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Exam 3 Review This “review sheet” has a list of questions that you can ask yourself to get a feel for your own comfort level on the different topics that we’ve covered in class Binary Stars Do you understand the importance of studying binary star systems? Are you able to describe the different ways binary stars are observed? You should be able to identify what factors would prevent us from observing a binary star system in particular way (e.g. why might we not see a binary system as a visual binary?). Do you know how a star’s evolution can be affected by being a member of a binary star system? How are binary stars used to find the existence of black holes? Star Clusters How well do you know the characteristics of open clusters and globular clusters (e.g. number of stars, location in the Galaxy, types of stars in each, etc.)? What is the assumption we make about the formation of stars in a given cluster and what does that lead us to believe about the age and distance to each star in a cluster? Can you explain how we go about determining the age and distance to a given star cluster? The Milky Way Galaxy Do you know the properties of each of the three major regions of the Galaxy (bulge, disk, stellar halo)? You should focus on details such as the types of stars in each region, the (relative) stellar density, shape of each region, and other properties that may be specific to each region. Do you understand how our view of the Galaxy changed through more detailed observations and how the ISM limited our view to begin with? What is the difference between the Milky Way and the Milky Way Galaxy? What leads us to believe that dark matter exists in the Galaxy and what are the two possible explanations for what dark matter is made of? Galaxies What was the Great Nebula Debate and what observations did Hubble use to provide its resolution? Can you identify the properties of the different types of galaxies (elliptical, spiral/barred spiral, irregular)? Are you able to classify galaxies according to the Hubble Sequence? Do you know the Milky Way Galaxy’s classification? Do you understand how we believe galaxies are created as spirals and then evolve to become elliptical galaxies through collisions/mergers? Cosmology Can you trace the general evolution of the Universe from the Big Bang to the present? Do you know what evidence suggests that the Big Bang Theory is correct? What stage of the Universe’s evolution is still unknown? Do you know what the possible fates of the Universe are based on, and which of the scenarios we believe to be the fate of the Universe based on current observations? Do you know the estimated age of the Universe? Exoplanets What is the definition of a planet? What are some of the general properties of exoplanets that astronomers have been able to deduce from their observations (size, mass, orbital radius, total number discovered)? What has limited astronomers’ attempts at seeing an exoplanet directly? What are the methods used to detect the presence of exoplanets? Which method has been most successful to date? Which method of detection will the Kepler telescope use? What do astronomers hope to achieve with future observations? What is the significance of each of the following exoplanets: 51 Pegasi (b); GQ Lupi (b); Fomalhaut (b); HD 209458 (b); Upsilon Andromidae (b); Epsilon Eridani (b); Gliese 581 Extra-terrestrial Life Do you know what conditions Earth has that made it favorable for life to develop on Earth? How was life able to develop and thrive on Earth? What are the properties of water and Carbon that make them essential ingredients for the development of life? What properties of other worlds (Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jovian planets, etc.) would make us think that there isn’t life present there? What worlds show some promise for the existence of basic forms of life, and why? What search efforts have we made to establish contact with another advanced civilization? Key Terms to Know The following is a list of terms that you should be comfortable with for the upcoming exam. This list should be used as a guide and might not include every term that was covered in class. For completeness, you should refer to the notes you took in class or the notes that are posted on the web page. Arecibo Message Center of Mass Chicxulub Closed Universe Cosmic Microwave Background Critical Density Cygnus X-1 Dark Matter Halo Flat Universe Habitable Zone Hubble Constant Hubble Law Hubble Sequence MACHO Main Sequence Turnoff Miller-Urey Experiment Nova Open Universe Optical Double Pioneer Plaques Planck Era SETI String Theory (basic definition) Supernova (Type I) The Local Group Voyager Gold Records WIMP Zone of Avoidance