Download AST 1010 Quiz questions

AST 1010 Quiz questions.
No credit will be given for any math problem which does not show ALL work.
Quiz 1.
1. Explain why the Moon goes through a series of phases. Be sure to include a
description of how the relative positions of the Sun, Moon and Earth affect this process.
2. Explain why most locations on the Earth experience a cycle of seasons. Be sure to be
specific as to which hemisphere you are describing.
3. Explain why the Sun, Moon, planets, and many stars seem to rise in the east, pass
across the sky and set in the west on a daily basis.
Quiz 2.
1. The orbital period of an object in the Kuiper belt is 845 years. Calculate the average
distance of this object from the Sun.
2. The orbital period of the planet Neptune is 164.8 years. Calculate the average
distance of Neptune from the Sun.
3. Explain why the Sun, Moon, and planets are seen to move with respect to the stars over
the course of a month.
Quiz 3.
1. Astronomers measure the light coming to Earth from a distant star. From this data they
can derive several types of spectra. One of these spectra may be used to determine the
temperature of the star’s photosphere. Name the type of spectrum which can be used for
this. Describe how the spectrum is used to determine the photosphere’s temperature.
2. Describe the appearance of an emission-line spectra and the appearance of an
absorption-line spectra.
3. Use your knowledge of the structure of atom to describe how the interaction of light
and atoms produce each type of spectrum in question 2.
Quiz 4.
1. Describe the best current model scientists have to explain the origin of the Moon.
2. If humans ever build a permanent base on the Moon spaceships will fly back and forth
carrying cargo and people. Will it require more energy, less energy or the same amount
of energy to lift a spaceship off the Earth than to lift the same ship off the Moon?
Explain
3. The Moon’s surface has many more craters than the Earth’s surface. We discussed
three reasons why this might be so. Explain all three.
Quiz 5.
1. List the eight planets in their usual order of distance from the Sun.
2. Which of these planets are classified as terrestrial? Which of these planets are
classified as Jovian?
3. Explain three differences that are observed between the terrestrial and the Jovian
planets. Don’t just list the differences, explain how the types of planet differ.
Quiz 6.
1. Compare and contrast (i.e. what is the same, and what is different) the atmospheres of
the Terrestrial planets with the atmospheres of the Jovian planets.
2. When it is far from the Sun a comet is a dirty snowball. We observe certain changes in
the appearance of a comet as it moves nearer to the Sun. Describe why these changes
occur.
3. Venus has an average distance from the Sun of 0.7233 AU. What is the maximum
distance that can exist between the Earth and the planet Venus? What is the minimum
distance that can exist between the Earth and the planet Venus? (Hint: what is the
average distance between the Earth and the Sun?)
Quiz 7.
1. Describe in detail how the Sun produces its energy. Describe how that energy
eventually arrives at the photosphere.
2. A star is found to have a surface temperature of 4200K. The Sun has a surface
temperature of 5800K. Would the Sun or the star have the peak wavelength of the
blackbody (or Planck) curve at a shorter wavelength? Explain your answer.
3. Calculate the temperature of a star with a black body curve that peaks at 750 nm.
Quiz 8.
1. Construct a correctly labeled H-R diagram. Include the following regions: the main
sequence, giants, supergiants, and white dwarfs. Be sure to label your axes.
2. Canopus, a bright star in our sky, has an apparent magnitude of -0.62. The star is
located 96 pc from Earth. Would the absolute magnitude of Canopus be greater or less
than the apparent magnitude? Explain.
3. The star Vega has an apparent magnitude of +0.03 and an absolute magnitude of
+0.58. Is Vega located closer than or further than 10 pc from Earth? Explain.
Quiz 9.
1. Construct a correctly labeled H-R diagram. Include the following regions: the main
sequence, giants, supergiants, and white dwarfs. Be sure to label your axes. Draw on the
same diagram a line that traces the evolutionary path of a star like our Sun from the time
the giant molecular cloud begins to contract until it reaches its final state.
2. Star A has a surface temperature of 8100K and star B has a surface temperature of
6600K. Star B appears brighter than star A when viewed from Earth. Explain how this
could occur.
3. The star Deneb has an absolute magnitude of -8.73 while the star Spica has an absolute
magnitude of -3.55. Which star has a higher absolute luminosity? Explain.
Quiz 10.
1. Consider two stars, X, and Z. Star X has a mass of 0.6 times the mass of the Sun. Star
Z has a mass 18 times the mass of the Sun. Describe the ultimate fate of each star.
2. Construct a correctly labeled H-R diagram for a large number of stars. Include the
following regions: the main sequence, giants, supergiants, and white dwarfs. Be sure to
label your axes. Draw a separate, correctly labeled H-R diagram for an old cluster of
stars.
3. Explain how someone looking at your diagram could tell it was an old cluster, as
opposed to a young cluster.
Quiz 11.
1. Imagine that you are in space beyond the halo of the Milky Way Galaxy. Draw a
sketch of the Milky Way, as it would appear looking at the edge of the disk. Label the
parts of your diagram and indicate the approximate position of the Sun. Try to draw the
parts to scale. You do not have to include the outer halo.
2. Does the Sun move within the Milky Way? If so describe the motion of the Sun within
the Milky Way.
3. We have several types of evidence that supports the assumption that the Milky Way is
a spiral galaxy. Name two of these types of evidence and describe how they are
measured.
Quiz 12.
1. Sketch the Hubble tuning fork diagram of galaxy types. Include all 5 types of galaxy
and show how certain types are subdivided.
2. Briefly explain the Hubble tuning fork diagram that you drew in question 1.
3. We have studied three different methods that astronomers use to measure or estimate
the distances to stars. Describe the measurements that are made for any one of these
methods. Describe how these measurements are used to determine distance.
Quiz 13.
1. Galaxy A has a recessional velocity of 9300 km/s while Galaxy B has a recessional
velocity of 2300 km/s. Is it possible to decide which galaxy is currently further from
Earth? If so, state which galaxy is further from Earth. Explain.
2. Which two objects of our solar system are considered the most likely places to find
extra-terrestrial life? Explain your answer.
3. Current data suggests that the universe will have a certain fate. Describe this fate.