Space Science

Question 1

Big Bang Theory

Answer 1

a theory about the origin of the universe which states that the universe was at one time a very small, very condensed, very massive particle; a large explosion forced all matter out at an extremely rapid rate, and the universe has continued to expand since

Question 2

Planet

Answer 2

a body moving in orbit around a star; large enough to clear debris in its orbit’ has enough gravity to make it round.
Earth

Question 3

Quasar

Answer 3

an extremely bright galactic nucleus in the center of a very old, very distant galaxy, thought to be powered by a black hole at its center

Question 4

Accretion

Answer 4

the process by which smaller particles clumped together to form bigger and bigger masses, and eventually, planets like Earth

Question 5

Nebula

Answer 5

a gas and dust cloud in space
Orion Nebula

Question 6

Halo

Answer 6

a region around a spiral galaxy containing clusters of old stars

Question 7

White Dwarf

Answer 7

a small star with high density; often the size of a planet
Sirius B

Question 8

Red/Blue Dwarfs

Answer 8

small stars; red dwarfs have low mass and low surface temperature; blue dwarfs develop from red dwarfs after the hydrogen is used up
Proxim Centauri

Question 9

Irregular Galaxy

Answer 9

a star system without a defined shape
Large Magellanic Cloud

Question 10

Normal Spiral Galaxy

Answer 10

a spiral galaxy with arms that extend from a nuclear region or bulge
Andromeda Galaxy

Question 11

Dwarf Planet

Answer 11

a small planet not large enough to clear its orbit of debris
Pluto

Question 12

Meteoroids

Answer 12

small bodies of debris from space which move into Earth’s atmosphere and can then turn into meteors

Question 13

Celestial Bodies

Answer 13

a physical object in space which has observable characteristics
planet

Question 14

Solar System

Answer 14

a star, as well as the planets, satellites, asteroids, and all the other objects orbiting around it. They travel together through space.

Question 15

Galaxies

Answer 15

a system of starts and their systems held together by gravity
Milky Way Galaxy

Question 16

Sedna

Answer 16

another dwarf planet; much farther from the sun than Pluto’ takes 10,000 years to orbit the sun

Question 17

Absolute Magnitude

Answer 17

the actual amount of light a star gives off.
The absolute magnitude of our sun is 4.8

Question 18

Milky Way Galaxy

Answer 18

the spiral galaxy in which our solar system is located

Question 19

Binary Stars

Answer 19

a two-star system; the stars rotate around a common point or one star rotates around the other
Castor

Question 20

Redshite

Answer 20

a shift in the light from a star toward the red end of the visible spectrum that is produced when the star is moving away from Earth

Question 21

Barred Spiral Galaxy

Answer 21

a spiral galaxy with a bar of material in the central region of the galaxy; the arms extend from the bar
Galaxy NGC 1300

Question 22

Red/Blue Giants

Answer 22

large stars; red giants have high luminosity and low surface temperature; blue giants have high luminosity and high surface temperature
Rigel (blue giant)

Question 23

Background Radiation

Answer 23

low temperature radiation that permeates all of space; thought to be a red-shifted remnant of the big bang

Question 24

Saturn

Answer 24

the sixth planet from the sun; an outer planet (outside the asteroid belt); the least dense planet; has a complex ring system

Question 25

Protoplanet Theory

Answer 25

the belief that planets were small, dense regions of a nebula that were captured by the gravity of a star

Question 26

Neptune

Answer 26

the eighth planet from the sun; an outer planet (outside the asteroid belt); methane in the atmosphere absorbs red light to make it appear blue; gives off over twice as much energy as it receives from the sun

Question 27

Constellations

Answer 27

a star grouping which forms a pattern; we have ascribed images to the constellations
Orion

Question 28

Exoplanet

Answer 28

Planets which orbit stars outside our own solar system
Proxim Centauri b

Question 29

Stars

Answer 29

a gaseous body which produces radiant energy through nuclear fusion reactions
the sun; Sirius

Question 30

Satellite

Answer 30

an object or body that orbits another object or body
Earth’s moon

Question 31

Asteroids

Answer 31

small, rocky bodies in the sun’s orbit
Ceres

Question 32

Period (of a Comet)

Answer 32

the amount of time it takes for a comet to orbit the sun
Halley’s Comet has a period of 75 years

Question 33

Black Hole

Answer 33

an object with gravity great enough that it does not allow radiation or matter to escape

Question 34

Earth

Answer 34

the third planet from the sun; an inner planet (inside the asteroid belt); only known habitable planet; 71% of surface is covered with liquid water

Question 35

Spiral Galaxy

Answer 35

a relatively flat, disk-shaped star system with one or more arms that spirals out from the central “bulge” of stars

Question 36

Spiral Galaxy

Answer 36

a relatively flat, disk-shaped star system with one or more arms that spirals out from the central “bulge” of stars

Question 37

Mars

Answer 37

the fourth planet from the sun; an inner planet (inside the asteroid belt); the “Red Planet”; home to Olympus Mons, the tallest mountain in the solar system

Question 38

Meteor

Answer 38

a meteoroid that has entered Earth’s atmosphere

Question 39

Comet

Answer 39

a body of ice and dust in the sun’s orbit; contains a gas and dust “tail”
Halley’s Comet

Question 40

Pluto

Answer 40

previously classified as the ninth planet from the sun; usually. now classified as a minor planet or dwarf planet; has five moons

Question 41

Venus

Answer 41

the second planet from the sun; an inner planet (inside the asteroid belt); slightly smaller than Earth; similar density and chemical composition to Earth

Question 41

Venus

Answer 41

the second planet from the sun; an inner planet (inside the asteroid belt); slightly smaller than Earth; similar density and chemical composition to Earth