Astronomy Quiz 2: Chapter 3 Flashcards
fallacy (fallacious)
a statement or an argument based on false or invalid evidence
eisegetical
a process of interpreting a text using one’s own idea or presuppositions
remanent magnetism
the magnetization left behind in a medium after an external magnetic field is removed
differential rotation
the condition in which different parts of an object rotate at different speeds; one example would be a spiral galaxy whose inner regions rotate faster than its outer regions
aphelion
the point in the orbit of a celestial body at which it is farthest from the sun
perihelion
the point in the orbit of a celestial body at which it is nearest to the sun
According to the currently favored version of the big bang, the universe will continue to ___ indefinitely and grow ___.
expand, colder
___ is the fastest way of transferring energy since nothing can travel faster.
light
___ ___ develop on earth because the moon is closer to one side of the earth than the other, and thus gravity pulls harder on the near side.
tidal bulges
The earth’s magnetic field is caused by ___ ___ within its interior.
electric currents
Many of the planets of the solar system also have strong ___ ___ ___.
dipole magnetic fields
The sun reverses its magnetic field every ___ years.
eleven
The sun is so hot that most of its atoms are ___.
ionized
Secular astronomers have invented the idea of an ___ ___ in an attempt to reconcile the short life span of comets with their belief that the universe is billions of years old.
Oort Cloud
The earth’s magnetic field becomes ___ as time progresses.
weaker