Download File 20 Questions (Space) - Bonus Points

Twenty Questions
Subject: Astronomy
Twenty Questions
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1. What instrument made possible the
discovery of additional planets?
Question #1 - Answer
Telescope
2. What is the next planet outward
from the sun after Saturn?
Question #2 - Answer
Uranus
3. How can you tell Pluto is not one of
the gas giants?
Question #3 - Answer
It’s dense and rocky
4. What color are the hottest
stars? The coolest stars?
Question #4 - Answer
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Hottest – Blue and White
Coldest - Red
5. All of the following are major types
of galaxies except which one – spiral,
irregular, elliptical, or triangular?
Question #5 - Answer

Triangular
6. What vocabulary word refers to a
large cloud of gas and dust?
Question #6 - Answer
Nebula
7. What is a supernova? What can be
created because of it?
Question #7 - Answer
A supernova is the explosion of a massive
star at the end of its life. It can either turn
into a black hole, new star (nebula),
neutron star, or pulsar depending on its
size.
8. Describe the role of hydrogen gas
in a main-sequence star (protostar)?
Question #8 - Answer
A main-sequence star generates energy
(heat and light) in its core as hydrogen
changes into helium.
9. What occurs when the Earth’s
shadow falls on the moon?
Question #9 - Answer
Lunar Eclipse
10. Which of the following is the
largest – galaxy, constellation,
universe, star?
Question #10 - Answer
Universe
11. Which phase of the moon occurs
when it is less than ¼ visible and
getting smaller?
Question #11 - Answer
Waning Crescent
12. What is the difference between a
meteor, meteorite, and meteoroid?
Question 12 - Answer
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Meteor – a chunk of rock from outer
space that enters the Earth’s atmosphere
and burns up (also called a shooting star)
Meteoroid – A chunk of rock, smaller than
an asteroid that orbits in space.
Meteorite – A chunk of rock that impacts
the surface, creating a crater.
13. What is the cause of tides?
Question #13 - Answer

The gravitational force of the moon and a
little from the sun pulling on the water’s
of the Earth.
14. An object that travels in an orbit
around the Earth is called a what?
Question #14 - Answer
Satellite
15. The reason for ____ in the southern
hemisphere is because the South Pole is
tilted directly toward the sun on about
December 21st.
Question #15 - Answer
Summer Solstice
16. Why do various planets have
seasons?
Question #16 - Answer

Because the tilt of the planets axis. This
causes certain areas of the planet to
receive direct sunlight (warm) and other
areas to receive sunlight more at an angle
(cold)
17. What term refers to the amount of
time it takes for an object to orbit
around another body in space once?
Question #17 - Answer
Period of Revolution
18. What are comets? How do they
form their tail? Where do they come
from?
Question #18 - Answer
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Comets, also referred to as “dirty snowballs.”
They are made up of ice, rock, and dust.
Tails are formed when a comet passes close
enough to the sun. Solar radiation heats the ice
so that the comet gives off gas and dust. The tail
than always points away from the sun because of
the solar winds released.
Oort Cloud (Surrounds outer solar system) and
the Kuiper Belt (Outside Neptune)
19. Describe why we see several
impact craters on the moon but few on
Earth.
Question #19 - Answer
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Most objects burn up in Earth’s
atmosphere before striking the surface.
The moon does not have an atmosphere
to slow objects down. In addition, erosion
and the movement of plates under the
surface cause the surface features of
Earth to change.
20. If scientists could somehow bring
Europa as close to the sun as the
Earth is, 1 AU, how do you think
Europa would be affected?
Question #20 - Answer

If Europa were closer to the sun, it would
heat up considerably. Europa is made
mostly of ice, so much of its surface
might melt to form oceans and an
atmosphere.