Question 1

All of the farthest detectable galaxies are _______________ galaxies.

Accepted Answer

irregular

Question 2

An astronomer would find a type Ia supernova in a distant galaxy useful as a(n) ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  spiral tracer 
B)  gravitational lens 
C)  age calibration 
D)  rotation curve 
E)  standard candle 
A)  spiral tracer 
B)  gravitational lens 
C)  age calibration 
D)  rotation curve 
E)  standard candle E

Question 3

Edwin Hubble and Milton Humason discovered that there was a linear relationship between a galaxy's ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  rotation curve and distance 
B)  mass and luminosity 
C)  age and distance 
D)  apparent recession velocity and distance 
E)  mass and recession velocity 
A)  rotation curve and distance 
B)  mass and luminosity 
C)  age and distance 
D)  apparent recession velocity and distance 
E)  mass and recession velocity D

Question 4

Gentle gravitational tidal forces appear to be necessary to create spiral arms.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

A galaxy that has created a large number of young stars all at once is a(n) _______________ galaxy.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A galaxy that has created a large...

Question 6

Briefly describe the characteristics of an elliptical galaxy.

Accepted Answer

Elliptical galaxies are rounded shapes t

Question 7

Which types of galaxies lack an ordered structure of stellar orbits?

Accepted Answer

A)  elliptical galaxies only 
B)  spiral galaxies only 
C)  irregular galaxies only 
D)  elliptical and irregular galaxies 
E)  spiral and irregular galaxies 
A)  elliptical galaxies only 
B)  spiral galaxies only 
C)  irregular galaxies only 
D)  elliptical and irregular galaxies 
E)  spiral and irregular galaxies

Question 8

Why are methods to determine the distances to galaxies termed the "distance ladder"? Explain the term with examples.

Accepted Answer

Distances in space are difficult to meas

Question 9

Discuss two ways of detecting dark matter in distant galaxies and clusters.

Accepted Answer

The luminosity of a galaxy is proportion

Question 10

The mass of a galaxy can be determined from its _______________ curve.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The mass of a galaxy can be...

Question 11

What direct evidence is there for galactic collisions? Discuss examples of directly observable phenomena linked to collisions.

Accepted Answer

The gravitational field of one galaxy ca

Question 12

How does the Milky Way compare to other spiral galaxies in size?

Accepted Answer

The Milky Way is a large spira

Question 13

A galaxy with randomly oriented elongated star orbits and little gas and dust would be a(n)  _______________ galaxy.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A galaxy with randomly oriented elongated star...

Question 14

The Milky Way galaxy has collided with several other large galaxies in its lifetime.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

The mass of a galaxy's central black hole is related to the mass of the galactic bulge. This implies that ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  central black holes formed when the galaxy bulges formed 
B)  central black holes have grown during the galaxy's lifetime as the galactic bulge has grown 
C)  galactic bulges shrink over time as mass is consumed by the central black hole 
D)  central black holes cause the formation of galactic bulges 
E)  black holes are only present in spiral galaxies 
A)  central black holes formed when the galaxy bulges formed 
B)  central black holes have grown during the galaxy's lifetime as the galactic bulge has grown 
C)  galactic bulges shrink over time as mass is consumed by the central black hole 
D)  central black holes cause the formation of galactic bulges 
E)  black holes are only present in spiral galaxies

Question 16

Galactic collisions ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  are very rare, since few galaxies are in clusters 
B)  will cause stars in each galaxy to collide and trigger supernova events 
C)  often trigger bursts of star formation 
D)  only happen in poor clusters 
E)  usually break large galaxy into several small ones 
A)  are very rare, since few galaxies are in clusters 
B)  will cause stars in each galaxy to collide and trigger supernova events 
C)  often trigger bursts of star formation 
D)  only happen in poor clusters 
E)  usually break large galaxy into several small ones

Question 17

S0 galaxies have spiral arms, but little to no gas and dust. This is believed to happen because ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  their gas has been cannibalized by other galaxies 
B)  they have had bursts of star formation during major collision the gas and dust formed new stars 
C)  starburst events have used up all of the gas and dust in the disk 
D)  gas and dust have been stripped from the galaxies as they pass through hot, intergalactic gas 
E)  tidal interactions have forced the gas into the central bulge 
A)  their gas has been cannibalized by other galaxies 
B)  they have had bursts of star formation during major collision the gas and dust formed new stars 
C)  starburst events have used up all of the gas and dust in the disk 
D)  gas and dust have been stripped from the galaxies as they pass through hot, intergalactic gas 
E)  tidal interactions have forced the gas into the central bulge

Question 18

Gravitational lensing can be used to detect the presence of dark matter.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

Spiral structures and steady star formation depend on ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  gentle gravitational interactions with other galaxies 
B)  galactic cannibalism 
C)  major collisions with other galaxies 
D)  hot intergalactic gas flow 
E)  supermassive central black holes 
A)  gentle gravitational interactions with other galaxies 
B)  galactic cannibalism 
C)  major collisions with other galaxies 
D)  hot intergalactic gas flow 
E)  supermassive central black holes

Question 20

The identification of "spiral nebulae" as large groupings of stars outside of our own galaxy was proven by ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  photographic plates made by Edwin Hubble showing stars and Cepheid variables 
B)  the results of the Shapley-Curtis debate 
C)  Immanual Kant's "island universe" theory 
D)  William Parsons' observation and description of their spiral structure 
E)  Harlow Shapley's observations of their radio spectrum 
A)  photographic plates made by Edwin Hubble showing stars and Cepheid variables 
B)  the results of the Shapley-Curtis debate 
C)  Immanual Kant's "island universe" theory 
D)  William Parsons' observation and description of their spiral structure 
E)  Harlow Shapley's observations of their radio spectrum

Exam 16: Galaxies

All of the farthest detectable galaxies are _______________ galaxies.

An astronomer would find a type Ia supernova in a distant galaxy useful as a(n) ____.

Edwin Hubble and Milton Humason discovered that there was a linear relationship between a galaxy's ____.

Gentle gravitational tidal forces appear to be necessary to create spiral arms.

A galaxy that has created a large number of young stars all at once is a(n) _______________ galaxy.

Briefly describe the characteristics of an elliptical galaxy.

Which types of galaxies lack an ordered structure of stellar orbits?

Why are methods to determine the distances to galaxies termed the "distance ladder"? Explain the term with examples.

Discuss two ways of detecting dark matter in distant galaxies and clusters.

The mass of a galaxy can be determined from its _______________ curve.

What direct evidence is there for galactic collisions? Discuss examples of directly observable phenomena linked to collisions.

How does the Milky Way compare to other spiral galaxies in size?

A galaxy with randomly oriented elongated star orbits and little gas and dust would be a(n) _______________ galaxy.

The Milky Way galaxy has collided with several other large galaxies in its lifetime.

The mass of a galaxy's central black hole is related to the mass of the galactic bulge. This implies that ____.

Galactic collisions ____.

S0 galaxies have spiral arms, but little to no gas and dust. This is believed to happen because ____.

Gravitational lensing can be used to detect the presence of dark matter.

Spiral structures and steady star formation depend on ____.

The identification of "spiral nebulae" as large groupings of stars outside of our own galaxy was proven by ____.

Here and Now

A Users Guide to the Sky

Moon Phases and Eclipses

Origins of Modern Astronomy

Gravity

Light and Telescopes

Atoms and Spectra

The Sun

The Family of Stars

The Interstellar Medium

Formation and Structure of Stars

Stellar Evolution

Deaths of Stars

Neutron Stars and Black Holes

The Milky Way Galaxy

Supermassive Black Holes and Active Galaxies

Modern Cosmology

Origin of the Solar System and Extrasolar Planets

Earth the Active Planet

The Moon and Mercury

Venus and Mars

Jupiter and Saturn

Uranus Neptune Pluto and the Kuiper Belt

Meteorites Asteroids and Comets

Astrobiology

Filters