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Chapter 1
1. Discuss our local neighborhoods in space including the names and approximate
sizes of our own objects, and the names of and approximate distances to our
nearest neighbors. Neighborhoods include planets, stars, galactic arms,
galaxies, galaxy clusters, superclusters, and universes.
2. What does the term “light year” really mean? How about “astronomical unit”?
3. Describe how science works. How does this differ from philosophy and
religion?
Chapter 2
1. Describe the coordinate system of the celestial sphere.
2. Name and describe several of the more prominent constellations that are visible
from Los Angeles during this semester.
3. What is a constellation and how is it different from a star cluster?
4. What does a Foucault pendulum demonstrate? How does it work? Where does it
work best? Worst?
5. Describe Hipparchus’ method of measuring the brightnesses of stars.
6. What is meant by the term “precession”?
7. Do people from other cultures on Earth see the same stars, constellations, and
asterisms that you see?
8. If earth did not rotate, could we define the celestial pole and celestial equator?
9. Describe the motion of the stars as seen from (a) the North Pole, (b) the equator,
and (c) Sylmar.
10. Why is it cold in the winter and hot in the summer? Include the terms
“solstice” and “equinox” in your answer.
11. Why is a solar day different from a sidereal day?
12. Name and sketch the eight phases of the moon in order, beginning with the
new moon.
13. How does the moon keep the same face toward the earth? Doesn’t it rotate?
14. Describe the relative positions of the earth, sun, and moon in space during
a) a total eclipse of the sun;
b) a total eclipse of the moon.
15. Why can you never see a full moon overhead at sunset?
Chapter 3
1. Explain why there is a tidal bulge on both sides of the earth.
2. How did the ancient Greeks know that the earth is spherical?
3. Briefly mention the contributions of Aristotle, Eratosthenes, Hipparchus, and
Ptolemy to astronomy.
4. Compare Copernicus’ heliocentric solar system with Ptolemy’s geocentric solar
system. How does each explain the retrograde motion of the planets?
5. Discuss Kepler’s three laws of planetary motion.
6. Mention several of Galileo’s telescopic observations and explain how they
support the heliocentric viewpoint of the solar system.
7. What is the difference between mass, volume, and weight? Give some
examples.
8. What does the gravitational force between two objects depend on? Give a
numerical example of how the force varies with distance.
9. Explain Newton’s three laws of motion.
Chapter 4
1. List the constituents of the electro-magnetic spectrum and discuss their relative
wavelengths and energies.
2. Discuss the relationship of the aperture of a telescope and its
a) light-gathering power
b) resolving power
3. What determines the magnifying power of a telescope? Give a numerical
example of a calculation of magnification.
4. What problem led Isaac Newton to invent the reflecting telescope? Also, list
some other advantages of reflectors over refracting telescopes./
5. What is meant by “adaptive optics”; how does it work, and why is it so
important in astronomy today?
6. Explain how radio telescopes work and discuss their advantages and
disadvantages.
7. What is VLA and VLBI and what is gained by hooking radio telescopes
together?
8. Discuss how radar astronomy works, and describe what it can tell us about
celestial objects.
9. What kinds of objects can best be studied by infra red, ultraviolet and x-ray
astronomy?
10. Describe several types of imaging systems used by astronomers and discuss
their advantages and disadvantages.
Chapter 5
1. Describe the chief characteristics of the sun.
2. Draw a labeled sketch of the interior structure of the sun.
3. Discuss the structure and components of the atom.
4. Discuss and compare the four fundamental forces of nature.
5. Explain the formation of spectral emission lines in terms of atomic structure and
electron energy levels.
6. Describe what the continuous, emission, and absorption spectra look like, and
discuss the circumstances under which each is formed.
7. How can you estimate the temperature of a star with your unaided eye? How
does this work?
8. What can the doppler effect tell us about stars and galaxies? How does this
work?
9. List and describe the various features observed in and above the photosphere of
the sun.
10. Discuss sunspots in some detail., including their structure, formation, and the
Babcock sunspot cycle.
11. How does the Doppler shift demonstrate the nature of granules?
Chapter 9
1. Give the basic definition of “parsec” and discuss the relationship between the
distance of a star and its parallax shift.
2. Discuss the apparent and absolute magnitudes of a star. How can knowing both
of them give us a star’s distance?
3. Why are the hydrogen lines not as strong in type “O” stars and type “K” stars as
they are in type “A” stars?
4. Discuss the spectral classification of stellar temperatures.
5. How does the brightness of a star depend on temperature? Give a numerical
example.
6. Discuss the H-R diagram, what it plots, and where various kinds of stars are
located on the diagram.
7. Describe three methods for detecting binary stars.
8. What is the chief method of measuring the mass of an object in space?
9. What single, basic property of a star determines its temperature and brightness,
and therefore its position on the main sequence of the H-R diagram. Why?
Chapter 10
1. Describe the roles of convection, conduction and radiation in the interiors of
stars
2.
3. Describe the process of nuclear fusion in some detail.
4. What was the “missing neutrino problem” and how was it solved?
5. List and describe the different kinds of interstellar nebulae and describe the
causes of their various colors.
6. List and briefly describe the components of the interstellar medium.
7. What is meant by the “pressure-temperature” thermostat, and how does it work?
8. Describe and explain the ten stages in the formation of a new star.
9. Describe the evidence of star formation in the Orion nebula.
Chapter 11
1. Describe the evolution of a main-sequence star into a red giant.
2. On the H-R diagram, trace the path of a typical star during its formation and its
evolution into a red giant. How can star clusters help us check test this theory?
3. Describe the steps in the formation of a white dwarf star and a planetary nebula
beginning at the red giant stage.
4. Describe the properties of a white dwarf.
5. What is a “nova” and how does it work?
6. Describe the evolution and deaths of the most massive stars, including Type II
supernovae and supernova remnants.
7. Discuss the main events in the occurrence of a Type Ia supernova, including the
role of the Chandrasekhar limit.
8. Describe the nature and properties of a neutron star
9. Describe the discovery and nature of pulsars.
10. Describe the nature and properties of a black hole.
11. Describe observational attempts to verify the existence of black holes.
12. What is meant by the terms “event horizon” and “Schwarzschild radius” and
what is their relation to the mass of a black hole?
Chapter 12
1. What is meant by the “period luminosity relation” of the Cepheid variables, and
how can this be used as a distance indicator to the stars?
2. Draw two labeled sketches of the Milky Way Galaxy, one as seen from the side,
and one as seen from the “top”; describe the structure and components of the
galaxy.
3. How is the mass of the Milky Way measured, and how does this lead to the
concept of dark matter?
4. How are the spiral arms of the Milky Way detected, and what is their nature?
(Include the term “22-cm radiation.)
5. Why do Population II stars have fewer “heavy metals” than Population I stars?
Where in the Galaxy are these types of stars located?
6. Describe the characteristics of and differences between open and globular
clusters.
7. What is the observational evidence that something strange is happening in the
nucleus of our Galaxy, and what is the probable explanation?
CHAPTER 13
1. What is the observational evidence that some so-called “nebulae” are actually
entire galaxies far outside our own galaxy?
2. Describe the chief method for determining the masses of the galaxies, and what
does this tell us about dark matter?
3. Describe the factors involved in galactic formation, including the role of
collisions between galaxies.
4. Be able to identify a galaxy by its shape, according to the Hubble sequence.
5. Describe the observational evidence for the “dark matter” and discuss the most
likely candidates for what it consists of.
6. State in your own words what the Hubble law really says and what its
implications are concerning the expansion of the universe.
7. Compare and contrast elliptical galaxies and spiral galaxies.
8. Describe the different types of active galaxies, and the mechanisms proposed to
explain their energy output and other characteristics.
9. Briefly relate the story of the discovery of quasars.
10. Discuss the controversy that originally surrounded quasars.
11. Describe the current explanation of quasars and their energy sources.
CHAPTER 14
1. Describe the three main effects of traveling near the speed of light, according to
Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity.
2. Describe the effects of mass in space according to Einstein’s General Theory of
Relativity.
3. Relate the story of the discovery of the microwave background radiation,
including the roles of Gamow, Dicke, Penzias and Wilson.
4. What causes “gravitational lensing”? Describe some actual examples, as seen in
Hubble photographs.
5. Discuss the possible different “shapes” of space-time and how they relate to the
possible ways the universe could come to an end.
6. Briefly relate the early history of the universe, starting from 10-40 second.
7. Compare the Big Bang with the Steady State theory and discuss the
observational evidence for the Big Bang.
8. What is meant by “inflation”, and what problems does it solve in the Big Bang
theory?
9. What did the COBE satellite discover and what do the WMAP measurements of
the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation tell us?
10. How was it discovered that the expansion of the universe is accelerating, and
what are the latest findings in this area?
11. What is the evidence for the existence of “dark energy”, and what are the
possible explanations for it?
CHAPTER 8 (except 8.2)
1. Name and describe the two main categories of planets in our solar system and
explain their differences.
2. Any theory of the formation of the solar system must explain what
characteristics of the solar system?
3. Explain the evidence for the roles of condensation and accretion in the
formation of the planets.
4. Describe the recent efforts of astronomers to detect planets around other stars.
CHAPTER 6
1. Describe the interior structure of the earth. Use a labeled diagram.
2. Discuss the process of differentiation, and how we can know about the interior
of the earth.
3. What is the evidence for continental drift and the main elements of the plate
tectonic theory?
4. Describe the chief categories of rocks found on earth: their properties and
formation.
5. What three conditions must be met in order for a planet to generate a magnetic
field?
6. Explain the cause and possible consequences of a depletion of earth’s ozone
layer.
7. Explain the concept of global warming and describe the possible causes and
consequences.
8. Name the various types of surface features on the moon and discuss their nature
and origin.
9. Sketch a labeled map of the Moon, showing the proper names of the most
prominent surface features.
10. Discuss the pros and cons of three major theories of the origin of the moon,
including the current theory.
12. Describe the appearance of the far side of the moon and explain why it is
different from the near side.
13. Discuss the main purposes of the American Ranger, Orbiter, Surveyor, and
Apollo space projects.
14. Describe several types of rocks found on the moon.
15. In what ways is Mercury like the moon? What two kinds of surface features on
Mercury are not found as much on the moon? (Lobate scarps and inter-crater
lava plains) Discuss their possible origins.
16. Discuss Mercury’s size, orbit, and rotation and the concept of spin-orbit
coupling.
17. Describe the Caloris Basin and the Weird Terrain, and discuss the causal
relationship between them.
18. Describe the appearance of Venus
(a) as seen through a telescope from the earth;
(b) as seen in photographs using ultraviolet light;
(c) as seen in photographs taken by the Russian Venera landers.
19. What is meant by the “runaway greenhouse effect” that makes Venus so hot?
How does it work?
20. Describe the atmosphere of Venus.
21. Sketch a labeled map of the surface of Venus showing the proper names of the
most prominent surface features.
22. Describe the appearance and origin of several types of surface features found
on Venus.
23. Describe the appearance and origin of several types of surface features found
on Mars.
24. Discuss the observational evidence for the presence of water on Mars in the
past.
24. Name the three most recent rovers on Mars, describe where they landed, and
some of their most important findings, including sedimentary layers and
hematite concretions.
25. Sketch a labeled map of the surface of Mars, showing the proper names of the
most prominent surface features.
25b. Name and describe some of the most prominent geologic features of Mars,
incuding canyons, volcanoes, ice caps, ancient river beds, etc.
26. Name and describe the moons of Mars.
27. Discuss the possibility of the presence of life on Mars, today or in the past.
Chapter 7
1. Discuss the main differences between the terrestrial planets and the Jovian
planets.
2. Describe Jupiter in terms of size, composition, rotation rate, atmosphere, and
magnetic field.
3. Describe the appearance of Jupiter’s surface and explain the belts and zones and
the Great Red Spot.
4. Describe the interior of Jupiter and draw a labeled sketch of a cross section
through Jupiter.
5. Be able to identify by sight, and to describe the Galilean satellites of Jupiter,
including the origin and properties of their surface features. How can these
moons be warm even though they are so small?
5a. Explain why Europa is considered to have a good possibility for hosting
extraterrestrial life.
6. Explain the appearance of Saturn’s surface; why does it look so different from
Jupiter?
7. Describe the rings of Saturn in terms of size, appearance, composition, and
motion.
8. Discuss the Roche limit, its cause, its effects, and how it depends on the mass of
the planet.
9. What is meant by the concept of “resonance” and what role has it played in the
formation of Saturn’s rings and the asteroid belt? (Include possible evidence
for lakes of liquid methane, and the role of water ice on the moon.)
10. Describe Saturn’s moon Titan, (appearance, atmosphere and surface features)
as observed by the Cassini orbiter and the Huygens probe. How is Titan like
and how is it unlike the Earth?
11 Discuss one special surface characteristic of each of the following moons:
Phoebe, Hyperion, Iapetus, Mimas, and Enceladus.
11b. What amazing feature of Enceladus gives us the idea of possibly finding life
on that moon?
12. Describe Uranus in terms of size, composition, appearance, rotation rate,
atmosphere, and magnetic field.
13. Why did Uranus atmosphere appear featureless when the Voyager II spacecraft
flew by, and why has it changed since then?
14. Describe and explain the appearance of Uranus’ moon Miranda.
15. How were the rings of Uranus first discovered?
16. How does Neptune differ from Uranus in terms of atmospheric phenomena
and overall appearance?
17. Describe and explain the appearance and surface features of Neptune’s moon
Triton.
18. Briefly relate how Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto were discovered.
19. What is a planet?
20 Name and describe several members of the Kuiper Belt, including Pluto.
Include some of the surprising features found on Pluto and Charon by New
Horizons.
21. Why was the discovery of a moon around Pluto so important? What was
learned by observing it?
Chapter 8.2
1. Sketch the major components of a comet and discuss its probable composition
and structure.
2. Describe the probable origin of comets and their motion around the sun.
3. Distinguish between meteoroids, meteors, and meteorites and describe the
different types of meteorites.
4. Describe the characteristics of meteors and meteor showers, and explain how
they relate to cometary orbits.
5. Sketch the orbit of a comet around the sun, showing the comet and its tail in
several positions. Explain why the tail of the comets point the way it does.
6. Describe the appearance and composition of asteroids, and their three major
locations in the solar system.
7. Why does the composition of asteroids in the asteroid belt vary with distance
from the sun?
Chapter 15
1. What chemical elements are people mainly made of, and how were those
elements originally formed?
2. Briefly discuss Darwin’s theory of the evolution of the human species.
3. How does the Miller-Urey experiment in 1952 encourage us to expect to find
life on other planets?
4. Explain the nature and function of DNA, and how it relates to mutations.
5. Explain how the Drake equation is used to determine the number of possible
extraterrestrial civilizations in the galaxy.
6. Describe some of the tactics used by project SETI in searching for life in other
stellar systems.