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






2. Point of moon's orbit when it is nearest the earth






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






4. The motion of a spinning body (as a top) in which it wobbles so that the axis of rotation sweeps out a cone






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






6. A rapidly spinning neutron star that produces radio waves






7. Chunk of rock or dust in space






8. 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.






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

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






11. The blocking of sunlight to the moon that occurs when Earth is directly between the sun and the moon






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






13. The decrease in wavelength of light due to an object moving away from the oberver






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






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






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






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






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






19. An extremely bright star of very large diameter and low density






20. Any natural satellite of a planet






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






22. 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






23. 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






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






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






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






27. 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






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






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






30. Varying amounts of the lighted moon as seen from earth






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






32. A graph relating the temperature and brightness of stars






33. The elliptical motion of a body as it orbits another body in space






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






35. Point of moon's orbit when it is nearest the earth






36. The blocking of sunlight to the moon that occurs when Earth is directly between the sun and the moon






37. Astronomical telescope that picks up electromagnetic radiations in the radio-frequency range from extra-terrestrial sources






38. Radiation left over from the beginning of the universe






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






40. The study of the universe






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






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






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






44. Polish astronomer who produced a workable model of the solar system with the sun in the center (1473-1543)






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






46. 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






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






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






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






50. Any natural satellite of a planet