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 rainbow effect when light is dispersed through lens






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






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






4. All of the frequencies or wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation






5. 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






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






7. 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






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






9. The brilliant explosion of a dying supergiant star






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






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






12. The brightness of a star when viewed from Earth






13. 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






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






15. A graph relating the temperature and brightness of stars






16. The rainbow effect when light is dispersed through lens






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






18. A faint star of enormous density






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






26. 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.






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






28. Chunk of rock or dust in space






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






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






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






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






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






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






35. The spectrum of electromagnetic radiation that has passed through a medium that absorbed radiation of certain wavelengths






36. The study of the universe






37. A rapidly spinning neutron star that produces radio waves






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






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






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






41. 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






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






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






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






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






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






47. The spinning of Earth on its axis






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






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






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