Question 1

Which statement about the stages of starbirth is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

A) At stage 1, only the cloud exists. 
B) By stage 3, the star has formed a photosphere. 
C) Nuclear reactions begin in the core by stage 4. 
D) The T Tauri wind is prevalent in stage 5. 
E) By stage 7, the star has reached the main sequence. 
A) At stage 1, only the cloud exists. 
B) By stage 3, the star has formed a photosphere. 
C) Nuclear reactions begin in the core by stage 4. 
D) The T Tauri wind is prevalent in stage 5. 
E) By stage 7, the star has reached the main sequence.

Question 2

Star formation may be triggered by ________ which aid gravity through compression ofinterstellar clouds to greater densities.

Accepted Answer

pressure o

Question 3

What are the characteristics of an open cluster of stars?

Accepted Answer

A) mostly found above and below the galactic plane 
B) old age and millions of members 
C) a few hundred, mainly main sequence stars 
D) All stars are much more massive than our Sun. 
E) All stars are about the same age and luminosity. 
A) mostly found above and below the galactic plane 
B) old age and millions of members 
C) a few hundred, mainly main sequence stars 
D) All stars are much more massive than our Sun. 
E) All stars are about the same age and luminosity.

Question 4

Magnetic fields enhance the collapse of a gas cloud in star formation with bipolar flows.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

The birthplaces of stars correspond to the ________ clouds in the interstellar medium.

Accepted Answer

densest (a

Question 6

What event marks the birth of a new star?

Accepted Answer

The ignition of nucl

Question 7

Which of these is NOT typical of a condensing protostar?

Accepted Answer

A) magnetic fields producing polar flows 
B) dusty disks around their equators 
C) Herbig-Haro objects projecting a light-year out in space 
D) fusion of helium into carbon in their cores 
E) more infrared than visible light given off from the cocoon of dust around the star 
A) magnetic fields producing polar flows 
B) dusty disks around their equators 
C) Herbig-Haro objects projecting a light-year out in space 
D) fusion of helium into carbon in their cores 
E) more infrared than visible light given off from the cocoon of dust around the star

Question 8

Outline the process of star formation, including all relevant factors that influence theoutcome.

Accepted Answer

An interstellar cloud, disturbed in some

Question 9

Which event marks the birth of a star?

Accepted Answer

A) formation of the planetary nebula 
B) fusion of hydrogen atoms into helium atoms 
C) collapse of an interstellar cloud 
D) formation of a photosphere 
E) instability in an interstellar cloud 
A) formation of the planetary nebula 
B) fusion of hydrogen atoms into helium atoms 
C) collapse of an interstellar cloud 
D) formation of a photosphere 
E) instability in an interstellar cloud

Question 10

What kind of variable stars are pre-Main Sequence stars undergoing gravitational contractionand exhibiting erratic changes in their luminosities?

Accepted Answer

A) R Coronae Borealis 
B) RR Lyrae 
C) Cepheid 
D) T Tauri 
E) Herbig-Haro 
A) R Coronae Borealis 
B) RR Lyrae 
C) Cepheid 
D) T Tauri 
E) Herbig-Haro

Question 11

How long does it take for a star like our Sun to form?

Accepted Answer

A) 100 thousand years 
B) two million years 
C) fifty million years 
D) one billion years 
E) 4.6 billion years 
A) 100 thousand years 
B) two million years 
C) fifty million years 
D) one billion years 
E) 4.6 billion years

Question 12

A collapsing cloud fragment that will form a star of one solar mass (like our Sun)has a massof about:

Accepted Answer

A) 2 solar masses. 
B) 10 solar masses. 
C) 200 solar masses. 
D) 1020 solar masses. 
E) 1040 solar masses. 
A) 2 solar masses. 
B) 10 solar masses. 
C) 200 solar masses. 
D) 1020 solar masses. 
E) 1040 solar masses.

Question 13

What do we mean by the term "molecular clouds"? Why do they exist? How can observationof their properties yield clues to the processes of stellar formation?

Accepted Answer

Molecular clouds are very cool interstel

Question 14

Most open clusters in our Milky Way are about how old?

Accepted Answer

A) less than a million years old 
B) There's no specific age for an open cluster; stars in a single open cluster vary greatly in age. 
C) less than a billion years old 
D) around ten billion years old 
E) a variety of ages, from newly born to twenty billions years old 
A) less than a million years old 
B) There's no specific age for an open cluster; stars in a single open cluster vary greatly in age. 
C) less than a billion years old 
D) around ten billion years old 
E) a variety of ages, from newly born to twenty billions years old

Question 15

Brown dwarfs are failed stars, never igniting their hydrogen fusion.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

Eta Carinae is an example of a:

Accepted Answer

A) black hole. 
B) supermassive star. 
C) red dwarf. 
D) nebula. 
E) stellar nursery. 
A) black hole. 
B) supermassive star. 
C) red dwarf. 
D) nebula. 
E) stellar nursery.

Question 17

A cloud fragment too small to form a star becomes:

Accepted Answer

A) a red giant. 
B) a black hole. 
C) a brown dwarf. 
D) a T Tauri object. 
E) a Herbig-Haro object. 
A) a red giant. 
B) a black hole. 
C) a brown dwarf. 
D) a T Tauri object. 
E) a Herbig-Haro object.

Question 18

In terms of Jupiter masses, what is the range of brown dwarfs? What are objects above andbelow this range called?

Accepted Answer

Above 80 Jupiter masses, the s

Question 19

The Orion Nebula and Tarantula Nebula are examples of ________ Nurseries.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Orion Nebula and Tarantula Nebula are...

Question 20

On an H-R diagram, a protostar would be:

Accepted Answer

A) above and to the right of the main sequence. 
B) below and to the left of the main sequence. 
C) below and near the right side of the main sequence. 
D) above and near the upper left of the main sequence. 
E) on the main sequence at the extreme lower right. 
A) above and to the right of the main sequence. 
B) below and to the left of the main sequence. 
C) below and near the right side of the main sequence. 
D) above and near the upper left of the main sequence. 
E) on the main sequence at the extreme lower right.

Exam 19: Star Formation: a Traumatic Birth

Which statement about the stages of starbirth is FALSE?

Star formation may be triggered by ________ which aid gravity through compression ofinterstellar clouds to greater densities.

What are the characteristics of an open cluster of stars?

Magnetic fields enhance the collapse of a gas cloud in star formation with bipolar flows.

The birthplaces of stars correspond to the ________ clouds in the interstellar medium.

What event marks the birth of a new star?

Which of these is NOT typical of a condensing protostar?

Outline the process of star formation, including all relevant factors that influence theoutcome.

Which event marks the birth of a star?

What kind of variable stars are pre-Main Sequence stars undergoing gravitational contractionand exhibiting erratic changes in their luminosities?

How long does it take for a star like our Sun to form?

A collapsing cloud fragment that will form a star of one solar mass (like our Sun)has a massof about:

What do we mean by the term "molecular clouds"? Why do they exist? How can observationof their properties yield clues to the processes of stellar formation?

Most open clusters in our Milky Way are about how old?

Brown dwarfs are failed stars, never igniting their hydrogen fusion.

Eta Carinae is an example of a:

A cloud fragment too small to form a star becomes:

In terms of Jupiter masses, what is the range of brown dwarfs? What are objects above andbelow this range called?

The Orion Nebula and Tarantula Nebula are examples of ________ Nurseries.

On an H-R diagram, a protostar 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

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

The Milky Way Galaxy: a Spiral in Space

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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