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






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






3. Optical telescope that has a large convex lens that produces an image that is viewed through the eyepiece






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






5. The brightness of a star when viewed from Earth






6. All of the frequencies or wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation






7. A large body in space that orbits a star and does not produce light of its own






8. Space object made of dust and rock particles mixed with frozen water - methane - and ammonia that forms a bright coma as it approaches the Sun






9. A large body in space that orbits a star and does not produce light of its own






10. A spherical region of comets that surrounds the solar system






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






12. Brahe's assistant - German astronomer who first discovered the three laws of planetary motion (1571-1630)






13. A graph relating the temperature and brightness of stars






14. An immense cloud of gas (mainly hydrogen) and dust in interstellar space






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






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






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






18. A star that ejects some of its material in the form of a cloud and become more luminous in the process






19. The place in the orbit of a planet where the planet is farthest from the sun






20. A star that expands and cools once it runs out of hydrogen fuel






21. A group of stars that form a pattern in the sky






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






23. A space telescope and camera named for a famous astronaut (Edward Hubble) used to study space elements






24. The spinning of Earth on its axis






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






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






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






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






29. Brahe's assistant - German astronomer who first discovered the three laws of planetary motion (1571-1630)






30. The brilliant explosion of a dying supergiant star






31. A graph relating the temperature and brightness of stars






32. The brilliant explosion of a dying supergiant star






33. The apparent change in position of an object when seen from different places






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






35. A group of about 30 galaxies that includes the Milky Way






36. A star that expands and cools once it runs out of hydrogen fuel






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






38. A model of the solar system in which Earth and the other planets revolve around the sun






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






41. Any natural satellite of a planet






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






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






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






45. The small - dense remains of a high-mass star after a supernova






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






47. A telescope that uses a curved mirror to collect and focus light






48. Optical telescope that has a large convex lens that produces an image that is viewed through the eyepiece






49. A group of stars that form a pattern in the sky






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