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 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






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






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






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






5. The brilliant explosion of a dying supergiant star






6. The study of the universe






7. A galaxy shaped like a flattened ball - containing only old stars






8. A graph relating the temperature and brightness of stars






9. Chunk of rock or dust in space






10. The farther away a galaxy is - the faster it is moving away


11. 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.






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






13. Explained movement of planets with retrograde motion






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






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






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






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






18. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






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






25. A faint star of enormous density






26. Change in the apparent frequency of a wave as observer and source move toward or away from each other






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






37. 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






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






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






40. A galaxy shaped like a flattened ball - containing only old stars






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






42. Explained movement of planets with retrograde motion






43. The brightness of a star when viewed from Earth






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






45. The increase in wavelength of light due to an object moving away from the observer






46. A graph relating the temperature and brightness of stars






47. The spinning of Earth on its axis






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






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






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