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






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






3. The formation of a celestial object by the effect of gravity pulling together surrounding objects and gases






4. A shift toward the red end of the spectrum in the observed spectral lines of stars or galaxies showing objects are moving away and that the universe is expanding






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






14. 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.






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






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






17. When the northern or southern most point on earth receives the most sun because the earth is tilted toward the sun






18. 23.5° - the reason we have seasons

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






20. A rapidly spinning neutron star that produces radio waves






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






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






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






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






25. Chunk of rock or dust in space






26. A faint star of enormous density






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






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






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






30. Galaxy with no particular shape - contains new & old stars






31. An enormously bright - distant galaxy with a giant black hole at its center






32. Massive clouds of dust and gases where stars are born






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






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






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






36. Planets with low densities and are huge gas giants. Jupiter - Saturn - Uranus - Neptune






37. Radiation left over from the beginning of the universe






38. Large group of stars - dust - and gas held together by gravity; can be elliptical - spiral - or irregular






39. The brilliant explosion of a dying supergiant star






40. 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






41. A graph relating the temperature and brightness of stars






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






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






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






45. Any natural satellite of a planet






46. All of the frequencies or wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation






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






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






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






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