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Astronomy Midterm Study Guide
1. List the four terrestrial planets. What makes them “terrestrial?”
2.
List the four gas giant planets. What makes them “gas giants?”
3.
List 3 facts each about the 7 planets below:
Mercury:
Venus:
Mars:
Jupiter:
Saturn:
Uranus:
Neptune:
4.
Where is the asteroid belt located? What is it?
5.
What planet would revolve the slowest around the Sun and why?
6.
Explain the difference between revolution and rotation.
7.
Which planets have more moons and why? Explain!
8.
Answer the questions below:
a. How long does the Earth take to rotate?
b. How long does the Earth take to revolve around the Sun?
c. How long does it take for the Moon to rotate around the Earth?
9. Draw a model of the relationship between the Sun, Earth and Moon.
10. What is the summer solstice? What is the date?
11. What is the winter solstice? What is the date?
12. Draw a model of the Moon phases below. How long does it take between 1 full moon and the
next?
13. Explain how the Moon lights up. Draw a picture if it helps!
14. Draw a model of a solar eclipse and explain what is occurring. Be sure to include the phase of
the moon that must be present for it to happen.
15. Draw a model of a lunar eclipse and explain what is occurring. Be sure to include the phase of
the moon that must be present for it to happen.
16. What happens to the gravitational force between two objects if the distance between them
doubles? Explain why.
17. Explain how the tilt of the Earth affects the seasons. Draw a picture to help explain your
answer.
18. Define inertia and gravity. If the force of gravity between the Earth and the sun were greater
than Earth’s inertia, what would happen to Earth? Explain your answer.
19. Draw a model below of the path of the Sun in the winter and in the summer. Explain the
difference between the paths and why it occurs.
20. Explain why there is night and day on Earth. What causes this?
21. The Sun is much larger than the Moon. Explain why they appear the same size from Earth?
22. What two factors affect a planets revolution?
23. Label the diagram below with the seasons:
24. What characteristics do astronomers use to classify stars?
25. List 3 characteristics of main sequence stars.
26. List 3 characteristics of red giants.
27. List 3 characteristics of white dwarfs.
28. Put the colors of stars in order from coldest to hottest.
29. Which of the magnitude would be seen as the brightest? Magnitude of 0 or Magnitude of -4?
30. The majority of stars in our galaxy are which type?
31. Most stars are made in which type of galaxy and where in it?
32. Explain the life cycle of our sun starting with its formation to its death. Be sure to use the
following terms: nebula, main sequence, white dwarf, red giant
33. Explain the life cycle of a massive star staring with its formation to its death. Be sure to use the
following terms and give all possible endings: nebula, black hole, supernova, red supergiant,
main sequence, interstellar medium, pulsar
34. Put these terms in order from largest to smallest:
Milky Way Galaxy, Sun, Solar System, Universe, Earth, Nebula, Local Group, Hubble telescope
35. While looking through a telescope, you see a galaxy with lots of main sequence stars in the
outer regions and lots of white dwarfs and red giants near the center. What kind of galaxy do
you think it is and why? Explain.
36. Explain the big bang theory. What evidence is there to support it?