Download Astronomy Book Test Study Guide

Astronomy Book Test Study Guide Please rank the following topics on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = easiest, 5 = most difficult). Answers will be discussed in class. Know the difference between rotation and revolution. _____ ● rotation = spinning, revolution = orbiting Know the difference between equinoxes and solstices and their significance. _____ ● equinoxes: sun is above equator; equal amounts of light/heat in each hemisphere; equal day/night ● solstices: axis is pointed toward or away from Sun; Sun is over either northern or southern hemisphere. ● Significance is that they mark the beginning of the seasons. Explain what causes the seasons. _____ You will need to include more detail than just “tilt of Earth’s axis” Rotation does not have to do with seasons Distance does not have to do with seasons The angle of sunlight changes throughout the year because the tilt of the Earth relative to the Sun changes. Low angle sunlight (or indirect light) is spread out, causing cooler temperatures (winter). High angle sunlight (or direct light) is concentrated, causing warmer temperatures (summer). What are the two forces that keep objects in orbit? What would happen if one of the forces disappeared? _____ ● gravity and inertia ● If there is no gravity, then planets fly off into space ● If there is only gravity, then planets collide with Sun List the two factors that affect gravity, and explain how the affect it. _____ ● mass and distance ● more mass means more gravity. more distance means less gravity Know the difference between mass and weight. _____ ● mass = amount of matter in an object ● weight = effect of gravity on an object Explain the cause of moon phases, and be able to identify the phases. _____ The relative positioning of Earth, Moon, and Sun causes different amounts of the sunlit side of the Moon to face Earth Compare and contrast lunar and solar eclipses. _____ ● both involve the blocking of sunlight ● lunar: S­E­M, full moon, at night ● solar: S­M­E, new moon, during the day Explain what causes tides and why we see 2 high tides and 2 low tides in a day. ____ The Moon pulls on the oceans creating a bulge in the direction of the Moon and the direction opposite to the Moon. The Earth rotates through this double bulge once every 25 hours. Compare and contrast neap and spring tides. _____ ● similarity: both monthly tidal cycles ● spring: greatest difference between high and low tides caused by moon, earth, and sun in a row ● neap: least difference between high and low tides caused by moon, earth, and sun at right angles Describe characteristics of the Earth’s moon. _____ maria (younger, flat, dark), highlands (older, hilly, light­colored), craters (result of impacts) State the relationship between gravity, atmosphere, and temperature changes on Earth's moon. _____ less mass means less gravity means can’t hold onto atmosphere which means more temperature variations Explain why we only see one side of the moon. ​
_____ The moon revolves at the same rate (27.3 days) as it rotates. Explain why there is not an eclipse every full or new moon. ​
_____ Because the moon travels along an orbit that is tilted relative to the Sun­Earth plane. Explain how the moon formed. ​
_____ A planet­sized object collided with the Earth in the early solar system. The debris from the collision went into orbit around the Earth and later coalesced into the Moon. Describe how energy from the Sun reaches the Earth. ​
_____ radiation What are the advantages of multistage rockets? _____ they drop dead weight to become more fuel­efficient What is the force that allows rockets to push off the ground? _____ thrust Which of Newton’s Laws of Motion explains how a rocket pushes off the ground? _____ 3rd Law: “Every action has an equal and opposite reaction” Identify features that space probes have in common. ​
_____ ● power system ● communication system ● scientific instruments ● also, they are unmanned List and describe four features associated with the surface of the sun _____ ● solar wind (comes from corona) ● flares (violent eruptions) ● sunspots (darker, cooler regions) ●
prominences (loops of gases) What are three features that the inner planets have in common? _____ small, rocky, dense, have no or few moons, no rings What is the order of the inner planets from the sun? _____ Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars What are three features that the outer planets have in common? _____ large, gas, less dense, have rings, have many moons What is the order of the outer planets from the sun? _____ Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune What are dwarf planets and where are they found? _____ ● spherical like planets, but share an orbit with other objects ● mostly in Kuiper belt, but one in Asteroid belt Compare and contrast the Kuiper Belt and the Asteroid Belt? _____ ● Kuiper belt: icey objects, beyond Neptune ● Asteroid belt: rocky objects, between Mars and Jupiter What are comets and what are asteroids? _____ comets: icey objects from the Kuiper belt asteroids: rocky objects from the asteroid belt What is the difference between meteors and meteorites? ____ meteors: flash of light in the sky from a falling object burning up in the atmosphere meteorite: a meteor that reaches the ground don’t need to know this quesiton What is nuclear fusion? ____ ● combining of hydrogen atoms into helium ● releases energy in sun’s core Which direction does a comet’s tail point, and why? ____ Away from the Sun because of the solar wind What causes the aurora? Where do the aurora occur? ____ The solar wind causes the aurora. Charged particles (ions) become trapped in the Earth’s ionosphere near the poles. How do telescopes work? What is an example of a telescope? _____ They gather and focus electromagnetic radiation (such as visible light). A reflecting telescope is an example. What is a type of electromagnetic radiation, and how fast does it travel? ____ ● radio waves ●
speed of light What are 3 characteristics used to classify stars? ____ size (mass), color, temperature, brightness, composition What 2 factors does a star’s absolute brightness depend on? ____ size and temperature What is the difference between absolute brightness and apparent brightness? ____ abs. brightness: true brightness (luminosity) app. brightness: how bright it appears from earth because of distance List types of galaxies. ____ spiral, elliptical, irregular What is a binary star? How about a triple star? ____ binary = 2 stars orbiting each other (most common) triple = 3 stars orbiting each other What is the difference between an open cluster and a globular cluster? ____ open: loosely scattered cluster because only 1000’s of stars globular: spherical arrangement because millions of stars What are two pieces of evidence in support of the Big Bang Theory? ____ receding galaxies cosmic background radiation (“leftover heat”) What evidence do we have for the galaxies moving away from us? ____ redshifted light (light waves are stretched out) What are dark matter and dark energy? What is the significance of each? ____ ● dark matter = matter that doesn’t emit or absorb light. helps explain gravitational effects by unseen mass ● dark energy = repelling force that causes universe’s expansion to speed up How old is the universe? ____ 13.8 billion years What galaxy are we in? ____ Milky Way Where are most telescopes located and why? ____ in space or on mountains to be above atmosphere or most of atmosphere What is an H­R diagram and how do astronomers use it? ____ a chart used to classify stars based on absolute brightness and temperature List the following from smallest to largest: solar system, universe, galaxy ____ solar system → galaxy → universe What are the parts of a communication system? ____ encoder, transmitter, receiver, decoder ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ Please click on this link for flashcards: ​
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