solar system

Question 0

Deep within the core, our Sun is currently fusing

• helium into carbon
• hydrogen into helium
• carbon into iron

Answer 0

hydrogen into helium

Question 1

The luminosity of a star is its..

• volume
• energy output
• mass
• temperature

Answer 1

energy output

Question 2

A white dwarf is..

• an older, main sequence star
• a hot star, with fast burning thermonuclear reactions
• a past dead star

Answer 2

a past dead star

Question 3

The best evidence that the sun (and our solar system is general) is made from recycled space dust..

Answer 3

the existence of heavy elements like carbon, iron, uranium, and gold

Question 4

The fact that one side of the Moon always faces the Earth is evidence that the Moon..

• spins
• does not spin
• emits light rather than reflecting light

Answer 4

spins

Question 5

Which planet(s) will show phases?

• inner planets
• inferior planets
• superior planets
• outer planets

Answer 5

inferior planets

Question 6

Metals and other heavier elements are relatively more abundant in..

• old stars
• new stars
• neither in particular

Answer 6

new stars

Question 7

How does the mass of a large star compare with the mass of the black hole it becoms?

• the star will be lighter
• the masses will be about the same
• the star will be much, much heavier

Answer 7

the masses will be about the same

Question 8

Given a star’s apparent brightness, we need to know ____ before we can determine the star’s luminosity.

Answer 8

the distance to a star

Question 9

Most of the outer planets are larger and less dense because..

Answer 9

solar wind blew the lighter elements from the inner planets outward

Question 10

A spinning neutron star that emits radio waves is..

Answer 10

a pulsar

Question 11

What best determines whether a star will become a white dwarf, a neutron star, or a black hole..

Answer 11

the stars mass

Question 12

According to ancient views, what was at the center of the solar system?

Answer 12

a fixed Earth

Question 13

If the sun suddenly collapsed to become a black hole, the Earth would…

Answer 13

continue in its present orbit

Question 14

When the sun moves between the earth and the moon, we have…

Answer 14

met our end

Question 15

A lunar eclipse can only occur during the..

• full moon
• new moon
• first quarter

Answer 15

full moon

Question 16

A star is observed to be very hot (say 14000 K) as compared to the sun, yet not as luminous. The star is most likely a…

• neutron star
• white dwarf
• planetary nebula

Answer 16

white dwarf

Question 17

An imaginary point directly over head is called the…

Answer 17

Zenith

Question 18

The reason we don’t have eclipses monthly is due to:

Answer 18

the 5* tilt of the moon’s orbital plane

Question 19

Our own sun is presently a..

• main sequence star
• red giant
• yellow giant
• white dwarf

Answer 19

main sequence star

Question 20

Which of these planets has the least amount of atmosphere..

• Mercury
• Mars
• Earth
• Venus

Answer 20

Mercury

Question 21

The crescent shape of the moon that we see is caused by..

Answer 21

Its position relative to the Earth and sun

Question 22

Which of the following planets can we see go through phases, just like the moon?

• Mars
• Jupiter
• Mercury

Answer 22

Mercury

Question 23

The part of the sun that we normally see is the..

Answer 23

protosphere

Question 24

In regard to the ancient astronomers, the phrase “wanderer” refers to..

Answer 24

the planets

Question 25

are charged particles (electrons, protons, etc.) streaming away from the sun…

Answer 25

solar wind

Question 26

Which of the following is the solar wind not responsible for..

• comet tails
• Aurora Borealis
• Radio and satellite communication interference
• none, its responsible for all of this

Answer 26

all of this

Question 27

As a star evolves, it will forge heavier and heavier elements. The process stops when what element is produced..

• helium
• carbon
• iron

Answer 27

iron

Question 28

Imagined patterns of stars in the sky which helped the ancients determine the time of year are called…

Answer 28

constellations

Question 29

Assume that the moon is waxing gibbous as seen from earth. What phase would the earth appear to someone on the moon on the near side?

Answer 29

waning crescent

Question 30

The longest living stars are those of..

• low mass
• high mass
• intermediate mass

Answer 30

low mass

Question 31

Which of the planets is so large it is sometimes considered a failed star?

• Jupiter
• Mars
• Saturn

Answer 31

Jupiter

Question 32

In a normal, main sequence star, what is trying to expand the star?

• thermonuclear fussion
• the disappearing helium
• its own self-gravity

Answer 32

thermonuclear fussion

Question 33

The path across the sky that the sun follows and which the moon and planets generally follow is the..

Answer 33

ecliptic

Question 34

What is so different about the spin (rotation) of the sun as compared to the Earth?

• it rotates the opposite direction
• the equator spins faster than the poles: differential rotation
• it doesn’t rotate at all

Answer 34

the equator spins faster than the poles: differential rotation

Question 35

As the sun creates energy and glows, its mass..

• decreases
• increases
• stays the same

Answer 35

decreases

Question 36

What is considered the center of the heliocentric model of the solar system?

Answer 36

the Sun

Question 37

What marked the end of the astrological use of the stars and the beginning of modern astronomy?

• systematic observation
• careful calculations
• both

Answer 37

both

Question 38

When a slowly rotating ball of gas contracts it..

• gets larger
• spins slower
• spins faster
• spins the other direction

Answer 38

spins faster

Question 39

The heliocentric concept of our solar system placed…

• the sun at the center
• the earth at the center
• the moon at the center

Answer 39

the sun at the center

Question 40

The apparent “dance” that the outer planets are observed to execute in the sky is called..

Answer 40

retrograde motion