Advanced Astronomy Flashcards
More detailed ideas and parts of our Universe
What is the name of the point where a black hole’s gravitational pull is so strong that not even light can escape?
Event horizon
The cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation is a remnant of what event?
The Big Bang
What is the name of the hypothetical region in space where mass is so dense that time theoretically stops?
Singularity
The Andromeda Galaxy is expected to collide with which galaxy in about 4.5 billion years?
The Milky Way
What is the most common type of star in the universe?
Red dwarf
The Oort Cloud is thought to be the source of what celestial objects?
Long-period comets
What is the main element that fuels nuclear fusion in stars?
Hydrogen
What is the name of the fastest rotating planet in the Solar System?
Jupiter
The Roche limit determines what about a celestial body?
The distance at which a satellite disintegrates due to tidal forces
What is the most abundant element in the universe?
Hydrogen
The Lagrange points are used in space exploration for what purpose?
Stable orbital positions for satellites
What phenomenon causes the tail of a comet to always point away from the Sun?
Solar wind
Which exoplanet detection method relies on measuring dips in a star’s brightness?
Transit method
What is the theoretical end state of the universe where all matter is evenly spread and no energy is available for work?
Heat death
What is the name of the first artificial satellite launched into space?
Sputnik 1
The Sun will eventually become what type of stellar remnant?
White dwarf
What is the name of the point in an orbit where a planet is closest to the Sun?
Perihelion
What is the difference between a neutron star and a pulsar?
A pulsar is a rotating neutron star that emits radio waves
What is the approximate age of the universe?
13.8 billion years
The Great Red Spot on Jupiter is what type of atmospheric phenomenon?
A giant storm
What is the term for a massive explosion marking the end of a large star’s life cycle?
Supernova
Which moon in the Solar System has a thick atmosphere and lakes of liquid methane?
Titan (Saturn’s moon)
The Hubble Space Telescope primarily observes in which spectrum of light?
Visible and ultraviolet
What is the closest known exoplanet to Earth?
Proxima Centauri b
