Objective

Compare the size and distance of objects within systems in the universe.

Ask an Astronomer Worksheets

Question: "Where is the center of the Universe?"

1. What started the expansion of the Universe?

a. Big Bangc. Big Crunch

b. Big Chilld. Steady State

2. The expansion of the Universe is like people walking away from each other.

a. Trueb. False

3. The expansion of the Universe is more like a ______that is spreading and moving people apart.

a. pathc. sidewalk

b. roadd. yard

4. What happens to the “galaxies” on a balloon as we blow it up?

a. They stay in the same place.c. They move farther apart.

b. They move closer together.

5. Every galaxy sees itself as the ______of the expansion.

a. centerc. closest end

b. farthest endd. edge

6. Since not every point can be the center of the universe, that means there is no center.

a. Trueb. False

7. The further away one galaxy is from another, the ______it will be moving away from it.

a. slowerb. faster

8. The Universe doesn't actually have a center.

a. Trueb. False

Question: "What's between the stars?"

9. About how big is a cubic centimeter?

a. Size of a die.c. Size of a quarter.

b. Size of a sugar cube.d. Size of a computer key.

10. If a ball was one molecule of gust or dust, how many would be in the room in which Michelle Thaller in?

a. Fifty millionc. Fifty trillion

b. Fifty billiond. Fifty quintillion

11. The best vacuum we can make on Earth would remove all the “balls” from the room.

a. Trueb. False

12. In space, there is only _____ molecule per cubic centimeter.

a. onec. one-hundred

b. tend. one-thousand

13. Even though there is only one molecule per cubic centimeter, there are a lot of molecules because space is so large.

a. Trueb. False

14. The interstellar medium is mainly made up of…

a. Argonc. Hydrogen

b. Heliumd. Xenon

15. Even though the interstellar medium is very, very thin, light-years of the stuff eventually…

a. allows visible light to pass through.

b. blocks out all infrared light.

c. blocks out visible light.

d. has no effect on visible light.

Question: "What happens when galaxies collide?"

16. Galaxies are made mostly of…

a. stars.c. gas.

b. dust.d. stars and gas.

17. If two spiral galaxy collide, it’s very unlikely that any of those stars will collide.

a. Trueb. False

18. Stars will not collide because there is…

a. so few stars.c. so many stars.

b. so little space between stars.d. so much space between stars.

19. What happens when clouds of gas in galaxies collide?

a. Bounce off each other.c. Pass through each other.

b. Go around each other.d. Smash together with tremendous force.

20. What are formed when clouds of gas in galaxies collide?

a. Nebulac. Stars

b. Black Holesd. Neutron stars

21. Which force plays a very large role in a collision?

a. Electromagnetic forcec. Strong nuclear force

b. Gravityd. Weak nuclear force

22. Interacting galaxies only pass through each other once.

a. Trueb. False

23. In three billion years, the Milky Way will collide with which galaxy?

a. Andromeda Galaxyc. Pinwheel Galaxy

b. Large Magellanic Cloudd. Triangulum Galaxy

Question: "What is the nearest galaxy to the Milky Way?"

24. The answer to which galaxy is nearest the Milky Way is complicated.

a. Trueb. False

25. What is the closest, completely separate, large galaxy to the Milky Way?

a. Andromeda Galaxyc. Pinwheel Galaxy

b. Large Magellanic Cloudd. Triangulum Galaxy

26. You cannot see the Andromeda Galaxy without a telescope.

a. Trueb. False

27. The Milky Way has two satellite galaxies orbiting it. These are the Large and Small…

a. Dwarf Galaxies.c. Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxies.

b. Magellanic Clouds.d. Satellite Clouds.

28. A dwarf galaxy is colliding with the Milky Way right now. It is located in direction of which constellation?

a. Corvusc. Sagittarius

b. Centaurusd. Scorpius

29. The Milky Way has almost completely eaten this galaxy.

a. Canes Venaticius Dwarf Galaxies

b. Canis Majoris Dwarf Galaxy

c. Leo Minoris Irregular Galaxy

d. Ursa Minoris Majoris Galaxy.

Ask an Astronomer Worksheets – Key

Question: "Where is the center of the Universe?"

1. What started the expansion of the Universe?

a. Big Bang

2. The expansion of the Universe is like people walking away from each other.

b. False (2 choices)

3. The expansion of the Universe is more like a ______that is spreading and moving people apart.

c. sidewalk

4. What happens to the “galaxies” on a balloon as we blow it up?

c. They move farther apart. (3 choices)

5. Every galaxy sees itself as the ______of the expansion.

a. center

6. since not every point can be the center of the universe, that means there is no center.

a. True (2 choices)

7. The further away one galaxy is from another, the ______it will be expanding away from it.

b. faster (2 choices)

8. The Universe doesn't actually have a center.

a. True (2 choices)

Question: "What's between the stars?"

9. About how big is a cubic centimeter?

d. Size of a computer key.

10. If a ball was one molecule of gust or dust, how many would be in the room in which Michelle Thaller in?

d. Fifty quintillion

11. The best vacuum we can make on Earth would remove all the “balls” from the room.

b. False (2 choices)

12. In space, there is only _____ molecule per cubic centimeter.

a. one

13. Even though there is only one molecule per cubic centimeter, there are a lot of molecules because space is so large.

a. True (2 choices)

14. The interstellar medium is mainly made up of…

c. Hydrogen

15. Even though the interstellar medium is very, very thin, light-years of the stuff eventually…

c. blocks out visible light.

Question: "What happens when galaxies collide?"

16. Galaxies are made mostly of…

d. stars and gas.

17. If two spiral galaxy collide, it’s very unlikely that any of those stars will collide.

a. True (2 choices)

18. Stars will not collide because there is…

d. so much space between stars.

19. What happens when clouds of gas in galaxies collide?

d. Smash together with tremendous force.

20. What are formed when clouds of gas in galaxies collide?

c. Stars

21. Which force plays a very large role in a collision?

b. Gravity

22. Interacting galaxies only pass through each other once.

b. False (2 choices)

23. In three billion years, the Milky Way will collide with which galaxy?

a. Andromeda Galaxy

Question: "What is the nearest galaxy to the Milky Way?"

24. The answer to which galaxy is nearest the Milky Way is complicated.

a. True (2 choices)

25. What is the closest, completely separate, large galaxy to the Milky Way?

a. Andromeda Galaxy

26. You cannot see the Andromeda Galaxy without a telescope.

b. False (2 choices)

27. The Milky Way has two satellite galaxies orbiting it. These are the Large and Small…

b. Magellanic Clouds.

28. A dwarf galaxy is colliding with the Milky Way right now. It is located in direction of which constellation?

c. Sagittarius

29. The Milky Way has almost completely eaten this galaxy.

b. Canis Majoris Dwarf Galaxy

Ask an Astronomer Worksheets

1. a
2. b (2 choices)
3. c
4. c (3 choices)
5. a
6. a (2 choices)
7. b (2 choices)
8. a (True)
9. b
10. d
11. b
12. a
13. b
14. c
15. c / 16. d
17. a (2 choices)
18. d
19. d
20. c
21. b
22. b (2 choices)
23. a
24. a (2 choices)
25. a
26. b (2 choices)
27. b
28. c
29. b / Scoring Guide
26-29 – 3
22-25 – 2.5
15-21 – 2
9-14 – 1.5
5-8 – 1
1-4 – .5

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