Astronomy and Cosmology Quiz
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Questions and Answers

What is Cosmology?

The branch of astronomy that deals with the origin, large-scale properties, and the evolution of the observable universe.

What is the Universe?

The Universe is the sum total of all things which can be directly observed or whose physical effects on other things can be detected. It is defined as space and all the matter and energy in it.

What are the major components of the Universe?

  • Galaxies
  • Solar systems
  • Planets
  • All of the above (correct)

    • Can you think of something in the universe that cannot be seen, but its effects on other things can be detected?

    <p>Dark matter and dark energy</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The Big Bang Theory explains that the universe originated from an explosion.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    When did the Big Bang occur?

    <p>About 13.7 billion years ago</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Edwin Hubble discovered that galaxies are moving away from each other.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the Hubble Law?

    <p>The farther away a galaxy is, the faster it is moving away from us.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson accidentally detected cosmic microwave background radiation in 1965.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a Galaxy?

    <p>A large assemblage of stars (and often gas and dust), typically containing millions to hundreds of billions of member stars.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How many galaxies are estimated to be in the universe?

    <p>Around 100 billion</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What holds galaxies together?

    <p>The gravitational attraction of all its member stars on one another</p> Signup and view all the answers

    When did galaxies form after the Big Bang?

    <p>Around 200 million years after</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do most large galaxies seem to have at their centers?

    <p>Black holes</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Galaxies do not always contain bright centers called quasars.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the major types of galaxies?

    <p>Spiral, Elliptical, and Irregular</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the name of the galaxy we reside in?

    <p>The Milky Way</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the process of galaxies colliding to create a larger galaxy is known as?

    <p>Galactic cannibalism</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a Constellation?

    <p>A group of stars that form a pattern in the sky.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Stars in a constellation are close together.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why is it not possible to see all constellations at once?

    <p>Because the Earth's rotation causes different constellations to be visible at different times of the year.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is an Asterism?

    <p>Part of a constellation that forms its own pattern in the sky.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a Solar System?

    <p>The Sun and all things orbiting around it, including the eight major planets, their satellites, and all the smaller pieces such as asteroids and comets.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    When did the Solar System form?

    <p>Around 4.6 billion years ago</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is incorrect or misleading about the visual representation of the Solar System?

    <p>The visual representation of the Solar System is not drawn to scale. The planets are much farther apart than shown in the diagram.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the word 'planet' originate from?

    <p>A Greek word that means 'wanderer'.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How many planets are in our solar system?

    <p>Eight</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are Asteroids?

    <p>Small, solid, rocky bodies that orbit close to the Sun.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Where are most asteroids found?

    <p>Between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter in the Asteroid Belt.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Asteroids are thought to be remnants from the formation of the solar system.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the size range of asteroids?

    <p>From 1000 km or 621 miles (Ceres) to the size of pebbles.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a Meteoroid?

    <p>Solid debris from space (asteroids) that are moving towards Earth.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Meteors are also known as shooting stars.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What causes a meteor shower to occur?

    <p>When the Earth passes through a stream of debris left behind by a comet.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a Comet?

    <p>A small body of ice and dust ('dirty snowball') that orbits the Sun.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does a Comet consist of?

    <p>A head (coma) followed by a tail(s) of gas and dust.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The tail of a comet always points towards the Sun.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a Satellite?

    <p>An object that orbits a more massive object (i.e. - Moons).</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are artificial satellites?

    <p>Probes we launch into orbit around the Earth.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a Telescope?

    <p>A device that gathers electromagnetic radiation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the types of Telescopes?

    <p>All of the above</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does a Visible, Infrared, and Ultraviolet Telescope collect?

    <p>Visible, infrared, and ultraviolet waves</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does a Reflecting Telescope use?

    <p>Mirrors that reflect the image being viewed</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does a Radio Telescope collect?

    <p>Radio waves emitted from space; not affected by variables like weather or clouds.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the Hubble Space Telescope?

    <p>A reflecting telescope that was placed into orbit in 1990.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the Hubble Space Telescope send back to Earth?

    <p>Images and measurements</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main benefit of having the Hubble Space Telescope in orbit, as opposed to being on Earth?

    <p>It is not affected by the Earth's atmosphere.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is an Astronomical Unit (AU)?

    <p>A unit of distance equal to the average spacing between the Earth and the Sun.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How many kilometers and miles is one Astronomical Unit equal to?

    <p>About 150 million kilometers (93 million miles)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How long does it take light to travel one Astronomical Unit?

    <p>About eight minutes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is Light Year?

    <p>The distance that light travels in one year in a vacuum.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    A Light Year equates to about 9.5 trillion kilometers or 6 trillion miles.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the diameter of the Milky Way Galaxy in Light Years?

    <p>About 100,000 Light years</p> Signup and view all the answers

    At what speed does light travel?

    <p>About 300,000 km/sec (186,000 mi/sec).</p> Signup and view all the answers

    If one parsec equals to 206, 265 AU, then how many miles is it equal to?

    <p>The actual calculation is quite complex, but it is a very large distance!</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How is parallax used by astronomers?

    <p>To measure distance.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the universe, in simple terms?

    <p>Space and all the matter and energy in it.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the three major components of the universe?

    <p>Galaxies, solar systems, and planets.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The Big Bang theory describes the universe as having expanded from an explosion.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main difference between a meteoroid, a meteor, and a meteorite?

    <p>A meteoroid is a space rock, a meteor is the streak of light it makes when entering Earth's atmosphere, and a meteorite is a meteoroid that has survived the trip and landed on Earth.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the three main types of galaxies?

    <p>Spiral, elliptical, and irregular.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is incorrect or misleading about the solar system visual presented?

    <p>The visual show the planets in our solar system at relative distances from the sun, but they are not to scale.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the word 'planet' mean?

    <p>Wanderer.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is an artificial satellite?

    <p>Probes that we launch into orbit around Earth.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the three types of telescopes?

    <p>Visible, infrared, ultraviolet; reflecting; and refracting</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a radio telescope?

    <p>A telescope that picks up radio waves emitted from space.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is one of the main benefits of having the Hubble Space Telescope in orbit, as opposed to it being here on Earth?

    <p>It is not affected by Earth's atmosphere</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How long does it take light to travel from the Sun to Earth?

    <p>About eight minutes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How many light years wide is the Milky Way galaxy?

    <p>About 100,000 light years wide.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the speed of light?

    <p>About 300,000 kilometers per second.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How is parallax used by astronomers to measure distance?

    <p>By measuring the apparent shift in position of a star when viewed from different locations, astronomers can calculate the distance.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    The Universe

    • Astronomy encompasses everything observable, or whose effects are detectable.
    • The universe consists of space, matter, and energy.
    • Major components include galaxies, solar systems, and planets.

    Cosmology

    • Cosmology is the branch of astronomy that studies the origin, large-scale properties, and evolution of the universe.

    Big Bang Theory

    • This theory posits that the universe originated from an explosion of space, time, matter, and energy.
    • It's estimated the expansion began approximately 13.7 billion years ago.
    • Early expansion was from an extremely small point, to the size of our solar system in a fraction of a second.

    Edwin Hubble

    • Discovered other galaxies beyond our own, the Milky Way.
    • Noted that galaxies are moving away from each other, supporting the Big Bang Theory.
    • Hubble's Law demonstrates the relationship between a galaxy's distance and its recession velocity, a further galaxy moves away faster

    Arno Penzias & Robert Wilson

    • Accidental discovery of faint radiation emanating from a radio telescope in 1965.
    • Confirmed this residue as leftover thermal energy from the Big Bang.

    Galaxy

    • A galaxy is a large collection of stars, gas, and dust.
    • They contain billions or even hundreds of billions of stars.
    • Galaxies form through the gravitational attraction of their constituent stars.
    • Most large galaxies have supermassive black holes at their centers.
    • They can be spiral, elliptical, or irregular.
    • Formed around 200 million years after the Big Bang.
    • There are approximately 100 billion galaxies in the observable universe.

    3 Types of Galaxies

    • Spiral: Have spiral arms of stars, gas, and dust emanating from the galactic center. Our Milky Way is a spiral galaxy.
    • Elliptical: These are shaped like spheres or eggs, with little or no gas or dust between the stars and are primarily composed of older stars.
    • Irregular: Galaxies lacking a discernible shape, often smaller than other types.

    Constellation

    • A constellation is a pattern formed by stars in the sky, viewed as grouped, though often these stars are very distant.
    • Astronomers divide the sky into 88 constellations.
    • Patterns change over time due to the dynamic nature of stars.
    • A group of stars within a constellation that forms its own pattern is called an asterism.

    Solar System

    • The solar system consists of the Sun and all the objects that orbit it.
    • These include planets, their moons, asteroids, and comets.
    • Formation dates back 4.6 billion years ago.

    Planet

    • A planet is a celestial body that orbits a star.
    • There are eight planets in our solar system.
    • The word "planet" has Greek origins, meaning "wanderer."

    Asteroids

    • Asteroids are small, rocky bodies that orbit the Sun.
    • Many asteroids are located in the asteroid belt, between Mars and Jupiter.
    • They are remnants of the solar system's formation.

    Meteoroid, Meteor, Meteorite

    • Meteoroid: Solid debris in space.
    • Meteor: A streak of light produced when a meteoroid enters Earth's atmosphere.
    • Meteorite: A meteoroid that survives its passage through the atmosphere and lands on Earth's surface.

    Comet

    • A comet is a small body of ice and dust that orbits the Sun.
    • Comets have a coma, or head, and a tail of gas and dust that points away from the Sun.

    Satellite

    • A satellite is an object that orbits a larger object, such as a moon orbiting a planet.
    • Artificial satellites, launched by humans, orbit Earth.

    Telescope

    • A telescope is a device used to gather and view electromagnetic radiation.
    • Types include:
      • Visible: Telescopes that gather visible light.
      • Reflecting: Telescopes that use mirrors to reflect light.
      • Refracting: Telescopes that use lenses to focus light.
      • Radio: Telescopes that detect radio waves emanating from space, unaffected by weather.

    Hubble Space Telescope

    • A reflecting telescope that was placed into Earth orbit in 1990.
    • Sends images and measurements back to Earth electronically.

    Astronomical Unit (AU)

    • A unit of distance, equivalent to the average distance between Earth and the Sun.
    • Approximately 150 million kilometers or 93 million miles.

    Light Year

    • The distance light travels in a vacuum in one year.
    • About 9.5 trillion kilometers or 6 trillion miles.

    Parsec

    • A unit of distance that is approximately 3.26 light-years.

    Parallax

    • The apparent shift in position of an object when viewed from different locations.
    • Used by astronomers to determine distances to objects.

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    Description

    Test your knowledge on the universe, from its components to the Big Bang Theory. Explore key concepts such as galaxies, cosmology, and the contributions of astronomers like Edwin Hubble. This quiz will challenge your understanding of the cosmos and its origins.

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