Archives: Quiz

How is dust usually observed around young protostars in stages 4-6? Why aren’t there young stars in the halo? Answer: The halo contains virtually no dust, so star formation there ceased very long ago. Relate escape velocity to the event […]

What satellite revealed the most about cosmology, and why was it so effective? Stars that appear blue or white in color are ________ than our yellow Sun. Answer: hotter A galaxy with a blueshift is moving ________ Earth. Answer: towards […]

The spherical distribution of the globular clusters in the Halo reminds us of the similar distribution of cometary nuclei in the ________ cloud. In general, as a telescope’s diameter increases, its angular resolution ________. Answer: increases or improves. In 1998 […]

The rotation curve of the outer portions of the Galaxy revealed what about its mass? Like latitude on Earth, ________ in the sky is measured in degrees north and south of the equator. Answer: declination Mass added to a pulsar […]

Compare and contrast stars on the upper left and lower right of the main sequence. The ozone layer blocks much of the Sun’s ________ radiation. Answer: ultraviolet The spiral arms are made of bright stars belonging to Population ________. Answer: […]

Optically mapping the Milky Way is made very difficult because of ________ in the disk. If Sirius transits my local meridian tonight at 6:43 PM, when will it transit tomorrow? Answer: At 6:39 PM tomorrow night, as the Earth spins […]

Contrast the speeds of sound and light in watching a flash of lightning, then listening for the thunder to follow. One of the requirements of the Scientific Method is that an experiment must be ________. Answer: repeatable A supernova remnant, […]

Contrast image formation in reflectors and refractors. The tidal pull of the Sun largely cancels that of the Moon at the ________ phases. Answer: quarter When used in a single instrument to greatly enhance its resolution, the four separate mirrors […]

A neutron star ________ rapidly. The distribution of stars in the Galactic Bulge reminds us of the distribution of objects in the solar system’s ________ Belt beyond Neptune. Answer: Kuiper The complete spectral classification of our Sun is ________. Answer: […]

Generally, the densest parts of the interstellar medium are the ________. Weather always occurs in the lowest layer of the atmosphere, the ________. Answer: troposphere How does a star’s luminosity relate to its radius and surface temperature? Answer: As either […]

The spectral lines of a star indicate ionized helium is prominent, yet the star appears orange in color. Explain the problem with this and offer an explanation. A property common to active galaxies is that their energy is primarily ________. […]

We believe binary stars to be the ________ likely to have an extraterrestrial civilization. What do we mean by “life as we know it”? Answer: Our life is based on chains of carbon atoms with DNA, RNA, and proteins formed […]

The helium flash requires a core temperature of ________ K to create carbon. How are sunspots in the northern and southern hemispheres different? Answer: Sunspots always come in pairs, with one being a north pole and the other a south […]

Why are type O, A, and M stars considered poor candidates to find a technological civilization? In going from Sa to Sc, the size of the ________ reduces significantly. Answer: nuclear bulge According to Newton’s third law, the Voyager probes […]

Of what is the galactic halo composed? What role did Frank Drake play in SETI? Answer: Frank Drake developed the equation that attempts to provide the number of technological, intelligent civilizations now present in the Galaxy by breaking it up […]

Why might the Cassini-Huygens probe to Titan be considered disappointing to exobiologists? The mechanism by which planetary nebulae shine is very similar to that powering ________. Answer: emission nebulae The most abundant gas in the Earth’s atmosphere is ________. Answer: […]

According to Kirchhoff’s first law why do dense, hot bodies create the type of spectrum they do? Explain what a standard candle is and how it could be used to determine a galaxy’s distance. Answer: A standard candle is an […]

The 3 K background radiation is just the redshifted gamma wavelength radiation of the decoupling. All optical telescopes will bring the light from a star to a focus. Answer: TRUE As an artificial radio source, the spinning Earth would have […]

Pluto has only a single moon, Charon. Triton and Pluto both probably originated in the Kuiper Belt. Answer: TRUE Without the strong nuclear force, the universe would be made only of hydrogen. Answer: TRUE Methane drives the weather of Titan, […]

Hydrogen lines are weak in M class stars because they have much less of it than do A class stars. The spectral lines of each element are distinctive to that element, whether we are looking at emission or absorption lines. […]

Mercury, Venus, and Earth have similar densities. The surface of Io looks most like the pack ice of the Arctic Ocean of Earth. Answer: FALSE In blackbody radiation, the energy is radiated uniformly in every region of the spectrum, so […]

The majority of dark matter is normal protons and neutrons. All modern large optical telescopes are refractors. Answer: FALSE Radio astronomy can only be done from up in space, due to our ionosphere. Answer: FALSE Comets are not actually members […]

Changes in the predicted motion of Uranus led to the search for an eighth planet. Solar mass stars eventually become hot enough for carbon nuclei to fuse together. Answer: FALSE The “Great Wall” is the structure in the Large Magellanic […]

The pulses from a pulsar are most likely coming from localized areas near the magnetic poles. At the solstices, the Sun’s declination will be 23.5 degrees from the equator. Answer: TRUE Galaxies are moving away from us and into the […]

An absorption line spectrum, with dark lines crossing the rainbow of the continuum, is produced by a low-density hot gas. The parallactic angle is the total shift observed over a six-month interval. Answer: FALSE Because of their greater luminosity, RR […]

The proton storms in the solar wind travel at almost the speed of light. All four jovian planets are made primarily of hydrogen and oxygen. Answer: FALSE When plates collide, they fuse together and come to rest. Answer: FALSE The […]

If a new wave arrives on shore every two seconds, then its frequency is 2 Hz. Our Sun will fade in luminosity as its supply of hydrogen drops in a billion years. Answer: FALSE Galileo’s observations of the entire phase […]

The universe has been expanding at the same rate since its formation. Although sunspots are cooler areas in the photosphere, when they increase in number that tells us the Sun is becoming more active. Answer: TRUE Earth-like planets have been […]

Differential rotation is when a planet’s equatorial and polar regions rotate at different rates. There is a superforce that separates into the electromagnetic, weak, and strong nuclear forces below a critical temperature. Answer: TRUE Stars do not twinkle; the instability […]

All Type II supernovae produce neutron stars when they collapse. Our Sun will never become hot enough for carbon nuclei to fuse. Answer: TRUE Venus’ rotation period is longer than its period of revolution around the Sun. Answer: TRUE A […]

All nine planets in the solar system have been visited by spacecraft. Like our Moon and most others, all four large Jovian satellites have one side constantly fixed toward Jupiter as they revolve and rotate. Answer: FALSE The Schwarzschild radius […]

Supergiant stars are burning different fuels in several shells around the core. If the value of H has not changed since the Big Bang, then H = 70 km/s/Mpc will give a Hubble Time of about 14 billion years. Answer: […]

The nova event is created by the helium flash. Many astronomers now regard Pluto as just one of the largest of the thousands of Kuiper Belt bodies found beyond Neptune. Answer: TRUE The lunar mare are younger than any of […]

The scarps on Mercury are extremely similar to the cratered lunar highlands in appearance. The particles in Saturn’s E ring probably come from volcanic eruptions on Enceladus. Answer: TRUE Like the RR Lyrae stars, Cepheids are all similar in luminosity, […]

Earth is nearly twice as large as Venus. The density of white dwarf stars is about a million times that of the Sun. Answer: TRUE Venus’ surface temperature cools off at night, much like Mercury’s does. Answer: FALSE Interest in […]

Supermassive galaxies are found at the core of rich galaxy clusters. An infinite universe is a basic assumption of the cosmological principle. Answer: FALSE There is new evidence that water has flowed as mud on Mars in recent times. Answer: […]

Due to our ozone layer, ultraviolet astronomy must be done from space. Only high-energy gamma rays can escape the event horizon of a black hole. Answer: FALSE Mercury’s magnetic field is generated by the same dynamo effect as Earth’s. Answer: […]

In the Bohr model of the atom, an electron can only exist in specific, well-defined energy levels. Like Titan, Triton has a nitrogen atmosphere. Answer: TRUE Paradoxically, while the core of the red giant is contracting and heating up, its […]

Which of the following is the oldest Aegean civilization? a. Minoan b. Mycenaean c. Cycladic d. Greek Which of the following artists was a strong influence on the early career of Velzquez? a. Michelangelo b. Caravaggio c. Carracci d. Raphael […]

Which adjective would best describe Sumerian votive figures? a. cylindrical b. spherical c. rectangular d. triangular What made the flower paintings of Rachel Ruysch so highly prized? a. the personal expression b. the historical context c. the color harmonies d. […]

The pulpit from which the imam speaks is a a. minaret. b. madrasa. c. minbar. d. mihrab. The term “megalithic” means a. small stone. b. large stone. c. old stone. d. new stone. Answer: b Where was the birthplace of […]

The potters, called numumusow, among the Mande-speaking peoples are a. diviners. b. sculptors. c. blacksmiths. d. women. How were Geometric funerary vases used? a. to pour libations b. as grave markers c. to carry wine to the funeral d. to […]

How does Diego Velzquez proclaim the dignity and importance of painting as one of the liberal arts through his painting Las Meninas? a. He included the religious figures within the scene. b. He highlighted the Infanta. c. He included a […]

Which of the following is generally true of Chinese scholars under the Yuan dynasty? a. They took government positions. b. They suppressed the arts. c. They developed the arts. d. They educated the Yuan rulers. Which is the central supporting […]

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was a a. Bauhaus architect. b. De Stijl architect. c. Purist architect. d. Neo-Baroque architect. Which of the following is the organization of Bishop Bernward’s doors? a. the saved on the right and the damned […]

Which of the following describes the work of Mark Rothko? a. large rectangles of bleeding color b. thinned oil paints that resemble watercolor c. a chaotic mixture of painted and found elements d. imagery from cartoons and advertisements Which of […]

Where can one find depictions of William the Conqueror’s invasion and eventual defeat of England? a. Bishop Bernward’s doors b. Bayeux Embroidery c. Worcester Chronicle d. a book of homilies The English word “artist” comes from a. Latin. b. Greek. […]

Which group of artists is well known for painting en plein air? a. the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood b. the Impressionists c. the Romanticists d. the Pointillists During the eleventh century, Byzantium gave special trade status to this city, which allowed it […]

Other than the inclusion of a human figure, why is the painting Bird-Headed Man with Bison so unusual? a. It portrays a tool. b. It conveys death. c. It relays a hunting scene. d. It tells a story. Why did […]

What was the name of the 5,000-mile-long trade route between East Asia and the West? a. the Gold Road b. the Silver Road c. the Wool Road d. the Silk Road Which is a city of the dead? a. mastaba […]