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 farther away a galaxy is - the faster it is moving away


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






3. 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






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






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






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






7. The rainbow effect when light is dispersed through lens






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






9. Radiation left over from the beginning of the universe






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






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






12. A large body in space that orbits a star and does not produce light of its own






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






23. 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.






24. A faint star of enormous density






25. When the northern or southern most point on earth receives the most sun because the earth is tilted toward the sun






26. A graph relating the temperature and brightness of stars






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






28. A galaxy shaped like a flattened ball - containing only old stars






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






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






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






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






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






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






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


36. The brilliant explosion of a dying supergiant star






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






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






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






40. 23.5° - the reason we have seasons


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






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






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






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






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






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






47. A faint star of enormous density






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






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






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