Exam Flashcards

(66 cards)

1
Q

region of the night sky that contains a star pattern

A

constellation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

stars appear to move overhead, rising in the East, setting in the West but actually Earth’s spin

A

Apparent Sky Motion

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

equal to longitude

A

right ascension

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

equal to latitude; angular distance of object North or South of the celestial equator

A

declination

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

invisible line in the sky where all planets orbit, and zodiac signs are found

A

ecliptic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

latitude dependent, look higher in the sky when closer to the North pole; always visible

A

circumpolar constellations

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

best viewing at 9pm, advance one season every 6 hours

A

seasonal constellations

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

brightness of a star as seen from Earth

A

apparent magnitude

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

apparent magnitude as seen from 10 parsec distance

A

absolute magnitude

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

m1-m110, was looking for comets; objects on list are considered not comets

A

Messier Objects

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

where a star dies, where new stars are born

A

Nebulae

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

class of stars that have variable pulsation; used to calculate distance to neighboring galaxies

A

Cepheid variable

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Earths wobble causes this

A

precession

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

stars that make up the summer triangle

A

Altair, Deneb, Alberio

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

identical to matter but charges are reversed

A

antimatter

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

how old is the Earth

A

4.6 billion years old

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

what happens when matter and antimatter meet?

A

explosions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

what galaxies make up our local group?

A

Andromeda, milky way, Triangulum galaxy large and small Magellanic clouds

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

what was the first exo-planet ever found

A

51-pegasi

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

what star is an eclipsing binary that represents Medusa’s eye

A

algol

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

what are blue shifted objects in the sky

A

Andromeda galaxy, Arcturus, Bernard’s star

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

what is a recurring nova

A

one star steals gas from the other

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

how can we find black holes?

A

black holes have ans signature because it messes up the pathway of gravitational pull

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

why does the sun get hotter the farther you travel away from the photosphere

A

more ionized atoms whipping around in the upper layers because of the magnetic field lines

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
what is plasma
most common form of matter, doesn't have electrons and the nucleus is not tightly bound
26
what are the layers of the sun in order
photosphere, chromosphere, corona
27
what are characteristics of the photosphere
density- less than interior, more than chromosphere spectrum- absorption temp- 5800K features- granules: show convection, movement seen by doppler other- thin layer, visible light
28
what are granules?
dark-edge regions, size of Texas, last for 10-20 min, evidence of convection, movement seen by Doppler, found in the photosphere
29
what are characteristics of the chromosphere
density- less dense than air (10^8) spectrum- emission temp- 4500K- 500,000K features- spicules, filaments (solar prominence) other- pink due to emission Balmer lines of hydrogen put together (BVR)
30
what are the layers from most to least dense
under the photosphere, photosphere, chromosphere, corona
31
what is the relationship between color and temperature? (Dark spots)
dark spots are cooler
32
what are spicules and where are they found
eyelashes, flame-like jets of rising gas, start in chromosphere goes into corona, around edges of super granules
33
what are filaments
solar prominence eruptions seen from above, look like snake, seen from horizon, look like arch. ionized gas trapped in the magnetic arch going through the photosphere and chromosphere into the lower corona looks dark- cooler than the photosphere
34
what are characteristics of the solar corona
``` density- 10^6 cucm^3 spectrum- none bc not enough atoms temp- 500,000K- over 2 million K features- CME cause solar winds that follow the field lines, coronal holes left from broken field lines other- pearly color during eclipse ```
35
what controls the weather on the sun
magnetic field lines
36
why is the sun hotter in the outer layers
ions whipped towards the magnetic field, closer= moving more, hotter anchor is stable and magnetic field lines move a lot
37
what are solar winds
gas follows magnetic field lines outward, interferes with radio waves on earth
38
what is the relationship between magnetism and weather on the sun
when magnetic field lines on the sun get tangled tied up on the sun, more CMEs occur because of the magnetic field lines breaking
39
what happens to form solar winds
magnetic field line goes straight out but doesn't go back in twisting rubber bands
40
how is aurora formed
mass ejection or solar flare channeled into poles, raises electrons out in colors
41
what is a coronal hole
comes back in and connects with surface
42
what is helioseismology
the study of movement on the sun (sunquakes) detected using Doppler
43
describe the steps of the sunspot cycle
cool spots caused by caused by magnetic waves, follow 11 year cycle that may affect earth climate, part of larger magnetic process involving all of the layers of the sun
44
how does a new sunspot cycle begin
magnetic poles of sunspots shift approximately every 11 years, lead must change its charge
45
how long does a magnetic cycle last
about 22 years
46
what is the umbra of the sunspot
the darkest part, about 2x size of earth
47
what is the penumbra
the lighter part surrounding the sunspot
48
what is the differential rotation of the sun
25 days at the equator 27.8 days at the 45 degree deeper layers also rotate at different speeds caused by centrifugal force
49
what does the Babcock model try to prove
magnetic cycle as tangling of magnetic field, more wound up then more sunspots
50
what is a model
quest to understand something, one step before a theory
51
what are the steps to sunspot cycle according to the Babcock model
1. line of solar magnetic field 2. differential rotation drags equatorial part of magnetic field ahead 3. as sun rotated, mag. field dragged 4. diff rotation wraps the sun 5. where loops of tangled mag. field rise to surface, sunspots form
52
what is the distribution of sunspots throughout the cycle?
early in cycle, high latitudes; later in cycle, low latitudes
53
what is the Mauder minimum
very few sunspots, lines up with "little ice age", shows link between solar activity and the amount of solar energy the earth received; the year 1645-1715
54
what is different about sunspot cycle 24?
current cycle; quieter; took longer to start
55
what is a solar flare
opposite mag. field lines meet and cancel high nrg protons ans electrons (UV and Xrays) disrupt navigation, satellites, electricity surge
56
how are sunquakes measured
sound waves
57
what are the for forces in order of their strength
strong force- within nucleus weak force- within atom electromagnetism-radio and light gravity-longest
58
what happens when 4 hydrogen atoms bond to make one helium atom
matter is destroyed to create energy
59
what is special about a helium nucleus
it is an alpha particle
60
what are the three isotopes of hydrogen
deuterium protium tritium
61
what are neutrinos
small subatomic particles given off by the sun, have little to no effect on humans, 10^12 passing through you right now, harmless
62
what is luminosity
every wavelength that the sun gives out
63
what is magnitude
only visible light
64
what can be used to find the wavelength of maximum intensity, luminosity, color, temp, and SA of a star
Hertzsprung-Russell diagram
65
what is the relationship between size of star and size of spectral lines
larger stars have smaller spectral lines because the light cannot take as much energy by bouncing around smaller stars have larger spectral lines because light bounces around more
66
what spectral class is our star
G; V (main sequence)