Question 1

If a very distant galaxy looks blue overall to astronomers, from this they can conclude that:

Accepted Answer

A)  the galaxy is moving toward us at great speed 
B)  the galaxy must have a lot of young stars and thus active star formation must still be going in it 
C)  the galaxy must be composed mostly of very old stars 
D)  the galaxy must not be especially massive when compared to most galaxies 
E)  the galaxy must have had a personal tragedy of some sort and needs a lot of love 
A)  the galaxy is moving toward us at great speed 
B)  the galaxy must have a lot of young stars and thus active star formation must still be going in it 
C)  the galaxy must be composed mostly of very old stars 
D)  the galaxy must not be especially massive when compared to most galaxies 
E)  the galaxy must have had a personal tragedy of some sort and needs a lot of love B

Question 2

The cosmological principle in astronomy

Accepted Answer

A)  is only an assumption, for which we don't have any real evidence yet 
B)  applies only to the Milky Way Galaxy, not to anything outside it 
C)  is confirmed by many observations done by Hubble and many other astronomers since 
D)  is contradicted by the existence of quasars 
E)  is an old Greek idea, now completely discredited by modern observations 
A)  is only an assumption, for which we don't have any real evidence yet 
B)  applies only to the Milky Way Galaxy, not to anything outside it 
C)  is confirmed by many observations done by Hubble and many other astronomers since 
D)  is contradicted by the existence of quasars 
E)  is an old Greek idea, now completely discredited by modern observations C

Question 3

By examining rich clusters of galaxies, such as the Coma Clusters, astronomers have discovered that spiral galaxies

Accepted Answer

A)  grow to be very large and bright at the centers of these clusters 
B)  turn out to be most of the galaxies in such clusters, and many are found throughout each cluster 
C)  do not exist at all in such clusters 
D)  are found mostly in the outer regions of such clusters, not in the middle 
E)  are all tilted exactly the same way in such cluster; all their disks are fully aligned 
A)  grow to be very large and bright at the centers of these clusters 
B)  turn out to be most of the galaxies in such clusters, and many are found throughout each cluster 
C)  do not exist at all in such clusters 
D)  are found mostly in the outer regions of such clusters, not in the middle 
E)  are all tilted exactly the same way in such cluster; all their disks are fully aligned D

Question 4

The "great voids" that astronomers studying galaxies are finding are:

Accepted Answer

A)  regions where a number of black holes have cleared out space in the center of a galaxy 
B)  empty regions between the spiral arms of the Milky Way Galaxy 
C)  huge regions inside spiral galaxies, where the powerful radiation from a very hot star has cleared out the local interstellar material 
D)  very large regions of intergalactic space, where relatively few galaxies or galaxy clusters can be found 
E)  regions inside the brains of astronomy students where information about astronomy topics should have been located, but has been lost 
A)  regions where a number of black holes have cleared out space in the center of a galaxy 
B)  empty regions between the spiral arms of the Milky Way Galaxy 
C)  huge regions inside spiral galaxies, where the powerful radiation from a very hot star has cleared out the local interstellar material 
D)  very large regions of intergalactic space, where relatively few galaxies or galaxy clusters can be found 
E)  regions inside the brains of astronomy students where information about astronomy topics should have been located, but has been lost

Question 5

If you wanted to write a complete "cosmic address" for yourself, including every location or structure you live in, which of the following would NOT be part of that address?

Accepted Answer

A)  the Coma Cluster 
B)  the Milky Way Galaxy 
C)  the Local Group 
D)  the Solar System 
E)  planet Earth 
A)  the Coma Cluster 
B)  the Milky Way Galaxy 
C)  the Local Group 
D)  the Solar System 
E)  planet Earth

Question 6

Astronomers believe that the large elliptical galaxies formed

Accepted Answer

A)  right after the Big Bang, looking just like they look today 
B)  from the collision and merger of many smaller fragments 
C)  only recently, less than a billion years ago (before that galaxies were spirals) 
D)  without the presence of any super-massive black holes 
E)  without any involvement of dark matter (just from matter we can detect) 
A)  right after the Big Bang, looking just like they look today 
B)  from the collision and merger of many smaller fragments 
C)  only recently, less than a billion years ago (before that galaxies were spirals) 
D)  without the presence of any super-massive black holes 
E)  without any involvement of dark matter (just from matter we can detect)

Question 7

With enormous effort, a team of astronomers manages to collect enough light from a galaxy far, far away to produce a spectrum. That spectrum has lines from the elements carbon, silicon, and sulfur. This tells the team that

Accepted Answer

A)  the galaxy must be closer to us than 1 billion light years 
B)  the galaxy must contain a quasar 
C)  the galaxy must have had an entire generation of stars that was born, lived, and died 
D)  the galaxy must be a massive elliptical galaxy 
E)  what they are seeing is not a galaxy at all, but the remnant of one supernova 
A)  the galaxy must be closer to us than 1 billion light years 
B)  the galaxy must contain a quasar 
C)  the galaxy must have had an entire generation of stars that was born, lived, and died 
D)  the galaxy must be a massive elliptical galaxy 
E)  what they are seeing is not a galaxy at all, but the remnant of one supernova

Question 8

According to the Cosmological Principle, the universe

Accepted Answer

A)  has no beginning and no end 
B)  cannot be understood by the use of scientific observations alone 
C)  is isotropic and homogeneous 
D)  consists only of galaxies that are exactly like the Milky Way 
E)  has all the galaxies arranged in groups about the size of our Local Group 
A)  has no beginning and no end 
B)  cannot be understood by the use of scientific observations alone 
C)  is isotropic and homogeneous 
D)  consists only of galaxies that are exactly like the Milky Way 
E)  has all the galaxies arranged in groups about the size of our Local Group

Question 9

Some astronomers searching for what the mysterious "dark matter" might be made of have pinned their hopes on MACHO's (MAssive Compact Halo Objects). What do they think these MACHO's are?

Accepted Answer

A)  huge concentrations of antimatter, outside of galaxies 
B)  vast clouds of neutrinos, emitted by ancient supernovae 
C)  black holes, brown dwarfs, and white dwarfs in the regions outside the main disk of our Galaxy 
D)  "cannibal galaxies" that have swallowed smaller galaxy neighbors until they have grown very large 
E)  large groups of college football players who have flunked astronomy, and now hang around the outskirts of town, just showing off their muscles 
A)  huge concentrations of antimatter, outside of galaxies 
B)  vast clouds of neutrinos, emitted by ancient supernovae 
C)  black holes, brown dwarfs, and white dwarfs in the regions outside the main disk of our Galaxy 
D)  "cannibal galaxies" that have swallowed smaller galaxy neighbors until they have grown very large 
E)  large groups of college football players who have flunked astronomy, and now hang around the outskirts of town, just showing off their muscles

Question 10

When astronomers have examined rich clusters of galaxies with their instruments, they have found that these clusters

Accepted Answer

A)  contain far more spiral galaxies in their central regions than elliptical galaxies 
B)  are more likely to contain giant elliptical galaxies than poor clusters 
C)  are the only places in the universe where galaxies find a way NOT to collide 
D)  contain mostly galaxies dominated by the light of young stars (stars formed recently) 
E)  are so big that there is a lot more space between the galaxies than in poor clusters like our Local Group 
A)  contain far more spiral galaxies in their central regions than elliptical galaxies 
B)  are more likely to contain giant elliptical galaxies than poor clusters 
C)  are the only places in the universe where galaxies find a way NOT to collide 
D)  contain mostly galaxies dominated by the light of young stars (stars formed recently) 
E)  are so big that there is a lot more space between the galaxies than in poor clusters like our Local Group

Question 11

How do astronomers currently think the amount of detectable (observable) matter in the universe compares to the amount of dark matter and dark energy?

Accepted Answer

A)  the amount of detectable matter is about equal to the amount of dark matter & energy 
B)  the amount of detectable matter is far greater than the amount of dark matter & energy 
C)  the amount of detectable matter is far less than the amount of dark matter & energy 
D)  the amount of detectable matter is about 1/10th the amount of dark matter & energy 
E)  there is no evidence for dark matter anywhere, so this is not a topic astronomers can make any estimates about
Section 28.5: The Formation and Evolution of Galaxies and Structure in the Universe 
A)  the amount of detectable matter is about equal to the amount of dark matter & energy 
B)  the amount of detectable matter is far greater than the amount of dark matter & energy 
C)  the amount of detectable matter is far less than the amount of dark matter & energy 
D)  the amount of detectable matter is about 1/10th the amount of dark matter & energy 
E)  there is no evidence for dark matter anywhere, so this is not a topic astronomers can make any estimates about
Section 28.5: The Formation and Evolution of Galaxies and Structure in the Universe

Question 12

Why do galaxies collide, while stars almost never do?

Accepted Answer

A)  stars have a very strong negative charge on them, so they repel other stars that get near 
B)  stars don't have very much mass, so their gravity is very small and can't pull things well 
C)  stars are much further apart (compared to how big they are) than galaxies are 
D)  stars are surrounded by planets, which prevent collisions; galaxies are not 
E)  actually, stars collide all the time, but astronomers don't have any way of observing it 
A)  stars have a very strong negative charge on them, so they repel other stars that get near 
B)  stars don't have very much mass, so their gravity is very small and can't pull things well 
C)  stars are much further apart (compared to how big they are) than galaxies are 
D)  stars are surrounded by planets, which prevent collisions; galaxies are not 
E)  actually, stars collide all the time, but astronomers don't have any way of observing it

Question 13

According to our modern "bottom-up" model of the formation of large structures in the universe, the structures that formed first were about the mass of a

Accepted Answer

A)  star 
B)  large globular cluster or a small galaxy 
C)  giant elliptical galaxy 
D)  supercluster of galaxies 
E)  an ice-cold mug of root beer 
A)  star 
B)  large globular cluster or a small galaxy 
C)  giant elliptical galaxy 
D)  supercluster of galaxies 
E)  an ice-cold mug of root beer

Question 14

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey

Accepted Answer

A)  searches for planets around neighbor stars by looking for changing Doppler shifts in their spectra 
B)  searches for Trans-Neptunian objects, small icy bodies in the outer solar system, whose orbits sometimes resemble Pluto's 
C)  searches for supernova remnants that could have pulsars inside and then try to find the pulsars 
D)  takes images and spectra of millions of objects, to find the positions and redshifts of as many galaxies and quasars as possible 
E)  searches to see whether extra-terrestrial civilizations are sending any digitally recorded music our way
Section 28.4: The Challenge of Dark Matter 
A)  searches for planets around neighbor stars by looking for changing Doppler shifts in their spectra 
B)  searches for Trans-Neptunian objects, small icy bodies in the outer solar system, whose orbits sometimes resemble Pluto's 
C)  searches for supernova remnants that could have pulsars inside and then try to find the pulsars 
D)  takes images and spectra of millions of objects, to find the positions and redshifts of as many galaxies and quasars as possible 
E)  searches to see whether extra-terrestrial civilizations are sending any digitally recorded music our way
Section 28.4: The Challenge of Dark Matter

Question 15

There is some irony in the fact that the Hubble Space Telescope has shown that Edwin Hubble's classification scheme for galaxy shapes only works in the later stages of the universe. What have really deep pictures (going way back in time) taken with the Hubble Telescope shown about galaxies long ago (in the first few billion years after the Big Bang)?

Accepted Answer

A)  long ago, all the galaxies were spiral shaped; there were no other shapes at all 
B)  long ago, galaxy shapes were not (for the most part) regular and organized; galaxies looks chaotic and lumpy 
C)  long ago, there were no galaxies at all; stars were evenly distributed through space and had not yet formed galaxies 
D)  long ago, galaxies were much larger than galaxies are today; those very large galaxies broke apart and made the galaxies we know 
E)  you can't fool me; the Hubble Space Telescope has a smaller mirror than the largest telescopes on the ground. We can't use it to see galaxies that long ago. 
A)  long ago, all the galaxies were spiral shaped; there were no other shapes at all 
B)  long ago, galaxy shapes were not (for the most part) regular and organized; galaxies looks chaotic and lumpy 
C)  long ago, there were no galaxies at all; stars were evenly distributed through space and had not yet formed galaxies 
D)  long ago, galaxies were much larger than galaxies are today; those very large galaxies broke apart and made the galaxies we know 
E)  you can't fool me; the Hubble Space Telescope has a smaller mirror than the largest telescopes on the ground. We can't use it to see galaxies that long ago.

Question 16

When astronomers say that the groups of galaxies are distributed isotropically, they mean that

Accepted Answer

A)  all the galaxies are about the same size 
B)  the way galaxies are arranged in space looks the same in all directions 
C)  galaxies all have interstellar matter at the same temperature 
D)  galaxies all have the same age 
E)  galaxies all contain the same isotopes of elements 
A)  all the galaxies are about the same size 
B)  the way galaxies are arranged in space looks the same in all directions 
C)  galaxies all have interstellar matter at the same temperature 
D)  galaxies all have the same age 
E)  galaxies all contain the same isotopes of elements

Question 17

Which of the following does NOT happen when two galaxies collide?

Accepted Answer

A)  large interstellar gas clouds collide 
B)  the rate of star formation increases 
C)  the shape of the galaxy is often changed 
D)  many of the stars in one galaxy collide with the stars in the other 
E)  a smaller galaxy may wind up inside a larger one 
A)  large interstellar gas clouds collide 
B)  the rate of star formation increases 
C)  the shape of the galaxy is often changed 
D)  many of the stars in one galaxy collide with the stars in the other 
E)  a smaller galaxy may wind up inside a larger one

Question 18

An astronomer is observing a distant galaxy which looks blue. Which of the following can she conclude from this observation?

Accepted Answer

A)  the galaxy must be moving toward us (must have a blue shift) 
B)  the galaxy must be extremely large (probably a giant elliptical) 
C)  the galaxy must have a lot of star formation going on at the time we are seeing it 
D)  the galaxy must be rotating very slowly or not at all 
E)  the galaxy must contain only older stars (those that formed billions of years ago) 
A)  the galaxy must be moving toward us (must have a blue shift) 
B)  the galaxy must be extremely large (probably a giant elliptical) 
C)  the galaxy must have a lot of star formation going on at the time we are seeing it 
D)  the galaxy must be rotating very slowly or not at all 
E)  the galaxy must contain only older stars (those that formed billions of years ago)

Question 19

According to our current understanding, giant elliptical galaxies form:

Accepted Answer

A)  by being located near the center of the Big Bang explosion and thus getting a major early push 
B)  only in the giant voids that astronomers are discovering among the filaments and chains of galaxies 
C)  by the merger (or swallowing) of a number of smaller galaxies in a cluster of galaxies 
D)  when a black hole swallows enough material so that most of the stars in the galaxy are inside the black hole, leaving only a thin halo 
E)  by watching too much football and drinking too much beer 
A)  by being located near the center of the Big Bang explosion and thus getting a major early push 
B)  only in the giant voids that astronomers are discovering among the filaments and chains of galaxies 
C)  by the merger (or swallowing) of a number of smaller galaxies in a cluster of galaxies 
D)  when a black hole swallows enough material so that most of the stars in the galaxy are inside the black hole, leaving only a thin halo 
E)  by watching too much football and drinking too much beer

Question 20

Which of the following is a way that having an active galactic nucleus (AGN), with a supermassive black hole in the center, can affect the development of a galaxy?

Accepted Answer

A)  it can seriously reduce the total mass of the galaxy when lots of stars fall into the black hole 
B)  huge energetic jets from the accretion disk can disturb and lessen star formation in the galaxy 
C)  it can break apart the galaxy into several smaller galaxies 
D)  it can cut off all electro-magnetic radiation from most of the galaxy, except for the visible light from the outermost stars 
E)  sorry, I don't buy it; the black hole at the center is so small, there is simply no way that astronomers can think of that it could affect the development of the whole galaxy
Section 28.3: The Distribution of Galaxies in Space 
A)  it can seriously reduce the total mass of the galaxy when lots of stars fall into the black hole 
B)  huge energetic jets from the accretion disk can disturb and lessen star formation in the galaxy 
C)  it can break apart the galaxy into several smaller galaxies 
D)  it can cut off all electro-magnetic radiation from most of the galaxy, except for the visible light from the outermost stars 
E)  sorry, I don't buy it; the black hole at the center is so small, there is simply no way that astronomers can think of that it could affect the development of the whole galaxy
Section 28.3: The Distribution of Galaxies in Space

Exam 28: The Evolution and Distribution of Galaxies

If a very distant galaxy looks blue overall to astronomers, from this they can conclude that:

The cosmological principle in astronomy

By examining rich clusters of galaxies, such as the Coma Clusters, astronomers have discovered that spiral galaxies

The "great voids" that astronomers studying galaxies are finding are:

If you wanted to write a complete "cosmic address" for yourself, including every location or structure you live in, which of the following would NOT be part of that address?

Astronomers believe that the large elliptical galaxies formed

With enormous effort, a team of astronomers manages to collect enough light from a galaxy far, far away to produce a spectrum. That spectrum has lines from the elements carbon, silicon, and sulfur. This tells the team that

According to the Cosmological Principle, the universe

Some astronomers searching for what the mysterious "dark matter" might be made of have pinned their hopes on MACHO's (MAssive Compact Halo Objects). What do they think these MACHO's are?

When astronomers have examined rich clusters of galaxies with their instruments, they have found that these clusters

How do astronomers currently think the amount of detectable (observable) matter in the universe compares to the amount of dark matter and dark energy?

Why do galaxies collide, while stars almost never do?

According to our modern "bottom-up" model of the formation of large structures in the universe, the structures that formed first were about the mass of a

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey

When astronomers say that the groups of galaxies are distributed isotropically, they mean that

Which of the following does NOT happen when two galaxies collide?

An astronomer is observing a distant galaxy which looks blue. Which of the following can she conclude from this observation?

According to our current understanding, giant elliptical galaxies form:

Which of the following is a way that having an active galactic nucleus (AGN), with a supermassive black hole in the center, can affect the development of a galaxy?

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 Big Bang

Life in the Universe

Filters