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Astronomy > Exam 1 & 2 Questions > Flashcards

Exam 1 & 2 Questions Flashcards

1
Q

The lunar mare are found

A

mainly on the near side.

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2
Q

What is the name of the temperature scale that places zero at the point where all atomic and molecular motion ceases?

A

Kelvin

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3
Q

Which of these was NOT seen telescopically by Galileo?

A

stellar parallax

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4
Q

At the solstices, the Sun’s declination will be 23.5 degrees from the equator.

A

true

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5
Q

Which of these is the same for all forms of electromagnetic (E-M) radiation in a vacuum?

A

speed

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6
Q

The synodic month is

A

29.5 days.

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7
Q

If the distance between two asteroids is doubled, the gravitational force they exert on each other will

A

be one-fourth as great.

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8
Q

The most energetic photons are

A

gamma rays

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9
Q

Which of these theories seems to best explain the Moon’s origin?

A

impact theory

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10
Q

The average rate of erosion on the Moon is far less than on Earth because

A

the Moon lacks wind, water, and an atmosphere.

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11
Q

The Moon and the crustal rocks of Earth are similar in density.

A

true

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12
Q

The oldest rocks found on the Earth’s surface date back about ________ billion years.

A

four

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13
Q

What is true of the Moon’s orbital and rotational periods?

A

they are equal

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14
Q

When the Moon is directly opposite the Sun in the sky, its phase is

A

full

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15
Q

A solar eclipse can only happen during a

A

new moon

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16
Q

All the terrestrial planets lie inside the asteroid belt.

A

true

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17
Q

The shorter a wave’s wavelength, the greater its energy.

A

true

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18
Q

There is no evidence for plate tectonics on the Moon today.

A

true

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19
Q

In the Doppler effect, a redshift of spectral lines shows us the source is receding from us.

A

true

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20
Q

Radio waves, visible light, and X-rays are all types of electromagnetic radiation.

A

true

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21
Q

The mean distance between the Earth and Sun is called

A

the astronomical unit.

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22
Q

In the past, most of the landmass on Earth was concentrated in a single, large continent.

A

true

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23
Q

The lunar mare are younger than any of the craters that sit in them.

A

false

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24
Q

________ has the largest gravitational pull on Earth.

A

the sun

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25
Q

The Moon’s surface gravity is only half the Earth’s.

A

false

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26
Q

Due to their great masses, all four jovian worlds are much denser than the Earth.

A

false

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27
Q

Kepler’s first law worked, where Copernicus’ original heliocentric model failed, because Kepler described the orbits as

A

elliptical, not circular.

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28
Q

In the scientific method, it is not necessary to test your theory.

A

false

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29
Q

The fact that the Earth has moved along its orbit in the time it took to rotate once is the reason for

A

the difference between solar and sidereal time.

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30
Q

A blue star has a higher surface temperature than a red star.

A

true

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31
Q

The critical part of the atmosphere for protecting life on the ground from excessive ultraviolet radiation is the

A

ozone layer

32
Q

If the Moon rises at sunset, then its phase must be

A

full

33
Q

The presence of a magnetic field is a good indication that

A

the Earth has a liquid metal outer core, spinning rapidly as it rotates.

34
Q

Earth’s magnetic field

A

the Earth has a liquid metal outer core, spinning rapidly as it rotates

35
Q

Earth’s magnetic field

A

prevents charged particles in the solar wind from reaching the surface.

36
Q

What are constellations?

A

groups of stars making an apparent pattern in the celestial sphere

37
Q

The force of gravity varies with the

A

product of the two masses
inverse square of the distance separating the two bodies

38
Q

When a planet’s orbit takes it closest to the Sun, it’s called

A

perihelion

39
Q

According to Kepler’s third law, if you know the planet’s orbital period, you can find its average distance from the Sun.

A

true

40
Q

The time for the Moon to orbit Earth, relative to the stars is

A

27.3 days.

41
Q

The three most abundant gases in our atmosphere are nitrogen, oxygen, and argon.

A

true

42
Q

Pluto is now classified as a ________ in our solar system.

A

dwarf planet

43
Q

The ________ explains how our solar system probably formed from a giant cloud of gases and dispersed solid particles.

A

nebular hypothesis

44
Q

Sunspots appear dark because they are cooler than the surrounding solar surface.

A

true

45
Q

Which one of the following is not found on Mars?

A

H2O-rich atmosphere

46
Q

Vast, circular to elliptical dark-colored areas on the moon called maria represent ________.

A

very large impact craters filled with basaltic lava

47
Q

The four largest moons of Jupiter are comets and asteroids captured by the intense gravity of Jupiter.

A

false

48
Q

The atmosphere of Mars is less dense than Earth’s, but dust storms and sand dunes indicate wind action occurs on Mars.

A

true

49
Q

The outermost layer of the Sun is called the ________.

A

corona

50
Q

The frequency of sunspots and related solar activity is ________.

A

an 11 year cycle

51
Q

The most popular theory for the origin of the moon today is ________.

A

the early Earth and a planet the size of Mars collided, and the ejected material coalesced to form the earth’s moon.

52
Q

A comet is visible because ________.

A

it is a small object, but it ejects gas and dust that at is dispersed by the solar wind to form a tail thousands of km long

53
Q

Jupiter is the largest and most massive planet in the solar system.

A

true

54
Q

The Sun produces energy by converting ________.

A

hydrogen nuclei to helium nuclei

55
Q

Most of the Moon’s craters were produced by ________.

A

the impact of meteoroids

56
Q

The layer of the solar atmosphere directly above the photosphere is referred to as the ________.

A

chromosphere

57
Q

________ meteorites are thought to be analogous in composition to Earth’s core.

A

iron

58
Q

________ are found both on Mars and Earth.

A

Erosional features related to flowing water

59
Q

________ are small, extraterrestrial particles that glow brightly and burn up as they travel through Earth’s atmosphere.

A

meteroroids

60
Q

Several of the moons of Saturn, Uranus and Neptune display evidence of volcanic activity. What is the most common type of volcano on these moons?

A

ice volcanos

61
Q

Saturn is famous for its rings. Which of the following Jovian planets does not have rings?

A

all of the Jovian planets have rings

62
Q

The high surface temperatures of ________ have been attributed to the greenhouse effect.

A

Venus

63
Q

Most of the mass in the solar system is contained ________.

A

in the sun

64
Q

The most conspicuous features on the surface of the Sun are dark areas called ________.

A

sunspots

65
Q

________ refers to the bright head of a comet.

A

coma

66
Q

The layer of the Sun that radiates most of the light that reaches Earth is called the ________.

A

photosphere

67
Q

The largest known volcano in the solar system is ________.

A

Olympus Mons on Mars

68
Q

If you live at high latitude, when do you expect to see the aurora?

A

at times of high sunspot activity, during the active sun

69
Q

What moon in the outer solar system is most “earthlike” in terms of landforms, and possesses liquids (liquid methane not water) flowing across the surface?

A

titan

70
Q

Which planet rotates the opposite direction it revolves around the sun?

A

Venus

71
Q

The source of the Sun’s energy is ________.

A

nuclear fusion

72
Q

________ is the principal gas in the Venusian atmosphere and also a minor component of the atmospheres of Earth and Mars.

A

carbon dioxide

73
Q

The planet with the highest density is a terrestrial planet.

A

true

74
Q

Streams of protons and electrons emitted from the Sun produce ________.

A

the solar wind

75
Q

The Sun is considered an “average star.”

A

true

76
Q

Which planet has the highest recorded winds in the solar system?

A

Neptune

77
Q

The very large, lava-covered areas of the Moon are called maria.

A

true

Astronomy (4 decks)

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