Question 1

Why do the patterns of the stars in our sky look the same from year to year?

Accepted Answer

A)  Because the stars in the constellations are so far away 
B)  Because the stars in the constellations are not moving 
C)  Because the stars in the constellations all move at the same speeds and in the same directions, so they don't change their relative positions 
D)  Because the stars in the constellations move so slowly-typically about the speed of a snail-that their motions are not noticeable 
A)  Because the stars in the constellations are so far away 
B)  Because the stars in the constellations are not moving 
C)  Because the stars in the constellations all move at the same speeds and in the same directions, so they don't change their relative positions 
D)  Because the stars in the constellations move so slowly-typically about the speed of a snail-that their motions are not noticeable

Question 2

Briefly explain how the Sun generates energy.

Accepted Answer

The Sun generates energy throu

Question 3

One light year is about 10 trillion kilometers.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 4

One of the most fundamental discoveries about the Universe has been that it is expanding. "The universe is expanding" means

Accepted Answer

A)  our estimate for the size of the universe has increased over the last century. 
B)  galaxies are growing with time. 
C)  the cosmological horizon is growing with time. 
D)  distances between most galaxies are getting larger. 
A)  our estimate for the size of the universe has increased over the last century. 
B)  galaxies are growing with time. 
C)  the cosmological horizon is growing with time. 
D)  distances between most galaxies are getting larger.

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

Question 6

If you could count stars at a rate of about one per second, how long would it take to count all the stars in the Milky Way Galaxy?

Accepted Answer

A)  Several days 
B)  Several weeks 
C)  Several years 
D)  Several thousand years 
A)  Several days 
B)  Several weeks 
C)  Several years 
D)  Several thousand years

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 1500 light-years away.

Accepted Answer

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

Question 8

The farthest bright galaxies that modern telescopes are capable of seeing are up to

Accepted Answer

A)  1 million light years away. 
B)  10 million light years away. 
C)  1 billion light years away. 
D)  10 billion light years away. 
E)  1 trillion light years away 
A)  1 million light years away. 
B)  10 million light years away. 
C)  1 billion light years away. 
D)  10 billion light years away. 
E)  1 trillion light years away

Question 9

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

Question 10

Which of the following best describes what we mean by the universe?

Accepted Answer

A)  The sum total of all matter and energy. 
B)  A vast collection of stars that number as many as the grains of sand on all the beaches on Earth. 
C)  All the galaxies in all the superclusters. 
D)  The universe is another name for our Milky Way Galaxy. 
A)  The sum total of all matter and energy. 
B)  A vast collection of stars that number as many as the grains of sand on all the beaches on Earth. 
C)  All the galaxies in all the superclusters. 
D)  The universe is another name for our Milky Way Galaxy.

Question 11

The observable universe is the same size today as it was a few billion years ago.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

Using the ideas discussed in your textbook, in what sense are we "star stuff"?

Accepted Answer

A)  The overall chemical composition of our bodies is about the same as that of stars. 
B)  Movie stars and other people are all made of the same stuff, so we all have the potential to be famous. 
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. 
A)  The overall chemical composition of our bodies is about the same as that of stars. 
B)  Movie stars and other people are all made of the same stuff, so we all have the potential to be famous. 
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.

Question 13

Based on observations of the universal expansion, the age of the universe is about ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  14,000 years 
B)  14 million years 
C)  14 billion years 
D)  14 trillion years 
A)  14,000 years 
B)  14 million years 
C)  14 billion years 
D)  14 trillion years

Question 14

Light Travel Time: Because of the finite speed of light, we see more distant objects as they were in the past. For example, we see the star Alpha Centauri as it was 4.4 years ago, and the Andromeda Galaxy as it was 2.5 million years ago. Astronomers are often asked how we know that these objects still exist when we look at them in the night sky? How would you try to answer this question?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Light Travel Time: Because of the finite...

Question 15

Briefly explain what we mean by the statement "The farther away we look in distance, the further back we look in time."

Accepted Answer

It means that when we look at

Question 16

Which object has aged the most since it emitted the light we see today?

Accepted Answer

A)  A star near the center of the Milky Way 
B)  A star in the Andromeda Galaxy 
C)  The Sun 
D)  Pluto 
A)  A star near the center of the Milky Way 
B)  A star in the Andromeda Galaxy 
C)  The Sun 
D)  Pluto

Question 17

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)  All raisins would be moving away from you at the same speed. 
B)  More distant raisins would be moving away from you faster. 
C)  More distant raisins would be moving away from you more slowly. 
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)  All raisins would be moving away from you at the same speed. 
B)  More distant raisins would be moving away from you faster. 
C)  More distant raisins would be moving away from you more slowly. 
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 18

Approximately how fast is a person located at the Earth's equator travelling due to the rotation of the Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  17,000 km/hr 
B)  1,700 km/hr 
C)  170 km/hr 
D)  17 km/hr 
E)  not moving at all 
A)  17,000 km/hr 
B)  1,700 km/hr 
C)  170 km/hr 
D)  17 km/hr 
E)  not moving at all

Question 19

Jupiter is about 5 AU from the Sun. In a ten billion to one scale model, Jupiter is

Accepted Answer

A)  less than one meter from the Sun. 
B)  about 75 meters from the Sun. 
C)  about 15 meters from the Sun. 
D)  about a kilometer from the Sun. 
A)  less than one meter from the Sun. 
B)  about 75 meters from the Sun. 
C)  about 15 meters from the Sun. 
D)  about a kilometer from the Sun.

Question 20

What is the Sun mainly made of?

Accepted Answer

A)  hydrogen and oxygen 
B)  hydrogen and helium 
C)  carbon and nitrogen 
D)  oxygen and carbon 
E)  nearly equal portions of all the elements 
A)  hydrogen and oxygen 
B)  hydrogen and helium 
C)  carbon and nitrogen 
D)  oxygen and carbon 
E)  nearly equal portions of all the elements

Why do the patterns of the stars in our sky look the same from year to year?

Briefly explain how the Sun generates energy.

One light year is about 10 trillion kilometers.

One of the most fundamental discoveries about the Universe has been that it is expanding. "The universe is expanding" means

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:

If you could count stars at a rate of about one per second, how long would it take to count all the stars in 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 1500 light-years away.

The farthest bright galaxies that modern telescopes are capable of seeing are up to

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

Which of the following best describes what we mean by the universe?

The observable universe is the same size today as it was a few billion years ago.

Using the ideas discussed in your textbook, in what sense are we "star stuff"?

Based on observations of the universal expansion, the age of the universe is about ________.

Briefly explain what we mean by the statement "The farther away we look in distance, the further back we look in time."

Which object has aged the most since it emitted the light we see today?

Approximately how fast is a person located at the Earth's equator travelling due to the rotation of the Earth?

Jupiter is about 5 AU from the Sun. In a ten billion to one scale model, Jupiter is

What is the Sun mainly made of?

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 Planetary Systems: Our Solar System and Beyond

Earth and the Terrestrial Worlds

Jovian Planet Systems

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

Our Star

Surveying the Stars

Star Stuff

Bizarre Stellar Graveyard

Our Galaxy

Galaxies and the Foundation of Modern Cosmology

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

The Beginning of Time

Life in the Universe

Filters

Exam 1: Our Place in the Universe

Why do the patterns of the stars in our sky look the same from year to year?

Briefly explain how the Sun generates energy.

One light year is about 10 trillion kilometers.

One of the most fundamental discoveries about the Universe has been that it is expanding. "The universe is expanding" means

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:

If you could count stars at a rate of about one per second, how long would it take to count all the stars in 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 1500 light-years away.

The farthest bright galaxies that modern telescopes are capable of seeing are up to

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

Which of the following best describes what we mean by the universe?

The observable universe is the same size today as it was a few billion years ago.

Using the ideas discussed in your textbook, in what sense are we "star stuff"?

Based on observations of the universal expansion, the age of the universe is about ________.

Briefly explain what we mean by the statement "The farther away we look in distance, the further back we look in time."

Which object has aged the most since it emitted the light we see today?

Approximately how fast is a person located at the Earth's equator travelling due to the rotation of the Earth?

Jupiter is about 5 AU from the Sun. In a ten billion to one scale model, Jupiter is

What is the Sun mainly made of?

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 Planetary Systems: Our Solar System and Beyond

Earth and the Terrestrial Worlds

Jovian Planet Systems

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

Our Star

Surveying the Stars

Star Stuff

Bizarre Stellar Graveyard

Our Galaxy

Galaxies and the Foundation of Modern Cosmology

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

The Beginning of Time

Life in the Universe

Filters