Basics

Question 1

What are angles in Astronomy measured in?

Answer 1

Degrees, minutes, and seconds of arc

Question 2

What do our eyes detect?

Answer 2

The angular size of objects or the angular distance between two objects.

Question 3

What is the distance estimated by?

Answer 3

The stereoscopic effect

Question 4

What do small angles measure the ratio of?

Answer 4

Width against Distance

Question 5

What sets the limit on how well you can distinguish close together objects?

Answer 5

The receptor cells at the back of the eye.

Question 6

Mercury facts?

Answer 6

Year: 87.97 days
Magnetic field
Almost no atmosphere
Temp:-150 to 450

Question 7

Venus facts?

Answer 7

Year: 224.7 days
The morning and evening star
Green house effect
Temp: 464

Question 8

Earth facts?

Answer 8

Year: 365.26 days
Water on surface
Magnetic field
Atmosphere
Temp: 10-20
1 moon

Question 9

Mars facts?

Answer 9

Year: 1.881 Earth years
Frozen water
Has seasons
Low pressure CO2 atmosphere
Temp: -140-20

Question 10

Jupiter facts?

Answer 10

Year: 11.86 Earth years
Giant magnetic field
Emits more energy than it receives
Atmosphere mostly of H2 and Helium
Moons: 92+

Question 11

Saturn facts?

Answer 11

Year: 29.46 Earth years
Ringed planets
Magnetic field
Atmosphere mostly of Helium and H2
Emits more energy than it receives
Moons: 83

Question 12

Uranus facts?

Answer 12

Year: 84.01 Earth years
Almost features atmosphere
Greater tilt of axis
water, ammonia, methane
Moons: 27

Question 13

Neptune facts?

Answer 13

Blue because of methane
Jupiter like atmosphere
Unexplained internal heat
Moons:14 moons ( largest, Triton, with retrograde revolution)

Question 14

Pluto facts?

Answer 14

Year: 247.7 Earth years
Dwarf planet since 2006
Eccentric orbit
Temp: -223
Moons: 5

Question 15

What is the Kuiper belt?

Answer 15

Many Pluto-like bodies, pluto included, short-period comets.

Question 16

What is the Oort cloud?

Answer 16

Hypothesized spherical cloud of objects, source of long-period comets.

Question 17

What is the purpose of a telescope?

Answer 17

To increase the angular size of the object as compared when observed by the naked eye.

Question 18

What does a longer focal length mean?

Answer 18

The larger the magnification

Question 19

The bigger the lens, the …

Answer 19

More light collected

Question 20

What are the telescope types and do they require maintenance?

Answer 20

Refracting, no. Reflecting, yes.

Question 21

What are the conditions for good observation?

Answer 21

Dry: No distortion of light due to water particles
Unheated surroundings: To avoid atmospheric shimmer of the image caused by rising heat from the telescope room.
Low-density atmosphere: To avoid blurring of the image. So, you need high altitudes.

Question 22

What is the James Webb telescope looking at?

Answer 22

Infrared light from first stars and galaxies in the universe.
Detailed atmospheric characterization of potentially habitable exoplanets.

Question 23

What does the ELT wide field allow for?

Answer 23

Retrospective Astronomy

Question 24

What is an AU a measure of?

Answer 24

The distance between the Earth and the Sun

Question 25

What is the heliosphere?

Answer 25

The boundary between the Sun’s solar wind and interstellar medium. The solar wind becomes to weak to to push the interstellar medium.