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 elliptical motion of a body as it orbits another body in space






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






13. 23.5° - the reason we have seasons

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /var/www/html/basicversity.com/show_quiz.php on line 183


14. Explained movement of planets with retrograde motion






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /var/www/html/basicversity.com/show_quiz.php on line 183


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






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






26. A faint star of enormous density






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






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






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






30. 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






31. Any natural satellite of a planet






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






44. 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






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






46. The spinning of Earth on its axis






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






48. The rainbow effect when light is dispersed through lens






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






50. 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