1. The star Wolf 1061 has a parallax of 2.34 arcseconds, while the star Ross 652 has a parallax of 1.70 arcseconds. What can you correctly conclude? a) Both stars are outside the M... 1. The star Wolf 1061 has a parallax of 2.34 arcseconds, while the star Ross 652 has a parallax of 1.70 arcseconds. What can you correctly conclude? a) Both stars are outside the Milky Way Galaxy. b) Wolf 1061 must have a larger proper motion than Ross 652. c) Ross 652 must have a larger proper motion than Wolf 1061. d) Ross 652 is closer to Earth than Wolf 1061. e) Wolf 1061 is closer to Earth than Ross 652. 2. A circular orbit would have an eccentricity of: a) 0. b) between 0 and 0.5. c) between 0.5 and 1. d) exactly 1.0. e) infinity. 3. A planet whose distance from the Sun is 3 A.U. would have an orbital period of how many Earth-years? a) 3. b) c) d) 9 e) 81 4. A newly discovered exoplanet has a radius 2x larger than Earth’s radius, and a mass 8x larger than Earth’s mass. How much would you weigh on the surface? a) 0.25x as much as on Earth. b) 0.5x as much as on Earth. c) the same as on Earth. d) 2x as much as on Earth. e) 4x as much as on Earth. 5. Both sound waves and electromagnetic radiation: a) travel at the speed of light. b) require a medium to move through space. c) can move through space without a medium. d) transfer energy. e) are transverse waves. 6. Which type of electromagnetic radiation travels fastest in a vacuum? a) radio. b) visible light. c) X-ray d) gamma rays. e) They all travel at the same speed. 7. A star is observed to be 5x larger than the Sun, but has only half the temperature of the Sun. What is the star’s luminosity relative to the Sun? a) 0.063 Lsol b) 0.31 Lsol c) 1.25 Lsol d) 1.56 Lsol e) 25 Lsol 8. The energy required to move an electron in a hydrogen atom from energy level 1 to energy level 2 is: a) 10.2 eV. b) 12.1 eV. c) 12.75 eV. d) 13.1 eV. e) 13.6 eV. 9. What is the angular resolution of a 50cm diameter diffraction-limited telescope observing 500nm light? a) 1.2 x 10-6 rad = 0.25 arcsec b) 8.5 x 10-6 rad = 1.75 arcsec c) 1.2 x 10-6 degree = 0.0043 arcsec d) 8.5 x 10-6 degree = 0.031 arcsec e) 0.1 rad = 5.7 degree 10. What problem is adaptive optics designed to correct? a) the opacity of the Earth's atmosphere b) defects in the optical figuring, such as with the adaptive optics on HST c) slight tracking errors in trying to compensate for our unsteady rotation d) the effects of atmospheric turbulence e) the absorption of ultraviolet by the ozone layer 11. Masses of the planets are easiest to determine if: a) they are terrestrial and have a thick atmosphere. b) they are jovian and their oblateness can be measured. c) they have natural satellites whose motions can be precisely measured. d) they are struck by a comet or asteroid and we measure the resulting waves e) we can accurately measure the planet’s orbit around the Sun. 12. The Kuiper Belt is found where in the solar system? a) beyond the orbit of Neptune b) among the orbits of the terrestrial planets c) between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter d) between the orbits of Jupiter and Uranus e) sixty degrees ahead of or behind Jupiter 13. The Oort Cloud is believed to have been formed by: a) planetesimals that were flung far from the Sun in gravitational encounters with the jovian planets. b) icy bodies formed between stars that have been captured by our solar system's gravity. c) moons that escaped from the jovian planets. d) debris from an icy planet that broke apart early in the solar system's history. e) debris from impacts of planetesimals, asteroids and comets with the jovian planets. 14. The greenhouse effect works by trapping: a) incoming ultraviolet radiation from the Sun. b) outgoing ultraviolet radiation from the Earth. c) incoming infrared radiation from the Sun. d) outgoing infrared radiation from the Earth. e) x-rays from the Sun’s corona. 15. Earth's interior has been heated by 3 processes. These are: a) formation, differentiation and radioactivity. b) earthquakes, volcanoes and tectonics. c) convection, conduction and radiation. d) tides, sunlight and the rock cycle. e) greenhouse effect, dynamo effect and ozone depletion. 16. After three half-lives have passed, the ratio of a radioactive element to its daughter element is a) 1 to 3. b) 1 to 4. c) 1 to 7. d) 1 to 8. e) 1 to 9. 17. The existence of the Earth’s magnetic field is a good indication that: a) the Earth's core is a solid piece of magnetized iron. b) a huge iron meteorite lies somewhere high up in the mantle, not in the core. c) we have a liquid metal outer core, spinning rapidly as we rotate. d) the Earth's interior must be completely molten to the center. e) the Earth's interior has had time to solidify, with a rigid bar magnet created. 18. What are the major factors that rule out the co-formation theory for the Moon-Earth system? a) Each body has different atmospheric content and a different density. b) Each body has different surface features and different atmospheric content. c) Each body has different chemical composition and different surface features. d) Each body has a different density and a different chemical composition. e) Each body has a different chemical composition and different atmospheric content. 19. Earth and Venus are often called sister planets; in which ways are they most alike? a) atmospheric composition and density b) size, density, and surface gravity c) surface temperature and pressure d) cloud composition and meteorology e) polar caps and rusty red deserts 20. What property of Mars is responsible for producing the great heights of its volcanoes? a) Its cold temperatures allow the magma to freeze faster. b) Its thick crust can support larger peaks, and lower surface gravity does not pull them down as much as on Earth. c) Mars has more radioactive material than the Earth. d) Its higher surface gravity allows higher peaks to form. e) Its volcanoes are made of sulfur, like Io's. 21. What evidence do we have that Jupiter must have a substantial solid core under the thick clouds? a) Its magnetic field must be formed by rotating molten iron, like our own. b) Occasional breaks in the clouds reveal a solid surface at times. c) Jupiter's disk is more oblate than it should be, suggesting it has a higher density. d) Jupiter's disk is less oblate than it should be, if it were only hydrogen and helium. e) The Io flux tube goes straight down to Jupiter's iron core. 22. The reason the jovian planets lost very little of their original atmosphere is due to their: a) rapid rotation. b) strong magnetic fields. c) ring systems. d) large mass. e) many moons. 23. The liquid layer in Europa is composed primarily of: a) ethane, similar to Neptune's moon Triton. b) water, similar to Earth's oceans. c) molten metal, similar to Earth's outer crust. d) molten rock, similar to Earth's mantle. e) liquid hydrogen, similar to the region below Jupiter's atmosphere. 24. The Roche limit is the point at which: a) the mass of an object classifies it as a moon. b) a moon orbiting a planet experiences synchronous rotation. c) the external tidal forces on an object are strong enough to be felt by the object. d) the external tidal forces on an object become greater than the internal forces that hold it together. e) the internal forces that hold an object together weaken so that the object falls apart. 25. What is the defining property of the Trojan asteroids? a) Their orbital periods are exactly one year, like ours. b) They have orbits that cross the orbit of Earth, but not that of Venus. c) They have orbits at the distance of Jupiter and 60 degrees ahead of or behind it. d) They have orbits between Saturn and Uranus. e) Like Pluto, they are in a 3:2 resonance with Neptune. 26. When a formal definition of a planet in the solar system was adopted, Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet. What characteristic of planets does NOT describe Pluto? a) Planets orbit the Sun. b) Planets are approximately spherical. c) Planets have cleared the neighborhood around their orbit. d) Planets orbit in ellipses with low eccentricity. e) Planets orbit in or very near the ecliptic plane. 27. The transit technique for detecting exoplanets works best for: a) exoplanets whose orbits are along our line of sight (edge on). b) exoplanets whose orbits are inclined 45 degrees relative to our line of sight. c) exoplanets whose orbits are perpendicular to our line of sight (face on). d) exoplanets whose orbits are nearly circular (low eccentricity). e) exoplanets whose orbits are very eccentric (very elliptical). 28. The habitable zone is the area around a star where: a) planets with life have been found. b) human beings could live. c) the greenhouse effect is possible. d) a planet could have an atmosphere. e) temperatures are suitable for planets to have liquid water. 29. Hydrostatic equilibrium in our Sun is the balance between: a) convection and radiation. b) convection and gravitation. c) pressure and radiation. d) radiation and gravitation. e) gravitation and pressure. 30. What causes sunspots? a) Dark clouds of gas and dust on the Sun blocking sunlight. b) A region on the surface of the Sun where fusion temporarily shuts down. c) Eclipses where Mercury or Venus pass in front of the Sun. d) Strong magnetic fields temporarily shutting down convection. e) A region on the Sun that cools and turns dark because its energy was used to generate a Solar flare. Read more