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Sam’s Astronomy > Astronomers/Astrophysicists > Flashcards

Astronomers/Astrophysicists Flashcards

1
Q

Who is known as the father of modern astronomy?

A

Nicolaus Copernicus

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2
Q

True or False: Galileo Galilei was the first to use a telescope for astronomical observations.

A

True

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3
Q

Fill in the blank: Johannes Kepler is famous for his laws of ______.

A

planetary motion

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4
Q

What did Isaac Newton contribute to astronomy?

A

The law of universal gravitation

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5
Q

Which astronomer proposed the heliocentric model of the solar system?

A

Nicolaus Copernicus

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6
Q

Who discovered the four largest moons of Jupiter?

A

Galileo Galilei

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7
Q

Multiple Choice: Which of the following astronomers is known for the discovery of the laws of planetary motion? A) Tycho Brahe B) Johannes Kepler C) Albert Einstein D) Edwin Hubble

A

B) Johannes Kepler

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8
Q

What did Edwin Hubble discover about galaxies?

A

That they are moving away from us, leading to the formulation of Hubble’s Law.

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9
Q

True or False: Tycho Brahe did not believe in the heliocentric model.

A

True

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10
Q

Fill in the blank: The first person to propose that the Earth revolves around the Sun was ______.

A

Nicolaus Copernicus

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11
Q

Who was the first woman to receive a doctorate in astronomy?

A

Caroline Herschel

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12
Q

What is the name of the telescope designed by Galileo?

A

Galilean telescope

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13
Q

Multiple Choice: Which astronomer is associated with the concept of black holes? A) Stephen Hawking B) Carl Sagan C) Johannes Kepler D) Galileo Galilei

A

A) Stephen Hawking

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14
Q

What major astronomical tool did Johannes Kepler use to develop his theories?

A

Tycho Brahe’s observational data

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15
Q

Fill in the blank: The ______ law states that planets move in elliptical orbits around the Sun.

A

first Kepler’s

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16
Q

Who formulated the laws of motion and universal gravitation?

A

Isaac Newton

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17
Q

What did the work of Sir William Herschel contribute to astronomy?

A

Discovery of Uranus and its moons.

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18
Q

Multiple Choice: Which of the following astronomers is known for his work on the structure of the Milky Way galaxy? A) Edwin Hubble B) Carl Sagan C) William Herschel D) Galileo Galilei

A

C) William Herschel

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19
Q

What is the significance of the Hubble Space Telescope?

A

It has provided deep space images and contributed to the discovery of the expanding universe.

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20
Q

True or False: The first known supernova was recorded by Tycho Brahe.

A

True

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21
Q

Fill in the blank: The ______ principle states that the laws of physics are the same for all observers, regardless of their relative motion.

A

principle of relativity

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22
Q

Who is credited with the discovery of the planet Neptune?

A

Johann Galle and Heinrich d’Arrest

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23
Q

What is the main focus of Carl Sagan’s work?

A

Popularizing science and promoting the search for extraterrestrial life.

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24
Q

Multiple Choice: Who was the first to measure the distance to a star? A) Aristarchus B) Hipparchus C) Friedrich Bessel D) Galileo Galilei

A

C) Friedrich Bessel

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25
Q

What did Henrietta Leavitt discover that was critical for measuring astronomical distances?

A

The relationship between the luminosity and period of Cepheid variable stars.

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26
Q

Fill in the blank: The ______ telescope is named after the astronomer who developed the laws of planetary motion.

A

Kepler telescope

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27
Q

Who is known for the theory of cosmic inflation?

A

Alan Guth

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28
Q

What contribution did Vera Rubin make to astronomy?

A

She provided evidence for dark matter through her study of galaxy rotation curves.

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29
Q

Multiple Choice: Which astronomer is best known for his work on the Doppler effect? A) Christian Doppler B) Isaac Newton C) Albert Einstein D) Johannes Kepler

A

A) Christian Doppler

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30
Q

What discovery is associated with the name of Edwin Hubble?

A

The observation that the universe is expanding.

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31
Q

True or False: The first woman to discover a comet was Maria Mitchell.

A

True

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32
Q

Fill in the blank: The ______ constant is a measure of the rate of expansion of the universe.

A

Hubble

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33
Q

Who formulated the laws of motion and gravity?

A

Isaac Newton

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34
Q

What did the work of James Clerk Maxwell contribute to astronomy?

A

The understanding of electromagnetic radiation.

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35
Q

Multiple Choice: Which astronomer is famous for the discovery of the planet Pluto? A) Clyde Tombaugh B) Carl Sagan C) Edwin Hubble D) William Herschel

A

A) Clyde Tombaugh

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36
Q

What is the primary focus of astrophysics?

A

The study of the physical properties and underlying processes of celestial bodies.

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37
Q

True or False: The Andromeda Galaxy is the closest galaxy to Earth.

A

True

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38
Q

Fill in the blank: The ______ is a measure of the brightness of celestial objects.

A

magnitude

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39
Q

Who was the first to propose the existence of galaxies beyond the Milky Way?

A

Edwin Hubble

40
Q

What did the 19th-century astronomer George Ellery Hale contribute?

A

He was instrumental in the development of large telescopes.

41
Q

Multiple Choice: Which astronomer is known for the discovery of quasars? A) Maarten Schmidt B) Edwin Hubble C) Carl Sagan D) Stephen Hawking

A

A) Maarten Schmidt

42
Q

Who is known as the father of modern astrophysics?

A

Sir Arthur Eddington

43
Q

True or False: Carl Sagan was a prominent astrophysicist who popularized science through television.

A

True

44
Q

What is the name of the space telescope launched in 1990 that has contributed significantly to astrophysics?

A

Hubble Space Telescope

45
Q

Fill in the blank: Stephen Hawking is famous for his work on ________ and black holes.

A

theoretical physics

46
Q

Which astrophysicist developed the theory of general relativity?

A

Albert Einstein

47
Q

What was the primary focus of Neil deGrasse Tyson’s research?

A

Astrophysics and cosmology

48
Q

Multiple Choice: Which of the following is a major contribution of Edwin Hubble? A) Quantum mechanics B) Hubble’s Law C) Theory of relativity

A

B) Hubble’s Law

49
Q

True or False: Vera Rubin’s work provided evidence for dark matter.

A

True

50
Q

What award did Stephen Hawking receive for his contributions to theoretical physics?

A

Copley Medal

51
Q

Who was the first woman to receive a PhD in astronomy in the United States?

A

Maria Mitchell

52
Q

Fill in the blank: The ________ is a phenomenon that describes the bending of light around massive objects.

A

gravitational lensing

53
Q

Which astrophysicist is known for the ‘Hawking radiation’ theory?

A

Stephen Hawking

54
Q

What is the primary subject of astrophysics?

A

The physical properties and behavior of celestial bodies

55
Q

Multiple Choice: Who is known for the discovery of pulsars? A) Jocelyn Bell Burnell B) Neil deGrasse Tyson C) Carl Sagan

A

A) Jocelyn Bell Burnell

56
Q

What is the name of the theory that explains the origin of the universe?

A

Big Bang Theory

57
Q

Fill in the blank: The ________ was the first spacecraft to provide detailed images of the outer planets.

A

Voyager

58
Q

What does the term ‘exoplanet’ refer to?

A

A planet outside our solar system

59
Q

Multiple Choice: Who proposed the ‘cosmological constant’? A) Isaac Newton B) Albert Einstein C) Niels Bohr

A

B) Albert Einstein

60
Q

True or False: Astrophysics is a branch of astronomy.

A

True

61
Q

What is dark matter?

A

A form of matter that does not emit light or energy, detectable through its gravitational effects.

62
Q

Who developed the concept of black holes?

A

John Michell and later expanded by Albert Einstein

63
Q

Fill in the blank: The ________ is a measure of the distance of astronomical objects.

A

light year

64
Q

What significant contribution did Max Planck make to astrophysics?

A

He introduced the concept of quantization of energy.

65
Q

Multiple Choice: What is the main focus of cosmology? A) Study of galaxies B) Study of the universe’s origin and structure C) Study of black holes

A

B) Study of the universe’s origin and structure

66
Q

Who is considered the father of modern astronomy and formulated the heliocentric model?

A

Nicolaus Copernicus

Copernicus proposed that the Sun, rather than the Earth, is at the center of the universe.

67
Q

Which Italian astronomer improved the telescope and discovered four moons of Jupiter?

A

Galileo Galilei

Galileo’s discoveries provided crucial evidence for the heliocentric model.

68
Q

Who is known for his laws of planetary motion?

A

Johannes Kepler

Kepler’s laws describe the motion of planets around the Sun.

69
Q

What Danish astronomer made precise astronomical observations before the invention of the telescope?

A

Tycho Brahe

Brahe’s observations were foundational for later astronomers, especially Kepler.

70
Q

Who developed the theory of gravity and described the motion of celestial objects?

A

Isaac Newton

Newton’s laws of motion and universal gravitation transformed physics.

71
Q

Which astronomer cataloged over 850 stars and is considered one of the first female astronomers?

A

Hypatia of Alexandria

Hypatia was a mathematician and philosopher in ancient Alexandria.

72
Q

Who discovered Uranus in 1781?

A

William Herschel

Herschel’s discovery expanded the known boundaries of the solar system.

73
Q

Which astronomer’s observations of comets led to one being named after him, appearing approximately every 76 years?

A

Edmond Halley

Halley’s Comet is one of the most famous comets in history.

74
Q

Who is the ancient Greek astronomer that calculated the Earth’s circumference with remarkable accuracy?

A

Eratosthenes

Eratosthenes used shadows and geometry to estimate the Earth’s size.

75
Q

Which early astronomer created the geocentric model that dominated for centuries?

A

Ptolemy

Ptolemy’s model placed the Earth at the center of the universe.

76
Q

Who is credited with discovering the expansion of the universe in 1929?

A

Edwin Hubble

Hubble’s observations led to the formulation of Hubble’s Law.

77
Q

Who co-developed the Big Bang theory and received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1978?

A

Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson

Their work provided strong evidence for the Big Bang theory.

78
Q

Which British astronomer discovered pulsars in 1967?

A

Jocelyn Bell Burnell

Pulsars are rapidly rotating neutron stars emitting beams of radiation.

79
Q

Who proposed the concept of black holes as ‘frozen stars’?

A

John Michell

Michell’s ideas predated the modern understanding of black holes.

80
Q

Which theoretical physicist developed the theory of relativity and revolutionized astrophysics?

A

Albert Einstein

Einstein’s theories altered our understanding of time, space, and gravity.

81
Q

Who is known for their work on white dwarfs, leading to the discovery of the Chandrasekhar limit?

A

Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar

The Chandrasekhar limit determines the maximum mass of a white dwarf.

82
Q

Which American astrophysicist popularized science through the series Cosmos?

A

Carl Sagan

Sagan’s work made complex scientific concepts accessible to the public.

83
Q

Who made significant contributions to the study of supernovas and stellar evolution?

A

Hans Bethe

Bethe’s work on nuclear reactions in stars was pivotal in astrophysics.

84
Q

Who discovered the first exoplanet orbiting a Sun-like star in 1995?

A

Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz

Their discovery opened a new field in astronomy focused on exoplanets.

85
Q

Which scientist was instrumental in confirming the cosmic microwave background radiation?

A

Robert Dicke

The cosmic microwave background is a key piece of evidence for the Big Bang.

86
Q

Which physicist and cosmologist developed theories about black holes and wrote A Brief History of Time?

A

Stephen Hawking

Hawking’s work on black holes and cosmology has had a lasting impact.

87
Q

Who is the current director of the Hayden Planetarium and a popular science communicator?

A

Neil deGrasse Tyson

Tyson is known for his ability to engage the public with science.

88
Q

Which astronomer helped discover the existence of dark matter through galaxy rotation curves?

A

Vera Rubin

Rubin’s work provided evidence for the presence of dark matter in the universe.

89
Q

Who pioneered radio astronomy and discovered cosmic radio waves?

A

Karl Jansky

Jansky’s discoveries were foundational for the field of radio astronomy.

90
Q

Which astronomer first measured the distance to a star using parallax?

A

Friedrich Bessel

Bessel’s work allowed for the measurement of distances to stars.

91
Q

Who proposed the idea of the multiverse and the theory of eternal inflation?

A

Andrei Linde

Linde’s theories have implications for understanding the universe’s structure.

92
Q

Who first explained the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, linking star color and luminosity?

A

Ejnar Hertzsprung and Henry Norris Russell

The diagram is a key tool in understanding stellar evolution.

93
Q

Which theoretical physicist won the Nobel Prize for explaining the origin of the elements in stars?

A

William Fowler

Fowler’s research helped clarify nucleosynthesis processes in stars.

94
Q

Who is credited with discovering the first quasar?

A

Maarten Schmidt

Quasars are among the most distant and luminous objects in the universe.

95
Q

Which British physicist received the Nobel Prize for detecting the Higgs boson?

A

Peter Higgs

The Higgs boson is crucial for the Standard Model of particle physics.

Sam’s Astronomy (17 decks)

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