Question 1

Why do we believe there is dark matter?

Accepted Answer

When we use the Keplerian equation to de

Question 2

The Galactic center in ________ is best studied using radio and infrared observations.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Galactic center in ________ is best...

Question 3

What features of the telescopic view of the Andromeda Galaxy, M-31, are also visible to thenaked eye for our similar Galaxy?

Accepted Answer

In Andromeda, we see a tilted disk of st

Question 4

Which is the correct description of the Sun's location within the Milky Way?

Accepted Answer

A) at the outer edge of the Galactic bulge but in the plane of the disk 
B) in the disk but at its outer edge 
C) as Herschel found, very close to the Galactic center 
D) above the disk and about one-third of the galactic radius from the center 
E) in the disk and about one-half a galactic radius from the center 
A) at the outer edge of the Galactic bulge but in the plane of the disk 
B) in the disk but at its outer edge 
C) as Herschel found, very close to the Galactic center 
D) above the disk and about one-third of the galactic radius from the center 
E) in the disk and about one-half a galactic radius from the center

Question 5

Galactic disks appear blue because:

Accepted Answer

A) they contain no G, K, or M dwarfs. 
B) they contain only blue reflection nebulae. 
C) dust obscures the longer, red wavelengths. 
D) O and B blue giants are much brighter than G, K, or M dwarfs. 
E) dark matter gravitationally shifts all wavelengths towards the blue. 
A) they contain no G, K, or M dwarfs. 
B) they contain only blue reflection nebulae. 
C) dust obscures the longer, red wavelengths. 
D) O and B blue giants are much brighter than G, K, or M dwarfs. 
E) dark matter gravitationally shifts all wavelengths towards the blue.

Question 6

The temperature of the innermost part of the spinning gas near our Galaxy's central blackhole is:

Accepted Answer

A) 2.7 K. 
B) 300 K. 
C) 10,000 K. 
D) over 1,000,000 K. 
E) varying rapidly from 300 K to 1,000,000 K. 
A) 2.7 K. 
B) 300 K. 
C) 10,000 K. 
D) over 1,000,000 K. 
E) varying rapidly from 300 K to 1,000,000 K.

Question 7

Motions of objects near our Galaxy's core suggest the central black hole is about 3.7 billionsolar masses.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

Which method relies on the mass of a dark object revealing its presence?

Accepted Answer

A) asteroidal occultations 
B) ring occultations 
C) stellar eclipses 
D) temporary brightening of a distant star by a gravity lens 
E) pulsars slowing down irregularly 
A) asteroidal occultations 
B) ring occultations 
C) stellar eclipses 
D) temporary brightening of a distant star by a gravity lens 
E) pulsars slowing down irregularly

Question 9

As Curtiss thought, our Milky Way is now known to be quite similar to the nearbyAndromeda Galaxy, M-31.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

The orbits of Population II stars have been compared to:

Accepted Answer

A) planets around the Sun. 
B) satellites around planets. 
C) comets around the Sun. 
D) binary stars. 
E) the accretion disk around a black hole. 
A) planets around the Sun. 
B) satellites around planets. 
C) comets around the Sun. 
D) binary stars. 
E) the accretion disk around a black hole.

Question 11

What do the orbits of Populations I and II stars tell us about the formation of the Milky Way?

Accepted Answer

Older Population II stars move in comet-

Question 12

How did Herschel try to map our Galaxy 200 years ago, and why did he fail?

Accepted Answer

His star counts revealed the G

Question 13

The Galactic Year is the time for our solar system to orbit the Galaxy; it is about:

Accepted Answer

A) 15 million years. 
B) 225 million years. 
C) 4.5 billion years. 
D) 9.6 billion years. 
E) 13.5 billion years. 
A) 15 million years. 
B) 225 million years. 
C) 4.5 billion years. 
D) 9.6 billion years. 
E) 13.5 billion years.

Question 14

The instability strip includes many main sequence stars.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

Most of the mass of the Milky Way seems to exist in the form of:

Accepted Answer

A) Population I stars in the disk. 
B) Population II stars in the halo. 
C) hydrogen gas in the disk and spiral arms. 
D) dark matter out in the halo. 
E) the black hole in the Galactic Center. 
A) Population I stars in the disk. 
B) Population II stars in the halo. 
C) hydrogen gas in the disk and spiral arms. 
D) dark matter out in the halo. 
E) the black hole in the Galactic Center.

Question 16

Which of these objects have NOT been found in the Galactic halo?

Accepted Answer

A) RR Lyrae variables 
B) planetary nebulae 
C) emission nebulae 
D) Population II stars 
E) globular clusters 
A) RR Lyrae variables 
B) planetary nebulae 
C) emission nebulae 
D) Population II stars 
E) globular clusters

Question 17

Which sequence of formation in our Galaxy by age is correct, oldest to youngest?

Accepted Answer

A) dark nebulae, planetary nebulae, emission nebulae 
B) spiral arms, bulge, halo 
C) halo, spiral arms, globular clusters 
D) globular clusters, emission nebulae, open clusters 
E) Population I stars, Population II stars, Population III stars 
A) dark nebulae, planetary nebulae, emission nebulae 
B) spiral arms, bulge, halo 
C) halo, spiral arms, globular clusters 
D) globular clusters, emission nebulae, open clusters 
E) Population I stars, Population II stars, Population III stars

Question 18

RR Lyrae stars pulsate, but with shorter periods and lower luminosities than Cepheids.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

The period-luminosity relation for Cepheid variables was discovered in 1908 by:

Accepted Answer

A) William Herschel. 
B) Henrietta Leavitt. 
C) Harlow Shapley. 
D) Heber Curtiss. 
E) Edwin Hubble. 
A) William Herschel. 
B) Henrietta Leavitt. 
C) Harlow Shapley. 
D) Heber Curtiss. 
E) Edwin Hubble.

Question 20

While yet unproven, the proposed WIMPS would be:

Accepted Answer

A) massive like neutrons, but more elusive than neutrinos. 
B) made of only strong magnetic fields. 
C) rapidly decaying due to the weak nuclear force. 
D) changing charges and polarities too rapidly to pin down. 
E) the basic building blocks of neutrons and protons. 
A) massive like neutrons, but more elusive than neutrinos. 
B) made of only strong magnetic fields. 
C) rapidly decaying due to the weak nuclear force. 
D) changing charges and polarities too rapidly to pin down. 
E) the basic building blocks of neutrons and protons.

Exam 23: The Milky Way Galaxy: a Spiral in Space

Why do we believe there is dark matter?

The Galactic center in ________ is best studied using radio and infrared observations.

What features of the telescopic view of the Andromeda Galaxy, M-31, are also visible to thenaked eye for our similar Galaxy?

Which is the correct description of the Sun's location within the Milky Way?

Galactic disks appear blue because:

The temperature of the innermost part of the spinning gas near our Galaxy's central blackhole is:

Motions of objects near our Galaxy's core suggest the central black hole is about 3.7 billionsolar masses.

Which method relies on the mass of a dark object revealing its presence?

As Curtiss thought, our Milky Way is now known to be quite similar to the nearbyAndromeda Galaxy, M-31.

The orbits of Population II stars have been compared to:

What do the orbits of Populations I and II stars tell us about the formation of the Milky Way?

How did Herschel try to map our Galaxy 200 years ago, and why did he fail?

The Galactic Year is the time for our solar system to orbit the Galaxy; it is about:

The instability strip includes many main sequence stars.

Most of the mass of the Milky Way seems to exist in the form of:

Which of these objects have NOT been found in the Galactic halo?

Which sequence of formation in our Galaxy by age is correct, oldest to youngest?

RR Lyrae stars pulsate, but with shorter periods and lower luminosities than Cepheids.

The period-luminosity relation for Cepheid variables was discovered in 1908 by:

While yet unproven, the proposed WIMPS would be:

Charting the Heavens: The Foundations of Astronomy

The Copernican Revolution: The Birth of Modern Science

Radiation: Information From the Cosmos

Spectroscopy: the Inner Workings of Atoms

Telescopes: The Tools of Astronomy

The Solar System: Comparative Planetology and Formation Models

Earth: Our Home in Space

The Moon and Mercury: Scorched and Battered Worlds

Venus: Earths Sister Planet

Mars: a Near Miss for Life

Jupiter: Giant of the Solar System

Saturn: Spectacular Rings and Mysterious Moons

Uranus and Neptune: The Outer Worlds of the Solar System

Solar System Debris: Keys to Our Origin

Exoplanets: Planetary Systems Beyond Our Own

The Sun: Our Parent Star

The Stars: Giants, Dwarfs, and the Main Sequence

The Interstellar Medium: Gas and Dust Among the Stars

Star Formation: a Traumatic Birth

Stellar Evolution: The Life and Death of a Star

Stellar Explosions: Novae, Supernovae, and the Formation of the Elements

Neutron Stars and Black Holes: Strange States of Matter

Galaxies: Building Blocks of the Universe

Galaxies and Dark Matter: The Large-Scale Structure of the Cosmos

Cosmology: The Big Bang and the Fate of the Universe

The Early Universe: Toward the Beginning of Time

Life in the Universe: Are We Alone

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