Astro MCQ answers - Multiple Choice Questions PDF

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. Skills, Chapter 1 1. Which of the following is NOT a general difference between a planet and a star? A. Planets are smaller than stars. B. Planets are dimmer than stars. C. All planets are made of rock and all stars are made of gas. D. Planets orbit stars, while stars orbit the center of the galaxy. C 2. Our solar system consists of _________. A. the Sun and several nearby stars, as well as the planets and other objects that orbit these stars B. the Sun and all the objects that orbit it C. a few hundred billion stars, bound together by gravity D. the Sun and the nine planets, and nothing else B 3. A typical galaxy is a _________. A. system consisting of one or a few stars orbited by planets, moons, and smaller objects B. nearby object orbiting a planet C. large, glowing ball of gas powered by nuclear energy D. collection of a few hundred million to a trillion or more stars, bound together by gravity E. relatively small, icy object orbiting a star D 4. Which of the following best describes what we mean by the universe? A. A vast collection of stars that number as many as the grains of sand on all the beaches on Earth B. All the galaxies in all the superclusters C. The sum total of all matter and energy D. The universe is another name for our Milky Way Galaxy. C 5. What do astronomers mean by the Big Bang? A. The event that marked the beginning of the expansion of the universe B. The explosion of a massive star at the end of its life C. A gigantic explosion that blew all the galaxies in the universe to smithereens D. The event that marked the birth of our solar system A 6. What do we mean when we say that the universe is expanding? A. Everything in the universe is gradually growing in size. B. The statement is not meant to be literal; rather, it means that our knowledge of the universe

is growing. C. Average distances between galaxies are increasing. D. Average distances are increasing between star systems within galaxies. 7 . Based on observations of the universal expansion, the age of the universe is about _________. A. 14,000 years B. 14 trillion years C. 14 billion years D. 14 million years 8. A television advertisement claiming that a product is light-years ahead of its time does not make sense because _________. A. a light-year is an astronomically large unit, so a product could not possibly be so advanced B. light-years can only be used to talk about light C. it uses "light-years" to talk about time, but a light-year is a unit of distance D. it doesn't specify the number of light-years 9. The term observable universe refers to _________. A. the portion of the universe that is not hidden from view by, for example, being below the horizon B. that portion of the universe that we have so far photographed through telescopes C. the portion of the universe that can be seen by the naked eye D. that portion of the universe that we can see in principle, given the finite age of the universe 10 . On a scale in which the distance from the Sun to the Earth is about 15 meters, the distance from the Earth to the Moon is _________. A. small enough to fit within your hand B. about 5 meters C. about 30 meters D. about 1 meter 11 . On a scale where the Sun is about the size of a grapefruit and the Earth is about 15 meters away, how far away are the nearest stars besides the Sun? A. About the distance across 50 football fields B. About the distance across the state of Delaware C. About the distance across the United States D. 100 meters

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The number of stars in the Milky Way Galaxy is approximately _________. a few hundred thousand a few hundred million a few hundred billion a few hundred An astronomical unit (AU) is _________. the average distance between any two planets the average distance between the Sun and Earth any very large unit, such as a light-year the average distance between the Sun and Pluto What is the ecliptic plane? The plane of the Sun's equator The plane of the Earth's orbit around the Sun The plane of the Milky Way Galaxy The plane of the Earth's equator How long does it take the Earth to complete one orbit around the Sun? The time varies significantly depending on the orbit. One week One month One day One year

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Concept, Chapter 1 1. Which of the following has your "cosmic address" in the correct order? A. You, Earth, solar system, Milky Way Galaxy, Local Group, Local Supercluster, universe B. You, Earth, Local Group, Local Supercluster, solar system, Milky Way Galaxy, universe C. You, Earth, solar system, Local Group, Milky Way Galaxy, Local Supercluster, universe D. You, Earth, solar system, Local Group, Local Supercluster, Milky Way Galaxy, universe E. You, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy, solar system, Local Group, Local Supercluster, universe A 2. Using the ideas discussed in the text, in what sense are we "star stuff"? A. Movie stars and other people are all made of the same stuff, so we all have the potential to be famous. B. Our overall chemical composition is about the same as that of stars.

C. Nearly every atom from which we are made was once inside of a star. D. We could not survive without light from our star, the Sun. 3. How are galaxies important to our existence? A. Without galaxies, the universe could not be expanding. B. Deep in their centers, galaxies created the elements from which we are made. C. Galaxies recycle material from one generation of stars to the next, and without this recycling we could not exist. D. Without galaxies, there could not have been a Big Bang. 4. When we look at an object that is 1,000 light-years away we see it _________. A. as it is right now, but it appears 1,000 times dimmer B. looking just the same as our ancestors would have seen it 1,000 years ago C. as it was 1,000 years ago D. as it was 1,000 light-years ago 5. Suppose we look at two distant galaxies: Galaxy 1 is twice as far away as Galaxy 2. In that case _________. A. we are seeing Galaxy 1 as it looked at an earlier time in the history of the universe than Galaxy 2 B. we are seeing Galaxy 1 as it looked at a later time in the history of the universe than Galaxy 2 C. Galaxy 1 must be twice as big as Galaxy 2 D. Galaxy 2 must be twice as old as Galaxy 1 6. Suppose we make a scale model of our solar system, with the Sun the size of a grapefruit. Which of the following best describes what the planets would look like? A. They are all much smaller than the Sun. Six planets are located within a few centimeters of the Sun, and three planets are located at distances ranging up to about a meter. B. The planets range in size from about the size of a marble to the size of a baseball. They are spread out over a region about the size of a football field. C. They are all much smaller than the Sun. Four planets are within about 20 meters of the Sun, while the remaining planets are spread much farther apart, with Pluto more than a half a kilometer from the Sun. D. They are all much smaller than the Sun and are spread out evenly over a distance about the length of a large classroom. 7. How long would it take to count all the stars in the Milky Way Galaxy at a rate of one star per

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second? A. Several weeks B. Several years C. Several thousand years D. Several days 8. The total number of stars in the observable universe is about _________. A. 100 billion B. the same as the number of grains of sand on all the beaches on Earth C. the same as the number of grains of sand in a large sandbox D. the same as the number of atoms that make up the Earth 9. Where is our solar system located within the Milky Way Galaxy? A. In the halo of the galaxy B. Roughly halfway between the center and the edge of the visible disk of the galaxy C. Very near the center of the galaxy D. At the far edge of the galaxy's visible disk 10 . If we imagine the history of the universe compressed into one year, the dinosaurs became extinct _________. A. yesterday B. about 3 weeks ago C. about 6 months ago D. about an hour ago 11 . Relative to the age of the universe, how old is our solar system? A. It is between about one-quarter and one-half the age of the universe B. It is between about 5% and 10% as old as the universe. C. It is about the same age as the universe because it formed shortly after the Big Bang. D. It is about 1% as old as the universe. 12 . How do the speeds at which we are moving with the Earth's rotation and orbit compare to the speeds of more familiar objects? A. The Earth's rotation is carrying most people around the axis at about the speed of a car on the freeway, and the Earth's orbit is carrying us around the Sun at about the speed of a commercial jet. B. The Earth's rotation is carrying most people around the axis at about the speed at which the Space Shuttle orbits the Earth, and the Earth's orbit is carrying us around the Sun at nearly

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the speed of light. C. The Earth's rotation is carrying most people around the axis faster than a commercial jet travels, and the Earth's orbit is carrying us around the Sun faster than the Space Shuttle orbits the Earth. D. The Earth's rotation is carrying most people around the axis at about the speed of a commercial jet, and the Earth's orbit is carrying us around the Sun at about the speed of a military jet. 13 . Why do the patterns of the stars in our sky look the same from year to year? A. Because these stars are not moving. B. Because although these stars are moving, they move so slowly --- typically about the speed of a snail --- that their motion is not noticeable. C. Because although these stars move quite fast as they orbit around the Milky Way Galaxy, they all move together so they don't change their relative positions. D. Although these stars move quite fast by human standards, they are so far away that it would take thousands of years for their motion to be noticeable to the eye. 14 . Astronomers infer that the universe is expanding because distant galaxies all appear to _________. A. be growing in size B. be made of dark matter C. be moving away from us, with more distant ones moving faster D. rotate rapidly 15 . Which statement about motion in the universe is NOT true? A. Some stars are moving closer to us and others are moving farther away from us. B. Your speed of rotation around Earth's axis is faster if you live near the equator than if you live near the North Pole. C. The mysterious dark matter is the fastest-moving material in the universe. D. Except for a few nearby galaxies, all other galaxies are moving away from us. Skills, Chapter 2 1. About how many stars are visible to the naked eye on a clear, dark night away from city lights? A. Several million B. A few dozen

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C. A few hundred billion D. A couple thousand 2. What do astronomers mean by a constellation? A. A constellation is a region in the sky as seen from Earth. B. A constellation is any random grouping of stars in the sky. C. A constellation is a group of stars that are all located in about the same place in space. D. A constellation is a group of stars related through an ancient story. 3. What is the ecliptic? A. The path on the Earth traced by the Moon's shadow during a solar eclipse B. The Sun's daily path from east to west in our sky C. A half-circle extending from your horizon due north, through your zenith, to your horizon due south D. The path the Sun appears to trace around the celestial sphere each year 4. What is the celestial sphere? A. It represents a belief in an Earth-centered universe, and hence is no longer considered to have any use. B. It is a model of how the stars are arranged in the sky relative to our Sun, which is in the middle of the sphere. C. The celestial sphere is a model that shows the true locations of the Sun and a few thousand of the nearest stars. D. The celestial sphere is a representation of how the sky looks as seen from Earth. 5. What do we mean when we talk about the "Milky Way" in our sky? A. We mean the spiral-shaped galaxy that we can see when we look in the right direction in our sky. B. We mean the whitish patch of light we see when we look toward the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. C. We mean the bright stars of the constellations that lie along the ecliptic in our sky. D. We mean the patchy band of light that represents what we see when we look into the plane of the Milky Way Galaxy. 6. Which of the following statements does NOT use the term angular size or angular distance correctly? A. The angular size of the Sun is about the same as that of the Moon. B. The angular distance between those two bright stars in the sky is about 2 meters.

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C. The angular distance between those two houses in the distance is 30 degrees. D. You can use your outstretched hand against the sky to estimate angular sizes and angular distances. 7. Which of the following correctly describes the meridian in your sky? A. A half-circle extending from your horizon due east, through your zenith, to your horizon due west B. A half-circle extending from your horizon due north, through your zenith, to your horizon due south C. The point directly over your head D. A half-circle extending from your horizon due east, through the north celestial pole, to your horizon due west 8. The point directly over your head is called _________. A. the North Star B. the meridian C. the zenith D. the celestial pole 9. Stars that are visible in the sky on any clear night of the year, at any time of the night, are called _________. A. seasonal B. bright C. celestial D. circumpolar 10 . We describe a location on the Earth's surface by stating its _________. A. meridian and longitude B. latitude and longitude C. latitude and direction D. altitude and direction (or azimuth) 11 . Which of the following correctly describes a relationship between the sky and your location on Earth? A. If you are in the Northern Hemisphere, the altitude of the celestial equator equals your latitude. B. If you are in the Northern Hemisphere, the altitude of the north celestial pole equals your longitude.

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C. If you are in the Northern Hemisphere, the altitude of the north celestial pole equals your latitude. D. If you are in the Northern Hemisphere, the longitude of the north celestial pole is circumpolar, and therefore crosses your zenith at the meridian. 12 . Which of the following best describes why we have seasons on Earth? A. The tilt of the Earth's axis causes the northern hemisphere to be closer to the Sun than the southern hemisphere (giving rise to summers in the northern hemisphere and winters in the southern hemisphere), and vice versa. B. The Earth's elliptical orbit means we are closer to the Sun and therefore receive more intense sunlight at some times of year than at others. C. The tilt of the Earth's axis causes different portions of the Earth to receive more or less direct sunlight at different times of year. D. The varying speed of the Earth in its orbit around the Sun gives us summer when we are moving fastest and winter when we are moving slowest. 13 . Each part below describes how a few astronomical phenomena are related to time periods. Which list is correct? (Careful: some lists are partially correct.) A. The Earth's rotation defines a day. The Sun's rotation defines a week. The Moon's rotation defines a month. The Earth's orbit defines a year. B. The Earth's rotation defines a day. The saros cycle of eclipses defines a month. The Earth's orbit defines a year. The Earth's cycle of axis precession takes 26,000 years. C. The Earth's rotation defines a day. The cycle of the Moon's phases takes about a month. The Earth's orbit defines a year. The Earth's cycle of axis precession takes 26,000 years. D. The Earth's rotation defines a day. The cycle of the Moon's phases takes about a week. The Earth's orbit defines a year. The Earth's cycle of axis precession defines a month. 14 . If we have a new moon today, when we will have the next full moon? A. In about 1 week B. In about 6 months C. In about 2 weeks D. In about a month 15 . We cannot see a new moon in our sky because _________. A. it is above the horizon during the daytime B. a new moon is quite near the Sun in the sky C. no sunlight is illuminating the Moon

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D. it is obscured by the Earth's shadow Lunar eclipses can occur only during a _________. A. full moon B. first quarter moon C. third quarter moon D. new moon 17 . What is the saros cycle? A. The roughly one-month cycle of lunar phases in the sky B. The annual cycle of the seasons C. The roughly 18-year cycle over which the pattern of eclipses repeats D. The 26,000-year cycle of the Earth's precession 18 . While a planet is experiencing apparent retrograde motion (as seen from Earth), _________. A. the planet moves westward relative to the stars, rather than the usual eastward relative to the stars B. the planet appears to rise in the west and set in the east, rather than the usual rising in the east and setting in the west C. it moves backwards (clockwise as viewed from far above the Earth's north pole) in its orbit of the Sun D. the planet is getting closer to the Sun in its orbit

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Concept, Chapter 2 1. Which of the following statements about the celestial sphere is NOT true? A. The Earth is placed at the center of the celestial sphere. B. The "celestial sphere" is just another name for our universe. C. The celestial sphere does not exist physically. D. When we look in the sky, the stars all appear to be located on the celestial sphere. B 2. An angle of 1 arcsecond is _________. A. about the width of a finger held at arm's length B. about the width of your fist held at arm's length C. less than the thickness of a hair held at arm's length D. slightly more than the width of a basketball held at arm's length C 3. When traveling north from the United States into Canada, you'll see the North Star (Polaris) getting _________.

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lower in the sky higher in the sky brighter dimmer 4. Suppose you use the Southern Cross to determine that the south celestial pole appears 40 degrees above your horizon. Then you must be located at _________. A. latitude 40 degrees south B. latitude 40 degrees north C. latitude 50 degrees south D. longitude 40 degrees 5 . Suppose you are facing north, and you see the Big Dipper close to your northern horizon, with Polaris (and the Little Dipper) above it. Where will you see the Big Dipper in six hours? A. Still in the same place, below Polaris B. To the left of Polaris; that is, 90 degrees clockwise from its current position C. To the right of Polaris; that is, 90 degrees counterclockwise from its current position D. Directly above Polaris 6. In any particular place on Earth, certain constellations are visible in the evening only at certain times of the year because _________. A. some constellations are circumpolar B. on any particular night, we can only see stars that are directly opposite (180 degrees away from) the Sun in the sky C. during some times of year, some constellations drop below the southern horizon D. our evening view of space depends on where the Earth is located in its orbit around the Sun 7. The Sun's path, as viewed from the equator, is highest on _________. A. the summer solstice B. the day when Earth is closest to the Sun C. the winter solstice D. the spring and fall equinoxes 8. Suppose Earth's axis tilt was significantly greater than its current 23.5 degrees, but Earth's rotation period and orbital period were unchanged. Which statement below would NOT be true? A. Polaris would not be our North star. B. The length of each season (for example, the number of days from the summer solstice to the fall equinox) would be significantly longer than it is now.

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