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






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






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






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






5. Chunk of rock or dust in space






6. 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






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






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






9. A faint star of enormous density






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






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






12. 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.






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






14. The spinning of Earth on its axis






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






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






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






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






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






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






21. A model of the solar system in which Earth and the other planets revolve around the sun






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






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






24. A rapidly spinning neutron star that produces radio waves






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






26. Radiation left over from the beginning of the universe






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






28. The study of the universe






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






37. Any natural satellite of a planet






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






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






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






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






42. Chunk of rock or dust in space






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






44. Explained movement of planets with retrograde motion






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






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






47. 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






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






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






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