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The Study of the Universe - Science Perspectives 9
Section 8 (Refer to pages 305 to 351 to answer the following questions)
1. Define the following terms:
Astronomy
Aurora
Borealis
Celestial
Object
Comet
Satellite
Luminous
Star
Equinox
Constellation
Solar Flare
Lunar Cycle
Sunspots
Galaxy
Dwarf Planet
Solar System
Orbit
Tide
GPS
Eclipse
Solstice
Planet
Universe
Gravitational
Force
Ecliptic
2. The number 680,000 written in scientific notation is:
3. The name of the galaxy we live in is:
4. If the moon does not produce its own light, how are we able to see it?
5. Explain the terms terrestrial planets and gas giants and providing examples of each.
6. Why is the sun so important for life on Earth?
7. Draw and label a diagram of the different layers of the Sun.
8. What range of temperatures are found on, and within, the Sun?
9. How long does it take for the Sun to rotate on its axis? How do astronomers know this?
10. List the correct order of the planets in sequence starting nearest from the sun.
11. How many tonnes of meteoroids fall to the surface of the Earth every day?
12. Pluto is no longer considered a planet. Why is this so? How is it classified now?
13. Why do comets appear to have large tails flowing away from the Sun?
14. What is the speed of the Earths spin on its axis? What is the speed at which the Earth revolves around the
Sun?
15. Using the Earth as an example, explain the difference between the terms rotation and revolution.
16. Where is the North Star located and what is its other name?
17. When do solstices occur?
18. Compare the length of daylight during the winter and summer solstices.
19. How many phases are there in the lunar cycle? Name each one.
20. What is the cause of the spring tides? Do these tides occur only in the spring season?
21. Do the stars that make up constellations change their position over time? How might this change their
position over time? How might this change the shape of the constellation?
22. Name two ways that ancient cultures recognized the importance of solstices and equinoxes.
23. Write an explanation of the terms altitude and azimuth.
24. If you are observing a star that is directly overhead, what is its altitude?
25. What is the difference between an artificial satellite and natural satellite? Give one example of each.
26. Identify four different reasons for launching a satellite into orbit around Earth.
Section 9 (Refer to pages 365 to 397 to answer the following questions)
1. Define the following terms in the space provided:
Black hole
Solar mass
Protostar
Light year
Star cluster
Quasar
Luminosity
Supernova
Red giant
Nebula
White dwarf
Red supergiant
Neutron star
2. Why do astronomers use special units such as light years to measure distances in space?
3. Polaris is 4.07 x 1015 km from Earth. Calculate the distance in light years.
4. The most distant objects in the Universe known to astronomers are 14 billion ly away. Convert this value into
metres.
5. How far does light travel in one nanosecond?
6. Why was the star Sirius significant to some ancient cultures?
7. How can two stars have the same magnitude yet emit different amounts of light?
8. Describe our Sun in terms of its colour, temperature, apparent magnitude, and absolute magnitude.
9. At what temperature do stars begin the process of nuclear fusion?
10. In what ways do stars change their physical properties over time?
11. How can astronomers detect black holes if they do not give off visible light?
12. How does observing other planetary systems provide evidence for the Solar Nebula theory?
13. What were the main elements that made up the gas giants?
14. What was astronomers Edwin Hubble’s contribution to the understanding of galaxies?
15. What is the name of the galaxy cluster that the Milky Way is part of, and how many galaxies make up this
cluster?
16. Where does the term quasar come from? Is this an accurate name for these objects?
17. How does red shift help astronomers determine the movement of distant galaxies?
18. Compare and contrast dark matter with dark energy.
19. According to the Big Bang theory, how long ago did the Universe begin? Who was the first person to
suggest this theory?
20. After the Big Bang, did stars and galaxies emerge fully formed? Why or why not?
21. Name two satellites that gathered evidence in support of the Big Bang theory. What kind of data did they
capture?
22. What do astronomers predict will happen to our universe billions of years in the future?
Section 10 (Refer to pages 408 to 437 to answer the following questions)
1. Define the following terms in the space provided:
Refracting telescope
Spacecraft
Space junk
space probe
Reflecting telescope
2. Name two kinds of EM radiation other than visible light that are used to observe distant objects in the
Universe.
3. Name three telescopes that are currently collecting data in orbit around the Earth.
4. Describe how the Canadarm works. In which ways is the Canadarm like a human arm?
5. How many countries participated in the construction of the ISS?
6. Describe two experiments currently being performed on the ISS.
7. Explain how spacecraft are launched into orbit. What are some of the challenges that must be overcome?
8. Describe three health problems astronauts experience when they are working aboard the ISS?
9. How do astronauts protect themselves against radiation hazards when they are working outside the ISS?
10. What is space junk, and why do scientists monitor its position in space? Give four examples of objects
considered to be “space junk”.
11. How does the global positioning system (GPS) work?
12. What are five geographical features of Earth that are monitored by RADARSAT? Why are they being
monitored?
13. Which layer of Earth’s atmosphere do scientists study with the SCISAT satellite? What purpose does it
serve?
14. Describe two ways in which experiments in space have led to more environmentally friendly means of
extracting oil and cleaning up oil spills.
15. Why is the Moon a suitable testing ground for Mars exploration?
16. How long does it take to get to the Moon compared with the time it takes to get to Mars?
17. Why does the dust on the Moon and Mars make colonization and exploration more difficult?
18. Who was the first person to travel into space as a tourist, and how much did he pay for this privilege?
19. What are the benefits of space elevators? What are the drawbacks of space elevators?