Question 1

Explain why it is so difficult to see planets around other stars.

Accepted Answer

Planets are very faint compared to the s

Question 2

What is the ecliptic plane?

Accepted Answer

A) the plane of the Milky Way Galaxy 
B) the plane of Earth's orbit around the Sun 
C) the plane of Earth's equator 
D) the plane of the Sun's equator 
A) the plane of the Milky Way Galaxy 
B) the plane of Earth's orbit around the Sun 
C) the plane of Earth's equator 
D) the plane of the Sun's equator

Question 3

Consider the following statement, and explain whether or not it is sensible: NASA hopes to build a new telescope that will allow us to see 100 million light- years into the past.

Accepted Answer

Not sensib

Question 4

If we imagine the history of the universe compressed into one year, dinosaurs became extinct .

Accepted Answer

A) about an hour ago 
B) yesterday morning 
C) about 3 weeks ago 
D) about 6 months ago 
A) about an hour ago 
B) yesterday morning 
C) about 3 weeks ago 
D) about 6 months ago

Question 5

Our textbook discusses the cosmic calendar, a model of the history of the universe scaled to a single year. The length of time represented by one month on this cosmic calendar is therefore

Accepted Answer

A) about one million years. 
B) about ten billion years. 
C) about ten million years. 
D) about 1000 years. 
E) about one billion years. 
A) about one million years. 
B) about ten billion years. 
C) about ten million years. 
D) about 1000 years. 
E) about one billion years.

Question 6

Our solar system is located in the center of the Milky Way Galaxy.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

Rank the following 3 items from nearest to farthest. Hint: the Orion Nebula is a cloud of gas in which young stars are being born within the Milky Way, about 1,500 light- years away.

Accepted Answer

A) Alpha Centauri, Orion Nebula, star in the center of the Milky Way 
B) star in the center of the Milky Way, Alpha Centauri, Orion Nebula 
C) star in the center of the Milky Way, Orion Nebula, Alpha Centauri 
A) Alpha Centauri, Orion Nebula, star in the center of the Milky Way 
B) star in the center of the Milky Way, Alpha Centauri, Orion Nebula 
C) star in the center of the Milky Way, Orion Nebula, Alpha Centauri

Question 8

Imagine that we put a raisin cake into the oven, with each raisin separated from the others by 1 cm. An hour later, we take it out and the distances between raisins are 3 cm. If you lived in one of the raisins and watched the other raisins as the cake expanded, which of the following would you conclude?

Accepted Answer

A) More distant raisins would be moving away from you more slowly. 
B) More distant raisins would be moving away from you faster. 
C) All raisins would be moving away from you at the same speed. 
D) It depends: If you lived in a raisin near the left side of the cake, you'd see other raisins moving away from you, but they'd be coming toward you if you lived in a raisin near the right side of the cake. 
A) More distant raisins would be moving away from you more slowly. 
B) More distant raisins would be moving away from you faster. 
C) All raisins would be moving away from you at the same speed. 
D) It depends: If you lived in a raisin near the left side of the cake, you'd see other raisins moving away from you, but they'd be coming toward you if you lived in a raisin near the right side of the cake.

Question 9

One light- hour is the distance light travels in one hour. The speed of light is about 300,000 km/s (3 × 105 km/s). How far is 1 light- hour?

Accepted Answer

A) 9)46 trillion km (9,460,000,000,000, or 9.46 × 1012 km) 
B) 1)08 billion km (1,080,000,000, or 1.08 ×109 km) 
C) 18 million km (18,000,000, or 1.8 × 107 km) 
D) 300 thousand km (300,000, or 3 × 105 km) 
A) 9)46 trillion km (9,460,000,000,000, or 9.46 × 1012 km) 
B) 1)08 billion km (1,080,000,000, or 1.08 ×109 km) 
C) 18 million km (18,000,000, or 1.8 × 107 km) 
D) 300 thousand km (300,000, or 3 × 105 km)

Question 10

Light takes approximately one second to travel from the Earth to the Moon. This means that the Moon is approximately

Accepted Answer

A) 300,000 kilometers from the Earth. 
B) 3,000 kilometers from the Earth. 
C) twice the distance from the Earth to the Sun. 
D) 1 astronomical unit from the Earth. 
E) 1 light year from the Earth. 
A) 300,000 kilometers from the Earth. 
B) 3,000 kilometers from the Earth. 
C) twice the distance from the Earth to the Sun. 
D) 1 astronomical unit from the Earth. 
E) 1 light year from the Earth.

Question 11

Which of the following statements about the Milky Way Galaxy is not true?

Accepted Answer

A) The galaxy is about 100,000 light- years in diameter. 
B) One rotation of the galaxy takes about 200 million years. 
C) It contains between 100 billion and 1 trillion stars. 
D) Our solar system is located very close to the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. 
A) The galaxy is about 100,000 light- years in diameter. 
B) One rotation of the galaxy takes about 200 million years. 
C) It contains between 100 billion and 1 trillion stars. 
D) Our solar system is located very close to the center of the Milky Way Galaxy.

Question 12

A typical galaxy is a .

Accepted Answer

A) collection of a few hundred million to a trillion or more stars, bound together by gravity 
B) relatively small, icy object orbiting a star 
C) large, glowing ball of gas powered by nuclear energy 
D) system consisting of one or a few stars orbited by planets, moons, and smaller objects 
E) nearby object orbiting a planet 
A) collection of a few hundred million to a trillion or more stars, bound together by gravity 
B) relatively small, icy object orbiting a star 
C) large, glowing ball of gas powered by nuclear energy 
D) system consisting of one or a few stars orbited by planets, moons, and smaller objects 
E) nearby object orbiting a planet

Question 13

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?

Accepted Answer

A) about the distance across the state of Delaware 
B) about the distance across 50 football fields 
C) 100 meters 
D) about the distance across the United States 
A) about the distance across the state of Delaware 
B) about the distance across 50 football fields 
C) 100 meters 
D) about the distance across the United States

Question 14

The term observable universe refers to .

Accepted Answer

A) the portion of the universe that can be seen by the naked eye 
B) the portion of the universe that is not hidden from view by, for example, being below the horizon 
C) that portion of the universe that we can see in principle, given the current age of the universe 
D) that portion of the universe that we have so far photographed through telescopes 
A) the portion of the universe that can be seen by the naked eye 
B) the portion of the universe that is not hidden from view by, for example, being below the horizon 
C) that portion of the universe that we can see in principle, given the current age of the universe 
D) that portion of the universe that we have so far photographed through telescopes

Question 15

Suppose we look at two distant galaxies: Galaxy 1 is twice as far away as Galaxy 2. In that case, .

Accepted Answer

A) Galaxy 1 must be twice as big as Galaxy 2 
B) Galaxy 2 must be twice as old as Galaxy 1 
C) we are seeing Galaxy 1 as it looked at a later time in the history of the universe than Galaxy 2 
D) we are seeing Galaxy 1 as it looked at an earlier time in the history of the universe than Galaxy 2 
A) Galaxy 1 must be twice as big as Galaxy 2 
B) Galaxy 2 must be twice as old as Galaxy 1 
C) we are seeing Galaxy 1 as it looked at a later time in the history of the universe than Galaxy 2 
D) we are seeing Galaxy 1 as it looked at an earlier time in the history of the universe than Galaxy 2

Question 16

Suppose we imagine the Sun to be about the size of a grapefruit (about 10 cm across). How far away are the nearest stars (the three stars of Alpha Centauri)?

Accepted Answer

A) 2)5 miles 
B) 2,500 miles 
C) 25,000 miles 
D) 250 miles 
E) the length of a football field 
A) 2)5 miles 
B) 2,500 miles 
C) 25,000 miles 
D) 250 miles 
E) the length of a football field

Question 17

The Observable Universe: How does the age of the universe (estimated at 14 billion years)introduce the concept of the "observable universe?" Suppose you feel, as do many astronomers, that the universe is much larger than the observable universe. Do you think there is any way to obtain direct evidence for this larger universe?

Accepted Answer

The age of the universe, estimated at 14

Question 18

What do we mean when we say that the universe is expanding?

Accepted Answer

A) Within galaxies, average distances between star systems are increasing with time. 
B) Everything in the universe is gradually growing in size. 
C) The statement is not meant to be literal; rather, it means that our knowledge of the universe is growing. 
D) Average distances between galaxies are increasing with time. 
A) Within galaxies, average distances between star systems are increasing with time. 
B) Everything in the universe is gradually growing in size. 
C) The statement is not meant to be literal; rather, it means that our knowledge of the universe is growing. 
D) Average distances between galaxies are increasing with time.

Explain why it is so difficult to see planets around other stars.

What is the ecliptic plane?

Consider the following statement, and explain whether or not it is sensible: NASA hopes to build a new telescope that will allow us to see 100 million light- years into the past.

If we imagine the history of the universe compressed into one year, dinosaurs became extinct .

Our textbook discusses the cosmic calendar, a model of the history of the universe scaled to a single year. The length of time represented by one month on this cosmic calendar is therefore

Our solar system is located in the center of the Milky Way Galaxy.

Rank the following 3 items from nearest to farthest. Hint: the Orion Nebula is a cloud of gas in which young stars are being born within the Milky Way, about 1,500 light- years away.

One light- hour is the distance light travels in one hour. The speed of light is about 300,000 km/s (3 × 105 km/s). How far is 1 light- hour?

Light takes approximately one second to travel from the Earth to the Moon. This means that the Moon is approximately

Which of the following statements about the Milky Way Galaxy is not true?

A typical galaxy is a .

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?

The term observable universe refers to .

Suppose we look at two distant galaxies: Galaxy 1 is twice as far away as Galaxy 2. In that case, .

Suppose we imagine the Sun to be about the size of a grapefruit (about 10 cm across). How far away are the nearest stars (the three stars of Alpha Centauri)?

What do we mean when we say that the universe is expanding?

Discovering the Universe for Yourself

The Science of Astronomy

Making Sense of the Universe: Understanding Motion, Energy, and Gravity

Light: the Cosmic Messenger

Formation of the Solar System

Earth and the Terrestrial Worlds

Jovian Planet System

Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets: Their Nature, Orbits, and Impacts

Other Planetary Systems: the New Science of Distant Worlds

Our Star

Surveying the Stars

Star Stuff

The Bizarre Stellar Graveyard

Our Galaxy

A Universe of Galaxies

The Birth of the Universe

Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe

Life in the Universe

Filters

Exam 1: A Modern View of the Universe

Explain why it is so difficult to see planets around other stars.

What is the ecliptic plane?

Consider the following statement, and explain whether or not it is sensible: NASA hopes to build a new telescope that will allow us to see 100 million light- years into the past.

If we imagine the history of the universe compressed into one year, dinosaurs became extinct .

Our textbook discusses the cosmic calendar, a model of the history of the universe scaled to a single year. The length of time represented by one month on this cosmic calendar is therefore

Our solar system is located in the center of the Milky Way Galaxy.

Rank the following 3 items from nearest to farthest. Hint: the Orion Nebula is a cloud of gas in which young stars are being born within the Milky Way, about 1,500 light- years away.

One light- hour is the distance light travels in one hour. The speed of light is about 300,000 km/s (3 × 105 km/s). How far is 1 light- hour?

Light takes approximately one second to travel from the Earth to the Moon. This means that the Moon is approximately

Which of the following statements about the Milky Way Galaxy is not true?

A typical galaxy is a .

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?

The term observable universe refers to .

Suppose we look at two distant galaxies: Galaxy 1 is twice as far away as Galaxy 2. In that case, .

Suppose we imagine the Sun to be about the size of a grapefruit (about 10 cm across). How far away are the nearest stars (the three stars of Alpha Centauri)?

What do we mean when we say that the universe is expanding?

Discovering the Universe for Yourself

The Science of Astronomy

Making Sense of the Universe: Understanding Motion, Energy, and Gravity

Light: the Cosmic Messenger

Formation of the Solar System

Earth and the Terrestrial Worlds

Jovian Planet System

Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets: Their Nature, Orbits, and Impacts

Other Planetary Systems: the New Science of Distant Worlds

Our Star

Surveying the Stars

Star Stuff

The Bizarre Stellar Graveyard

Our Galaxy

A Universe of Galaxies

The Birth of the Universe

Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe

Life in the Universe

Filters