Question 1

The energy source at the center of our galaxy

Accepted Answer

A)  is not visible at optical wavelengths. 
B)  produces X-rays. 
C)  must be less than 10 AU in diameter. 
D)  all of the above. 
E)  none of the above. 
A)  is not visible at optical wavelengths. 
B)  produces X-rays. 
C)  must be less than 10 AU in diameter. 
D)  all of the above. 
E)  none of the above.

Question 2

Population II stars

Accepted Answer

A)  III & IV 
B)  I & II 
C)  II 
D)  IV 
E)  I, II, & III 
A)  III & IV 
B)  I & II 
C)  II 
D)  IV 
E)  I, II, & III

Question 3

Which of the following can't be associated with the spiral arms of a galaxy?

Accepted Answer

A)  dust and gas 
B)  metal-poor stars 
C)  young, massive stars 
D)  star formation 
A)  dust and gas 
B)  metal-poor stars 
C)  young, massive stars 
D)  star formation

Question 4

The disk of our galaxy consists of

Accepted Answer

A)  the nine known planets. 
B)  only stars. 
C)  stars, dust, and gas. 
D)  quasars. 
E)  only black holes. 
A)  the nine known planets. 
B)  only stars. 
C)  stars, dust, and gas. 
D)  quasars. 
E)  only black holes.

Question 5

The traditional "top-down" hypothesis states that the galaxy formed

Accepted Answer

A)  from a large spherical cloud of gas that was rotating very slowly. 
B)  from a large cloud of material that broke off a larger galaxy. 
C)  from material that had been ejected in the violent explosion of a dying galaxy. 
D)  as a result of mergers between several smaller groups of gas, dust, and stars. 
E)  as two massive galaxies collided. 
A)  from a large spherical cloud of gas that was rotating very slowly. 
B)  from a large cloud of material that broke off a larger galaxy. 
C)  from material that had been ejected in the violent explosion of a dying galaxy. 
D)  as a result of mergers between several smaller groups of gas, dust, and stars. 
E)  as two massive galaxies collided.

Question 6

How did Harlow Shapley determine where the center of the galaxy lies?

Accepted Answer

A)  He plotted the distribution of open clusters. 
B)  He plotted the distribution of globular clusters. 
C)  He made star counts in every direction of the galactic disk. 
D)  He measured the amount of dust obscuration in every direction of the galactic disk. 
A)  He plotted the distribution of open clusters. 
B)  He plotted the distribution of globular clusters. 
C)  He made star counts in every direction of the galactic disk. 
D)  He measured the amount of dust obscuration in every direction of the galactic disk.

Question 7

The orbits of halo stars are typically circular and have a low inclination with respect to the disk.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

Younger stars have more heavy elements because

Accepted Answer

A)  old stars destroy heavy elements as they age. 
B)  young stars burn their nuclear fuels faster. 
C)  the heavy elements were made in previous generations of stars. 
D)  heavy elements haven't had time to settle to the core of these younger stars. 
E)  all of these. 
A)  old stars destroy heavy elements as they age. 
B)  young stars burn their nuclear fuels faster. 
C)  the heavy elements were made in previous generations of stars. 
D)  heavy elements haven't had time to settle to the core of these younger stars. 
E)  all of these.

Question 9

The disk of the Milky Way is approximately 20,000 ly in diameter.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

What evidence do we have that the center of our galaxy contains magnetic fields?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What evidence do we have that the...

Question 11

How does the traditional theory of the formation of the galaxy explain the origin of globular clusters?

Accepted Answer

A)  They formed in the disk and later were ejected to the halo. 
B)  They formed in other galaxies and were captured by close interactions. 
C)  They build over time from the collision of stars in the halo. 
D)  They formed early on during the free-fall collapse of the protogalactic material. 
A)  They formed in the disk and later were ejected to the halo. 
B)  They formed in other galaxies and were captured by close interactions. 
C)  They build over time from the collision of stars in the halo. 
D)  They formed early on during the free-fall collapse of the protogalactic material.

Question 12

How is the age of the galaxy determined?

Accepted Answer

A)  measuring the metallicity of Population II stars 
B)  finding the turnoff point in the H-R diagram of globular clusters 
C)  from the motion of stars in the galactic halo 
D)  counting the number of open clusters in the spiral arms 
A)  measuring the metallicity of Population II stars 
B)  finding the turnoff point in the H-R diagram of globular clusters 
C)  from the motion of stars in the galactic halo 
D)  counting the number of open clusters in the spiral arms

Question 13

The galactic halo or corona is believed to contain mostly

Accepted Answer

A)  O and B stars. 
B)  G, K, and M stars. 
C)  open clusters. 
D)  globular clusters. 
E)  dark matter. 
A)  O and B stars. 
B)  G, K, and M stars. 
C)  open clusters. 
D)  globular clusters. 
E)  dark matter.

Question 14

____ of the Milky Way contains mostly old (population II) stars and globular clusters.

Accepted Answer

A)  The disk component 
B)  The spherical halo component 
C)  The hydrogen gas in the disk 
D)  The spiral arms 
E)  Sgr A* 
A)  The disk component 
B)  The spherical halo component 
C)  The hydrogen gas in the disk 
D)  The spiral arms 
E)  Sgr A*

Question 15

Good tracers of the spiral arms of our galaxy are all

Accepted Answer

A)  I & III 
B)  I & IV 
C)  II & III 
D)  II & IV 
E)  I, III, & IV 
A)  I & III 
B)  I & IV 
C)  II & III 
D)  II & IV 
E)  I, III, & IV

Question 16

Our galaxy is suspected to be surrounded by a galactic halo or corona because the disk of the galaxy

Accepted Answer

A)  rotates faster than expected in its outer region. 
B)  rotates more slowly than expected in its outer region. 
C)  is only visible during a total eclipse of our sun. 
D)  is surrounded above, below, and well beyond by the brightly glowing corona. 
A)  rotates faster than expected in its outer region. 
B)  rotates more slowly than expected in its outer region. 
C)  is only visible during a total eclipse of our sun. 
D)  is surrounded above, below, and well beyond by the brightly glowing corona.

Question 17

The disk of the galaxy is older than the halo.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

CO observations of the galaxy reveal

Accepted Answer

A)  the location of dense neutral hydrogen clouds. 
B)  the location of population II stars. 
C)  the location of population I stars. 
D)  the location of the galactic corona. 
E)  the location of giant molecular clouds. 
A)  the location of dense neutral hydrogen clouds. 
B)  the location of population II stars. 
C)  the location of population I stars. 
D)  the location of the galactic corona. 
E)  the location of giant molecular clouds.

Question 19

The first scientific attempt to map the Milky Way galaxy

Accepted Answer

A)  showed that the sun was located in the center of the system of planets making up our galaxy. 
B)  showed that our galaxy is a round ball on which we live. 
C)  showed that our galaxy has 9 stars. 
D)  used globular clusters to determine the location of the center of the Earth. 
E)  was completed by William and Caroline Herschel. 
A)  showed that the sun was located in the center of the system of planets making up our galaxy. 
B)  showed that our galaxy is a round ball on which we live. 
C)  showed that our galaxy has 9 stars. 
D)  used globular clusters to determine the location of the center of the Earth. 
E)  was completed by William and Caroline Herschel.

The energy source at the center of our galaxy

Population II stars

Which of the following can't be associated with the spiral arms of a galaxy?

The disk of our galaxy consists of

The traditional "top-down" hypothesis states that the galaxy formed

How did Harlow Shapley determine where the center of the galaxy lies?

The orbits of halo stars are typically circular and have a low inclination with respect to the disk.

Younger stars have more heavy elements because

The disk of the Milky Way is approximately 20,000 ly in diameter.

What evidence do we have that the center of our galaxy contains magnetic fields?

How does the traditional theory of the formation of the galaxy explain the origin of globular clusters?

How is the age of the galaxy determined?

The galactic halo or corona is believed to contain mostly

____ of the Milky Way contains mostly old (population II) stars and globular clusters.

Good tracers of the spiral arms of our galaxy are all

Our galaxy is suspected to be surrounded by a galactic halo or corona because the disk of the galaxy

The disk of the galaxy is older than the halo.

CO observations of the galaxy reveal

The first scientific attempt to map the Milky Way galaxy

Here and Now

A Users Guide to the Sky

Cycles of the Sun and Moon

The Origin of Modern Astronomy

Light and Telescopes

Atoms and Spectra

The Sun

The Family of Stars

The Formation and Structure of Stars

The Deaths of Stars

Neutron Stars and Black Holes

Galaxies: Normal and Active

Modern Cosmology

The Origin of the Solar System

Earth and Moon: Bases for Comparative Planetology

Mercury, Venus and Mars

The Outer Solar System

Meteorites, Asteroids, and Comets

Astrobiology: Life on Other Worlds

Filters

Exam 12: The Milky Way Galaxy

The energy source at the center of our galaxy

Population II stars

Which of the following can't be associated with the spiral arms of a galaxy?

The disk of our galaxy consists of

The traditional "top-down" hypothesis states that the galaxy formed

How did Harlow Shapley determine where the center of the galaxy lies?

The orbits of halo stars are typically circular and have a low inclination with respect to the disk.

Younger stars have more heavy elements because

The disk of the Milky Way is approximately 20,000 ly in diameter.

What evidence do we have that the center of our galaxy contains magnetic fields?

How does the traditional theory of the formation of the galaxy explain the origin of globular clusters?

How is the age of the galaxy determined?

The galactic halo or corona is believed to contain mostly

____ of the Milky Way contains mostly old (population II) stars and globular clusters.

Good tracers of the spiral arms of our galaxy are all

Our galaxy is suspected to be surrounded by a galactic halo or corona because the disk of the galaxy

The disk of the galaxy is older than the halo.

CO observations of the galaxy reveal

The first scientific attempt to map the Milky Way galaxy

Here and Now

A Users Guide to the Sky

Cycles of the Sun and Moon

The Origin of Modern Astronomy

Light and Telescopes

Atoms and Spectra

The Sun

The Family of Stars

The Formation and Structure of Stars

The Deaths of Stars

Neutron Stars and Black Holes

Galaxies: Normal and Active

Modern Cosmology

The Origin of the Solar System

Earth and Moon: Bases for Comparative Planetology

Mercury, Venus and Mars

The Outer Solar System

Meteorites, Asteroids, and Comets

Astrobiology: Life on Other Worlds

Filters