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






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






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






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






5. The spinning of Earth on its axis






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






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






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






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


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






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






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






13. 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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






23. Any natural satellite of a planet






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






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






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






27. A rapidly spinning neutron star that produces radio waves






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






29. 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






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






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






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






33. A faint star of enormous density






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






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






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






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






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






39. A rapidly spinning neutron star that produces radio waves






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






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






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






43. The brightness of a star when viewed from Earth






44. A contracting cloud of gas and dust with enough mass to form a star






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






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






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






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






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






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