Astronomy 103 – Final Exam Review – Flashcards
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- Earth, Solar System, Milky Way Galaxy, Local Group, Local Supercluster.
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1. Which of the following has your "address" in the correct order?
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- 100 Billion
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2. Roughly how many stars are in the Milky Way?
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- The size of a campus
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3. Suppose we imagine the Sun to be about the size of a grapefruit. How big an area would the orbits of the nine planets of the solar system cover?
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- Galaxies beyond the Local Group are moving away from us; the more distant they are, the faster they're moving.
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4. What do we mean when we say that the universe is expanding?
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- Galaxies recycle star bits into new stars and planets.
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5. How are galaxies important to our existence?
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- "It will take me a lightyear to finish this homework!" (Anything relating lightyear to time)
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6. Which of the following statements does not use the term light-year in an appropriate way?
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- What light has reached and we can see/what we can see with our naked eye
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7. What do we mean by the observable universe?
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- False! There's a black hole there!
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8. Our solar system is located in the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. T/F?
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- False
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9. The observable universe is the same size today as it was a few billion years ago. T/F?
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- True
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10. Earth is always precisely 1 AU from the Sun. T/F?
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- False
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11. The solar system contains about 100 billion stars. T/F?
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- The Sun's apparent path along the celestial sphere.
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12. What is the ecliptic?
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- A half circle that goes from north-through zenith-south.
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13. Which of the following correctly describes the meridian in your sky?
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- 3600
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14. How many arc seconds are in 1°?
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- The angular distance between those two bright stars in the sky is about 2 meters. (wrong unit)
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15. Which of the following statements does not use the term angular size or angular distance correctly?
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- A star that is always above your horizon.
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16. What is a circumpolar star?
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- Longitude and Latitude
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17. We describe a position on Earth's surface by stating its...
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- It appears near the north celestial pole
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18. What makes the North Star, Polaris, special?
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- The Earth's changing position around the Sun and the Sun's apparent location on the ecliptic.
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19. Orion is visible on winter evenings, but not summer because of...
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- The tilt of Earth's axis
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20. Why do we have seasons on Earth?
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- Half Moon
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21. Which of the following is not a phase of the Moon?
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- Its synchronous rotation. It rotates the same time it takes to orbit the Earth.
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22. Why do we see essentially the same face of the Moon at all times?
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- A lunar month (29 ½)
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23. Suppose you live on the Moon. How long is a dat?
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- It must be a New Moon and the nodes of must be nearly aligned with Earth and Sun.
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24. What conditions are required for a solar eclipse?
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- As Earth passes another planet the other planet appears to move backwards with respect to the background stars, but the planets motion does not actually change.
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25. What causes the apparent retrograde motion of the planets?
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- The closer a star is to us, the more parallax it exhibits.
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26. Which of the following statements about stellar parallax is true?
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- They didn't have the ability to measure very small angles.
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27. Why were ancient peoples unable to detect stellar parallax?
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- True
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28. The Moon and the Sun are approximately the same angular size. T/F?
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- False
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29. A lunar eclipse occurs only when the Moon is new. T/F?
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- False
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30. It is possible to see the full Moon rising just before sunrise. T/F?
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- Observing the orientation of the crescent moon relative to the horizon.
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31. People of central Africa predicted the weather by...
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- Baghdad, Islamics, and Muslims
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32. During the Dark Ages in Europe, the scientific work of the ancient Greeks was preserved and further developed primarily by scholars in ...
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- It showed each planet moved around Earth on a small circle (epicycle) that turned on a larger circle (deferent).
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33. How did the Ptolemaic model explain the apparent retrograde motion of the planets?
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- Galileo
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34. He discovered the Jupiter has moons.
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- He still believed in perfect circles.
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35. When Copernicus first created his Sun-centered model of the universe, it did not lead to substantially better predictions of planetary positions than the Ptolemaic model. Why not?
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- 4 (p^2 = a^3)
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36. From Kelper's third law, an asteroid with an orbital period of 8 years lies at an average distance from the Sun equal to ...
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- False
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37. Scientific thinking developed only in the past few decades. T/F?
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- True
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38. Scientific theories can never be proved true beyond all doubt.
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- True
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39. A scientific model must make a testable prediction. T/F?
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- True
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40. Astronomy and Astrology were often practiced together in ancient cultures, and Astrology played an important role in the historical development of astronomy. T/F?
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C
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When an atom absorbs a photon containing energy, any of the following can happen except which? A) The atom becomes excited. B) The atom is ionized C) An electron moves from an upper energy level to a lower one. D) An electron moves from a lower energy to an upper one.
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C
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The study of energy levels in atoms is called A) special relativity B) general relativity C) quantum mechanics D) particle physics
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D
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When white light passes through a cool cloud of gas, we see A) visible light B) infrared light C) thermal radiation D) an absorption line spectrum E) an emission line spectrum
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- False
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41. No matter where you live on Earth, the Sun always rises and sets each day. T/F?
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- True
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42. The celestial coordinates of the Sun change from day to day. T/F?
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- 24 hours
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43. The average length of a solar day is ...
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- It's measured with the stars, rather than the sun. A solar day is longer because an extra one degree is added so the Earth faces the Sun instead of a distant star.
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44. Which of the following is the reason for the solar day being longer than a sidereal day?
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- So the seasons remains synchronized with the calendar.
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45. Which of the following is the reason for the leap year?
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- False
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46. Kepler deduced his laws of planetary motion once Newton had published his universal law of gravitation. T/F?
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- True
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47. If you are driving at 30 miles per hour and increase your speed to 60 miles per hour, you quadruple your kinetic energy. T/F?
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- True
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48. When energy is converted from on form to another, a tiny amount is inevitably lost. T/F?
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- mass x velocity
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49. Momentum is defined as...
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- net force = mass x acceleration
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50. Newton's second law of motion tells us that the net force applied to an object equals its ...
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- a ball point pen (1mm.)
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*** How big is Earth compared to our Solar System? On a 1-10 billion scale.
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- 88 constellations
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*** How many constellations are there?
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- Trial and Error
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*** In what way do all humans employ scientific thinking?
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- Keeping track of time, seasons, navigation
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*** How did astronomical observations benefit ancient societies?
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- Copernicus created sun-centered model; Tycho provided the data needed to improve this model; Kepler found a model that fit Tycho's data.
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*** How did Copernicus, Tycho, and Kepler challenge the Earth-centered idea?
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- Moon's gravity stretches Earth and its oceans.
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*** How does gravity cause tides?
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- It is the study of how the celestial object influence humans. It is not valid.
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*** What is astrology?
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B
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We can learn a lot about the properties of a star by studying its spectrum. All of the following statements are true except one. Which one? A) The peak of the star's thermal emission tells us its temperature: Hotter stars peak at shorter (blue) wavelengths B) The total amount of light in the spectrum tells us the star's radius. C) We can identify chemical elements presents in the star by recognizing patterns of spectral lines that correspond to particular chemicals.
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C
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What is the angular resolution of the human eye? A) about 1 degree B) about 1 arcsecond C) about 1 arcminute, or 1/60 of a degree D) about 1 milliarcsecond
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- It absorbs the light.
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1. If a material is highly opaque, then it does what to light?
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- Reflects green light and absorbs other colors.
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2. Grass (that is healthy) looks green because...
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- the number of times per second that a wave vibrates up and down. Measured in hertz. (all of the above)
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3. The frequency of a wave is...
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- gamma ray, x-ray, ultraviolet, visible, infrared, radio
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4. From shortest to longest wavelength, which of the following correctly orders the different categories of electromagnetic radiation?
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- Reflects visible light produced by the Sun.
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5. Without telescopes or other aid, we can look up and see the Moon in the night sky because it...
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- an ion
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6. When an atom loses an electron, it becomes ...
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- It is moving away
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7. You observe a distant galaxy. You find that a spectral line normally found in the visible part of the spectrum is shifted toward the infrared. What do you conclude?
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- True
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8. The shorter the wavelength of light, the higher its frequency. T/F?
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- False
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9. X-rays, because they have more energy, travel through space faster than visible light. T/F?
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- False! No Electrons! Neutrons!
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10. Atomic nuclei consist of protons and electrons. T/F?
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- As one.
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11. Suppose the angular separation of two stars is smaller than the angular resolution of your eyes. How will the stars appear to your eyes?
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- The amount of detail we can see in a spectrum. How close two spectral lines can be distinguished.
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12. What is meant by spectral resolution?
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- Turbulence
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13. What causes stars to twinkle?
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- Ultraviolet, X-ray, and Gamma rays
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14. Which of the following wavelength regions cannot be studied with telescopes on the ground?
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- Radio
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15. At which wavelength range is there no current or planned space observatory?
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- Earth
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16. The largest effective telescope, created by radio interferometry, is the size of...
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- True
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17. The lens in your eye forms an upside-down image of the world. T/F?
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-True
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18. Most astronomical objects emit light over a broad range of wavelengths. T/F?
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- False
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19. X-ray telescope mirrors are very similar to optical telescope mirror. T/F?
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- Venus, because of its dense carbon dioxide atmosphere.
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20. Which planet has the highest average surface temperature, and why?
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- They orbit the Sun at the same time
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21. Which of the following statements is not an observed pattern of motion in our solar system?
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- Venus
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22. The planet closest in size to Earth is
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- large size/mass, lower density, H,He compounds, no solid surface, rings, many moons.
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23. What are the main constituents of the jovian planets?
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- Asteroids are rocky and are denser than comets.
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24. How do asteroids differ from comets?
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- Kuiper Belt
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25. Astronomers have decided that, rather than being a planet, Pluto is really just a large member of ...
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- Mercury
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26. The most metal-rich terrestrial planet is...
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- Core
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27. Where does nuclear fusion occur in the Sun?
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- True
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28. Oceans cover more of Earth's surface than land. T/F?
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- True
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29. All four of the giant outer planets --- Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune --- have rings. T/F?
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- False
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30. The planet Uranus held a special place in the mythology of the ancient Romans. T/F?
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- gravity compacted all the material to the center, which created friction through kinetic energy generating heat.
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31. Why did the solar nebula heat up as it collapsed?
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- Seeds for from collision or stickiness that created planetismals.
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32. What happened during the accretion phase of the early solar system?
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- Law of conservation of energy and conservation of angular momentum ensure that any rotating, collapsing cloud will end up a spinning disk.
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33. According to out theory of solar system formation, why do all the planets orbit the Sun in the same direction and in nearly the same plane?
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- metals
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34. What kid of material in the solar nebula could remain solid at temperatures as high as 1500 K, such as existed in the inner regions or nebula?
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- Only metals and rock could condense because of the high temperatures.
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35. Why are the inner planets made of denser materials than the outer planets?
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- They are leftover planetesimals that never accreted into planets
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36. According to the nebular theory, what are asteroids and comets?
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- The bombardment period is when there were giant impacts and close gravitational encounters.
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37. According to our theory of solar system formation, why do we find some exceptions to the general rules and patterns of the planets?
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- False
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38. The Moon probably formed at the same time that Earth formed, rather like the formation of a double planet. T/F?
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- True
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39. Based on our theory of how our own solar system formed, we would expect that other solar systems would be quite common. T/F?
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- Moon, Mercury, Mars, Venus, Earth
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40. Rank the five terrestrial worlds in order of size from smallest to largest:
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- The process by which gravity separates materials according to density
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41. What is differentiation in planetary geology?
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- accretion, differentiation, radioactivity
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42. The three principal sources of internal heat of terrestrial planets are...
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- Earth
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43. Which of the terrestrial worlds has the strongest magnetic field?
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- 10x larger
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44. How large is an impact crater compared to the size of the impactor?
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- Volcanoes, trenches, mountains, valleys, cliffs
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45. What kind of surface features may result from tectonics?
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- Frozen carbon dioxide
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46. The polar caps on Mars are composed of ...
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- Volcanoes and Tectonics
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47. Which two geological processes appear to have been most important in shaping the present surface of Venus?
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- Convection
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48. What drives the motion of the tectonic plates on Earth?
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- True
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49. The process in which one plate slides under another is called subduction and is marked by deep ocean trenches. T/F?
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- False
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50. Earth is the only terrestrial planet to have experienced tectonic stresses and volcanic activity. T/F?
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- emit, absorb, transmit, and reflect/scatter
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*** How does light interact with matter?
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- wave or particle (photons), is a vibration of electric and magnetic fields, has wavelength and frequency,
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*** What is light?
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- Continuous spectrum, emission line spectrum, absorption line spectrum.
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*** Three basic types of spectra?
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- Refracting (focus light with lenses), and Reflecting (focus light with mirrors)
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*** What are two basic designs of telescopes?
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- Imaging, Spectroscopy, Timing
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*** What do astronomers do with telescopes?
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- Flyby (flies by world once), Orbiter (goes into orbit around world), Probe/Lander (lands on surface), and Sample Return Mission (returns sample from world's surface)
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*** Four types of robotic spacecrafts?
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- Only rocks and metals condensed inside the frost line, while rocks, metals, and ices condensed outside the frost line.
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*** Why are there two types of planets?
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- Solar winds blew away remaining gases.
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*** What ended the era of planet formation?
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- 4.5 billion years ago
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*** When did the planets form?
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- Cratering, volcanism, tectonics, erosion.
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*** What processes shape planetary surfaces?
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- Amount of cratering tells us how long ago a surface formed. The more craters it has the older it is.
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*** How does a planet's surface reveal its geological age?
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- Differences in cratering across surface, giant shield volcano, evidence of tectonic activity.
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*** Major geological features of Mars?
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- Nope
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*** Does Venus have plate tectonics?
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- The higher the albedo, the more light the surface reflects, and the less it absorbs.
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1. Which of the following correctly describes the meaning of albedo?
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- Venus
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2. Which of the following worlds has the greatest difference in temperature between its "no atmosphere" temperature and its actual temperature?
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- Visible light that passes through and warms the planet's surface.
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3. What are greenhouse gases?
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- The atmosphere absorbs infrared light, trapping heat near the surface.
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4. How does the greenhouse effect work?
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- Air molecules scatter/reflect blue light, more than red light.
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5. The sky is blue because...
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- Weather is varies frequently, while climate is long term
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6. What is the difference in meaning between the terms weather and climate?
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- It emits carbon dioxide
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7. Why does the burning of fossil fuels increase the greenhouse effect on Earth?
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- True
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8. Without greenhouse gases, Earth's surface would be frozen over. T/F?
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- True
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9. Clouds, snow, and ice have higher albedos than rocks. T/F?
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- True
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10. Earth outgassed as much carbon dioxide as Venus, but it is locked up in the oceans and rocks. T/F?
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- Twice as much
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11. How much energy does Jupiter emit compared with how much it receives from the Sun?
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- The extra mass of Jupiter compresses its interior to a greater extent than Saturn's
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12. Why is Jupiter denser than Saturn?
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- Different cloud layers correspond to freezing points of different hydrogen compounds.
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13. Why does Jupiter have several distinct cloud layers?
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- Tidal forces
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14. The fact that most moons always show the same face to their planet is explained by...
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- Tidal Heating
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15. What mechanism is most responsible for generating the internal heat of Io that drives the volcanic activity?
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- Titan
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16. Which moon has the most substantial atmosphere?
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- All of them
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17. Which of the jovian planets have rings?
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- Ice can melt at lower temperatures than rock.
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18. What is the most important reason why an icy moon is more likely to be geologically active than a rocky moon of the same size?
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- True
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19. Hydrogen exists as a gas, liquid, and solid within Jupiter. T/F?
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- True
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20. Jupiter is slowly shrinking through gravitational contraction today. T/F?
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- Most are unchanged since the formation in the solar nebula.
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21. What do asteroids and comets have in common?
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- A comet
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22. An icy leftover planetesimal orbiting the Sun is...
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- not enough to make even a terrestrial planet.
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23. The combined mass of all the asteroids in the asteroid belt is...
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- Gravity is too weak to reshape the rocky material
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24. Why aren't small asteroids spherical in shape?
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- rocky and primitive
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25. Most meteorites are...
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- Is rock from space that falls through Earth's atmosphere.
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26. What is a meteorite?
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- True!
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27. Comet nuclei can be darker than charcoal. T/F?
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- False
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28. A comet that has an orbit around the Sun inclined to the ecliptic plane by 65 degrees probably originated in the Kuiper belt. T/F?
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-True
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29. Oort-cloud comets are so far from the Sun that the gravity of neighboring stars can alter their orbits. T/F?
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- About a decade ago.
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30. The first planets around other Sun-like stars were discovered ...
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- Detecting the gravitational effect of an orbiting planet by looking for a doppler shift in the star's spectrum.
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31. Which of the following methods has led to the most discoveries of massive planets orbiting near their parent stars?
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- 1 billion time brighter.
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32. How much brighter is a Sun-like star than the reflected light from a planet orbiting around it?
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- orbital radius
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33. By itself, the Doppler technique provides a measure of a planet's...
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- It's spectra
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34. The composition of a planet can be determined by ...
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- big planets with edge-on orbits around a small star
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35. The transit method of planet detection works best for...
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- it's orbital period
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36. A planet is detected via the Doppler technique. The repeating pattern of the stellar motion tells us...
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- They formed as gas giants beyond the frost line and then migrated inwards.
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37. How do we think the "hot Jupiters" around other stars were formed?
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- True
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38. Most of the planets discovered around other stars are more massive than Jupiter. T/F?
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- True
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39. Astronomers have discovered more planets around other stars than in our solar system. T/F?
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-True
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40. A planet's size can be determined by observing its transit across a star.
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- False
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41. A planet's mass can be determined by its transit across a star. T/F?
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- 3.85 billion years ago
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42. The earliest evidence for life on Earth dates to..
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- organisms living deep in the oceans around seafloor, volcanic vents, and hot springs.
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43. Which living organism most resemble the common ancestor of all life according to genetic testing?
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- 2 billion years ago
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44. When did oxygen begin to accumulate in the atmosphere?
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- plate tectonics
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45. Which of the following is the most important for maintaining a stable climate on Earth over the time it took for large organisms to evolve?
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- Where a terrestrial planet of the right size could have a surface temperature that might allow for liquid water and life.
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46. What defines the habitable zone around a star?
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- use large radio telescopes.
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47. At present, what is the primary way that the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) is carried out?
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- energy
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48. What is absolutely necessary for living organisms to survive?
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- True
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49. Genetic studies indicate that every living organism on Earth today shares a common ancestor. T/F?
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- False
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50. The rise of life on the planet Earth some 4 billion years ago was made possible, in part, by the plentiful oxygen in Earth's early atmosphere. T/F?
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- A layer of gas that surrounds a world
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*** What is an atmosphere?
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- Atmospheric heating and Coriolis effect
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*** What creates wind and weather?
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- Brightening of Sun, Changes in axis tilt, Changes in reflectivity, Changes in greenhouse gases
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*** What can cause long-term climate change?
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- Multiple cloud layers determine colors of the planets, all have strong storms and winds.
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*** What is the weather like on jovian planets?
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- Carbon dioxide cycles acts as a thermostat.
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*** Why does Earth's climate stay relatively stable?
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- Venus has an extremely thick CO2 atmosphere and has a slow rotation, meaning little weather.
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*** What is Venus like today?
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- Mars is cold, dry, and frozen.
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*** What is Mars like today?
