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CIS > ASTRO FINAL > Flashcards

ASTRO FINAL Flashcards

1
Q

How old is the universe

A

14 billion years

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2
Q

How many kilometers make up a light-year?

A

10*10^12

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3
Q

How many galaxies are present in the Local Group?

A

40

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4
Q

Is there ever a time when we on Earth are not in some type of motion?

A

No

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5
Q

How far away are the nearest stars, excluding the Sun?

A

a least 4 light-years away

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6
Q

T or F. The elements hydrogen & helium were created during the Big Bang

A

True

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7
Q

T or F. The expansion of the universe refers to the increase in the average distance between galaxies as time progresses

A

True

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8
Q

If the Galaxy were shrunk to the size of a football field, how far apart would the Sun and its nearest neighboring stars be?

A

a few millimeters

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9
Q

How is Earth moving in our solar system?

A

1- The Earth orbits the Sun once each year 2- The Earth orbits the Sun once each year 3- The Earth rotates on its axis once each day 4- The Earth orbits an average distance of 1 AU from the Sun

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10
Q

How is our solar system moving in the Milky Way Galaxy?’’

review

A

The Sun takes about 230 million years (or 230 x 10^6 years) to orbit the Milky Way

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11
Q

How big is the Milky Way Galaxy?

A

100,000 light-years across or 100 x 10^3

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12
Q

How do galaxies move within the Local Group of galaxies?

A

in a random manner

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13
Q

What is rotation?

A

It is the spinning of an object on its axis

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14
Q

How many kilometers is one Astronomical Unit (AU)?

A

150 million km (150*10^6)

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15
Q

How many stars are there in the Milky Way Galaxy, including the Sun?

A

100 billion (100*10^9)

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16
Q

How many galaxies are present in the observable universe?

A

100 billion (100*10^9)

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17
Q

What is a comet?

A

Relatively small & icy object?

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18
Q

How were most of the elements of the periodic table created?

A

by stars

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19
Q

T or F. A star is a glowing ball of gas that generates energy through nuclear fusion

A

True

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20
Q

From the mid-latitudes on Earth, which of the following is true of stars in the sky in the direction of the celestial equator?

A

Those stars appear to rise in an easterly direction, set in a westerly direction

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21
Q

About how many stars can be seen with our eyes in the night’s sky from a dark site?

A

6000

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22
Q

T or F. The Moon-Earth system orbits the Sun.

A

True

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23
Q

For a specific viewing location on the Earth, which of the following is equal to the altitude of the north celestial pole at that same viewing location?

A

latitude

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24
Q

What is the celestial sphere?

A

It is an imaginary sphere with the earth at its center & all the stars appear to be at the same distance

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25
Q

T or F. The phase of the Moon on any given day depends on its relative position to the Sun and the Earth.

A

True

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26
Q

How many official constellations are used as regions to divide up the celestial sphere?

A

88

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27
Q

What is a parallax?

A

It is a change in the apparent position of an object caused by a change in the observer’s line of sight

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28
Q

When does a lunar eclipse occur?

A

It occurs when the Earth lies directly between the Sun & the Moon

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29
Q

When the third quarter moon rises, approximately what time is it?

A

midnight

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30
Q

By about how many degrees a day does the Sun appears to drift along the ecliptic?

A

1.0

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31
Q

What causes a full moon to occur?

A

The Sun & the Moon are in the opposite directions as seen from Earth

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32
Q

What is precession?

A

It is a gradual wobble that alters the orientation of Earth’s axis in space

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33
Q

T or F. The angle of the meridian to the zenith and the Earth’s distance from the Sun together cause the seasons

A

False

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34
Q

Why doesn’t a lunar or solar eclipse happen every month?

A

The Moon’s orbital plane is inclined a few degrees to the ecliptic

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35
Q

What is the angle (in degrees) between the ecliptic & the celestial equator?

A

23.5

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36
Q

What is the period of the Moon’s orbit around the Earth?

A

27.3 days

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37
Q

What is the celestial equator?

A

It is a projection of Earth’s equator into space?

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38
Q

Which of the following is a true statement about circumpolar stars?

A

They never rise or set?

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39
Q

T or F. The stars in the celestial sphere appear to move in circles around the celestial pole, when viewed from a fixed point on Earth, during a 24 hour rotation period.

A

True

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40
Q

Before the invention of the compass, what did people use to tell North during the night?

A

Polaris

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41
Q

Before the invention of the compass, people used the direction of which of the following to tell North during the day?

A

The shortest shadow cast by an object

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42
Q

Kepler’s Second Law says that as a planet moves around its orbit, it sweeps out:

A

equal area in the equal time

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43
Q

Why are there 7 days in a week?

A

Only 7 objects were known to change their positions on the celestial sphere

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44
Q

Perihelion:

A

is the closest distance to the Sun

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45
Q

What claim does the geocentric model make to explain retrograde motion?

A

Planets really do reverse their direction of motion when they are in retrograde, and they become brighter because they are closer to the Earth correct

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46
Q

What does Kepler’s First Law say about the orbits of the planets?

A

They are ellipses with the Sun at one focus

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47
Q

The ancient Greeks discovered that:

A

1- the Moon is round 2- The size of the Earth 3- Earth is round

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48
Q

What did Tycho use to build the biggest instruments in the world for his observatory?

A

Metal

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49
Q

In what ways do we use scientific thinking in everyday life?

A

We combine trial-and-error experiments with testable predictions

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50
Q

Kepler’s third law states that:

A

period squared equals semimajor axis cubed

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51
Q

East is defined by the direction of:

A

Sunrise at equinox

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52
Q

A planet moves:

A

fastest at perihelion & slowest at aphelion

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53
Q

How did the Greeks explain planetary motion?

A

with a geocentric circles-on-circles model

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54
Q

Why did the heliocentric model of Copernicus fail to predict the position of the planets better than the geocentric model?

A

Copernicus used perfect circles for orbits

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55
Q

How did astronomy benefit ancient societies?

A

1- It helped them to keep track of the day of the year 2- It helped them to define directions 3- It helped them to determine the time of day or night

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56
Q

T or F. A semimajor axis is the distance from the center to the edge along the sorter axis of an ellipse

A

False

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57
Q

T or F. Galileo observed sunspots on the Sun, mountains on the Moon, the moons of Jupiter, and all the phases of Venus to solidify the Copernican revolution.

A

True

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58
Q

Why was Ptolemy’s geocentric model widely accepted for 1600 years?

A

It accurately predicted the positions of the planets

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59
Q

T or F. The Moon is always falling toward the Earth

A

True

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60
Q

What keeps a planet rotating & orbiting the Sun

A

Conservation of angular momentum

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61
Q

Kepler & Galileo speculated that Kepler’s Laws could be explained using:

A

magnetic fields

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62
Q

Mass:

A

is a fixed amount of material

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63
Q

T or F. Tides cause the moon to move farther away from the Earth

A

True

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64
Q

During spring tides at full & new moons, the Sun & Moon are:

A

working together

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65
Q

Newton’s Law of Gravity says every object attracts every other object with a force that is proportional to the:

A

product of their masses & declines with square of the distance between them

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66
Q

A force is in the direction of:

A

the change in motion

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67
Q

Newton’s First Law says an object at rest remains at rest and an object in motion

A

remains in motion along a straight line

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68
Q

Conservation of energy means:

A

energy cannot be created or destroyed

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69
Q

Temperature measures

A

the speed of the particles

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70
Q

Velocity is:

A

speed in a specified direction

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71
Q

What does doubling the mass of one object do to the gravitational force between the object and another object?

A

Doubles the force

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72
Q

Newton’s Second Law says a force is:

A

mass multiplied by acceleration

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73
Q

Gravity causes tides because

A

it pulls on the near side harder than it does on the far side

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74
Q

Acceleration is

A

a change in velocity

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75
Q

Newton’s version of Kepler’s third law allows us to measure:

A

mass

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76
Q

Astronauts in orbit around the Earth experience “weightlessness” because:

A

They are in continual free-fall

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77
Q

Speed is

A

the rate at which an object is moving

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78
Q

Which of the following is the main cause of tides on Earth

A

Moon

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79
Q

How much stronger are the tides from the Sun compared to the tides from the Moon

A

One third as strong

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80
Q

What is the angle between the ecliptic & the celestial equator

A

23.5 degrees

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81
Q

What is the ecliptic?

A

The Sun’s apparent annual path on the celestial sphere

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82
Q

What is the acceleration on Earth due to gravity

A

10 m/s^2

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83
Q

Which of the following best describes an asteroid that orbits a star?

A

A relatively small & rocky object

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84
Q

T or F. The altitude of the Sun above the horizon changes over the course of a year

A

True

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85
Q

Which of the following is a reason for the change in the apparent daily path of the Sun as the seasons progress?

A

The tilted axis of the Earth

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86
Q

Which of the following defines a planet in our solar system?

A

It has cleared objects from its orbital path

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87
Q

Which of the following is created when the Sun crosses the celestial equator moving north, sometime around March

A

The vernal equinox

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88
Q

What does a force change?

A

Motion

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89
Q

Why do objects move at a constant velocity if no force acts on them?

A

Conservation of momentum

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90
Q

What causes the seasons?

A

The tilt of the rotation axis relative to the ecliptic

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91
Q

What is a zenith?

A

Straight up 90º from the horizon

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92
Q

Approximately what time is it if a full moon is directly overhead?

A

midnight

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93
Q

Which of the following best describes momentum?

A

Velocity multiplied by mass

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94
Q

Why are astronauts weightless if they are on a space station that is in orbit around the Earth

A

they are continually falling

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95
Q

What does doubling the distance between 2 objects do to the gravitational force between the objects?

A

it changes the force by a factor 1/4

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96
Q

When does a solar eclipse occur?

A

When the moon lies directly between the Sun & the Earth

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97
Q

How is the direction of the West determined?

A

By the sunset at equinox

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98
Q

What is an aphelion?

A

It is the farthest distance from the Sun

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99
Q

What are the main phases of matter?

A

Solid, liquid, gas, plasma

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100
Q

T or F. A continuous spectrum looks like a smooth continuous rainbow of light

A

True

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101
Q

An absorption line spectrum looks like:

A

a smooth continuous rainbow of light punctured by dark regions

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102
Q

What do astronomers use light for?

A

spectroscopy, imagining & timing

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103
Q

How many times smaller is the nucleus compared to an atom?

A

10^5

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104
Q

How does matter affect light?

A

Matter can emit, absorb, transmit & scatter light

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105
Q

Over a very long time, tidal forces cause the Earth to:

A

rotate more slowly

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106
Q

The length of an Earth day is determined by the time required for approximately one:

A

Earth rotation

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107
Q

T or F. An emission line spectrum looks like a smooth continuous rainbow of light punctured by dark regions.

A

False

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108
Q

An atom has a diameter of about

A

10^-10m

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109
Q

A hot opaque object emits a:

A

continuous spectrum

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110
Q

A hot opaque object viewed through a cooler gas shows:

A

an absorption line spectrum

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111
Q

Timing:

A

measures changes in time

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112
Q

Gas viewed without a hot opaque object in the line of sight shows:

A

an emission line spectrum

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113
Q

What is the relationship between wavelength & frequency?

A

Wavelength multiplied by frequency is speed

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114
Q

When an atom absorbs a single particle of light, how is that energy stored in the atom?

A

An electron in the atom jumps to a higher energy level

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115
Q

The energy of a photon is

A

its frequency multiplied by Planck’s constant

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116
Q

Imaging:

A

takes a picture

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117
Q

The first step in spectroscopy is:

A

dispersion of light into its component colors

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118
Q

Power is

A

Energy per time

119
Q

Light can show us that an object is rotating when one side is moving toward us and one side is moving away using:

A

the Doppler effect

120
Q

How is the peak wavelength related to temperature, ‘T’?

A

Peak wavelength is inversely proportional to the temperature (1/T)

121
Q

How does Earth’s atmosphere affect ground-based observations?

A

It limits observing at visible light wavelengths to nighttime

122
Q

T or F. Spectral lines shift to redder wavelengths for objects moving towards us to bluer wavelengths for objects moving away from us

A

False

123
Q

How does your eye form an image?

A

By focusing light on your retina

124
Q

T or F. We put telescopes in space to be able to observe all wavelengths of light

A

True

125
Q

Radio telescopes use:

A

metal dishes

126
Q

X-ray telescopes use:

A

Grazing incidence reflections

127
Q

A refracting telescope forms an image by

A

Focusing light with a lens

128
Q

What are the characteristic wavelength and energy of photons emitted by hotter objects

A

Shorter wavelength, higher energy

129
Q

The faster an object rotates, the:

A

wider the spectral line

130
Q

Which of the following allows multiple telescopes to be linked together to obtain the angular resolution of a much larger telescope?

A

Interferometry

131
Q

How is the power emitted related to the temperature ‘T’

A

The power emitted is proportional to the temperature to the 4th (T^4)

132
Q

What are the 2 most important properties of a telescope?

A

Collecting area & angular resolution

133
Q

Which of the following is a characteristic of an object whose temperature is rapidly increasing?

A

It becomes brighter

134
Q

What is the color difference between hotter & cooler objects?

A

Hotter objects look bluer, cooler objects look redder

135
Q

Hotter objects emit more light

A

per unit surface area

136
Q

A sample return:

A

returns samples from another world to Earth

137
Q

The Sun is powered by:

A

hydrogen burning in its core

138
Q

Which of the following is the most volcanically active place in the solar system

A

Io

139
Q

How long is a day on Mercury?

A

3 months

140
Q

In which direction do all the planets orbit the Sun when viewed from above the Sun’s northern hemisphere

A

Counterclockwise

141
Q

The pressure on the surface of Venus is equivalent to

A

1 km beneath the surface of the ocean on Earth

142
Q

All planetary orbits in our Solar System lie nearly the same:

A

ecliptic plane

143
Q

A flyby:

A

visits another world usually just once

144
Q

The planet in our solar system that rotates backward is:

A

Venus

145
Q

All the planets in our Solar system move in:

A

elliptical orbits

146
Q

An orbiter:

A

goes into orbit around a world

147
Q

The Sun is mainly made of

A

hydrogen & helium

148
Q

All of the Jovian Planets with rings are:

A

Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune, Uranus

149
Q

How old is the Sun?

A

4.6*10^9 years old

150
Q

What gives Uranus & Neptune their blueish colors?

A

Methane

151
Q

The solar system contains very, very large numbers of:

A

comets & asteroids

152
Q

An object is a planet if it is in orbit around the sun, has enough mass to become spherical &

A

has cleared its orbit

153
Q

The Kuiper belt begins near

A

Neptune

154
Q

The eight official planets clearly divide into 2 groups:

A

Terrestrial & Jovian

155
Q

The Oort Cloud extends:

A

about halfway to the nearest stars

156
Q

What feature explains the general differences between the Terrestrial & Jovian planets

A

Temperature

157
Q

What property of our solar system must a formation theory explain?

A

Patterns of motion

158
Q

When did the planets begin to form?

A

4.6*10^9 years ago

159
Q

What explains the existence of our moon?

A

The Moon resulted from a giant impact with the Earth

160
Q

What process set explains the orderly pattern of motion in our solar system?

A

Heating, spinning & flattening

161
Q

What characteristic of a young Sun sweeps away material not yet accreted onto the planets?

A

Strong stellar wind

162
Q

What is formed outside the frost line?

A

Jovian planets

163
Q

What does the era of heavy bombardment explain?

A

Exceptions to the general patterns

164
Q

The formation of a gas from a solid is called:

A

sublimation

165
Q

T or F. Asteroids are the ice-rich leftover planetesimals of the inner solar system

A

False

166
Q

Summer in Phoenix AZ is hotter than winter because:

A

Earth’s Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun

167
Q

The formation of a liquid from gas is called:

A

condensation

168
Q

An unimportant property of a telescope is its:

A

magnifications

169
Q

Radiometric dating:

A

measures the proportions of a radioactive isotope with its decay products

170
Q

What does a collapsing cloud do as it shrinks

A

It heats up, spins faster & flattens out

171
Q

What is formed inside the frost line?

A

Terrestrial planets

172
Q

What process represents conservation of angular momentum in action as the solar nebula cloud collapses?

A

Faster spinning

173
Q

What process represents energy conservation in action when the solar nebula cloud collapses?

A

Heating

174
Q

The Oort Cloud:

A

where icy leftover planetesimals are found

175
Q

T or F. When viewing the solar system above the Sun’s northern hemisphere, most planets rotate counterclockwise

A

True

176
Q

How does a reflecting telescope form an image?

A

By focusing light with mirrors

177
Q

What is a lander primarily designed to do?

A

Probes the surface or atmosphere

178
Q

Which of the following planet’s axis of rotation is the most tilted?

A

Uranus

179
Q

How is the composition of a distance object determine?

A

Identifying the spectral lines

180
Q

The Doppler shift formula measures?

A

The speed of an object is proportional to the change in the wavelength

181
Q

What are the best objects to study in order to learn about the composition of the early solar system?

A

Asteroids & comets

182
Q

T or F. Observations made from space can observe all wavelengths of light

A

True

183
Q

According to the nebular theory, how did the solar system form?

A

By the collapse of a cloud of gas & dust

184
Q

What planet still retains its primary atmosphere from birth?

A

Jupiter

185
Q

What does spectroscopy reveal about an object?

A

The composition

186
Q

As the solar nebula cloud collapsed, which natural consequence caused it to flatten into a disk?

A

Collisions

187
Q

The temperature of an object has a specific meaning as it relates to the object’s atoms. In this case, what does a high temperature mean?

A

The atoms are moving fast

188
Q

What are astronomy’s detectors according to the historical order?

A

Eye, film, photomultiplier & ccd

189
Q

What geological processes shaped Mercury?

A

Cratering & volcanism

190
Q

A crater has a width

A

10 times the size of the impactor

191
Q

What fundamental property of a planet determines its geological activity?

A

Size

192
Q

How do we know that Earth’s surface is in motion?

A

The continents fit together & creation of new sea crust, composition differences between seafloor & crust, & GPS measurements

193
Q

What are the major processes that shape planetary surfaces after solar system formation

A

Cratering, volcanism, tectonics & erosion

194
Q

T or F. Volcanism is more likely on a planet with high internal temperatures & a thin lithosphere

A

True

195
Q

Compared to smaller planets, larger planets retain their interior heat:

A

longer

196
Q

The 3 ways to heat a terrestrial interior are:

A

accretion, differentiation & radioactive decay

197
Q

3 ways to cool a terrestrial interior are:

A

convection, conduction & raditation

198
Q

Which of the following layers, being thinner, allows for more geological activity?

A

Lithosphere

199
Q

Which of the following processes led to the formation of tremendous tectonic cliffs on Mercury?

A

Cooling of planets

200
Q

Subduction occurs at:

A

ocean trenches

201
Q

Which of the following features accounts for similar internal structures between the terrestrial planets?

A

Gravity

202
Q

How do impact craters reveal a surface’s geological age?

A

More craters indicate an older surface

203
Q

New seafloor crust is created at

A

mid-ocean ridges

204
Q

T or F. The polar ice caps provide geological evidence of the fact that water once flowed on Mars

A

False

205
Q

A planetary magnetic field requires 3 items:

A

electrically conductive fluid, convection, core rotation

206
Q

Erosion is defined as:

A

the breakdown & transport of rocks by volatiles

207
Q

Tectonic activity on Earth is always accompanied by

A

earthquakes

208
Q

Does Venus have ongoing plate tectonics

A

We do not see any

209
Q

The three factors that determine if a gas molecule achieves thermal escape are:

A

temperature, the mass of particles & planet mass

210
Q

The weather on Mars is driven largely by:

A

condensation & sublimation at the poles

211
Q

T or F. Without an atmosphere, surface temperatures on a planet are set by its distance from the Sun, how much sunlight it absorbs & its rotation rate

A

True

212
Q

The Earth’s climate stays relatively stable due to:

A

the feedback processes that counter warming or cooling trends

213
Q

The thermosphere is where

A

solar x-rays are absorbed

214
Q

How does the greenhouse effect warm a planet?

A

By the atmosphere absorbing & re-admitting infrared radiation

215
Q

3 primary sources of atmospheric gases are:

A

outgassing, evaporation & surface ejection

216
Q

A magnetic field protects am atmosphere by shielding it from

A

solar wind

217
Q

What is one of the main reasons the atmosphere on Mars changed?

A

Mars has too little gravity to hold an atmosphere

218
Q

How many convection cells per hemisphere does the Coriolis effect cause Earth to have

A

3

219
Q

What processes remove gases from the atmosphere and keep them trapped on the planet’s surface?

A

chemical reactions & condensation

220
Q

The troposphere is where:

A

Greenhouse warming & weather changes take place

221
Q

The stratosphere is where:

A

the ozone absorbs ultraviolet light

222
Q

On the Earth, most of the outgassed carbon dioxide is converted to:

A

limestone

223
Q

What is an atmosphere?

A

A layer of gas surrounding a world

224
Q

Why is the sky blue?

A

Blue light is the most likely to be scattered so we can see it from all directions

225
Q

What led to the ultimate runaway greenhouse effect on Venus?

A

Distance from the Sun

226
Q

Jupiter’s moon Europa may have a deep, liquid water ocean under its icy crust due to:

A

Tidal heating

227
Q

Which Jovian planets have magnetospheres?

A

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

228
Q

Neptune’s moon Triton has:

A

a geologically young surface

229
Q

The rings of Jovian planets have particles that are a result of:

A

dismantling of small moons

230
Q

How many times stronger is Jupiter’s magnetic field compared to that of Earth’s?

A

20,000 times

231
Q

Saturn’s moon Titan shows:

A

thick atmosphere & hydrocarbon lakes

232
Q

Saturn’s rings are made up of:

A

objects ranging from the size of dust grains to boulders

233
Q

Uranus and Neptune are made mostly of:

A

hydrogen compounds with metals & rock

234
Q

The Great Red Spot is:

A

a high-pressure storm

235
Q

The Jovian planets are squashed due to:

A

rapid rotation

236
Q

The cores of the Jovian planets differ in their:

A

rotation rates

237
Q

Within the rings of Jovian planets, on average, how long does it take for basketball-sized particles to ground to dust?

A

5*10^7 (50 million) years

238
Q

Within the rings of Jovian planets, on average, how long does it take for basketball sized particles to ground to dust?

REVIEW QUESTION

A

hydrogen & helium

239
Q

Jupiter’s moon Io has its interior primarily kept hot by:

A

tidal heating

240
Q

On average, collisions between objects within Saturn’s rings happen every:

A

every few hours

241
Q

Jupiter’s zones and belts correspond to:

A

clouds of different compositions at different heights

242
Q

T or F. Icy volcanism can occur at low temperatures.

A

True

243
Q

Moons within & beyond the rings of Jovian planets create:

A

gaps

244
Q

The Iridium layer is:

A

rich in iridium & soot found worldwide

245
Q

Impacts in the solar system are usually linked to the gravitational influence of:

A

Jupiter

246
Q

Processed meteorites are:

A

fragments of planetesimals

247
Q

T or F. In the Kuiper belt, Pluto is one of the largest icy dwarf planets

A

True

248
Q

We observed the impacts of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 on:

A

Jupiter

249
Q

Approximately how many small bodies are orbiting the Sun?

A

Trillions (10^12)

250
Q

The fragments in the asteroid belt did not form a planet because:

A

Orbital resonances kept occurring with Jupiter

251
Q

T or F. Comets come from the Kuiper Belt and the Oort cloud.

A

True

252
Q

On average, a 10-km-sized object impacts Earth every:

A

10^8 (100 million) years

253
Q

On average, a 1-km sized object impacts Earth every:

A

10^6 (million) years

254
Q

How many years ago did a major impact coincide with the mass extinction of dinosaurs?

A

65*10^6 (65 million)

255
Q

Primitive meteorites are valued because they are:

A

original material from the solar nebula

256
Q

On average, a 10-meter sized object impacts Earth every:

A

year

257
Q

When do meteor showers occur?s

A

When the earth passes through the path of a comet

258
Q

T or F. Jovian planets have more moons than a terrestrial planet

A

True

259
Q

What is the weather like on Jovian planets?

A

Multiple cloud layers, fast winds & large storms

260
Q

What are comets famous for delivering to Earth

A

A significant fraction of the current supply of water

261
Q

How is Io’s interior kept hot?

A

tidal heating

262
Q

Why are zonal winds on Jovian planets stronger than those on terrestrial planets?

A

The Jovian planets rotate faster

263
Q

What is a similarity between Europa and Titan?

A

They are both targets in the search for life

264
Q

What is one reason for Pluto to be classified as a dwarf planet?

A

It has not cleared the neighborhood of its orbit

265
Q

Why did materials in the asteroid belt not form a planet?

A

It was prevented by orbital resonances with Jupiter

266
Q

What is the main reason for the different colors of the clouds on Jupiter?

A

Its composition

267
Q

How many tails does a comet have?

A

2

268
Q

Astrometry is best for finding massive planets that are:

A

Very close to their host stars

269
Q

T or F. Most known exoplanets orbit far from their stars and have large rotation axis tilts.

A

False

270
Q

Most of the Hot Jupiters were probably:

A

born on Jovian-like orbits & migrated inwards

271
Q

How many times brighter are stars typically when compared to the light reflected from a planet orbiting it?

A

10^9 times

272
Q

How do most of the known exoplanets differ from Earth?

A

They are more massive

273
Q

Which method does the NASA’s Kepler mission use to find other Earths?

A

Transit photometry

274
Q

Transit Photometry:

A

detects the periodic dimming of the star due to a planet crossing

275
Q

The Doppler Method detects:

A

the periodic shift in a star’s spectrum

276
Q

T or F. The overall exoplanet situation for known exoplanetary systems is remarkably unlike what we find in our solar system.

A

True

277
Q

Direct Imaging

A

Takes a picture of the orbiting planet

278
Q

Which exoplanetary detection method can most easily be used with amateur telescopes?

A

Transit photometry

279
Q

Astrometry detects:

A

the periodic wobble of the stars position

280
Q

The habitable zone is the region where a planet can exist around a star where:

A

It’s the right temperature to have liquid water

281
Q

T or F. Humans know if Earth-like planets are rare or common.

A

False

282
Q

Chemical rockets could reach maximum speeds of about:

A

0.1% the speed of light

283
Q

Nuclear fusion rockets could reach maximum speeds of about:

A

10% the speed of light

284
Q

Light sails could reach maximum speeds of about:

A

50% the speed of light

285
Q

Which of these signals from Earth could most easily be detected by intelligent life on nearby stars?

A

Radio & TV waves intended for communication of Earth

286
Q

The Miller-Urey experiment showed that if materials matching the chemical composition of the Early Earth are put in a sealed container and energy is added to it (sparks from lightning), then we would observe:

A

the formation of organic molecules

287
Q

T or F. The Voyager record contains music, pictures of Earth, and greetings in many languages.

A

True

288
Q

What is one of the spacecrafts from Earth that intentionally included messages to extraterrestrials?

A

Pioneer

289
Q

In general, life on Earth seems to require only three things:

A

Nutrients, a source of energy & liquid water

290
Q

What is the Waterhole?

A

A range of radio wavelength between the 21 cm line of hydrogen & the 18 cm line of hydroxyl

291
Q

According to fossil evidence, approximately how many years ago did life originate on Earth?

A

3.5*10^9 years ago

292
Q

The most likely method of contact with extraterrestrial intelligence is:

A

Radio waves

293
Q

The Drake equation gives an estimate for the number of:

A

civilizations that we could communicate with in the Milky Way

294
Q

Matter-antimatter rockets could reach maximum speeds of about:

A

90% the speed of light

CIS (2 decks)

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