Download Astronomy Comprehensive Test

Name: _______________________________Date:__________________
Astronomy Comprehensive Test Study Guide
Earth Science
distance
Saturn
is less
dense
2
Tropic of
Capricorn
winds
it is
experiencing
summer
50%
galaxies are
moving away
from each
other in a
constantly
expanding
universe
asteroids
an inner planet
1. The Southern Hemisphere is warmer in January than in July because It is
experiencing summer
2. What is the approximate percentage of the Earth that is illuminated by the sun
at any given time?
3. Which of the following best describes Earth's orbital position in our solar
system? _Earth is an inner planet
4. This model shows the Earth's position relative to the sun. At the time of year
shown by the model, the areas receiving the most direct sunlight will be near
the __________________________________
5. The numerous rocks orbiting the sun between Jupiter and Mars are
____________________________________________
6. A light-year measures _______________________
7. Photographs of the surface of Mars reveal the presence of sand dunes that shift
over time. These dunes demonstrate the presence of what phenomenon on Mars?
____________________________
8. In 1912, an astronomer at Arizona's Lowell Observatory noticed that the lines in
the spectra of most galaxies shifted toward the red end of the spectrum. Another
American astronomer, Edwin Hubble, later interpreted this discovery as evidence
that __________________________________
9. At what position would Earth be found in the solar system diagram shown
above? ______________________
10. If matter from Saturn would float in water, while matter from Earth would sink
in water, why would that happen? ____________________
They appear
to be
revolving
around each
other
stellar nebula
low density
Venus
Mercury
Core
distance from
the Earth
gravity
fusion
distance from
Earth
11. Which planet is often called "Earth's twin" because it is similar in mass and
diameter to the Earth? ____________________________
12. A star might be much brighter than it appears to be. This is called the star's
absolute magnitude. The difference in apparent magnitude and absolute magnitude
is due primarily to the star's ________________
_________________________________________________________
13. The sequence of pictures above shows the same portion of the night sky over a
number of years. What appears to be happening with the stars on the left?
____________________________________________
______________________________________________________14. A person weighs more on the Earth than on the moon because the Earth has a
greater ________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
15. What is the first stage in the life cycle of a star? _______________
_________________________________________________________
16. The sun emits energy by converting hydrogen into helium. What is this process
called? _________________________________
17. Saturn's volume is 762 times the volume of Earth, and yet its mass is only about
95 times that of Earth's mass. This is due to Saturn's _______
____________
18. Orbital velocity is the average speed of a planet moving through space in its
orbit around the sun. Which of the following planets has the fastest orbital velocity?
________________________
19. Parallax can be used to measure a star's ______________________
________________________
20. The planet Uranus is unusual because its axis of rotation lies almost in the plane
of its revolution. If the axis is pointing toward the sun as in the picture, what would
occur at point X when the planet turns once on its axis?
a. the point would be in twilight for the full rotation
b. the point would be in darkness for the complete rotation of the planet
c. the point would be in daylight for half the time and in darkness for half the time
d. the point would be in daylight for full rotation
21. Which layer of the sun is the most dense? _____________
_________________________________
is nearly
stationary
and on the
horizon
one side of
the moon to
always face
the Earth
liquid water
Apollo 11
50%
Venus
Jupiter
Winds
fusion
a comet
22. Photographs of the surface of Mars reveal the presence of sand dunes that shift
over time. These dunes demonstrate the presence of what phenomenon on Mars?
________________________
23. Which of the above evolutionary stages of a massive star is called a supernova?
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4
24. The first manned-mission to land on the moon was commanded by Neil Armstrong and
was called _________________________
25. The pole star, Polaris, is nearly stationary and straight overhead when seen from the
North Pole. When viewed from the Equator, it
_____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
26. Which of these elements does this star contain?
a. Mercury
b. Neon
c. Sodium
d. Calcium
27. Periodically, there are spectacular meteor showers on Earth. These showers
usually occur because the Earth's orbit passes through the remains of
__________________________________________
28. The moon rotates on its axis at the same rate that it revolves around the Earth.
This causes ________________________________________
29. Because of the unique position of the Earth in the solar system, life has
flourished due to the presence of ___________________________
30. Which planet has the shortest day? _____________________
31. Which planet is often called "Earth's twin" because it is similar in mass and
diameter to the Earth? _________________________
32. What process has occurred when atoms combine to form a new element and
release energy? ____________________
33. What is the approximate percentage of the Earth that is illuminated by the sun
at any given time? _____________________
fusion
corona
an inner
planet
black dwarf
The orbit of
Mars is
outside that
of the Earth’s
orbit
The rotation
of the Earth
on its axis
asteroids
hydrogen
In clumps
that are
themselves
unevenly
distributed in
space
there is no
wind or rain
34. The numerous rocks orbiting the sun between Jupiter and Mars are
_______________________________________
35. Which of these stars has completed its life cycle? ______________
____________________
36. What powers stars? ________________________
37. What element is the main component of most stars? ____________
______________
38. Which layer of the sun is seen during a total solar eclipse?
_______________
39. Which diagram represents the placement of the sun, Earth, and moon during a
lunar eclipse?
40. Which of the following best describes Earth's orbital position in our solar
system? _________________________________________
41. When Venus passes between the Earth and the sun, it is visible as a tiny black
dot on the sun's bright disk. Why is Mars never visible in this same way?
____________________________________________
___________________________________________________
42. What causes days and nights? ________________________
______________________________________________
43. How are stars distributed in space? __________________________
________________________________________________________
44. Why does erosion not occur on the moon? ___________________
________________________________________________________
Jupiter
the galaxies are
moving away from
each other
one day
45. Which of these facts is the best supporting evidence that the universe is
expanding? _____________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
46. About how long does it take the Earth to make one complete rotation on its
axis? __________________________
47. In the late 1920s, Edwin Hubble and Milton Humason determined the distance
to a number of galaxies and the velocity of those galaxies relative to the Earth. The
graph shows the early results that were obtained. What approximate ratio did the
scientists calculate between velocity and distance based on these early findings?
a. 150 kilometers per second per one million light years
b. 300 kilometers per second per one million light years
c. 450 kilometers per second per one million light years
d. 600 kilometers per second per one million light years
48. Which planet has a fierce hurricane-like storm that is several times the size of
Earth? ________________________________