Galaxies, stars & wavelength in Space

1) What is a spectrum ?

2) What are the different types of spectra?

3) What can a spectrum tell us?

4) How can we tell if the Sun is rotating?

5) What are the different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum?

6) What would X-rays and gamma rays do to us? If the Sun emits (high energy) X-rays and gamma rays why did life evolve on Earth?

7) Why do we have telescopes for the whole of the electromagnetic spectrum and not just for optical light?

8) What is a galaxy?

9) What do you think determines the shape and size of a galaxy?

10) Why do you think galaxies have different colors?

11) What is a black hole?

12) Was Kepler the first to consider a heliocentric (Sun centered) model for the Solar

System?

13) The word ‘planet’ comes from the Greek for ‘wanderer’. Why do you think this is?

14) How many stars are there in our galaxy ?

around 200

around 200,000

around 200 million

around 200 billion

15)The Sun revolves around the centre of the Milky Way in :

In 24 hours

In 1 year

In 250 million years

In15 billion years

16) What does "supernova" mean ?

huge dust accumulation coming before the birth of a star

big star ending its life with a huge explosion

it's the name of an intergalactic superhero

it's the name of our nearest neighbouring galaxy

17) How many rings does the Saturn planet own ?

0

1

2

6

18) Which constellation of the Northern Hemisphere has a distinct "W" shape?

Taurus

Ursa Major

Cassiopeia

Pegasus

19) What is the name of the Danish astronomer (1546-1601) who had an artificial nose made from gold, silver and wax?

Tycho Brahe.

Johann Madler.

Ole Romer.

John Dreyer.

20) The O, B, A, F, G, K, M system is used to classify what?

Classification of planets' atmospheres.

Size of asteroids.

Surface temperature (color) of stars.

Probability of stars having habitable planets orbiting them.

21) Why is the North America Nebula in Cygnus so named?

 It was discovered by a joint Canadian/US team of astronomers

 There is no such nebula

 It can only be seen from North America

 Its shape bears a striking resemblance to the North American continent

22) What cosmologically profound discovery did Arno Penzias and Robert Woodrow Wilson make in 1965?

Heisenberg's uncertainty principle

Black holes

Cosmic microwave background radiation

Quarks

23) Which planet of the Solar System is accompanied by two moons named for the Greek gods of fear and terror?

Neptune

Saturn

Mars

Pluto

24) On what kind of diagram are stars plotted according to their surface temperature and luminosity?

Newton-Hawking Diagram

Hubble's Stellar Evolution Chart

Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram

Einstein's Relativity Diagram

25) What is the constellation Orion?

Winged horse

Swan

Dove

Hunter

1