebula.
Nuclear fusion occurring in the core of the protosun produced energy that heated the nebula.
As the cloud shrank, its gravitational potential energy was converted to kinetic energy and then into thermal energy.
What kind of material in the solar nebula could remain solid at temperatures as high as 1,500 K, such as existed in the inner regions of the nebula?
molecules such as methane and ammonia
hydrogen compounds
metals
rocks
silicon-based minerals
What was the frost line of the solar system?
the distance from the Sun where temperatures were low enough for metals to condense, between the Sun and the present-day orbit of Mercury
the distance from the Sun where temperatures were low enough for hydrogen compounds to condense into ices, between the present-day orbits of Mars and Jupiter
the distance from the Sun where temperatures were low enough for rocks to condense, between the present-day orbits of Mercury and Venus
the distance from the Sun where temperatures were low enough for hydrogen and helium to condense, between the present-day orbits of Jupiter and Saturn
the distance from the Sun where temperatures were low enough for asteroids to form, between the present-day orbits of Venus and Earth
According to the nebular theory, what are asteroids and comets?
They are the shattered remains of collisions between planets.
They are chunks of rock or ice that condensed long after the planets and moons had formed
They are chunks of rock or ice that were expelled from planets by volcanoes.
They are the shattered remains of collisions between moons.
They are leftover planetesimals that never accreted into planets.
40) Most of the planets discovered around other stars
A) are found around neutron stars.
B) are more massive than Earth and orbit very far from the star.
C) are more massive than Earth and orbit very close to the star.
D) are less massive than Earth and orbit very far from the star.
E) are less massive than Earth and orbit very close to the star.
41) Rank the five terrestrial worlds in order of size from smallest to largest:
A) Moon, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars.
B) Moon, Mercury, Mars, Venus, Earth.
C) Mercury, Venus, Earth, Moon, Mars.
D) Mercury, Moon, Venus, Earth, Mars.
E) Mercury, Moon, Mars, Earth, Venus.
42) Which of the terrestrial worlds has the strongest magnetic field?
B) the Moon
Which of the following most likely explains why Venus does not have a strong magnetic field?
A) It is too large.
B) It does not have a metallic core.
C) It is too close to the Sun.
D) Its rotation is too slow.
E) It has too thick an atmosphere.
Which two properties are most important in determining the surface temperature of a planet?
A) size and chemical composition
B) distance from the Sun and atmosphere
C) size and atmosphere
D) composition and distance from the Sun
E) internal temperature and atmosphere
45) How large is an impact crater compared to the size of the impactor?
A) 10 times larger
B) 10-20 percent larger
C) 100 times larger
D) 1,000 times larger
E) the same size
46) The relatively few craters that we see within the lunar maria
A) were formed by impacts that occurred after those that formed most of the craters in the lunar highlands.
B) were formed by impacts that occurred before those that formed most of the craters in the lunar highlands.
C) are sinkholes that formed when sections of the maria collapsed.
D) are volcanic in origin, rather than from impacts.
E) were created by the same large impactor that led to the formation of the maria.
The Caloris Basin on Mercury covers a large region of the planet, but few smaller craters have formed on top of it. From this we conclude that
A) the Caloris Basin was formed by a volcano.
B) Mercury's atmosphere prevented smaller objects from hitting the surface.
C) the Caloris Basin formed toward the end of the solar system's period of heavy bombardment.
D) only very large impactors hit Mercury's surface in the past.
E) erosion destroyed the smaller craters that formed on the basin.
48) Olympus Mons is a
A) shield volcano on Venus.
B) large lava plain on the Moon.
C) shield volcano on Mars.
D) stratovolcano on the Moon.
E) stratovolcano on Mercury.
49) Why does Venus have such a great difference in temperature between its "no atmosphere" temperature and its actual temperature?
A) It has a slow rotation.
B) It is so close to the Sun.
C) It has a large amount of greenhouse gases in its atmosphere.
D) It has a high level of volcanic activity.
E) It has no cooling effects from oceans.
50) Which of the following worlds has the most substantial atmosphere?
A) the Moon
B) Earth
51) Why doesn't Venus have seasons like Mars and Earth do?
A) Its rotation axis is not tilted.
B) It is too close to the Sun.
C) It does not have an ozone layer.
D) It does not rotate fast enough.
E) all of the above
52) Where is most of the water on Mars?
A) in its polar caps and subsurface ground ice
B) distributed evenly throughout its atmosphere
C) in deep underground deposits
D) frozen on the peaks of its tall volcanoes
E) in its clouds
53) How does Jupiter's core compare to Earth's?
A) It is the same size and mass.
B) It is about the same size but is 10 times more massive.
C) It is about 10 times larger in size and the same mass.
D) Jupiter doesn't have a core—it is made entirely from hydrogen and helium.
E) It is about 10 times larger both in size and mass.
54) If we know the size of an asteroid, we can determine its density by
A) determining its mass from its gravitational pull on a spacecraft, satellite, or planet.
B) looking for brightness variations as it rotates.
C) spectroscopic imaging.
D) radar mapping.
E) comparing its reflectivity to the amount of light it reflects.
55) What is Jupiter's Great Red Spot?
A) the place where Jupiter's aurora is most visible
B) a hurricane that comes and goes on Jupiter
C) the place where reddish particles from Io impact Jupiter's surface
D) a large mountain peak poking up above the clouds
E) a long-lived, high-pressure storm
56) The four Galilean moons around Jupiter are
A) all made of rock.
B) hydrogen and helium gas.
C) a mixture of rock and ice, with the ice fraction increasing with distance from Jupiter.
D) all made of ice.
E) a mixture of rock and ice, with the rock fraction increasing with distance from Jupiter.
57) Why are there no impact craters on the surface of Io?
A) Any craters that existed have been eroded through the strong winds on Io's surface.
B) Io did have impact craters but they have all been buried in lava flows.
C) Jupiter's strong gravity attracted the planetesimals more strongly than Io and thus none landed on its surface.
D) It is too small to have been bombarded by planetesimals in the early solar system.
E) Io's thick atmosphere obscures the view of the craters.
58) Which moon has the most substantial atmosphere?
A) Mimas
B) Europa
C) Io
D) Ganymede
E) Titan
59) How thick are Saturn's rings from top to bottom?
A) a few tens of thousands of kilometers
B) a few tens of meters
C) a few million kilometers
D) a few kilometers
E) a few hundred kilometers
60) Which is closest to the average distance between asteroids in the asteroid belt?
A) 10 thousand km
B) 1 million km
C) 10 million km
D) 100 thousand km
E) 1 thousand km
Why isn't there a planet where the asteroid belt is located?
A) There was too much rocky material to form a terrestrial planet, but not enough gaseous material to form a jovian planet.
B) There was not enough material in this part of the solar nebula to form a planet.
C) Gravitational tugs from Jupiter prevented material from collecting together to form a planet.
D) The temperature in this portion of the solar nebula was just right to prevent rock from sticking together.
E) A planet once formed here, but it was broken apart by a catastrophic collision.
62) What do we call a small piece of solar system debris found on Earth?
A) meteorite
B) solar system debris
C) cometary fragment
D) meteoroid
E) meteor
63) Halley's comet is named after the English scientist Edmund Halley because he
A) discovered it.
B) was the most famous astronomer in England during its appearance.
C) calculated its orbit and predicted that it would return in 1758.
D) was the first to see it in 1682.
E) was the first to publish pictures of it and report it to the International Astronomical Union (IAU).
64) What part of a comet points most directly away from the Sun?
A) the nucleus
B) the jets of gas
C) the dust tail
D) the coma
E) the plasma tail
65) The core of the Sun is
A) composed of iron.
B) at the same temperature and density as the surface.
C) at the same temperature but denser than the surface.
D) hotter and denser than the surface.
E) constantly rising to the surface through convection.
66) What two forces are balanced in what we call gravitational equilibrium?
A) the strong force and gravity
B) outward pressure and the strong force
C) the electromagnetic force and gravity
D) outward pressure and gravity
E) the strong force and kinetic energy
67) What is the average temperature of the surface of the Sun?
A) 10,000 K
B) 1,000 K
C) 1 million K
D) 6,000 K
E) 100,000 K
68) Which layer of the Sun do we normally see?
A) chromosphere
B) convection zone
C) photosphere
D) corona
E) radiation zone
69) At the center of the Sun, fusion converts hydrogen into
A) radiation and elements like carbon and nitrogen.
B) radioactive elements like uranium and plutonium.
C) plasma.
D) helium, energy, and neutrinos.
E) hydrogen compounds.
70) What is granulation in the Sun?
A) the bubbling pattern on the photosphere produced by the underlying convection
B) another name for the way sunspots look on the surface of the Sun
C) elements in the Sun other than hydrogen and helium
D) lumps of denser material in the Sun
E) dust particles in the Sun that haven't been turned into plasma
