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






2. 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






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






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






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


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






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






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






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






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






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






12. A space telescope and camera named for a famous astronaut (Edward Hubble) used to study space elements






13. Explained movement of planets with retrograde motion






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






25. The rainbow effect when light is dispersed through lens






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


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






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






29. 23.5° - the reason we have seasons


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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






40. 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






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






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






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






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






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






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






47. A graph relating the temperature and brightness of stars






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






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






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