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. 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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






9. 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






10. Radiation left over from the beginning of the universe






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






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






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






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






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






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






17. Radiation left over from the beginning of the universe






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






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






20. Any natural satellite of a planet






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






22. A rapidly spinning neutron star that produces radio waves






23. A graph relating the temperature and brightness of stars






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






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






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






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






28. A faint star of enormous density






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






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






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






32. The brilliant explosion of a dying supergiant star






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






34. All of the frequencies or wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation






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






36. The rainbow effect when light is dispersed through lens






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






44. Explained movement of planets with retrograde motion






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






46. 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






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






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






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






50. Explained movement of planets with retrograde motion