Test your basic knowledge |

Astronomy Basics

Subject : science
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. The brightness of a star when viewed from Earth






2. Italian astronomer - mathematician - and physicist. His telescopes proved the sun is the center of the solar system and that the planets/moon move. He was persecuted for supporting Copernicus' ideas.






3. A measure of the amount of light that a star actually emits






4. Planet with a solid - rocky crust; more dense; Inner planet. Mercury - Venus - Earth - Mars






5. A spectrum of light in which there are no gaps - so that each region blends directly into the next






6. Any substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances






7. The theory that the universe originated 20 billion years ago from the cataclysmic explosion of a small mass of matter at extremely high density and temperature






8. A galaxy with a bulge in the middle and arms that spiral outward in a pinwheel pattern






9. The theory that states that gravity will over come the expansion of the universe and bring everything together in an implosion






10. When the moon passes between earth and the sun - blocking the sunlight from reaching earth






11. A contracting cloud of gas and dust with enough mass to form a star






12. A variable star that brightens and dims regularly - or pulses - and whose distance can be determined from its period of pulsation






13. Any of numerous small celestial bodies composed of rock and metal that move around the sun (mainly between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter)






14. The average distance between the Earth and the sun - or approximately 150000000 km






15. A large cloud of dust and gas that can break apart into smaller pieces and form stars






16. A particle of electromagnetic radiation having zero mass and carrying a quantum of energy






17. A system of galaxies containing from several to thousands of member galaxies






18. A system of two stars that revolve around each other under their mutual gravitation






19. The distance between crests of waves - such as those of the electromagnetic spectrum






20. The most distant point in the orbit of the moon






21. A very small star with low temperature - reddish in color






22. Remnant of a star that is so dense that nothing - not even light - can escape its gravity field






23. A star that falls into the main sequence category on the H-are diagram






24. A model of the universe based on the assumption that the sun - moon - and planets all orbit Earth






25. The comet discovered in 1705 that repeats itself every 76 years and last appeared in 1986.


26. The apparent westward motion of the planets with respect to the stars






27. Light distance travels in one year (9.5 trillion km)






28. The two days of the year on which neither hemisphere is tilted toward or away from the sun






29. Point in orbit that is closest to the sun - planet moves faster






30. A rapidly spinning neutron star that produces radio waves






31. Explained movement of planets with retrograde motion






32. A region of the solar system that is just beyond the orbit of neptune and that contains small bodies made mostly of ice






33. The rainbow effect when light is dispersed through lens






34. A system of galaxies containing from several to thousands of member galaxies






35. The luminous cloud of particles surrounding the frozen nucleus of a comet






36. A rapidly spinning neutron star that produces radio waves






37. Any of the small solid extraterrestrial bodies that hits the earth's atmosphere






38. An elongated circle - or oval shape - the shape of the planets orbit






39. Every object in the universe was attracted to every other object w/ a force that is directly proportional to the masses and proportional to distance between them






40. Stony or metallic object that is the remains of a meteoroid that has reached the earth's surface






41. The study of the spectra of stars by analyzing the spectral properties of the light they give off






42. Influenced by Copernicus; Built observatory and collected data on the locations of stars and planets for over 20 years






43. English mathematician and physicist - discovered the law of universal gravitation






44. Spectrum of electromagnetic radiation emitted by a self-luminous source






45. One of the small asteroid-like bodies that formed the building blocks of the planets






46. Light distance travels in one year (9.5 trillion km)






47. A graph relating the temperature and brightness of stars






48. The name of our galaxy - a spiral galaxy that contains about 400 billion stars






49. An elongated circle - or oval shape - the shape of the planets orbit






50. A spectrum of light in which there are no gaps - so that each region blends directly into the next