Exam 1: Our Place in the Universe

A __________ becomes a __________ when repeated testing of its predictions does not disprove it.

An observed pattern in nature is usually a sign of some underlying scientific reason.Give an example of this in astronomy,citing the pattern and the reason behind it.

Pluto is the only dwarf planet in our Solar System.

The cosmological principle states that:

Nuclear fusion is the process through which new elements are created in stellar interiors.

In 2006,Pluto's status was changed from a classical planet to a dwarf planet primarily because of its:

In pre-Renaissance times,it was believed that celestial objects were made of a different substance than Earth and obeyed different rules.Which scientific principle proved this to be "false"?

The distance to the nearest large spiral galaxy,Andromeda,is 2.5 million light-years.How long does it take light to travel from us to Andromeda?

If an event were to take place on the Sun,how long would it take for the light to reach us?

Light from the Sun takes about __________ to reach Earth.

The language of science is:

Describe briefly why the phrase "we are stardust" is literally true.

Approximately how many meters are in 12 ft?

When you see a pattern in nature,it is usually evidence of:

A crucial component of a scientific theory is that it is able to be tested by observations and thus proven true or false.

We are located approximately:

The Local Group is the environment around:

The heavy elements that make up most of Earth were formed via nuclear fusion in the center of our Sun.

Albert Einstein is best known for his revolutionary theory of:

Name three dwarf planets.