Astronomy

Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

____	1.	The color of a star depends on its
a.	size.	c.	shape.	
b.	temperature.	d.	magnitude.	

____	2.	What can a scientist learn about a star from its spectrum?
a.	its color	c.	its composition and temperature	
b.	its size	d.	its age	

____	3.	Why do black lines appear on an absorption spectrum?
a.	They show where too much light is absorbed by a star’s atmosphere.	
b.	They show where less light is absorbed by a star’s atmosphere.	
c.	They are the emission lines of an electrically charged element.	
d.	They show where a star has black spots.	

____	4.	What color are the hottest stars?
a.	red	c.	orange	
b.	yellow	d.	blue	

____	5.	What objects are formed from the materials in the core of a supernova?
a.	black holes and supergiants	c.	black holes and neutron stars	
b.	red giants and white dwarfs	d.	neutron stars and white dwarfs	

____	6.	Which of the following shows the sequence of a star’s life cycle from its earliest stage to its latest stage?
a.	white dwarf, main sequence, red giant	c.	red giant, white dwarf, main sequence	
b.	main sequence, red giant, white dwarf	d.	main sequence, white dwarf, red giant	

____	7.	All of the following are major types of galaxies EXCEPT
a.	spiral galaxy.	c.	elliptical galaxy.	
b.	irregular galaxy.	d.	triangular galaxy.	

____	8.	Why do scientists study distant galaxies?
a.	to learn what galaxies are made of	c.	to learn about space travel	
b.	to learn what early galaxies looked like	d.	to learn about the speed of light	

____	9.	Which of the following statements is true?
a.	The universe is expanding outward.	
b.	The universe is getting smaller every day.	
c.	The universe contracts and expands on a regular basis.	
d.	Scientists do not know if the universe is getting larger or smaller.	

____	10.	How are objects organized in the universe?
a.	Objects are scattered through space according to a random pattern.	
b.	Objects are organized according to a loosely repeated pattern and are part of a larger system.	
c.	Objects are organized according to a loosely repeated pattern but are not part of any other system.	
d.	Objects are not organized in any particular way.	

____	11.	Scientists think that the universe will
a.	end someday.	c.	eventually shrink.	
b.	expand forever.	d.	expand and shrink on a regular basis.	

____	12.	Which of the following is the hottest?
a.	a red giant superstar	c.	a main-sequence yellow star	
b.	a small white dwarf star	d.	a main-sequence blue star	

____	13.	According to the big bang theory, the universe is about
a.	470 billion years old.	c.	4.7 billion years old.	
b.	500 billion years old.	d.	13.7 billion years old.	

____	14.	Scientists think that the Milky Way probably is
a.	an irregular galaxy.	c.	a spiral galaxy.	
b.	an elliptical galaxy.	d.	a nebula.	

____	15.	Which of the following is the largest?
a.	a nebula	c.	a neutron star	
b.	a galaxy	d.	a globular cluster	

____	16.	What do the pattern of lines in a star’s absorption spectrum represent?
a.	the star’s color	
b.	some of the elements in the star’s atmosphere	
c.	all of the elements in the star’s atmosphere	
d.	the elements in the star’s core	

____	17.	According to the big bang theory, what filled the universe after the original explosion?
a.	nebulas	c.	open clusters	
b.	globular clusters	d.	cosmic background radiation	

____	18.	What are the three major types of galaxies identified by Edwin Hubble?
a.	spiral, triangular, irregular	c.	spiral, triangular, elliptical	
b.	spiral, elliptical, irregular	d.	triangular, elliptical, irregular	

____	19.	Why do scientists study distant galaxies to learn about early galaxies?
a.	Distant galaxies are just beginning to form, so they are very similar to early galaxies.	
b.	Distant galaxies have not changed as much as close galaxies, so they are the most similar to early galaxies.	
c.	Distant galaxies share many characteristics with early galaxies.	
d.	Because it takes a long time for light to travel through space, looking at distant galaxies shows what early galaxies looked like.	

____	20.	What type of star has used up all of its hydrogen and is the leftover center of an older star?
a.	red giant	c.	white dwarf	
b.	supernova	d.	main sequence	

____	21.	Which of the following are large clouds of gas and dust?
a.	a nebula	c.	a neutron star	
b.	a galaxy	d.	a globular cluster	

____	22.	A star’s apparent shift in position is called a(n)
a.	apparent magnitude.	c.	absolute magnitude.	
b.	parallax.	d.	light-year.	

____	23.	Which of the following is the leftover center of an older star?
a.	a red giant superstar	c.	a main-sequence yellow star	
b.	a white dwarf star	d.	a main-sequence blue star	

____	24.	According to the big bang theory, the universe is about
a.	200 billion years old.	c.	4.7 billion years old.	
b.	700 billion years old.	d.	13.7 billion years old.	

____	25.	The spectrum of a star gives information about its
a.	composition and temperature.	c.	age.	
b.	size.	d.	age and temperature.	

____	26.	What binds a galaxy together?
a.	stars	c.	brightness	
b.	gravity	d.	dust	

____	27.	What classification do astronomers use for galaxies?
a.	size	c.	color	
b.	age	d.	shape	

____	28.	What are individual objects in the universe a part of?
a.	a larger system	c.	a solar system	
b.	a smaller system	d.	a planetary system	

____	29.	What type of galaxy is the Milky Way?
a.	a spiral galaxy	c.	an elliptical galaxy	
b.	an irregular galaxy	d.	an odd-shaped galaxy	

____	30.	What is cosmology?
a.	the study of the solar system	
b.	the study of the universe’s origin, structure, and future	
c.	the study of the makeup of stars	
d.	the study of space travel