Practice test

Question 1

List the planets from the sun outward.

Answer 1

As you are closer to the sun and move outward, the inner planets are: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. The outer planets are: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

Question 2

The word umbra is defined as:

Answer 2

an area of dark shadow

Question 3

The smallest of all the planets is _____.

Answer 3

Out of all the planets, the smallest one is Mercury.

Question 4

An apparent group of stars that seem to form a group because of our point of observation is referred to as a _____.

Answer 4

By definition a constellation is an apparent group of stars which seem to form a pattern and are given a name.

Question 5

A _____ is a group of constellations held together by gravity.

Answer 5

By definition a cluster is a group of constellations held together by gravity.

Question 6

The best definition for something described as apparent is:

Answer 6

Apparent refers to recording something as observed or noted.

Question 7

The word _____ is defined as either of two points when the sun’s rays strike the earth at the equator.

Answer 7

The word equinox is defined as either of two times when the sun’s rays strike the earth at the equator.

Question 8

The Earth’s year is _____ days long.

Answer 8

365.26

Question 9

The word _____ is defined as the point at which an astronomical object is at its closest point to the object it rotates around.

Answer 9

The word perihelion is the point at which an astronomical object is at its closest point to the object it rotates around.

Question 10

The winter solstice occurs on _____.

Answer 10

In the northern hemisphere, the summer solstice is on June 21 or 22, and the winter solstice is on December 21 or 22.

Question 11

The amount of light that a star actually produces is its _____ brightness, or magnitude.

Answer 11

The amount of light that a star actually produces is its absolute brightness, or magnitude.

Question 12

The word _____ is defined as either of two points when the sun’s rays strike the earth furthest from the equator.

Answer 12

The word solstice is defined as either of two points when the sun’s rays strike the earth furthest from the equator.

Question 13

What was the first manned spacecraft to reach the moon?

Answer 13

The first manned mission to the moon was Apollo 11. On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong stepped from his lunar lander and stepped on the surface of the moon.

Question 14

The Great Red Spot is a storm that rages on _____.

Answer 14

The Great Red Spot is a storm that rages on Jupiter.

Question 15

_____ are glowing balls of fire.

Answer 15

Stars, like our sun, are glowing balls of fire.

Question 16

The _____ space mission first landed men on the moon.

Answer 16

Apollo 11

Question 17

What is the length of the lunar month?

Answer 17

The moon’s revolution around the earth and its rotation on its axis take exactly the same period of time—27.3 Earth days.

Question 18

The photosphere refers to _____.

Answer 18

The photosphere refers to the innermost layer of the sun’s atmosphere, which lies next to the sun’s core.

Question 19

The definition that refers to having to do with a special curve, which is described as the intersection of a plane with a cone, describes the word _____.

Answer 19

The word parabolic refers to having to do with a special curve, which is described as the intersection of a plane with a cone.

Question 20

An undesirable effect caused by a defect, such as color or the twisting of an image by the lens of a telescope describes the word _____.

Answer 20

An aberration refers to an undesirable effect caused by a defect, such as color or twisting of an image by the lens of a telescope.

Question 21

The word eclipse is defined as:

Answer 21

The word eclipse is defined as the hiding of an astronomical object by another.

Question 22

Stars are fueled by a nuclear process called _____.

Answer 22

Stars, like our sun, are glowing balls of fire. They are fueled by a nuclear process called fusion.

Question 23

The corona refers to _____.

Answer 23

The corona refers to the outermost layer of the sun’s atmosphere consisting of light gases.

Question 24

The chromosphere refers to _____.

Answer 24

The chromosphere refers to the middle layer of the sun’s atmosphere, which is considered to be the sun’s surface.

Question 25

The word penumbra is defined as:

Answer 25

The word penumbra is defined as an area of light shadow.

Question 26

The earth is _____ miles from the sun.

Answer 26

90,000,000

Question 27

The Earth’s average orbit is _____ miles around the sun.

Answer 27

93 million

Question 28

The word _____ is defined as the point at which an astronomical object is at its furthest point from the object it rotates around.

Answer 28

The word aphelion is defined as the point at which an astronomical object is at its furthest point from the object it rotates around.

Question 29

More than _____ percent of all stars fit into the category of Main Sequence stars.

Answer 29

The Main Sequence stars account for about 90 percent of all stars.

Question 30

The death of a low-mass star leads to the _____ formation.

Answer 30

nebula