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Study Guide for Astronomy 10A
Prologue
What is the purpose of science? IOW: What does it produce?
What is the scientific method?
What is the scientific definition of a theory?
What is the scientific definition of an hypothesis?
What is the role of experimentation in science?
What do we mean by a ‘prediction’ in the scientific method?
What are the philosophical underpinnings of science?
Why do teachers tell the story about Galileo dropping balls to test gravity
– what does it teach us about the dawn of the era of science?
Misc Notes: Phases of Matter & The Gas Law
What’s the macroscopic differences between solids, liquids and gases?
What’s the microscopic differences between solids, liquids and gases?
What phase of matter is most common in the universe?
Which term from the gas law was most difficult to define?
What are the definitions of pressure, volume, number, temperature?
What is the definition of density?
If you heat a gas in a sealed rigid container what may change?
If you heat a gas in a sealed flexible balloon what may change?
If you compress a gas which terms may change and how?
If you change the pressure what do you need to know to determine how
density and temperature will change?
Chapter 1.
What is the celestial sphere?
What are the coordinates of the celestial sphere?
When looking at the night sky, where is your zenith?
What star is at your zenith when standing at the North Pole?
What is the distance from the Earth to the Sun called?
How far is the distance form the Earth to the Sun in miles (km)?
What is the difference between astrology and astronomy?
Why do many astronomers hate astrology?
Why doesn’t your beloved professor care if you’re into Astrology? (hint: it
isn’t as if you’re president or anything)
How does the North Star tell you your latitude?
What are circumpolar stars?
You can’t see any circumpolar stars from where on Earth?
What is the ecliptic; where is it on the celestial sphere?
Which objects travel along the ecliptic?
Where do all objects in the sky rise (if they rise)?
Chapter 2 – Newton & Kepler’s Laws
Kepler's first law says orbits are shaped as ________
Kepler's first law says the Sun is at the ______ of the orbit
What is the (approximate) eccentricity of Earth’s orbit?
What does Kepler's second (K2) law say about the planets’ speeds?
What is Kepler's second law (the equal area law) equivalent to?
What equation is Kepler’s third law?
If Saturn's orbit were 9AU, it's orbital period would be __
Which Kepler’s law helps find the mass of stars and planets?
When is the Earth closest to the Sun? How do you know from K2 law?
What is the definition of velocity?
What is the definition of acceleration?
What is the definition of force?
What are Newton’s three laws of motion?
What is the difference between how our beloved instructor explained
Newton's third law and how the book explains it?
Which of Newton's laws governs objects remaining at rest?
If a force is applied to a spaceship what happens to its velocity?
Which of Newton's laws define a force?
Which of Newton's laws govern the motion of your car?
Does an object at rest have a constant velocity?
If an object is traveling in a perfectly circular path at a uniform speed is
there necessarily a force involved?
Rockets shoot out hot gases, which in turn push the rocket forward. This
is an example of which law?
What is the difference between constant speed and constant velocity?
What is Newton's law of gravity?
When the distance doubles how strong is the force of gravity?
When the mass doubles how does the force of gravity change?
Newton showed what relationship between the acceleration of the Moon
and an apple falling to Earth?
Which falls faster a heavier object or a lighter one?
Chapter 3 - Earth, Moon and Sky
Why does the Earth have seasons?
What is the #1 wrong reason for the seasons?
What are observations which disprove the #1 wrong reason?
If you don’t understand the reasons for the seasons, who was your
astronomy instructor? [Andy Fraknoi]
A full moon typically rises around what time? A New Moon? Quarters?
If the Moon rises at 7pm tonight tomorrow when will it rise?
A star rises at 6:15 pm. tonight, when did it rise last night?
How long does it take for the Earth to rotate 360 degrees?
Is 24 hours a solar day or sidereal day? - what is the difference?
Total lunar eclipses only occur when the moon is in which phase
What causes tides?
If the Moon were closer to the Earth would the strength of tides change?
At New & Full Moons are tides stronger or weaker than normal?
Where do the stars rise? Do all stars rise there?
Chapter 4 – Light, Radiation and Spectra
If the distance to a light source is doubled, the apparent brightness will
What is the equation which connects wavelength and frequency?
Which wavelength of light the highest energy?
[Radio, IR, Visible, UV, X-ray, Gamma-ray]
Which wavelength of light has the longest wavelength?
Which wavelength of light has the highest speed?
How do Astronomers learn about the composition of stars?
We measure temperature from a _______spectrum:
Which spectrum does the Sun have?
Which spectrum does the Moon have?
Which spectrum does a neon sign have?
Which spectrum does a human have?
What type of objects produce continuum spectra?
What type of objects produce emission line spectra?
What type of objects produce absorption line spectra?
What are the particles that atoms are made of?
What particle determines the element of an atom?
What particle determines the isotopes of the atom?
Where is most of the mass of an atom ?
When an atom has lost one or more electrons it is:
What is the Doppler effect?
Does the Doppler effect affect sound waves; how about light waves?
If something is coming toward/away from you is it red shifted or blue?
if it moves at a right angle (like along a cross street) how is it shifted?
Chapter 6. Introduction to the Solar System
What are the two most massive objects n the solar system?
How much of the solar system’s mass is in Sun?
How does radioactive dating work?
What is a half-life?
How do we measure the age of old rocks (and meteorites)?
Can carbon dating tell hold old a living person is? why?
How does Carbon dating tell us about pre-historic solar activity?
How accurate is radioactive dating?
Why use more than one parent-daughter pair for dating?
Is that previous question sick and twisted?
Chapter 14: The Sun
What are the three parts of the solar interior?
What part of the Sun can you usually see?
What (s) of the Sun can you see during an eclipse?
How long does it take for energy to transit the radiative zone?
How long does it take for it to transit the convective zone?
How does plasma react with magnetic fields
What are the four examples of solar activity we discussed?
What is a sunspot?
What is a flare?
What is a prominence?
What is a CME (Coronal Mass Ejection)?
Which is like an “X-ray machine more powerful than a Hydrogen bomb”?
Which solar magnetic features were observed by Galileo?
Which solar phenomenon can cause blackouts on Earth?
Which solar phenomenon(a) can interfere with satellites?
What is the solar cycle, and how long is it?
The Maunder Minimum corresponded to what on Earth?
The fusion process begins with which building blocks?
The Sun turns how many tons of H into He per sec?
The Sun turns how many tons of matter into Energy per sec?
Chapter 7: The Earth
What are the main parts of the interior of the Earth?
Which part of the Earth has the most mass, which is most dense?
What three types of ingredients are in the Earth?
The ocean basin crust is composed of which type of rock?
What causes plate tectonics?
What causes volcanism?
What produces the Earth’s Magnetosphere?
How do we know the Earth’s magnetic fields ‘flips’ from time to time?
What are the four zones we discussed when tectonic plates meet?
Why does Earth have fewer impact craters than the Moon?
How does the greenhouse effect make Earth inhabitable?
What are the 2 main greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere?
How did the primordial atmosphere differ than today’s?
What radiation does Earth’s atm block (and protect us from)?
How would Earth’s atm change if it were much hotter?
How much CO2 and H2O is on Earth (compared to the air)?
How does the ozone layer help us?
Why does the Earth have an ozone layer but not Mars/Venus?
About when did life arise on Earth?
About when did photosynthesis begin?
About when did Earth develop an oxidizing atmosphere?
Chapter 8: The Moon & Mercury
How is Mercury similar to the Earth – how is it different?
What are the density and diameter of Mercury?
What type of atmosphere does Mercury have; why?
How does the solar wind affect Mercury’s surface?
What is the composition of Mercury?
Is Mercury geologically active?
What is evidence that Mercury’s crust shrank as it cooled?
Is Mercury the hottest planet in the Solar system?
How do we explain the composition of Mercury?
Why are Mercury’s spin and orbit periods exactly a 2:3 ratio?
How is the Moon similar to the Earth – how is it different?
What are the density and diameter of the Moon?
Why doesn’t the Moon have an atmosphere?
We think the Moon formed by what process?
The Moon’s composition is most similar to ____________
How were the lunar highlands formed?
What are the Lunar Maria; what type of rock are they made of?
The lunar highlands are made of what type of rock?
Which region is younger: highlands or Maria – how do we know?
Why are the oldest moon rocks older than the oldest Earth rocks?
Is the Moon geologically active? How do you know?
What is the difference between Moon dust and Earth dust?
Why is Moon dust dangerous for astronauts?
How do we use crater counts to determine the age of surfaces?
Why can’t we use crater counts to find the age of planets or Moons?
How do you tell an impact crater from a volcanic crater?
What processes are involved in the creation of an impact crater?
Has the impact rate always been constant in the solar system?
Chapter 9: Venus & Mars
How does Venus resemble the Earth – how is it different?
Does Venus have a strong magnetic field (like Earth’s)?
What are Venus’ diameter, mass and density?
What is the average temperature of Venus?
What is the surface pressure of Venus’ atmosphere?
What are the two most common gases in Venus’ atmosphere?
Why doesn’t Venus have much erosion?
Is Venus geologically active?
What are the basins of the crust of Venus made out of?
What is special about Venus’ rotation?
Why can’t we see the surface of Venus, how can we map it?
Why is there a lower limit to the size of impact craters on Venus?
How does Mars resemble the Earth – how is it different?
Does Mars have a strong magnetic field (like Earth’s)?
What are Mars’ diameter, mass and density?
What is the average temperature of Mars?
What is the surface pressure of the Martian atmosphere?
What are the two most common gases in Mars’ atmosphere?
What causes most of the erosion on Mars today?
Is Mars geologically active?
What are the basins of the crust of Mars made out of?
What are the two main ingredients of the Martian ice caps?
What would you have to change to make Mar’s inhabitable?
If Venus, Mars and Earth all started out with similar atmospheres why are
they all so very different today?
Which planet had the densest primordial atmosphere?
What happened to the water on Earth?
What happened to the water on Mars?
What happened to the water on Venus?
What does the magnetic field tell us about a planet’s interior?
How does the density of a planet or moon tell us its composition?
Chapter 10: Jovian Planets
Why are they called Jovian planets?
What is the density of each of the Jovian planets?
What is the diameter of each of the Jovian planets?
What is the mass of each of the Jovian planets?
What is the rotation period of the Jovian planets
What is the structure of Jupiter?
What is the structure of Saturn?
What is the structure of Uranus?
What is the structure of Neptune?
What does each Jovian planet have at its center?
Why is Jupiter a ‘liquid planet’ as much as it’s a gas planet’?
How do Jupiter & Saturn generate their own heat?
How do Jupiter and Saturn resemble the Sun?
What are the most abundant elements in Jupiter?
What are the most abundant elements in Saturn?
What is the Great Red Spot on Jupiter?
Why do storms last longer on Jovian planets than on Earth?
What are Jupiter’s belts and zones?
What are Jupiter’s clouds made of?
What chemicals exist in Jupiter’s atmosphere?
What do scientists call Jupiter’s Great Red Spot?
What is Jupiter’s Great Red Spot?
What is the weather like on the Jovian planets?
What is heavy element settling?
What is liquid Metal Hydrogen?
Why do Jupiter and Saturn have abundant metallic Hydrogen but not
Uranus & Neptune?
Why does Jupiter have such a huge magnetic field?
Why does Saturn have such a huge magnetic field?
Chapter 11: Jovian Rings & Moons
Which Jovian planets have rings; which have moons?
What are the four moons of Jupiter we studied?
What is the moon of Saturn we studied?
What is the moon of Neptune we studied?
Which moon has an ocean of liquid water? Why is it liquid?
Which moons have ‘oceans’? What are the oceans made of?
Which moon is most volcanically active? Why?
Which moon is most geologically active? Why?
Which moon is most likely to support life? Why?
Which moon is second most likely to support life?(but not bloody likely)
Which moon is not differentiated?
Which moon is most like Pluto?
What are the Jovian moons made of?
Why are the densities of the Jovian moons less than 4gm/cc?
What is the Roche limit?
Where do rings and moons exist (relative to the Roche limit)?
Why does Saturn have rings?
Why does Jupiter have rings?
Why does Uranus have rings?
Why does Neptune have rings?
What are Saturn’s rings made of?
What are Jupiter’s rings made of?
What are Uranus’ rings made of?
What are Neptune’s rings made of?
How thick are Saturn’s rings?
How big are the chunks of Saturn’s rings?
What are shepherd moons?
What is this ‘resonance’ stuff which causes division between rings?
Why causes the Cassini division?
What is the totally unfunny joke about Saturn’s rings?
Chapter 12: Asteroids and Comets
What is an asteroid?
What are the composition and classifications of Asteroids?
Where (within the asteroid belt) do different asteroid types orbit?
Which type of Asteroids were definitely differentiated?
Which type of Asteroids were definitely not differentiated?
Which type of Asteroids maybe were maybe weren’t differentiated?
Which types of asteroids were never part of a planet?
Which types of asteroids were part of a planet?
The asteroid belt lies between which planets?
Why is the Asteroid belt where it is?
If there are so many Asteroids in the Asteroid belt, how can spacecraft fly
through the asteroid belt without colliding with one?
What is a comet?
What is the composition of comets?
Where do comets normally orbit?
What causes comets to shift their orbits?
Why do comets have two tails? (And what are they?)
What is the link between Comets and meteor showers
What is the link between Comets and planet atmosphere
What are Kuiper Belt Objects (KBO’s)?
What are the properties of KBO’s?
Which planet is like a KBO?
Which other objects are KBO’s?
What is a NEO?
Large NEO's (> 1km) why are they important?
How can we deflect NEO’S?
Why are comet NEO’s worse than asteroid NEO’s?
Why don’t we want to blow up NEO’s?
Why are nuclear weapons not the best idea to deal with NEO’s?
Why are NEO’s < 1km dangerous to us?
Chapter 13: Meteors & Solar System Formation
What is a Meteor shower?
How does the name of a meteor shower tell you where to look?
Would taking someone to see a meteor shower be a cheap date?
If you wind up a parent nine months after taking your S.O. to a meteor
shower what will you name your ‘bundle of joy’?
What are meteor ‘Irons” made of?
What are meteor “Stones” made of?
How do we know where meteors come from?
What do solar systems form from?
Why do they start to form?
What is the first step of formation?
What is the second step of formation?
What is the third step of formation?
What is the fourth step of formation?
What is the fifth step of formation?
Why are Jovian planets so large?
Why do terrestrial planets have so little volatile material?
Why are Jovian planets further out in the Solar System?
What happened after the Sun 'ignited'?
And then what?
How do we find planets around other stars?
How do we measure the mass of the planets?
How do we measure the orbit size of the planets?
What types of planets have we found so far?
How big of orbits have we found so far? Is this surprising?
Is our solar system representative of all planetary systems?
What is a ‘Hot Jupiter’?
How do we explain hot-Jupiters?
Chapter 15: Life
What is the Drake Equation?
Define each term of the Drake equation.
Which terms of the Drake Equation do we know best?
Which terms of the Drake Equation do we know least?
What is the main problem with the Drake Equation?
What is the purpose of the Drake equation (To categorize our ______)?
How does Frank Drake define a “civilization”?
What was Carl Sagan's “trick” with the Drake equation?
What is SETI?
How does SETI (and project Phoenix) search for aliens?
The fastest speed we can communicate is _______
Why are radio waves so convenient for space communication?
What is the fastest turn-around time for communicating with a civilization
100 ly away?
What is the “cosmic haystack problem” in finding alien civilizations?
What is the ‘when’ problem of the cosmic haystack?
What is the ‘where’ problem of the cosmic haystack?
What is the ‘frequency’ problem of the cosmic haystack?
What is the ‘bandwidth’ problem of the cosmic haystack?
What is the ‘modulation’ problem of the cosmic haystack?
What is the ‘encoding’ problem of the cosmic haystack?
How does SETI@home help with the cosmic haystack problem?
The Fermi Paradox is?
What are some of the answers to the Fermi Paradox?
What are the responses to the answers to the Fermi Paradox?
Which elements were made during the Big Bang?
Which elements were not made inside the Sun?
Every Carbon atom in your body was made where?
Which elements aren’t made in the Sun but are in more massive stars?
Where have we found amino acid – building blocks of life?
What was the Miller Urey experiment?
The Sun is an “average star” - what does that mean?
Why doesn’t a 10Msun star probably have life around it?
Why doesn’t a 0.1Msun star probably have life around it?
What fraction of stars have lifetimes long enough to evolve life?
How has the Sun’s luminosity changed over the last 4.5x109 yrs?
Which gas is a by product of photosynthesis?
What is an example of a biomarker identifying Earth as a planet with life?
What would you find aboard a Voyager spacecraft?
What popular song would you find aboard a Voyager spacecraft? (It
sounds like a trick question – but isn’t ;)
Misc Lectures
What is the 'definition' of life?
Life is hard to define because ________
What is the ‘boundary problem’ with defining life?
What are the abilities all life has?
What can Life do with energy and entropy ?
What is all life is made out of?
What are the necessities of life?
What does all life need to survive?
What does all terrestrial life require?
Why was Photosynthesis a great leap forward in the evolution of the life?
What evidence do scientists have about how life originated on Earth?
What do most astronomers think of UFO reports?
What are some of the reasons that scientists don’t take alien sightings
seriously?
What did project Blue Book explain about UFO's?
What was project Blue Book's final answer?
Have you ever been abducted and gang-probed? Call Jerry Springer!
How does Newton’s third law affect rockets?
What is rocket thrust and what is specific impulse?
What is the difference between chemical and ion rockets?
What is the difference between low-impulse and high-impulse rocket
engines.
What is the problem with rockets carrying their own propellant?
What are two techniques to propel a rocket is space without propellant?
What is the concept of a space elevator?
How does ‘warp drive’ work?
What is a worm hole?
What is the difference between terraforming and ecopoesis?
What do we have to do to terraform Mars?
Why is terraforming Mars easier than Venus?
What would we have to do for ecopoesis on Mars?
How long would terraforming Mars take?
How long would ecopoesis take?
How long would it take to send a colony to another star system?
How long would it take to colonize the entire Galaxy?
What does this imply about the number of ET civilizations?
What was your favorite joke so far?
Some useful websites:
Definition of Life:
http://www.baharna.com/philos/life.htm
NASA’s Astrobiology Website
http://astrobiology.arc.nasa.gov
SETI home page (with many good links)
http://www.seti.org
The Drake Equation
http://www.seti.org/site/pp.asp?c=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=179073
The Fermi Paradox & Rare Earth
http://www.seti.org/site/pp.asp?c=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=179077
Terraforming
http://www.astrobiology.com/terraforming.html
Space Propulsion
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/research/warp/warp.html