Question: Harlow Shapley concluded that the Sun was not in the center of the Milky Way Galaxy by…

Answer Choices:
mapping the distribution of globular clusters in the galaxy.
mapping the distribution of stars in the galaxy.
mapping the distribution of gas clouds in the spiral arms.
looking at the phase of the “milky band” across the sky.

Answer: mapping the distribution of globular clusters in the galaxy.

 

Question: Why do HII regions appear red?

Answer Options:
HII regions consist of neutralized hydrogen gas in a molecular state. Red photons are formed when the hydrogen gas is cooled to the temperatures found in interstellar space.
HII regions are composed of singly ionized hydrogen gas. This gas ionizes electrons and forms the hydrogen absorption lines. Since this is so intense, the observer only sees it in red.
HII regions are composed of completely ionized hydrogen. When the hydrogen captures an electron, HII is emitted. The red Balmer hydrogen line is the strongest wavelength emitted.
Light from HII regions suffer more indirect reddening than light from other sources. A blue HII region passes through clouds of dust that have a bluer and redder light passed to us, making the regions appear red.

Correct Answer:
HII regions are composed of completely ionized hydrogen. When the hydrogen captures an electron, HII is emitted. The red Balmer hydrogen line is the strongest wavelength emitted.

Answer Choices:
HII regions consist of neutralized hydrogen gas in a molecular state. Red photons are formed when the hydrogen gas is cooled to the temperatures found in interstellar space.
HII regions are composed of singly ionized hydrogen gas. This gas ionizes electrons and forms the hydrogen absorption lines. Since this is so intense, the observer only sees it in red.
HII regions are composed of completely ionized hydrogen. When the hydrogen captures an electron, HII is emitted. The red Balmer hydrogen line is the strongest wavelength emitted.
Light from HII regions suffer more indirect reddening than light from other sources. A blue HII region passes through clouds of dust that have a bluer and redder light passed to us, making the regions appear red.

Answer: HII regions are composed of completely ionized hydrogen. When the hydrogen captures an electron, HII is emitted. The red Balmer hydrogen line is the strongest wavelength emitted.

 

Question: A type Ib supernova requires…

Answer Choices:
…that two neutron stars both be white dwarf stars.
…a binary system with a neutron star.
…a binary system with a white dwarf star.
…a massive star able to build up an iron core.

Answer: …a binary system with a white dwarf star.

 

Question: Distances within the solar system are most accurately determined by…

Answer Options:
using reflected radar waves from cloud gaps and Jupiter’s inner four mooned objects.
sending spacecraft out into space for triangulation.
timing the light travel of an eclipse.
highly accurate radar metrics located in France.

Correct Answer:
using reflected radar waves from cloud gaps and Jupiter’s inner four mooned objects.

Answer Choices:
using reflected radar waves from cloud gaps and Jupiter’s inner four mooned objects.
sending spacecraft out into space for triangulation.
timing the light travel of an eclipse.
highly accurate radar metrics located in France.

Answer: using reflected radar waves from cloud gaps and Jupiter’s inner four mooned objects.

 

Question: A hot BRY star whose spectra shows a high metallicity is most likely a _____ star.

Answer Choices:
Pop I
Dark Matter Star
Pop III
Pop II

Answer: Pop I

 

Question: What would be the source of energy producing hot interstellar regions with temperatures of millions of degrees?

Answer Options:
Nebular explosions.
Prime-stage nuclear fusion reactions in molecular clouds.
Supernova explosions.
The production of cosmic rays through the implosion of massive stars.

Correct Answer:
Supernova explosions.

Answer Choices:
Nebular explosions.
Prime-stage nuclear fusion reactions in molecular clouds.
Supernova explosions.
The production of cosmic rays through the implosion of massive stars.

Answer: Supernova explosions.

 

Question: The difference between a red giant and a red supergiant is…

Answer Choices:
red giants were massive main sequence stars.
red supergiants were massive main sequence stars.
red supergiants were cooler main sequence stars.
red giants were mostly type O and B stars while red supergiants were K and M stars.

Answer: red supergiants were massive main sequence stars.

 

Question: Which of the following would you expect to find in the halo?

Answer Choices:
molecular clouds
spiral arms
globular clusters
pop I stars

Answer: globular clusters

 

Question: How would you expect a star that formed recently in the disk of the galaxy to differ from one that formed early in the history of the disk?

Answer Choices:
It should orbit the galactic center at a much higher rate of speed.
It should have a higher fraction of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium.
It should be much brighter.
It should be higher in mass.

Answer: It should have a higher fraction of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium.

 

Question: The hottest temperatures observed in the ISM are measured in _____ of degrees.

Answer Options:
millions
thousands
tens
fives

Correct Answer:
millions

Answer Choices:
millions
thousands
tens
fives

Answer: millions

 

Question: ____ stars are held up by neutron degeneracy.

Answer Choices:
Main sequence
Neutron
Type Ib
White dwarf

Answer: Neutron

 

Question: Which of the following is closest in size (radius) to a white dwarf?

Answer Choices:
The Sun
Earth
a small city
a beach ball

Answer: Earth

 

Question: Which of the following main sequence stars would be the most massive?

Answer Choices:
M2
F6
K2
O9

Answer: O9

 

Question: For a Sun-sized star …

Answer Choices:
core fusion will stop when a carbon core is formed
core fusion will stop when an iron core is formed
core fusion will stop when a helium core is formed
all core fusion will cease after the main sequence stage

Answer: core fusion will stop when a carbon core is formed

 

Question: The Sun’s location in the Milky Way Galaxy is ______.

Answer Choices:
at the very outer edge of the galactic disk.
in the halo of the galaxy, about 30,000 light-years above the galactic disk.
in the galactic disk, on the inside edge of the Orion Spur.
in the galactic disk, near the galaxy’s bulge.

Answer: in the galactic disk, on the inside edge of the Orion Spur.

 

Question: Which of the following is true concerning HII regions?

Answer Options:
They are always found near stars which cause the surrounding gas to fluoresce.
HII regions are the same as a hydrogen black body H-I.
Most HII regions appear to be greenish in color.
They glow because they are composed of old molecular clouds.

Correct Answer:
They are always found near stars which cause the surrounding gas to fluoresce.

Answer Choices:
They are always found near stars which cause the surrounding gas to fluoresce.
HII regions are the same as a hydrogen black body H-I.
Most HII regions appear to be greenish in color.
They glow because they are composed of old molecular clouds.

Answer: They are always found near stars which cause the surrounding gas to fluoresce.

 

Question: Astronomers are able to observe hydrogen in HII regions with optical telescopes. How do astronomers observe cold hydrogen clouds (HI regions) that aren’t near a star?

Answer Options:
Since cold hydrogen is blocked by Earth’s atmosphere, astronomers launch shuttles periodically into outer space to observe these absorption areas.
They use radio telescopes and observe the hydrogen through 21-cm radiation.
They use optical telescopes with detectors tuned to the wavelength of 21-cm.

Correct Answer:
They use radio telescopes and observe the hydrogen through 21-cm radiation.

Answer Choices:
Since cold hydrogen is blocked by Earth’s atmosphere, astronomers launch shuttles periodically into outer space to observe these absorption areas.
They use radio telescopes and observe the hydrogen through 21-cm radiation.
They use optical telescopes with detectors tuned to the wavelength of 21-cm.

Answer: They use radio telescopes and observe the hydrogen through 21-cm radiation.

 

Question: The red giant stage occurs when…

Answer Choices:
the star is finished burning helium in its core
the star stops hydrogen shell burning and reverts back to core fusion
hydrogen shell burning begins causing the star to expand, become more luminous, and have a cooler surface temperature
the star starts burning helium in its core

Answer: hydrogen shell burning begins causing the star to expand, become more luminous, and have a cooler surface temperature

 

Question: Who discovered the first pulsars?

Answer Choices:
Jocelyn Bell
Robert Dicke
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar
Ben Stein

Answer: Jocelyn Bell

 

Question: How do elements such as oxygen and sulfur form?

Answer Choices:
In the interior of Sun-sized stars.
In the interior of high-mass stars.
In the interior of planetary/nebulae.
By nuclear fusion reactions of H2 main sequence stars after the red giant stage.
Through the process of stellar nucleosynthesis.

Answer: In the interior of high-mass stars.
Through the process of stellar nucleosynthesis.

 

Question: Which of the following [more than one] enriches the ISM with elements beyond iron?

Answer Choices:
Type II supernova
Iron stars
Type Ia supernova
Type Ib supernova

Answer: Type II supernova
Type Ia supernova

 

Question: Compared to the Sun a Red Giant star is…

Answer Choices:
brighter in apparent magnitude
higher in luminosity
larger in radius
more dense
higher in surface temperature

Answer: higher in luminosity
larger in radius

 

Question: What type of star is the Sun?

Answer Choices:
Pop II
Pop I
Dark Matter Star
Pop III

Answer: Pop I