Download CST Prep- 8th Grade Astronomy

CST Prep- 8th Grade Astronomy
Chapter 15 (Part 1)
1. The theory of how the universe was created is called the ____________________.
2. Which equation states that matter and energy are interchangeable? __________________
3. All matter in the Universe today came from an original pin prick of limitless __________________.
4. Is the universe contracting or expanding? __________________
5. Is the universe speeding up or slowing down? __________________
6. Most of the matter in the universe is clumped together in large masses/clusters called
__________________.
7. The color of a star tells you what its __________________ is.
8. A star is mainly in this state of matter: __________________.
9. What chemical reaction produces heat and energy in a star? ______________ ____________
10. In the above reaction, four __________________ atoms come together to make one
__________________ atom.
11. What is the hottest color of a star? __________________
12. What is the coolest color of a star? __________________
13. All of the frequencies of ______________ ____________ spectrum that we can see (all of the
colors visible to the human eye) are called the ______________ ____________
14. A spectrum with certain wavelengths missing is called an ______________ ____________.
15. A projection of only the wavelengths/colors that are emitted by a glowing element is called an
__________________.
16. What is the most abundant element in the universe? __________________
17. What magnitude is the brightest star we can see? __________________
18. What magnitude is the dimmest star we can see? __________________
19. The brightness of a star as seen from Earth is called its ______________ ____________.
20. The brightness of a star 32.6 lightyears from Earth is called ______________ ____________
21. The unit of measurement of distances outside of our solar system (i.e. between stars) is called a
______________ ____________.
22. The apparent shift of position of a star in outer space due to observing it from different positions of
the Earth is called a __________________.
23. The shapes of stars in outer space that make different figures (i.e. Orion) are called
__________________.
24. A star in the process of being born is called a __________________.
25. Name the three stages, in order, of a star’s life: __________________, __________________,
__________________
26. When a star uses up all of its hydrogen and starts to die it may grow into a __________________.
27. If a star is not very big it will then shrinks down and become a ______________ ____________
28. What is the name of Earth’s nearest star? __________________
29. What is the size of our sun? Is it small, medium, large or extra large in size?
__________________
30. Will our sun super nova? __________________
31. Will our sun create a black hole? __________________
32. What will our sun end up as? ______________ ____________
33. Huge, gigantic stars explode. What is this explosion called? __________________
34. The core of huge stars collapse and shrink, tearing a hole in space-time. What is this hole called?
______________ ____________
35. A graph that shows the relationship between the surface temperature and absolute magnitude is
called a ______________ ____________
36. Betelgeuse and Antares are both ______________ ____________
37. If the core of a star collapses into a mass of neutrons it becomes a ______________
____________
38. If this mass of neutrons spins, projecting a stream of energy, it is called a ______________
____________
39. There is a ______________ ____________ at the center of every galaxy.
40. What is the name of our galaxy? ______________ ____________
41. What is the width (in distance) of our galaxy? ______________________
42. How many stars are there in our galaxy? ______________________
43. How many galaxies are there in our universe? ______________________
44. What type (shape) is our galaxy? ______________________
45. An elliptical galaxy is also called a ______________ ____________
46. A galaxy with no definite shape is called a __________________ galaxy.
47. A group of stars is called a star __________________.
48. Name the 5 main components of a galaxy: __________________, __________________,
__________________, __________________.
49. The snow on your TV is caused by ______________ ____________ ____________ from the big
bang.
50. How old is the universe? __________________
Chapter 15 (Part 2)
1. The brightest stars are ______________ ____________ stars.
2. The dimmest stars are ______________ ____________ stars.
3. In order to calculate a star’s __________________ magnitude, it is necessary to know its
apparent magnitude and its distance from the Earth.
4. In order to calculate a star’s absolute magnitude, it is necessary to know its
__________________ magnitude and its distance from the Earth.
5. The sun has a(n) __________________ magnitude of +4.8 and an apparent magnitude of 26.8.
6. In a(n) ______________ ____________ every color is present.
7. In a(n) ______________ ____________ the pattern of black lines identifies the elements in a
star’s atmosphere.
8. Astronomers use an instrument called a(n) __________________ to separate a star’s light into
a spectrum.
9. Gas or dust from a nearby star that falls into a(n) ______________ ____________ gives off
X=-rays.
10. One of the most powerful energy sources in the universe is a(n) __________________.
11. According to the ___________ ___________ ___________, at one time all of the contents of
the universe were compressed into a very small volume.
12. A small, hot, dim star that no longer generates energy by nuclear fusion is called a(n)
______________ ____________
13. A black hole is difficult to locate because it is so massive and dense that light cannot escape
its __________________.
14. Unlike spiral galaxies, __________________ galaxies stopped making stars more than 10
billion years ago.
15. Galaxies with no definite shape, like the Large Magellanic Cloud, are called
__________________ galaxies.
16. In one year, light travels over a distance called a(n) __________________.
17. The sun is in the longest stage of its life, called the ______________ ____________
18. How bright a star is as seen from Earth is called ______________ ____________
19. The position of a star may seem to shift because of __________________.
20. A star’s ______________ ____________ does not depend on its distance from Earth.
21. After the big bang, __________________ caused the matter to be distributed in every direction
as the universe expanded.
22. According to the Big Bang Theory, ______________ ____________ _______________ was
distributed in every direction as the universe expanded.
23. An object so massive and dense that not even light can escape its gravity is called a(n)
______________ ____________
24. A highly concentrated group of stars formed at the same time from the same nebula is called
a(n) ______________ ____________
25. Astronomers learn about the composition and temperature of a star by separating the star’s
light into a(n) __________________.
26. Describe the three main types of galaxies classified by their shapes: __________________,
__________________, __________________
27. How can astronomers use absorption spectra of stars to find out which elements are in a
particular star?
28. Many scientists believe that the expansion rate of the universe will continue to increase. If it
does, what will happen to the universe?
29. Describe the temperature and brightness of the star marked with an X.
30. Explain how the apparent movement of the stars in the night sky different from the movement
of the stars within a constellation.
31. What information is plotted on the H-R diagram (x-y axis)?
32. What is a supernova?
33. How does a neutron star differ from a pulsar?
34. What is a nebula?
35. What are open clusters and where are they found?
36. What is cosmic background radiation?
37. Approximately how old is the universe?
38. Where are globular clusters found?
39. Describe the role of hydrogen in a main-sequence star.
40. Why are blue stars so hot?
41. Why do blue stars have short lives?
42. If you traced the paths of the stars in the night sky over a few hours, why would they all appear
to circle around Polaris, also called the North Star?
43. The sun is about 1.5 x 1011 m from Earth. If the sun suddenly burned out, about how many
minutes would elapse before people on Earth would know? (Hint: The speed of light is about 3
x 108 m/s). Show your work below:
CST Prep- 8th Grade Astronomy
Chapter 16 (Part 1)
1. A ______________ ____________ is a system of one or more stars, its planets and their
satellites.
2. Giant clouds of gas are called __________________.
3. A cloud of gas that gives birth to a star is called a ______________ ____________
4. What force pulls matter together? __________________
5. What pushes matter apart? __________________
6. The center of a star is called its __________________.
7. The visible part of the sun that we can see from Earth is called its __________________.
8. The sun’s outer-most atmospheres are called the __________________.
9. Combining four hydrogen atoms to create helium is how the sun produces its energy. This
process is called __________________.
10. The process above (#9) requires extreme ______________ ____________ and
______________ ____________
11. The distance from the sun to Earth is called one ______________ ____________
12. Name the planets, in order, starting closest to the sun: __________________,
__________________, __________________, __________________, __________________,
__________________, __________________, __________________
13. Name the 4 inner/rocky planets: __________________, __________________,
__________________, __________________
14. Name the 4 outer/gas giants: __________________, __________________,
__________________, __________________
15. Which outermost “planet” is no longer a planet? __________________
16. Number “15 above” is now called a ______________ ____________
17. What two things balance each other out, keeping planets in orbit around their stars or
moons/satellites around their planets? __________________, __________________
18. Which one from #17 is a centripetal force? __________________
19. Sketch a planet and its moon. Draw and label two arrows representing both
from #17 above.
20. What word means “hard, rocky, dirt surface?” __________________
21. Which two planets have no moons? __________________, __________________
22. Which planet has one moon? __________________
23. Which planet has two moons? __________________
24. Which planet has the most moons? __________________
25. What is another name for “moon?” __________________
26. Which planet is called “Earth’s Twin?” __________________
27. Earth’s twin has a very dense and heavy __________________.
28. Which two acids are in Venus’ atmosphere? ______________ ____________
29. Counter clockwise is __________________ rotation of the planets.
30. Clockwise is __________________ rotation of the planets.
31. Earth is the only planet with liquid __________________.
32. What color is Mars? __________________. It is this color because it has lots of
__________________ on its surface.
33. Mars has a very thin __________________.
34. Satellites (moons) and small planets have little or no atmosphere because they are too small
and have insufficient __________________ to hold and maintain an atmosphere.
35. On Mars water is frozen at the __________________.
36. The largest volcano in the solar system is on Mars, what is its name? ______________
____________
37. The longest and deepest trench is on the solar system is on Mars, what is its name?
______________ ____________
38. Jupiter’s big red spot is a giant __________________.
39. How many earths can fit in Jupiter’s big red spot? __________________
40. What planet is so light it would float in a giant bathtub of water? __________________
41. What interstellar objects are made of dust and ice? __________________
42. What interstellar objects are made out of solid rock and metal? __________________
43. Will Saturn’s rings last forever? __________________
44. Name Jupiter’s 4 largest moons: __________________, __________________,
__________________, __________________
45. Name Saturn’s 3 largest moons: __________________, __________________,
__________________
46. What planet is knocked over on its side? __________________
47. What planet has the big dark spot? __________________
48. Name a moon of Uranus: __________________
49. Name a moon of Neptune: __________________
50. Name Pluto’s moon: __________________
51. What lies between Mars and Jupiter? __________________
52. The theory that something large hit Earth (a small planetoid) is how our __________________
was created.
53. The dark spots on the moon are called __________________.
54. A full moon is a fully lit moon, an unlit dark moon is called a __________________ moon.
55. A word that describes the moon as getting brighter and bigger is __________________.
56. A word that describes the moon as getting smaller and less bright is a __________________.
57. Where is the moon positioned during a solar eclipse? _____________________________
58. Where is the Earth positioned during a lunar eclipse? _____________________________
59. The tail of a comet always points __________________ from the sun.
60. This is because the sun projects a ______________ ______________.
61. Bits of asteroid or comet fragments that break off in outer space are called
__________________.
62. When these bits enter our atmosphere they burn up as __________________ (also known as
“shooting stars”).
63. Bits of outer space material that strike the Earth’s surface and can be found intact are now
called __________________.
64. The “hole” left in the ground from an asteroid impact is called a __________________.
65. There are two types of comets, what are they? __________________, __________________
66. Does our solar system extend beyond the planets? __________________
67. The __________________ cloud, beyond Pluto, is where our comets originate.
68.
Draw the planets, in order, relative to their “sizes.”
69. Do other solar systems (planets revolving around stars) exist in our galaxy?
Chapter 16 (Part 2)
1. Small bodies of ice and cosmic dust are called __________________.
2. The outer planets that have massive gas atmospheres are called ______________
____________
3. Except for Mercury and Venus, all the planets have natural __________________ called moons.
4. The glowing trails that result when meteoroids burn up in Earth’s atmosphere are called
__________________.
5. The cloud of gas and dust that formed our solar system is the ______________ ____________
6. A planet that appears to spin in a clockwise direction when viewed from above its North Pole has
______________ ______________.
7. The average distance between the sun and Earth is called a(n) ______________ ____________
8. A planet that appears to spin in a counterclockwise direction when viewed from above its North
Pole has ______________ ______________.
9. When the shadow of one celestial body falls on another, a(n) __________________ occurs.
10. Unlike most planets, Venus has __________________ rotation, which means that it appears to
spin in a clockwise direction when viewed from above its North Pole.
11. Natural or artificial bodies that orbit larger celestial bodies such as planets are called
__________________.
12. Because they are rocky and dense, the inner planets of our solar system are called
__________________ planets.
13. The large, interstellar cloud of gas and dust that formed our solar system is called the
______________ ____________
14. Earth completes one __________________ each year.
15. How do gravity and pressure keep a nebula from collapsing?
16. Describe the process of nuclear fusion.
17. How are the inner planets different from the outer planets?
18. Describe the difference between a solar eclipse and a lunar eclipse.
19. Describe the current theory of how Earth’s moon formed.
20. What causes phases of the moon?
21. What characteristics of Earth’s moon supports the current theory of its formation?
22. What is the difference between an annular eclipse and a total solar eclipse?
23. Which planets are parts of the inner solar system?
24. Why are the inner planets known as the terrestrial planets?
25. Compare the meaning of the terms period of rotation and period of revolution.
26. Explain how the planet Neptune was discovered.
27. How do meteorites vary in composition?
28. How do scientists explain the unusual tilt of Uranus’ axis at an angle of almost 90o?
29. How has the classification of Pluto changed?
30. What causes the moon to appear red during a lunar eclipse?
31. Describe the two tails of a comet.
32. Why are the planets in the solar system shaped like spheres?
33. Light travels about 300,000 km/s in space. Jupiter is about 780,000,000 km from the sun. How
many minutes does it take light from the sun to reach Jupiter? Show your work.