Earth Science - Astronomy Test

Kepler calculated that the planets move in what shaped orbits?

Elliptical

Different stars and constellations are visible during different seasons because ____

The earth’s revolution around the sun

In the Ptolemic/Greek model of the universe, how many “heavenly” bodies were there that wandered among the background of the stars?

7

How did Aristotle view the universe?

Geocentric

What is the difference between a solar and lunar eclipse?

Solar: the moon blocks sunlight from hitting the earth

Lunar: the earth blocks sunlight from hitting the moon

What info can we get from an Absorption Spectrum?

The chemical composition of something

What does the Doppler effect do to light?

Shifts the wavelength

moving toward us: blue

moving away from us: red

Why do planets sometimes appear to reverse direction in the sky and drift backward?

The earth revolves around the sun faster than some other planets so we see them as going backwards for a time

How did Ptolemy modify the geocentric model to explain the retrograde motion of the planets?

He added epicycles (that the planets were spinning in small circles while moving on their larger circle)

Did Galileo propose the geocentric or heliocentric theory?

Heliocentric

This scientist was the first to use a telescope in astronomy

Galileo

Who formulated the Law of Universal Gravitation?

Isaac Newton

Who was convicted of heresy for supporting the heliocentric view of the solar system?

Galileo

Know the moon’s phases and what phase one would see appearing at different times and locations.

how to write this down with words

Do we always see the same side of the moon from earth?

Yes

Are most large modern telescopes refracting or reflecting telescopes?

Reflecting

List the planets in the correct order starting with closest to the sun

Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune

What planet orbits the sun fastest?

Mercury

What are meteoroids?

Small objects in space. Smaller than asteroids. When one hits the atmosphere it becomes a meteor

What are Saturn’s rings made of?

Ice and Ice covered rock

What is the hottest planet?

Venus

Is there evidence of water on mars?

Yes

DO all the Jovian planets have rings?

Yes

What happens when the earth passes through debris left behind by comets?

WE GET A METEOR SHOWER LETS GOOOOO

How much heat (or energy) does Jupiter give off compared to how much it receives?

It gives off more than it receives

Which planets are Terrestrial planets?

Mercury Venus Earth Mars

The chemical composition of Jupiter is similar to that of ______

The Sun (mostly hydrogen and helium)

What property of a star ultimately determines its fate?

Mass

What is a light year

The distance light travels in 1 year

All main sequence stars are composed primarily of what two elements?

Hydrogen and Helium

A red giant has an inner core of fusing ____

Something bigger than hydrogen (typically helium, carbon, or oxygen)

A dying star with the mass of our sun will eventually become a ________

White Dwarf

Hubble’s Law and the observation that the Universe is expanding eventually led to the idea of the __________

Big Bang

The Great Red Spot is a huge hurricane-like storm that has persisted on what planet for how long?

Jupiter for at least 340 years

A cloud of gas and dust in space is termed a ____

Nebula

What is brighter? Star w a magnitude of 1 or 2

Magnitude 1 is brighter

When we look at distant objects, do we see them as they are now or as they were in the past?

The past. Light takes time to travel great distances

What do astronomers mean by “standard candle”

An object with a known brightness that can be used to measure distance

What objects make good standard candles for a galaxy other than the Milky Way?

Cepheid variables and type 1A Supernovas

Recent research suggests that the expansion of the universe is doing what?

Speeding up

How do each of the following view the universe?

Oscillating Universe

Steady State Universe

Big Bang Universe

Oscillating: The universe expands and contracts

Steady State: Always static

Big Bang Universe: Universe had a beginning and is now expanding out in 1 direction

Can light escape a black hole? Why or why not?

No, light doesn’t travel fast enough to reach the escape velocity for a black hole

A neutron star, if oriented properly, may be detected as a ____

Pulsar (the clicking sounds)

Are double stars rare in the universe?

No lol

The light from a galaxy 2.5 million light years away takes how long to reach us on earth?

2.5 million years

shout of to cayden for asking this question in class <3

What kind of galaxy is the Milky Way?

Spiral Galaxy

Roughly how many other galaxies are known to exist?

Billions

What color stars are cooler? Hotter?

Cooler:Red

Hotter:Blue

Which phase of a star’s life is the longest?

the Main Sequence phase: core hydrogen-burning phase

Who is awesome?

you guys!