Astronomy Practice Exam Quiz! Trivia

1. In order to gather information about Mars, NASA has several satellites and rovers collecting information about the surface and its features. Mars Global Survey collected several spectra samples from the surface of Mars (Spectra A, B, C). Spectra of samples are pictured. What elements are present in spectra A?

Sodium and Lithium

Hydrogen and Lithium

Sodium and Helium

Hydrogen and Helium

2. Which depicts the best representation of largest to smallest when considering the scale and structure of the universe?

Galaxy, nebula, solar system, star

Galaxy, star, nebula, solar system

Star, solar system, nebula, galaxy

Solar system, nebula, star, galaxy

3. What determines whether a main sequence star becomes a black hole or a black dwarf?

The age of the star

Where the star forms

The mass of a star

Whether it has planets or not

4. A solar flares are the result of the release of magnetic energy that has built up in the sun's atmosphere. Solar flares emit radiation across the entire electromagnetic spectrum, from radio waves to gamma rays. This radiation is blasted from the surface of the sun and travels throughout space. Based on the information given, what effects would you expect to see on Earth from strong solar flares?

Power and electrical disturbances

Problems with radio communications

Satellite and cell phone disturbances

Changes in the rotation of Earth

Submit

5. In order to gather information about Mars, NASA has several satellites and rovers collecting information about the surface and its features. Mars Global Survey collected several spectra samples from the surface of Mars (Spectra A, B, C). Which element is detected in all three samples?

Helium

Hydrogen

Sodium

Lithium

6. Which Galaxy is moving the fastest from earth?

1

2

3

Speed cannot be determined from the information given

7. What does the initial moments after the Big Bang have in common with our universe today?

The universe was extremely hot then and it is still extremely hot now

The universe then could not sustain life then and cannot sustain life now

All the stars, galaxies, and planets that exist today were formed just a few moments after the Big Bang

The universe began expanding then and is still expanding today

8. Using the chart, infer the temperature the sun will be when it is in the white dwarf stage.

Over 30,000 K

7500-10,000 K

6000 - 7500 K

3700 -5200 K

9. What is the currently accepted theory for the formation of the moon?

The moon formed by spinning off the Earth early in history

The moon formed at the same time as Earth

The moon was captured by the Earth’s gravity

The moon formed from a collision between another body and the Earth

10. There are many hazards to consider when faced with the challenges of colonizing the moon. Check all of the hazards that apply to moon colonization.

Lack of food and resources

Radiation exposure

Never being able to return to Earth

Extreme temperature fluctuations

Lack of liquid water

Submit

11. In a young solar system, new materials are added to planets by

Convection

Impacts and collisions of smaller objects

Nuclear fusion

Supernovas

12. What can you infer about the temperature of the sun as it goes through its lifecycle?

The temperature of the sun will increase with age

The temperature will fluctuate as the sun goes through different stages

The temperature of the sun will remain constant

The temperature will decrease with age

13. If a star has a temperature of about 6500 K and an absolute magnitude of +3, what kind of star is it?

Blue Star

Yellow star

Red dwarf

Supergiant

White dwarf

14. As the mass of a star increases, which of the following paths is a star most likely to follow?

There is no relationship between mass and the path of a star

Main sequence, red giant, white dwarf, black dwarf

Main sequence, supergiant, supernova, black hole

Main sequence, supergiant, white dwarf, black dwarf

15. Which descriptions below, best describe fusion as it happens in our sun?

Hydrogen and oxygen atoms undergo a combustion reaction

Hydrogen atoms combine to make helium atoms

Helium atoms split apart to form hydrogen atoms

Hydrogen and oxygen atoms combine to make water molecules

16. The graph demonstrates Hubble's Law by comparing the speed a galaxy is traveling (relative to the earth) to its distance from earth. Which best describes the relationship seen on the graph?

As the distance of a galaxy from earth increases, its speed decreases

As the distance of a galaxy from earth decreases, its speed increases

As the distance of a galaxy from earth increases, its speed increases

There is no relationship between galaxy speed and distance

17. Which of the following is true when comparing the lifecycle of the sun as pictured to that of a massive star?

The sun will eventually form a black hole

Both stars will supernova

The sun will contract white dwarf

Both may turn into neutron stars

18. Edwin Hubble used the Doppler effect to determine that the Universe is expanding. He found that light from distant galaxies was shifted toward lower frequencies or the red end of the spectrum. Based on the spectrums, which of the galaxies are moving away from earth?

1

2

3

None

Submit

19. What was contained in the singularity that gave rise to the Big Bang?

Electrons in a highly excited state

Gamma rays

All the mass, energy and time in the universe

One atom of every element in our universe

20. What is the accepted theory regarding the end of the universe?

It will expand and cool completely

It will contract in the Big Crunch

It will expand infinitely and never end

There is no widely accepted theory of the end of the universe

21. There is a balance between the force of gravity and the force of the reaction from fusion that keeps a star stable, which is called hydrostatic equilibrium. What could happen if this relationship becomes unbalanced?

The star may break free of its galaxy

Helium atoms begin breaking apart

Stars never lose hydrostatic equilibrium

The star may supernova due to an increased energy of fusion of heavier elements

22. Based on the data given, what inference can you make about sunspots?

Although sunspots follow a predictable pattern, there is no connection of sunspots and solar storms.

Solar storms were probably more prevalent in 1980 than in 1910

Solar storms were probably more prevalent in 1965 than in 1935

Sunspots follow an unpredictable cycle

23. Our sun is predicted to last about 13 billion years, much longer than a blue giant star. What best describes the reason for the sun's longer life span?

Due to the sun’s lower mass, it fuses hydrogen at a slower rate than a blue giant star

The sun will have a similar life span to a blue giant star

Due to the sun’s lower mass, it fuses hydrogen at a faster rate

Due to the sun’s higher mass, it fuses hydrogen at a slower rate

24. Cosmic Background Radiation, discovered in the 1960's, was determined to be leftover energy from The Big Bang. How does the existence of Cosmic Background Radiation support the Big Bang Theory?

The universe is at a steady state and doesn’t change temperature

The early universe was exceptionally hot and as it expands, the gas within it cools

The universe expands and contracts causing periods of warming and cooling

The early universe was at frigid temperatures and rose over time

25. In a star like our sun, what sequence of letters from the HR diagram best depicts its lifecycle?

B-A-C

D-A-C

D-E-A

E-A-B

26. Leftovers from the formation of the solar system include

Asteroids

Meteorites

Comets

Moons

Submit

27. If a galaxy is traveling 17,000 km/s, what would you predict its distance from earth to be?

90 million light years

100 million light years

120 million light years

You cannot determine distance of a galaxy from the information given

28. Based on the data given, what prediction would you make for sunspot numbers in the year 2000?

You cannot predict the number of sunspots based on the given data

Sunspots would be at the midrange mark, possibly from 50-100 sunspots

Sunspots would be near a maximum, with over 100 sunspots.

Sunspots would be hovering at or near the zero mark

29. If a massive star like a blue star is 7,300,000 years old, what element is most likely being created from fusion?

Iron

Silicon

Carbon

Hydrogen

30. The horsehead nebula is a cold, dark cloud of gas. What would have to happen to a nebula in order to form a star and solar system? Check all that apply.