Space Exploration - Section 1

Question 1

Cosmos

Answer 1

The universe, especially when it is understood as an ordered system

Question 2

What is the summer solstice?

Answer 2

Occurs between June 20 and 22
This is the longest period of daylight hours of the year
Marks the beginning of summer

Question 3

What is the winter solstice?

Answer 3

Occurs between December 20 to 23
The shortest period of daylight hours
Marks the beginning of winter

Question 4

When are the two equinoxes?

Answer 4

The first is in spring around March 21

The second is in the fall around September 22

Question 5

What is the Geocentric Model?

Answer 5

A model that Aristotle proposed with Earth at the centre in an attempt to explain the motion of the planets

Question 6

What is the Heliocentric Model?

Answer 6

A model that Copernicus proposed that suggested that the Sun was actually the centre and Earth and the other planets revolves in orbits around it

Question 7

What was the one problem with the Heliocentric Model?

Answer 7

It was unable to accurately predict the motion of the planets
German mathematician, Kelper, discovered the problem
He realized the orbit of the planets were ellipses not perfect circles

Question 8

What is a sundial?

Answer 8

Indicates the local solar time through the use of shadows

Question 9

What is a merkhet?

Answer 9

Used to chart astronomical positions and predict the movement of stars

Question 10

What is a quadrant?

Answer 10

Measured the stars height above the horizon

Question 11

What is a astrolabe?

Answer 11

Charted stars positions

Question 12

What is a cross-staff?

Answer 12

Measured angle between the moon and any given star

Question 13

What are Astronomical Units?

Answer 13

Used to measure distances within our solar system

One AU is equal to the average distance from the centre of that Earth to the centre of the Sun

Question 14

What are light years?

Answer 14

The unit used to measure distances beyond our solar system

It’s the distance that light travels in one year

Question 15

What is a star?

Answer 15

A hot, glowing ball of gas (mostly hydrogen) that gives off light energy
Stars vary in their characteristics including mass, density, colour, and surface temperature

Question 16

What are some types of matter found within our solar system?

Answer 16

Planets
The sun
Asteroids 
Comets
Meteors
Gases and dusts

Question 17

What are some types of matter found outside of our solar system?

Answer 17

Gases and dust
Stars
Black holes
Constellations 
Galaxies

Question 18

What is a Hertzsprung-Russell diagram?

Answer 18

Shows how the surface temperature of a star will actually determine the colour of the star and it follows the colour spectrum from coolest (red) to hottest (violet)

Question 19

How do stars form?

Answer 19

Stars form in regions of space where there are huge amounts of gas and dust called nebulae (or nebula)

The particles that make up the nebula are known as interstellar matter which has come from other exploding stars

Question 20

How is a protostar formed?

Answer 20

The force of gravity between the atoms of gas and grains of dust causes a small part of the nebula to collapse into a smaller, rotating cloud

As more material is drawn in the mass at the core increases, as does the temperature

If the core gets hot enough it will start to glow

Question 21

What is the final stage in the process of becoming a star?

Answer 21

The interior of the protostar continues to get hotter

When the core reaches a temperature of 10 000 000 degrees Celsius, hydrogen will begin to change to helium

This process is known as fusion, releases a great deal of energy and radiation

Question 22

What is the main sequence in a star?

Answer 22

Depending on the mass, the star that formed will be classified as either Sun-like or massive

Converting hydrogen to helium is the main process always occurring in stars

Question 23

How does a star turn into a red giant or red supergiant?

Answer 23

When the hydrogen in the core is used up, the star begins to shrink

Gravity causes the star to contract and as it does more nuclear reactions occur, this leads to expansion of the outer layers

Question 24

What is the final stage of a stars life?

Answer 24

Occurs when the fusion reaction stops because the core temperature is no longer hot enough to keep the reaction going

The star slowly collapses in on itself

Question 25

What occurs in the death of a Sun-like star?

Answer 25

The Sun-like star shrinks, becoming a white dwarf and eventually the star will fade to a cold, dark black dwarf

Question 26

What occurs in the death of a massive star?

Answer 26

In a massive star the fusion reaction stops when the star runs out of fuel
Gravity causes the star’s core to collapse rapidly on itself
The collapse will end suddenly with a shockwave which causes the outer part of the star to explode in an event known as a supernova

Question 27

What happens when a star is not completely destroyed by the explosion?

Answer 27

The core is left as a neutron star or a black hole

Question 28

What are constellations?

Answer 28

Grouping or patterns of stars

Question 29

What are asterisms?

Answer 29

Unofficially recognized star groupings

Question 30

What are galaxies?

Answer 30

Groupings of millions or billions of stars, gas and dust held together by gravity

Question 31

What are the two main types of galaxies?

Answer 31

Elliptical

Irregular

Question 32

What are elliptical galaxies?

Answer 32

Is in the shape of an ellipse and is made up mostly of old stars

Question 33

What are irregular galaxies?

Answer 33

Is made up of young and old stars, but is smaller than the other galaxy types and has no notable shape

Question 34

What are the three steps in the birth of a solar systems?

Answer 34

A cloud of gas and dust in space starts swirling

Most of the materials (more than 90%) accumulated in the centre, forming the sun

The remaining material accumulated in smaller clumps circling the centre. These form planets

Question 35

What is solar wind?

Answer 35

Continually released charged particles from the Sun that flow in every direction

Question 36

What are the inner planets?

Answer 36

Also called terrestrial or Earth-like

Smaller, rockier and closer to the Sun

Question 37

What are the outer planets?

Answer 37

Also called Jovian, in reference to Jupiter

These planets are large, gaseous and located great distances from the Sun

Question 38

What is the first measurement you take when locating the position of objects in space?

Answer 38

It’s called the altitude

It indicates the height of the object in the sky above the horizon

Ranges from 0 degrees at the horizon to 90 degrees straight overhead

Question 39

What is the second measurement you take when locating the position of objects in space?

Answer 39

Called the azimuth

Indicates the compass direction from due north

Ranges from due north as 0 degrees rotating clockwise

Measured in degrees to a maximum of 360 degrees

Question 40

What does Zenith mean?

Answer 40

Refers to the highest point in the sky and is directly overhead

Question 41

What is a meteoroid?

Answer 41

A solid body, usually a fragment of rock or metal, travelling in space with no particular path

Question 41

What is a meteor?

Answer 41

A meteoroid that enters earths atmosphere where the heat of friction causes it to glow brightly

Question 42

What is a meteorite?

Answer 42

The remains of a meteor that do not burn up completely and last long enough to hit earths surface