astronomy test

Question 1

Define astronomy and give examples of how it has been used to advance human culture and technology.

Answer 1

Astronomy is the study of universe, space, and objects in space.

1. Gods based stars
2. Telescopes
3. Used as a navigational guide by early Mariner

Question 2

List the 7 types of Electromagnetic Radiation, along with a use for each, noting which are harmful to humans.

Answer 2

Radio - Communication
Microwave - Cooking
Infrared - Night Vision
Visible - Seeing
Ultraviolet - Kills Insects
X-Ray - Used for X-ray - dangerous
Gamma -Treat Cancer - danger

Question 3

Compare and contrast refracting and reflecting telescopes based on their design, and explain why one is used more often in modern astronomy.

Answer 3

Reflecting uses mirrors and collects light. Refracting telescope focus light to a point.

Refracting can see better, gather more light, and see farther.

Question 4

Compare and contrast rotation and revolution, as well as what we observe on Earth due to each.

Answer 4

Revolution is orbit around sun. Rotation is on earth axis. Revolution is seasons. Rotation is day and night.

Question 5

Compare and contrast solstices and equinoxes, including a description of the amount of sunlight received and how the Earth is positioned for each.

Answer 5

Solstice is the most or least daylight. Equinox is when day and night are equal. Summer solstice is most daylight. Winter solstice is the least sunlight. Autumnal and Spring Equinox.

Question 6

Explain how observations in astronomy are used to measure time and create the modern calendar.

Answer 6

Equinoxes and Solstices mark the beginning and ending of seasons. The seasons were broken into 12 months to match earth’s rotation around the sun.

Question 7

Describe what time zones are, and how they are marked on the globe.

Answer 7

Mark time changes on earth. Marked with lines that show time zone.

Question 8

Describe the “Nebular Hypothesis”, and the chain of events that created the solar system.

Answer 8

1. Nebula collapses
2. Rotates and Flattens, warmer near center
3. Planetesimals begin within swirling disk
4. Planetesimals gather more gas and dust
5. small planetsimals collide and grow
6. Excess Dust and Gas blows away

This is how the solar system was formed.

Question 9

Explain how the planets formed from planetesimals, and why the inner planets are rocky while the outer planets are mostly gases.

Answer 9

Planetesimals form planets when they collide and collect material.
Closer planets are rocky because sun blows gaseous clouds away.

Question 10

Explain why Earth’s interior is layered, and how the atmosphere began to form.

Answer 10

Layered because heavy, hot iron sank to core while lighter material rose. Atmosphere formed when less dense gases rose (outgassing).

Question 11

Compare and contrast geocentric and heliocentric models of the solar system, including a description of key astronomer’s theories about the universe (Thales, Aristotle, Pythagoras, Ptolemy, Copernicus, Brahe, Kepler, Galileo).

Answer 11

Geocentric - Earth is at the center of the universe.
Thales, Pythagoras, Aristotle, Ptolemy

Heliocentric - Sun is at the center of the universe.
Copernicus, Brahe, Gallileo, Kepler

Question 12

Describe the controversy behind Copernicus’s work, and what occurred during the Trial of Galileo.

Answer 12

Church disagreed with Copernicus because his work contradicted the Scriptures.

Gallileo was sentenced to jail because he stated that earth revolved around Sun and the Universe was not perfect.

Question 13

Describe the relative sizes and distances of the planets in the solar system.

Answer 13

Mercury - Small, close to Sun
Venus - Small, close to Sun
Earth - Small,  close to Sun
Mars - small, close to Sun
Jupiter - big, middle from Sun
Saturn - big, middle far from Sun
Uranus - medium, far from Sun
Neptune - medium, very far from Sun
Pluto - ice chunk, way, way out there

Question 14

Identify the terrestrial planets and describe key features of each (atmosphere, description of temperature, moons, surface features, etc.)

Answer 14

Terrestrial planets -
Mercury -small atmosphere, hot or cold, craters, no moons, large ball of iron
Venus - gassy atmosphere - carbon dioxide, hot, rocky, volcanic
Earth - atmosphere supports life, goldilox zone, water, 1 moon, rocky crust
Mars - small atmosphere, volcano, polar caps, cold, 2 moons

Question 15

List the jovian planets and describe key features of each (atmosphere, description of temperature, moons, surface features, etc.)

Answer 15

Jupiter = gaseous atmosphere, hydrogen, helium, small rocky, iron core, red spot, bands of cloud layers, cold, many moons

Saturn = gaseous atmosphere, hydrogen, helium, icy core, rings and cloud bands, cold

Uranus = gaseous, blue, hydrogen, helium, methane
icy core, cold, many moons and light rings

Neptune= gaseous, hydrogen, helium, methane, dark spot, icy mantle, cold, many moons, icy core

Question 16

Describe key reasons why Pluto is considered a “dwarf planet”.

Answer 16

Too Small, Orbit is elongated, round, not a moon of another planet

Question 17

Explain why the moon’s surface has many craters, and what formed the dark spots (maria) as well.

Answer 17

No erosion of craters (wind, water, volcanoes). Dark spots are when space rock hits moon so hard it penetrated to mantle.

Question 18

List and diagram the phases of the moon, and how the Earth, Moon, and Sun are positioned for each

Answer 18

See note card

Question 19

Describe what happens during a lunar and solar eclipse, being able to diagram each.

Answer 19

See note card

Question 20

Compare and contrast asteroids and meteoroids, as well as what happens to cause meteors and meteorites.

Answer 20

Asteroids are 1 or more KM wide. Meteoroids are < 1 km wide. Meteors and meteorites are caused by when meteoroids meet earth’s atmosphere.

Question 21

Describe what a comet is, and what causes its tails.

Answer 21

Comets are balls of ice and rock that orbit the sun. Tails form when sunlight causes a comet tail to change to gas.