Question 1

In the proton-proton cycle, two positrons are produced. What are they similar to, and how arethe different? What happens to them?

Accepted Answer

Positrons are the antiparticle to the el

Question 2

Iron is observed in the Sun's ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Iron is observed in the Sun's ________....

Question 3

What do sunspots tell us about the Sun's rotation rate?

Accepted Answer

Watching and timing sunspots as they tra

Question 4

What is the size of a typical granule or convection cell seen in the photosphere?

Accepted Answer

A) 10,000 km 
B) 1,000 km 
C) 100 km 
D) 10 km 
E) 1 km 
A) 10,000 km 
B) 1,000 km 
C) 100 km 
D) 10 km 
E) 1 km

Question 5

How long does the sunspot cycle last, on average?

Accepted Answer

A) between 25 and 35 days 
B) 365.25 days 
C) about 7 years 
D) about 11 years 
E) about 76 years 
A) between 25 and 35 days 
B) 365.25 days 
C) about 7 years 
D) about 11 years 
E) about 76 years

Question 6

The vibrations of the Sun reveal information about:

Accepted Answer

A) the temperature of the core of the Sun. 
B) the structure of the atmosphere of the Sun. 
C) the interior structure of the Sun. 
D) the production of energy in the Sun. 
E) the magnetic field of the Sun. 
A) the temperature of the core of the Sun. 
B) the structure of the atmosphere of the Sun. 
C) the interior structure of the Sun. 
D) the production of energy in the Sun. 
E) the magnetic field of the Sun.

Question 7

In the proton-proton cycle, the positron is:

Accepted Answer

A) massless. 
B) a spin conservation particle. 
C) an anti-electron. 
D) the chief means energy reaches the photosphere. 
E) intermediate between the proton and neutron in mass. 
A) massless. 
B) a spin conservation particle. 
C) an anti-electron. 
D) the chief means energy reaches the photosphere. 
E) intermediate between the proton and neutron in mass.

Question 8

The pattern of rising hot gas cells all over the photosphere is called:

Accepted Answer

A) filaments. 
B) granulation. 
C) sunspots. 
D) convective projections. 
E) prominences. 
A) filaments. 
B) granulation. 
C) sunspots. 
D) convective projections. 
E) prominences.

Question 9

What is it about the Sun's corona that astronomers don't understand?

Accepted Answer

A) No one knows why that part of the Sun's atmosphere does not drift away into space. 
B) During total solar eclipses, the corona sometimes disappears from view. 
C) The corona seems to absorb 2/3 of the neutrinos that pass through it. 
D) The corona is much hotter than layers of the Sun that are closer to the solar interior. 
E) The Sun's corona extends to the outer reaches of the solar system. 
A) No one knows why that part of the Sun's atmosphere does not drift away into space. 
B) During total solar eclipses, the corona sometimes disappears from view. 
C) The corona seems to absorb 2/3 of the neutrinos that pass through it. 
D) The corona is much hotter than layers of the Sun that are closer to the solar interior. 
E) The Sun's corona extends to the outer reaches of the solar system.

Question 10

How would sunspots appear if you could magically remove them from the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A) They would appear blue-white, like Sirius but brighter. 
B) Because sunspots are dark spots, they would be invisible against the blackness of space. 
C) They would shine bright orange in color, like Arcturus. 
D) They would not appear any differently than on the surface of the Sun. 
E) They would shine only with reflected sunlight, appearing similar to Venus. 
A) They would appear blue-white, like Sirius but brighter. 
B) Because sunspots are dark spots, they would be invisible against the blackness of space. 
C) They would shine bright orange in color, like Arcturus. 
D) They would not appear any differently than on the surface of the Sun. 
E) They would shine only with reflected sunlight, appearing similar to Venus.

Question 11

Why are SOHO (the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory)and the Solar DynamicsObservatory (SDO)positioned beyond Earth's magnetosphere?

Accepted Answer

To ensure that particles from

Question 12

Both the gravitational and electromagnetic forces obey the inverse square law, and extendinfinitely outward in their effects.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

Two pairs of sunspots appear similar, but if one photo was made in 1990, and the next photowas made in 2002, what difference would we note?

Accepted Answer

In the 12 years, the

Question 14

What are the main constituents of the solar wind? Which travel faster?

Accepted Answer

The lower mass elect

Question 15

From inside out, which is in the correct order for the structure of the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A) core, convective zone, radiative zone 
B) photosphere, radiative zone, corona 
C) radiative zone, convective zone, chromosphere 
D) core, chromosphere, photosphere 
E) convective zone, radiative zone, granulation 
A) core, convective zone, radiative zone 
B) photosphere, radiative zone, corona 
C) radiative zone, convective zone, chromosphere 
D) core, chromosphere, photosphere 
E) convective zone, radiative zone, granulation

Question 16

Explain what the granulation of the solar surface is related to.

Accepted Answer

The surface of the Sun is highly mottled

Question 17

Why is studying the neutrino so vital to understanding the solar interior?

Accepted Answer

Alone of all the products of the proton-

Question 18

The critical temperature the core must reach for a star to shine by fusion is:

Accepted Answer

A) 5,800 K. 
B) 11,000 K. 
C) 127,000 K. 
D) 10 million K. 
E) 100 million K. 
A) 5,800 K. 
B) 11,000 K. 
C) 127,000 K. 
D) 10 million K. 
E) 100 million K.

Question 19

Visible sunspots lie in the:

Accepted Answer

A) chromosphere. 
B) transition zone. 
C) corona. 
D) radiative zone. 
E) granulation in the photosphere. 
A) chromosphere. 
B) transition zone. 
C) corona. 
D) radiative zone. 
E) granulation in the photosphere.

Question 20

The proton-proton chain requires a temperature of 100 million K to get started.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Exam 16: The Sun: Our Parent Star

In the proton-proton cycle, two positrons are produced. What are they similar to, and how arethe different? What happens to them?

Iron is observed in the Sun's ________.

What do sunspots tell us about the Sun's rotation rate?

What is the size of a typical granule or convection cell seen in the photosphere?

How long does the sunspot cycle last, on average?

The vibrations of the Sun reveal information about:

In the proton-proton cycle, the positron is:

The pattern of rising hot gas cells all over the photosphere is called:

What is it about the Sun's corona that astronomers don't understand?

How would sunspots appear if you could magically remove them from the Sun?

Why are SOHO (the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory)and the Solar DynamicsObservatory (SDO)positioned beyond Earth's magnetosphere?

Both the gravitational and electromagnetic forces obey the inverse square law, and extendinfinitely outward in their effects.

Two pairs of sunspots appear similar, but if one photo was made in 1990, and the next photowas made in 2002, what difference would we note?

What are the main constituents of the solar wind? Which travel faster?

From inside out, which is in the correct order for the structure of the Sun?

Explain what the granulation of the solar surface is related to.

Why is studying the neutrino so vital to understanding the solar interior?

The critical temperature the core must reach for a star to shine by fusion is:

Visible sunspots lie in the:

The proton-proton chain requires a temperature of 100 million K to get started.

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 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

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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