Astronomy Final Exam Review A Flashcards
Can you diagram a solar eclipse and a lunar eclipse?
Solar- moon between sun and earth
Lunar- earth between sun and moon
What is the reason for the seasons?
The tilt of the earth on its axis.
What causes the phases of the moon?
The relative position of the Moon, Earth, and Sun
About what star do the heavens appear to revolve?
The North Star/ Polaris
What determines the light-gathering power of a telescope?
The size of its front opening
What type of telescope is the most-used by professional, refractors or reflectors?
Reflectors
What types of electromagnetic radiation are employed to study the heavens?
Largest -> shortest
Radio waves, micro waves, inferred/ heat waves, light waves, ultra violet(UV), X-ray, gamma rays
How does a star’s tempature affect its color?
Red -> yellow -> blue
Red- coldest
Yellow- middle
Blue- hottest
How do astronomers determine the chemical makeup of a star?
Spectra scope
How can we detect the presence of various gases on the Sun’s surface?
Spectra scope
What makes up an atom?
Protons= + Electrons= - Neutrons= neutrals
What cleric first proposed that the Earth was not the center of the universe?
Copernicus
Who first proposed elliptical orbits for the planets?
Kepler
What are Kepler’s three law?
- All planets move elliptical orbit
- A line that connects a planet to the sun sweeps out in equal area in equal time
- The square of a period of a planet is proportional to the cube of its distance from the sun.
Who was the first astronomer to use a telescope?
Galileo
What is Newton’s law of gravitation?
Force acting on 2 bodies is proportional to the product of their masses & inversely proportional to the square of distance between them
What are tectonic plates?
Earth is divided into a small # of plates. The plates more about the rate your fingernails grow.
What is the relationship of tectonic plates to earthquakes?
When 2 plates collide, MOUNTAINS HAPPEN.
When 1 slides beneath the other, VOLCANOS HAPPEN.
When 1 slides past another, AN EARTHQUAKE HAPPEN.
How was the Moon formed?
The moon was formed when a mars sized body hit the earth.
How were the craters on the moon formed?
Meteors
Can you name the inner in their correct order?
Mercury, Venus, earth, mars
What types of atmospheres do the inner planets possess?
Mercury= none Venus= Carbon dioxide (1) Earth= 25% oxygen 80% nitrogen Mars= carbon dioxide (100)
What types of surfaces do the inner planets possess?
Rocky (big fat rocks)
Which inner planet, besides our own, may contain life?
Mars
Can you name the outer planets in their correct order?
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune… (Pluto)
