Questions Flashcards
(206 cards)
1
Q
When the moon covers a sun, what is this event?
A
Solar eclipse
2
Q
The heaviest planet in the Solar System
A
Jupiter
3
Q
The smallest planet in the Solar System
A
Mercury
4
Q
How many times does it circle the sun in Earth days?
A
88 earth days
5
Q
The brightest star from Earth
A
Sirius A
6
Q
Roughly how many stars are in the Milky Way Galaxy?
A
100-400 billion stars
7
Q
The closest spiral galaxy to the Milky Way Galaxy
A
Andromeda Galaxy
8
Q
Approximately how many Kelvin are 25 C°?
A
300 K (n °C + 273.15 = n K)
9
Q
Humans can not breathe on the surface of Mars because the atmosphere consists mostly of …
A
Carbon dioxide
10
Q
On which planet in our solar system can you find the Great Red Spot?
A
Jupiter
10
Q
: The two moons of Mars are called …
A
Phobos and Deimos
11
Q
The axis of the Earth is tilted at an angle of approximately … relative to the orbital
plane around the Sun.
A
22.7 degrees
12
Q
The Pleiades is an open star cluster that plays a role in many ancient stories and is well-known for containing … bright stars.
A
7 (seven)
13
Q
Which one is the second closest star to Earth?
A
Barnard’s Star
14
Q
The visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum is between …
A
380 to 700 nm.
15
Q
The constellation … is a bright W-shaped constellation in the northern sky.
A
Cassiopeia
16
Q
What is the so-called bolometric luminosity in astronomy?
A
The luminosity integrated over all EMR wavelengths.
17
Q
The second cosmic velocity (or escape velocity) is the speed required by an object to escape the gravitational field of a celestial body with mass M and radius R. Which formula
correctly calculates this velocity? (G: gravitational constant)
A
v = √[(2GM) / R]
18
Q
The International Space Station (ISS) circles the Earth approximately 410 km above the ground. Find the best estimate for the orbital speed of the ISS:
A
28,000 km/h
19
Q
Find the best approximation for the surface temperature of the Sun:
A
6000 K
20
Q
The four big moons of Jupiter are Callisto, Europa, Ganymede, and Io. Which one of them has the smallest distance to Jupiter?
A
Io
21
Q
The name of the black hole in the center of our Milky Way is …
A
Sagittarius A*
22
Q
Approximately how far away is the Andromeda Galaxy?
A
2.5 million light years
23
Q
When was the telescope invented by Galileo?
A
1609
24
The astronomical unit parsec (pc) plays a crucial role in astronomy. One parsec is
equal to about 3.26 light-years. How is one parsec defined in astronomy?
Distance at which one astronomical unit measures one arcsecond from Earth.
25
The picture below shows a very famous nebula: What is the name of this nebula?
Crab Nebula
26
In which constellation is Betelgeuse located?
Orion
27
What does the astronomical term ecliptic describe?
The path of the Sun in the sky throughout a year.
28
Approximately how long does it take Pluto to orbit the Sun once?
250 years (248.09 years)
29
Sunspots are black regions that temporarily appear on the Sun. Their number highly increases every ... years. This period is also called the solar cycle.
11
30
What kind of galaxy is the The Large Magellanic Cloud?
A dwarf irregular galaxy (orbiting the Milky Way)
31
The Milky Way is part of a giant supercluster with a diameter of 160 Mpc. What is the name of this supercluster?
Laniakea
32
Why are Cepheid stars relevant for astronomers?
To measure galactic distances.
33
What type of radiation causes a black hole to evaporate over time?
Hawking radiation
34
In astronomy, the concept of black bodies is very important to better calculate the radiation of stars. Which one is the correct definition of a black body?
An idealized physical object that absorbs all incident electromagnetic radiation.
35
One astronomical unit (AU) is equal to approximately ...
150 million km (1.496 × 10^11 km)
36
Radio telescopes are crucial for astronomical observations. Which one of these well-known radio telescopes has the largest parabolic antenna?
Arecibo Telescope
37
Which one of these constellations is not located along the Milky Way in the sky?
(A) Perseus
(B) Cygnus
(C) Scorpius
(D) Leo
(D) Leo
38
A comet’s tail points in the following direction:
Away from the Sun
39
As the life of a star progresses, heavy elements are produced. The elements form layers around the star in this order (starting from the outer layer):
H → He → C → O → Ne → Si → Fe
40
The so-called dark energy is a model to explain ...
The expansion of the universe at an accelerating rate.
41
As a star collapses at the end of its life, the triple-alpha reaction takes place. Which one of these equations describes this reaction correctly?
4-2He + 4-2He + 4-2He -> 12-6C + γ
42
Besides large astronomical objects, astrophysicists are also interested in small particles from space. Which one of these particles has the weakest interactions with other particles?
Neutrinos
43
The term Schwarzschild radius usually describes properties of ...
Black holes
44
What is the correct numerical value and unit of the Boltzmann constant?
1.38 × 10−23 m^2 · kg · s^−2 · K^−1
45
What is true for a type-Ia ("type one-a") supernova?
(A) This type occurs in binary systems.
(B) This type occurs oen in young galaxies.
(C) This type produces gamma-ray bursts.
(D) This type produces high amounts of X-rays.
(A) This type occurs in binary systems.
46
The famous Drake equation attempts to answer the following question:
"Are we alone in the universe?"
47
The Sun is mainly composed of ... and ...
Hydrogen & Helium
48
The distance from the Earth to the Sun is an ...
Astronomical unit
49
Between Mars and Jupiter is the ...
Asteroid belt
50
Jupiter has a total of ... moons
95
51
Mars' atmosphere is mainly composed of ...
Carbon dioxide
52
The four largest Jovian moons are easily
visible with a telescope and ... is the closest and most active one.
Io
53
Uranus and Neptune are the outermost
planets and it takes Neptune ... years to complete one orbit around the Sun.
164
54
How many parsecs are approximately 23 light years?
7 light years (n light years / 3.262 = n parsec/s)
55
Which one is the biggest moon of Jupiter?
Ganymede
56
Which object was investigated by the Cassini research mission?
Saturn
57
What is the distinctive color of the star Betelgeuse?
Red
58
The International Space Station circles the Earth approximately every ...
90 minutes
59
The well-known Hyades star cluster is located in the constellation ...
Taurus
60
What is the diameter of the Sun approximately?
1.4 million km
61
The planet Jupiter orbits the Sun in ...
12 years
62
The value of the Hubble constant is approximately ...
70 (km/s)/Mpc
63
The first gravitational wave GW150914 was detected by using a Michelson interferometer with an arm length of ...
4 km
64
The Event Horizon Telescope is a very long baseline interferometry array observing at a wavelength of ...
1.3 mm
65
Light with a wavelength of 100 micrometres is called ...
infrared light
66
How high above the Earth’s equator is the geostationary orbit located?
36000 km
67
Voyager 1 is the most distant man-made object. How fast is Voyager 1 moving away
from the Sun at the moment?
17 km/s
68
When was the dwarf planet Pluto discovered?
1930
69
How many times more mass has the Earth compared to the Moon?
80 times
70
What does the astronomical term barycentre describe?
The centre of mass of multiple each other orbiting objects.
71
How many Lagrange points exist in a two-body system?
5
72
The astronomical term axial precession describes the changing ...
orientation of the rotational axis.
73
Which astronomical term describes the alignment of three celestial objects?
Syzygy
74
The farthest point of a planet to the Sun is called ...
Aphelion
75
What is a synodic month?
The time between two full moons.
76
The astronomical object Hale-Bopp is a ...
Comet
77
The Olbers’ paradox raises the following question:
Why is the night sky dark?
78
The correct astronomical term for shooting stars (or falling star) is ...
Meteor
79
The calculated age of the universe is ...
13.8 billion years
80
What is expected to happen at the end of the Sun’s lifetime?
Become a white dwarf
81
Approximately how far away is the Sun from the centre of the Milky Way?
27,000 light-years
82
Which one is the correct order of spectral classes according to the star’s surface
temperature (from high to low)?
O, B, A, F, G, K, M
83
What galaxy is this? (https://drive.google.com/file/d/12qpD-fM0BYi7-m6Xxc0Co2Vi7gouxMpR/view?usp=sharing)
Triangulum Galaxy
84
What nebula is this? (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TWlijGnXHXChrZSfiijgrtZFfNF0aCsr/view?usp=sharing)
Crab Nebula
85
A rocket that has accelerated to the second cosmic velocity can...
escape Earth's gravitational field
86
What is the diameter of the observable universe in parsec?
29 billion pc
87
The well-known and very large volcano named Olympus Mons is located on ...
Mars
88
About how many Earth days are one Mars day?
1 day
89
The fascinating aurorae (or polar lights) are located in the ...
Ionosphere
90
In which year did humans first land and walk on the Moon?
1969
91
The term heliocentric means ...
centred around the Sun
92
Saturn’s moon Titan has many lakes which are made of liquid ...
Ethane and Methane
93
Copernicus is located on our moon and refers to a well-known ...
Crater
94
What type of nebula is the famous Orion Nebula?
Emission Nebula
95
How is the path in the sky called that the Sun appears to cross within a year?
Ecliptic
96
Spectral line splitting caused by magnetic fields is called ...
Zeeman Effect
97
In which wavelengths is the cosmic background radiation concentrated?
Microwave Wavelengths
98
Kepler’s Laws state that the cube of a planet’s semi-major axis is proportional to the ...
square of the orbital period.
99
What is the astronomical term for the outer boundary of the Sun’s magnetic field?
Heliopause
100
The angle between an inferior planet and the Sun when observed from Earth is called ...
Elongation
101
The summer solstice in the northern/southern hemisphere occurs in ...
June / December
102
Absolute magnitude is a star’s apparent magnitude in a distance of ...
10 parsecs
103
What is the visible part of the Sun called?
Photosphere
104
The average albedo of the Earth (planetary albedo) is between ...
30-35 %
105
Approximately how many stars are visible with the naked eye in the night sky?
1000-3000 (no definitive answer)
106
Where in the night sky can you observe the famous double star system Mizar and Alcor?
Big Dipper (specifically it's tail)
107
What kind of celestial object is Neowise C/2020 F3 and what makes it special?
Comet, it was brighter and more visible than typical comets.
108
Which very intense meteor shower is taking place annually in December?
Geminid meteor shower
109
What constellation is this? (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bTZnqHvS7cjpgCSTWrZXxTHQ-L4X_zS5/view?usp=sharing)
Cassiopeia
110
What constellation is this? (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1394qH9rMP_S9Fmq7i7ja54cvWuXoFiCc/view?usp=sharing)
Cygnus
111
What constellation is this? (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bWXXYXc4ISzRHDYLbNvdB1qgd1PK-svB/view?usp=sharing)
Andromeda
112
Which intense meteor shower peaks every year in August?
Perseids
113
The distance between two objects with equal mass is doubled. By how much does the gravitational force between the objects decrease?
1/4 (Newton's law of gravitation formula)
114
A spaceship accelerates at 150 m/s^2 from rest. How long does it take to reach a 1.2 km distant asteroid?
4 seconds (t = √[2s]/a, where s = distance & a = acceleration)
115
What kind of radiation do pulsars emit?
Synchrotron radiation
116
The gravitational potential energy E between two objects with a distance R to each
other can be expressed as ...
E = −G([M·m]/R)
117
What instrument is commonly used to observe and study pulsars?
Radio telescopes
118
What type of astronomical object are pulsars most commonly?
Neutron stars
119
The two coordinate axis of the Equatorial Coordinate System are called ...
Declination and right ascension
120
The Vernal equinox is the intersection point between ...
the celestial equator and the ecliptic
121
The closest star system to the Earth is called Alpha Centauri. How many stars belong to the Alpha Centauri system?
3 stars
122
What galaxy is this? (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hOgunv0jWDirv_WOLoeVAHJWH_TJJwap/view?usp=sharing)
Large Magellanic Cloud
123
Stars from which spectral type have the lowest temperature?
Class M
124
Which one of the following expressions is the Rankine-Hugoniot jump condition
for the conservation of momentum through a shock wave?
ρ_1v^2_1 + p_1 = ρ_2v^2_2 + p_2
125
Which one of the following expressions is correct for the Lorentz factor γ and β =
v/c?
1/(γ^2) = 1 − β^2
126
The intergalactic medium is permeated mainly by ...
ionized hydrogen
127
In a far-away solar system, a planet circles the main star with an orbital period of 100 days and a semi-major axis of 2 AU. Another planet with a semi-major axis of 8 AU is observed in the same solar system. What is the orbital period of the new planet?
800 days (Kepler's Third Law, T^2 = a^3, a = distance of planet from star in AU)
128
The diameter of the lens’ aperture of your telescope is 5 m and you observe at a wavelength of 1000 nm. What is the resolution of this telescope?
244 · 10^9 (Resolution = 1.22 * wavelength / diameter, convert wavelength to meters, 1000nm = 1* 10^-9 m)
129
How is the part of a moon’s shadow called in which a total solar eclipse is possible?
Umbra
130
A fast travelling spaceship has a Lorentz factor of γ = 3. This corresponds to a
velocity v of ...
√8 / 3c (3 = 1/[1- {v^2}/{c^2}], then solve for v)
131
Imagine that a total solar eclipse happens on the Earth today. What is the phase of the Moon on this day?
New moon
132
The negative effect of incoming wavefront distortions on telescope images is reduced by using a system called ...
Adaptive optics
133
You are given a list of stars and their apparent magnitude. Which one is the faintest
star?
(A) Star A, 5 mag
(B) Star B, 0.3 mag
(C) Star C, -0.2 mag
(D) Star D, -5 mag
(A) Star A, 5 mag
134
The right ascension is measured in units of ...
hours
135
The Lyman-alpha line can be found at a wavelength of around ...
120 nm (121.567 nm / 1215.67 Angstroms)
136
Which transition is called Ly-α (Lyman alpha) lines?
Hydrogen, 2nd to 1st orbit (orbital to ground state)
137
Below, you can see the rough sketch of a telescope. What type of telescope is
drawn? (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_FvC0VFIpr3Bw-5521oZFxWflK1wWeWs/view?usp=sharing)
Newtonian telescope
138
An Analemma is a diagram showing the position of from a fixed location and
the same mean solar time over the course of a year.
the Sun
139
Which astronomical coordinate system uses the observer on Earth as a reference point?
Horizontal Coordinate System
140
Which type of star is only stable due to the pressure of an electron gas?
White dwarfs
141
The colour of a star depends on the ...
temperature
142
Parts of the JWST (pt. 1: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tSGS9uNS6StSpKKc9YJmQ9gtqpAU2a1P/view?usp=sharing)
A = Primary Mirror
B = Integrated Science Instrument Module
C = Fine Steering Mirror
D = Secondary Mirror
E = Sunshield
143
Parts of the JWST (pt. 2: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tSGS9uNS6StSpKKc9YJmQ9gtqpAU2a1P/view?usp=sharing)
F = Star Trackers
G = Spacecraft Bus
H = Earth-pointing Antenna
I = Solar Array
J = Momentum Flap
144
What is the name of the JWST component highlighted below? (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WSYkl0dILEdwAUAIC2N7PTu_D6ho0r0M/view?usp=sharing)
Secondary mirror
145
What is the name of the JWST component highlighted below? (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LL3v1AeUZH9eikz4r3D0r4Od8b6qcwZ-/view?usp=sharing)
Antenna
146
What is the name of the JWST component highlighted below? (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fc4Zqy43uXehOdidls2IZvG-xA6EVwGk/view?usp=sharing)
Stabilization flap
147
When a neutron star rotates, it becomes a ...
Pulsar
148
If the Earth had the density of a neutron star, what would be the diameter of the
Earth?
between 100 - 500 m (M = ρ/v, where in this case: ρ = density of neutron star instead of Earth)
149
Where in space is the JWST located?
second Lagrange point
150
Two asteroids with masses m1, m2 and velocities v1, v2 collide horizontally and
merge into a single object. What is the velocity of the new asteroid?
(m_1v_1−m_2v_2) / (m_1+m_2)
151
Which one of these wavelengths is considered ultraviolet radiation?
(A) 150 meters
(B) 150 millimeters
(C) 150 micrometers
(D) 150 nanometers
(D) 150 nanometers
152
Which one of these wavelengths is considered infrared radiation?
(A) 150 meters
(B) 150 millimeters
(C) 150 micrometers
(D) 150 nanometers
(C) 150 micrometers
153
The planet’s albedo is the fraction of incident light ...
reflected by the planet’s surface.
154
Earth’s current average surface temperature is around ...
15◦C
155
Which of the following acronyms refers to an instrument of the JWST?
NIRSpec
156
A star has the luminosity L_0. The temperature T of the star doubles. How does the luminosity change?
16 × L_0 (Stefan-Boltzmann's Law, L ∝ T^4 x R^2, it will be T^4 × L_0)
157
An object emits light at a wavelength of 200 nanometers. You receive the light at
1000 nanometers. What is the redshift "z"?
z = 4 (Redshift equation, z = [λ_obsv - λ_rest] / λ_rest)
158
Why is it hard to observe the universe with infrared radiation from the Earth’s
surface?
Blocked by the atmosphere
159
The moment of inertia of a solid cylinder with radius R and mass M is given by ...
M * (R^2)/2
160
Keplers 2nd law states that ...
dA/dt is constant (A line running from the Sun to the planet sweeps out equal areas of the ellipse in equal times)
161
Scientists detect no CH3OH and no NH3 in the atmosphere of a sub-Neptune planet. What type of surface does this planet probably have?
Water oceans
162
Sub-Neptune planets are ...
smaller than Neptune
163
The surface temperature (in ◦C) of the Sun is close to ...
5500◦C
164
An object’s spectral energy distribution (SED) is formally given by ...
dE/dλ
165
Galileo discovered with his telescope that Venus ...
has phases like the Moon
166
The Jovian planets are ...
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
167
Neptune’s diameter is similar to ...
Uranus
168
Compared to the Sun’s surface temperature, sunspots are ...
cooler
169
The brightest star in the night sky is called ...
Sirius
170
Alpha Centauri is the closest star system to the Earth. It is located on the ...
southern hemisphere, 4.3 light-years away
171
The atmosphere of Venus contains high amounts of ...
Sulfur
172
What is the name of Jupiter’s moon shown in the figure below? (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iANeVGdlkN4Xy0boCn6w8G0uiOqGh7cS/view?usp=sharing)
Io
173
The moon Titan orbits around ...
Saturn
174
Which galaxy classes are illustrated by the shapes below? (spiral, intermediate spiral, barred spiral, lenticular, elliptical, and irregular) (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rGhY69BStetqpTFgC0_-5L1IKqGGpzxD/view?usp=sharing)
(A1) irregular
(A2) elliptical
(A3) spiral
(A4) barred spiral
175
Which galaxy classes are illustrated by the shapes below? (spiral, intermediate spiral, barred spiral, lenticular, elliptical, and irregular; NGC 2337, NGC 300, NGC 1365, Messier 110) (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mL5ExDa74jLYz3wybtVQBMnbd5oA-OO0/view?usp=sharing)
(B1) spiral (C1) NGC 300
(B2) irregular (C2) NGC 2337
(B3) barred spiral (C3) NGC 1365
(B4) elliptical (C4) Messier 110
176
Which one of these shapes illustrates an elliptical galaxy? (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EllGJj91u8ZL0VlgysN8ry8n_vr4XEHt/view?usp=sharing)
B
177
What is the class of this galaxy? (https://drive.google.com/file/d/157r9B2f50-WZCQfyX6GEdyOT8Louy2Eu/view?usp=sharing)
Spiral
178
Which class of galaxies does this shape illustrate? (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-1GBWw6HgtwKNl9hpLPgOnwuOtqBgKBa/view?usp=sharing)
Barred Spiral
179
The speed of light is approximately ...
3 · 10^9 km/s
180
What is the most common type of galaxy in the universe?
Elliptical galaxy
181
How far away from Earth is a star with an observed parallax of 0.1 arcsecs?
10 parsecs
182
Which one of these points is the aphelion of the ellipse? (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ogeM6ftjKhDfKSCeZbJp0sJUib797Ynd/view?usp=sharing)
D
183
What is true about the orbit of a comet called C/2023 A3?
non-periodic orbit (steeply inclined retrograde orbit, 80660 yrs of orbit)
184
The term dark energy is related to ...
the expansion of the universe
185
Which landforms near the Zhurong landing site on Mars are likely related to volcanism?
Cones, Ridges, Troughs
186
The gravitational acceleration at the surface of a star with average density ρ and radius R is given by ...
(4/3)πGρR
187
The Zhurong Mars rover landed at an elevation of around ...
−4,000 metres
188
Which instrument onboard the Zhurong Mars rover measures the magnetic field?
RoMAG
189
Which object was historically the reference value m_0 for the apparent magnitude?
Vega
190
About how much brighter is a star with an apparent magnitude of m = 1 compared to a star with an apparent magnitude of m = 2?
2.5-times brighter (If m = 1 is 100 times greater than m = 6, then x^(6-1) = 100 => x = 2.512; meaning m = 1 is 2.512 times brighter than m = 2.)
191
Hydrostatic equilibrium can best be described as the equilibrium between ...
gravitational force and pressure
192
The ideal gas law states that ... (T: temperature, p: pressure, V: volume,
n: number of particles, R: universal gas constant)
pV = nRT
193
How long is a year on Mars?
687 Earth-days
194
Where on Mars did the Zhurong rover of the Tianwen-1 mission land? (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QhmE4bGc9wFBS-GaQXtyKiFw7W4nv9Lj/view?usp=sharing)
Site B
195
The colour of light with a wavelength of 700 nanometers is ...
Red
196
How high was the star formation rate in the Galactic Center in the past 10-100 billion years?
0.1 solar masses per year
197
The two young massive clusters near the Galactic Centre are called ...
Arches and Quintuplet
198
Approximately how far away is the centre of the Milky Way from Earth?
26,000 light-years
199
The atmosphere of Mars consists primarily of ...
Carbon dioxide
200
Approximately how many stars are there in the Milky Way?
200 billion
201
The bending of starlight when it passes through a gravitational field is called ...
gravitational lensing
202
The fusion process that generates the Sun’s energy is called ...
Proton-proton chain
203
The outermost layer of the Sun that is visible during a total solar eclipse is called the ...
Corona
204
How does the temperature of a star affect the distribution of photon energies it emits?
Higher temperature leads to more higher-energy photons
205
The asteroid belt of the solar system is between the orbits of ...
Mars and Jupiter
