Question 1

What parts of the galaxy are considered to make up the "spherical component"?

Accepted Answer

The central bulge and halo of

Question 2

Explain how giant molecular clouds give rise to spiral tracers as they move through a disk with spiral density waves.

Accepted Answer

A spiral density wave is a stable concen

Question 3

_______________ variable stars are useful in measuring the distance to globular clusters.

Accepted Answer

The answer of _______________ variable stars are useful in measuring...

Question 4

Spiral arms are clearly visible features of galaxies because most sun-like stars in the disk are found there.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

What property of a Cepheid variable can you determine if you know its period?

Accepted Answer

A)  surface temperature 
B)  absolute magnitude 
C)  apparent magnitude 
D)  mass 
E)  radius 
A)  surface temperature 
B)  absolute magnitude 
C)  apparent magnitude 
D)  mass 
E)  radius

Question 6

The center of our galaxy contains a very intense source of radio and X-ray radiation named Sgr A*. What is it about this source that supports the idea that the radiation comes from a black hole?

Accepted Answer

A)  The radiation is strongly blueshifted, indicating that the object is collapsing. 
B)  The radiation is strongly redshifted indicating that the object is growing. 
C)  The radiation is coming from an incredibly small object. 
D)  Radio waves can only be produced by matter orbiting a black hole. 
E)  Only radiation from a black hole could penetrate the giant molecular clouds between Sgr A* and Earth. 
A)  The radiation is strongly blueshifted, indicating that the object is collapsing. 
B)  The radiation is strongly redshifted indicating that the object is growing. 
C)  The radiation is coming from an incredibly small object. 
D)  Radio waves can only be produced by matter orbiting a black hole. 
E)  Only radiation from a black hole could penetrate the giant molecular clouds between Sgr A* and Earth.

Question 7

Why do astronomers conclude that the spiral arms are places of active star formation?

Accepted Answer

The spiral arms are home to "spiral trac

Question 8

Population I stars are younger than Population II stars.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

The central bulge and the galactic disk of the Milky Way are often referred to as its spherical component.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

The following objects are found in a spiral arm of a galaxy. Which is the exception?

Accepted Answer

A)  population II stars 
B)  OB associations 
C)  emission nebulae 
D)  population I stars 
E)  clouds of gas and dust 
A)  population II stars 
B)  OB associations 
C)  emission nebulae 
D)  population I stars 
E)  clouds of gas and dust

Question 11

Which of the following would be the closest estimate to the number of times the Sun has orbited the galactic center?

Accepted Answer

A)  1 
B)  10 
C)  25 
D)  50 
E)  100 
A)  1 
B)  10 
C)  25 
D)  50 
E)  100

Question 12

Describe the general features of the monolithic collapse hypothesis, with an explanation of how the two different stellar populations are explained by the model.

Accepted Answer

In the monolithic collapse hypothesis, t

Question 13

Which object would be absent in the galactic halo?

Accepted Answer

A)  emission nebulae. 
B)  old main sequence stars 
C)  red giants 
D)  white dwarfs 
E)  Cepheid variables 
A)  emission nebulae. 
B)  old main sequence stars 
C)  red giants 
D)  white dwarfs 
E)  Cepheid variables

Question 14

Match between columns
                        Premises: Disk
Globular cluster
Sun
Central bulge
Halo

Accepted Answer

The Answer of Region A and Region C and Region is...

Question 15

Why is it so difficult to study the center of our galaxy?

Accepted Answer

A)  Light from the center is lost in the glow of emission nebulae in this direction. 
B)  Interstellar dust blocks almost all light before it reaches Earth. 
C)  The exact position of the center is not known. 
D)  The center of the galaxy puts out very little radiation and is too dim to study. 
E)  The center of the galaxy is too far away for radiation to be detected by telescopes. 
A)  Light from the center is lost in the glow of emission nebulae in this direction. 
B)  Interstellar dust blocks almost all light before it reaches Earth. 
C)  The exact position of the center is not known. 
D)  The center of the galaxy puts out very little radiation and is too dim to study. 
E)  The center of the galaxy is too far away for radiation to be detected by telescopes.

Question 16

The center of the Milky Way galaxy is in the direction of the constellation ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  Sagittarius 
B)  Scorpius 
C)  Orion 
D)  Perseus 
E)  Andromeda 
A)  Sagittarius 
B)  Scorpius 
C)  Orion 
D)  Perseus 
E)  Andromeda

Question 17

William and Caroline Herschel's map included four of the following hypotheses in their model of the galaxy. Which one was the exception?

Accepted Answer

A)  They thought that the "holes in the sky" were caused by interstellar dust clouds. 
B)  They proposed that the galaxy had a disk shape. 
C)  They provided accurate measurements of the distances to stars. 
D)  They placed the Sun in the center of the galaxy. 
E)  They found errors caused by a lack of knowledge of the interstellar medium. 
A)  They thought that the "holes in the sky" were caused by interstellar dust clouds. 
B)  They proposed that the galaxy had a disk shape. 
C)  They provided accurate measurements of the distances to stars. 
D)  They placed the Sun in the center of the galaxy. 
E)  They found errors caused by a lack of knowledge of the interstellar medium.

Question 18

O and B stars only occur in the galactic _______________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of O and B stars only occur in...

Question 19

Galactic fountains are an important way to explain _____.

Accepted Answer

A)  the distribution of metals in and above the plane of the galactic disk 
B)  the nature of dark matter 
C)  the formation of the galactic disk from the first stages of our galaxy 
D)  the generation and support of spiral density waves 
E)  why the spiral arms are active sites of star formation 
A)  the distribution of metals in and above the plane of the galactic disk 
B)  the nature of dark matter 
C)  the formation of the galactic disk from the first stages of our galaxy 
D)  the generation and support of spiral density waves 
E)  why the spiral arms are active sites of star formation

Question 20

At the center of our galaxy, ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  material is available to make stars but the region is too cold to support star formation 
B)  large stars are formed by the collision of smaller stars 
C)  stars form at the same rate as they do in the spiral arms 
D)  there is no star formation since there is no gas present 
E)  there is evidence of recent, rapid star formation and supernova explosions 
A)  material is available to make stars but the region is too cold to support star formation 
B)  large stars are formed by the collision of smaller stars 
C)  stars form at the same rate as they do in the spiral arms 
D)  there is no star formation since there is no gas present 
E)  there is evidence of recent, rapid star formation and supernova explosions

Exam 15: The Milky Way Galaxy

What parts of the galaxy are considered to make up the "spherical component"?

Explain how giant molecular clouds give rise to spiral tracers as they move through a disk with spiral density waves.

_______________ variable stars are useful in measuring the distance to globular clusters.

Spiral arms are clearly visible features of galaxies because most sun-like stars in the disk are found there.

What property of a Cepheid variable can you determine if you know its period?

The center of our galaxy contains a very intense source of radio and X-ray radiation named Sgr A*. What is it about this source that supports the idea that the radiation comes from a black hole?

Why do astronomers conclude that the spiral arms are places of active star formation?

Population I stars are younger than Population II stars.

The central bulge and the galactic disk of the Milky Way are often referred to as its spherical component.

The following objects are found in a spiral arm of a galaxy. Which is the exception?

Which of the following would be the closest estimate to the number of times the Sun has orbited the galactic center?

Describe the general features of the monolithic collapse hypothesis, with an explanation of how the two different stellar populations are explained by the model.

Which object would be absent in the galactic halo?

Why is it so difficult to study the center of our galaxy?

The center of the Milky Way galaxy is in the direction of the constellation ____.

William and Caroline Herschel's map included four of the following hypotheses in their model of the galaxy. Which one was the exception?

O and B stars only occur in the galactic _______________.

Galactic fountains are an important way to explain _____.

At the center of our galaxy, ____.

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