Astronomy

Question 1

A recent study of these objects showed that the “mountains” on their surfaces may only be a fraction of a millimeter tall

Answer 1

neutron stars

Question 2

These objects are studied by a timing instrument consisting of 56 X-ray concentrators as part of the NICER program

Answer 2

neutron stars

Question 3

The crust of these objects is predicted to contain a form of degenerate matter which would be the strongest material in the universe, known as nuclear pasta

Answer 3

neutron stars

Question 4

Degeneracy pressure supports these objects, but they will collapse into black holes if they have more mass than the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff limit

Answer 4

neutron stars

Question 5

One type of these bodies ceases to emit radiation at the so-called “death line”

Answer 5

neutron stars

Question 6

A 2017 multi-messenger astronomy breakthrough involved measuring both gravitational waves and a gamma-ray burst from the merger of two of these bodies, known as a kilonova

Answer 6

neutron stars

Question 7

Stars whose mass is just above the Chandrasekar limit form one of these bodies after a supernova instead of a white dwarf

Answer 7

neutron stars

Question 8

The alpha star in this constellation is part of the Winter Triangle along with Sirius and Procyon [PROH-see-on]

Answer 8

Orion

Question 9

While surveying an object with this name, the Becklin–Neugebauer Object was discovered

Answer 9

Orion

Question 10

That object with this name is number 42 in the Messier Catalog and is the closest region of massive star formation to Earth

Answer 10

Orion

Question 11

The molecular cloud complex with this name contains Barnard’s Loop

Answer 11

Orion

Question 12

Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka form a recognizable asterism in a constellation with this name

Answer 12

Orion

Question 13

The radiant of a meteor show in October that is created by Halley’s Comet is in this constellation, whose alpha star is actually the second brightest in the constellation

Answer 13

Orion

Question 14

A complex named for this figure contains the Kleinmann-Low nebula in addition to a bright infrared source called the Becklin-Neugebauer object

Answer 14

Orion

Question 15

With a name meaning “left foot” in Arabic, For 10 points, name this blue-white supergiant, the Beta star to Betelgeuse in the constellation Orion

Answer 15

Rigel

Question 16

M43, also known as De Mairan’s Nebula, is found in this constellation, along with the Flame Nebula, the Horsehead Nebula, and this constellation’s namesake nebula

Answer 16

Orion

Question 17

Its namesake “cloud” contains objects such as Barnard’s Loop, the Rosette Nebula, and Messier objects 42 and 43

Answer 17

Orion

Question 18

The size of this feature’s uniformities is determined by the extent of Silk damping

Answer 18

CMBR

Question 19

This feature’s polarization is divided into E- and B-modes

Answer 19

CMBR

Question 20

The BOOMERanG and MAXIMA experiments both imaged this feature with a balloon at an altitude of 40 kilometers

Answer 20

CMBR

Question 21

The Sachs–Wolfe effect induces anisotropies (“an-eye-SAW-truh-peez”) in this feature from gravitational redshift at the surface of last scattering

Answer 21

CMBR

Question 22

A void in the constellation Eridanus is an explanation of a “cold spot” in this feature that was observed by the COBE (“KO-bee”) and Planck satellites

Answer 22

CMBR

Question 23

Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson discovered this feature after making sure it wasn’t interference from bird poop on their antenna

Answer 23

CMBR

Question 24

This phenomenon’s spectrum was observed to be identical to a blackbody by the COBE (“KOH-bee”) telescope

Answer 24

CMBR

Question 25

This phenomenon first became visible at the surface of last scattering, which formed due to the recombination of nuclei and electrons

Answer 25

CMBR

Question 26

Diffusion damping of this phenomenon occurs on the Silk scale which can be used as a standard ruler along with baryonic acoustic oscillations

Answer 26

CMBR

Question 27

Diffusion damping of this phenomenon occurs on the Silk scale which can be used as a standard ruler along with baryonic acoustic oscillations

Answer 27

CMBR

Question 28

The Reissner–Nordström metric describes a form of these objects, but the most general solution is the Kerr–Newman metric

Answer 28

black hole

Question 29

String theory posits that these objects are the ultimate form of degenerate matter

Answer 29

black hole

Question 30

A book by Leonard Susskind titled for a “war” over these objects discusses how applications of the holographic principle can resolve a paradox about these objects reducing the total amount of information

Answer 30

black hole

Question 31

In that speech, a man conceded the encyclopedia that was wagered in a bet regarding these objects against John Preskill

Answer 31

black hole

Question 32

Scientists have proposed a “firewall” that destroys matter that enters these objects

Answer 32

black hole

Question 33

The first gravitational waves were detected from a merger of two of these objects

Answer 33

black hole

Question 34

The gravitational analog of Gauss’s Law can be used to find the total mass inside one of these

Answer 34

black hole

Question 35

Kruskal-Szekeres coordinates are useful for doing calculations with them, and their surroundings exhibit extreme frame-dragging

Answer 35

black hole

Question 36

No particle can remain at rest inside the stationary limit for rotating versions of these objects, which are also surrounded by an ergosphere

Answer 36

black hole

Question 37

The trans-Planckian problem emerges when considering the wavelength of radiation emitted by these entities

Answer 37

black hole