Question 1

Which of the following is a biomarker that could be used from an observatory around a nearby star, with the right equipment, to identify the Earth as a planet with life:

Accepted Answer

A)  the presence of a large moon around the Earth 
B)  free oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere 
C)  the abundance of micro-organisms in the deserts of the Earth 
D)  the fact that most of our atmosphere is made of nitrogen 
E)  ice in the Earth's polar caps
Section 30.4: The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence 
A)  the presence of a large moon around the Earth 
B)  free oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere 
C)  the abundance of micro-organisms in the deserts of the Earth 
D)  the fact that most of our atmosphere is made of nitrogen 
E)  ice in the Earth's polar caps
Section 30.4: The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

Question 2

The first search for radio messages from extra-terrestrial civilizations was called

Accepted Answer

A)  Project Phoenix 
B)  Project Ozma 
C)  Project Serendip 
D)  Project META 
E)  Project ASTRO 
A)  Project Phoenix 
B)  Project Ozma 
C)  Project Serendip 
D)  Project META 
E)  Project ASTRO

Question 3

Photosynthesis was a great step forward in the evolution of life on Earth, because with photosynthesis

Accepted Answer

A)  we have the way in which life on Earth and life on Mars resemble each other 
B)  life could, for the first time, reproduce (make copies of itself) 
C)  we have the common ancestor that gave rise to every species of life now on Earth 
D)  life could extract chemical energy from sunlight 
E)  life did not have to evolve any further 
A)  we have the way in which life on Earth and life on Mars resemble each other 
B)  life could, for the first time, reproduce (make copies of itself) 
C)  we have the common ancestor that gave rise to every species of life now on Earth 
D)  life could extract chemical energy from sunlight 
E)  life did not have to evolve any further

Question 4

We receive a radio message from a civilization around a star about 40 lightyears from Earth? If we reply right away, how long will it be between the time THEY sent the message and the time they receive our reply?

Accepted Answer

A)  40 years 
B)  80 years 
C)  400 years 
D)  20 years 
E)  it depends on the speed of the radio wave; so it can't be calculated from the information given 
A)  40 years 
B)  80 years 
C)  400 years 
D)  20 years 
E)  it depends on the speed of the radio wave; so it can't be calculated from the information given

Question 5

From a scientific perspective, which of the following statements about life elsewhere in the universe is best supported by current evidence?

Accepted Answer

A)  we have good evidence that life exists on many planets around other stars 
B)  we only have evidence that life exists around three other stars 
C)  the government has evidence (which it is not releasing) that there is at least one other intelligent life form on a planet orbiting another star 
D)  while we have evidence of the building blocks of life elsewhere in the universe, we have no definite evidence about life around other stars at this time 
E)  there is no evidence for intelligent life anywhere, even on Earth
Section 30.2: Astrobiology 
A)  we have good evidence that life exists on many planets around other stars 
B)  we only have evidence that life exists around three other stars 
C)  the government has evidence (which it is not releasing) that there is at least one other intelligent life form on a planet orbiting another star 
D)  while we have evidence of the building blocks of life elsewhere in the universe, we have no definite evidence about life around other stars at this time 
E)  there is no evidence for intelligent life anywhere, even on Earth
Section 30.2: Astrobiology

Question 6

What makes the Earth different from the other worlds that might have life in the solar system (and easier to detect from far away) is that only Earth

Accepted Answer

A)  has liquid water on it; no other world in our solar system has water 
B)  has temperatures in some places where chemical change is possible 
C)  has a solid surface 
D)  has a biosphere on its surface where photosynthesis can take place 
E)  has the chemical ingredients from which life might begin 
A)  has liquid water on it; no other world in our solar system has water 
B)  has temperatures in some places where chemical change is possible 
C)  has a solid surface 
D)  has a biosphere on its surface where photosynthesis can take place 
E)  has the chemical ingredients from which life might begin

Question 7

What discovery about Saturn's moon Enceladus has encouraged astronomers to think of that moon as a possible place where life might exist?

Accepted Answer

A)  Enceladus has a strong magnetic field 
B)  Enceladus has rivers of liquid water flowing on its surface 
C)  There are radio signals coming from Enceladus which indicate they might be made by intelligent life 
D)  Enceladus has a thick atmosphere with a significant amount of oxygen 
E)  There are plumes of salty vapor coming from cracks in Enceladus' surface 
A)  Enceladus has a strong magnetic field 
B)  Enceladus has rivers of liquid water flowing on its surface 
C)  There are radio signals coming from Enceladus which indicate they might be made by intelligent life 
D)  Enceladus has a thick atmosphere with a significant amount of oxygen 
E)  There are plumes of salty vapor coming from cracks in Enceladus' surface

Question 8

Astronomers have discovered a planet orbiting Proxima Centauri, the star closest to the Sun. This is a star of spectral type M, with 12% the mass of the Sun and 15% the size of the Sun. The habitable zone around this star would be

Accepted Answer

A)  much larger (wider) than the Sun's 
B)  much closer to the star than the Sun's 
C)  in about the same place as the Sun's asteroid belt 
D)  much more narrow (small) than the diameter of any planet 
E)  the source of all the UFO's that have been reported by UFO believers on Earth 
A)  much larger (wider) than the Sun's 
B)  much closer to the star than the Sun's 
C)  in about the same place as the Sun's asteroid belt 
D)  much more narrow (small) than the diameter of any planet 
E)  the source of all the UFO's that have been reported by UFO believers on Earth

Question 9

Which of the following questions is NOT part of what astronomers call the "cosmic haystack problem" in receiving messages from other civilizations in space?

Accepted Answer

A)  we don't know what star might have planets with intelligent life 
B)  we don't know what channel they may be using to send messages 
C)  we don't know whether the signal is always on (continuous) or only for a brief time every cycle 
D)  we don't know how to receive signals in the wavelength range that is the most likely for interstellar communications 
E)  we don't know how other civilizations might encode messages in the carrier wave they send 
A)  we don't know what star might have planets with intelligent life 
B)  we don't know what channel they may be using to send messages 
C)  we don't know whether the signal is always on (continuous) or only for a brief time every cycle 
D)  we don't know how to receive signals in the wavelength range that is the most likely for interstellar communications 
E)  we don't know how other civilizations might encode messages in the carrier wave they send

Question 10

When they talk about the Copernican principle, philosophers and astronomers mean that:

Accepted Answer

A)  the idea that Copernicus was the greatest astronomer who ever lived and the model for astronomers ever since 
B)  the idea that everything in the universe revolves around the Sun 
C)  the idea that everything in the universe rotates and revolves (i.e. has angular momentum) 
D)  the idea that there is nothing special about our place in the universe 
E)  the idea that the universe is expanding in every direction that we look 
A)  the idea that Copernicus was the greatest astronomer who ever lived and the model for astronomers ever since 
B)  the idea that everything in the universe revolves around the Sun 
C)  the idea that everything in the universe rotates and revolves (i.e. has angular momentum) 
D)  the idea that there is nothing special about our place in the universe 
E)  the idea that the universe is expanding in every direction that we look

Question 11

Photosynthesis releases a particular gas as a byproduct. This gas is:

Accepted Answer

A)  carbon dioxide 
B)  oxygen 
C)  water vapor 
D)  methane 
E)  DNA 
A)  carbon dioxide 
B)  oxygen 
C)  water vapor 
D)  methane 
E)  DNA

Question 12

Which band of the electromagnetic spectrum do astronomers suggest is likely to be the best (cheap, little competition from nature, penetrates atmospheres) for communication between civilizations around different stars?

Accepted Answer

A)  radio waves 
B)  x-rays 
C)  ultra-violet 
D)  infrared 
E)  gamma rays 
A)  radio waves 
B)  x-rays 
C)  ultra-violet 
D)  infrared 
E)  gamma rays

Question 13

What recent series of discoveries has made astronomers more optimistic about our prospects of finding life out there?

Accepted Answer

A)  the discovery of a form of silicon-based life in the volcanic vents of Venus 
B)  the discovery of planets around thousands of stars in our Galaxy 
C)  the discovery of a black hole approaching our solar system at rapid speed 
D)  the discovery of many key building blocks of life in a crater near the polar region of the Moon 
E)  the discovery of a spaceship, built by an alien civilization, that crashed in New Mexico 
A)  the discovery of a form of silicon-based life in the volcanic vents of Venus 
B)  the discovery of planets around thousands of stars in our Galaxy 
C)  the discovery of a black hole approaching our solar system at rapid speed 
D)  the discovery of many key building blocks of life in a crater near the polar region of the Moon 
E)  the discovery of a spaceship, built by an alien civilization, that crashed in New Mexico

Question 14

What new technology has made it possible for astronomers to do "optical SETI" - searching for signals for extra-terrestrial civilization, not in the radio band of the spectrum, but in the visible-light band?

Accepted Answer

A)  the Hubble Space Telescope was put into orbit 
B)  radio and TV signals have gone silent as much of the US adopts cable 
C)  astronomers have developed adaptive optics to deal with the twinkling of the stars 
D)  astronomers have built radio telescopes that can pick up the 3-degree microwave background 
E)  we have developed the ability to make laser pulses that are briefly brighter than the Sun 
A)  the Hubble Space Telescope was put into orbit 
B)  radio and TV signals have gone silent as much of the US adopts cable 
C)  astronomers have developed adaptive optics to deal with the twinkling of the stars 
D)  astronomers have built radio telescopes that can pick up the 3-degree microwave background 
E)  we have developed the ability to make laser pulses that are briefly brighter than the Sun

Question 15

Which of the following spacecraft is NOT leaving the solar system?

Accepted Answer

A)  Voyager 1 
B)  Voyager 2 
C)  Galileo 
D)  Pioneer 10 
E)  Pioneer 11 
A)  Voyager 1 
B)  Voyager 2 
C)  Galileo 
D)  Pioneer 10 
E)  Pioneer 11

Question 16

Which of the following events in cosmic history is the most recent?

Accepted Answer

A)  the birth of the universe 
B)  the formation of our Galaxy 
C)  the formation of the Sun 
D)  the formation of life on Earth 
E)  you can't fool me, all of the above happened at roughly the same time 
A)  the birth of the universe 
B)  the formation of our Galaxy 
C)  the formation of the Sun 
D)  the formation of life on Earth 
E)  you can't fool me, all of the above happened at roughly the same time

Exam 30: Life in the Universe

Which of the following is a biomarker that could be used from an observatory around a nearby star, with the right equipment, to identify the Earth as a planet with life:

The first search for radio messages from extra-terrestrial civilizations was called

Photosynthesis was a great step forward in the evolution of life on Earth, because with photosynthesis

We receive a radio message from a civilization around a star about 40 lightyears from Earth? If we reply right away, how long will it be between the time THEY sent the message and the time they receive our reply?

From a scientific perspective, which of the following statements about life elsewhere in the universe is best supported by current evidence?

What makes the Earth different from the other worlds that might have life in the solar system (and easier to detect from far away) is that only Earth

What discovery about Saturn's moon Enceladus has encouraged astronomers to think of that moon as a possible place where life might exist?

Astronomers have discovered a planet orbiting Proxima Centauri, the star closest to the Sun. This is a star of spectral type M, with 12% the mass of the Sun and 15% the size of the Sun. The habitable zone around this star would be

Which of the following questions is NOT part of what astronomers call the "cosmic haystack problem" in receiving messages from other civilizations in space?

When they talk about the Copernican principle, philosophers and astronomers mean that:

Photosynthesis releases a particular gas as a byproduct. This gas is:

Which band of the electromagnetic spectrum do astronomers suggest is likely to be the best (cheap, little competition from nature, penetrates atmospheres) for communication between civilizations around different stars?

What recent series of discoveries has made astronomers more optimistic about our prospects of finding life out there?

What new technology has made it possible for astronomers to do "optical SETI" - searching for signals for extra-terrestrial civilization, not in the radio band of the spectrum, but in the visible-light band?

Which of the following spacecraft is NOT leaving the solar system?

Which of the following events in cosmic history is the most recent?

Science and the Universe: a Brief Tour

Observing the Sky: the Birth of Astronomy

Orbits and Gravity

Earth, Moon, and Sky

Radiation and Spectra

Astronomical Instruments

Other Worlds: an Introduction to the Solar System

Earth As a Planet

Cratered Worlds: the Moon and Mercury

Earthlike Planets: Venus and Mars

The Giant Planets

Rings, Moons, and Pluto

Comets and Asteroids: Debris of the Solar System

Cosmic Samples and the Origin of the Solar System

The Sun: a Garden-Variety Star

The Sun: a Nuclear Powerhouse

Analyzing Starlight

The Stars: a Celestial Census

Celestial Distances

Between the Stars

The Birth of Stars and the Discovery of Planets Outside the Solar System

Stars From Adolescence to Old Age

The Death of Stars

Black Holes and Curved Space-Time

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies

Active Galaxies, Quasars, and Supermassive Black Holes

The Evolution and Distribution of Galaxies

The Big Bang

Filters