Question 1

Describe our location in the Milky Way.

Accepted Answer

We lie in a spiral arm about 30,000 ly (8 kpc)out from the galactic center,and in the disk of the galaxy.

Question 2

The region on the H-R diagram where pulsating variables occur is called the:

Accepted Answer

A)  period-luminosity relation. 
B)  mass-luminosity relation. 
C)  instability strip. 
D)  horizontal branch. 
E)  main sequence appendix. 
A)  period-luminosity relation. 
B)  mass-luminosity relation. 
C)  instability strip. 
D)  horizontal branch. 
E)  main sequence appendix. C

Question 3

Using an orbit size of 8 kpc,and a period of 225 million years,the mass of our Galaxy is found to be closest to:

Accepted Answer

A)  10⁶ solar masses. 
B)  10⁸ solar masses. 
C)  10¹⁰ solar masses. 
D)  10¹¹ solar masses. 
E)  10¹² solar masses. 
A)  10⁶ solar masses. 
B)  10⁸ solar masses. 
C)  10¹⁰ solar masses. 
D)  10¹¹ solar masses. 
E)  10¹² solar masses. D

Question 4

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 5

A pulsating variable star with a period of 10 days would be a Cepheid.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

These objects are no longer considered a good explanation for the dark matter in the halo.

Accepted Answer

A)  WIMPs 
B)  MACHOs 
C)  black holes 
D)  clouds of cool, neutral hydrogen 
E)  brown dwarfs 
A)  WIMPs 
B)  MACHOs 
C)  black holes 
D)  clouds of cool, neutral hydrogen 
E)  brown dwarfs

Question 7

The Earth lies close to the center of the Galaxy.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

The major problem faced by optical astronomers in trying to deduce the structure of the Milky Way Galaxy is that we can see only a small part of it because of the ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The major problem faced by optical astronomers...

Question 9

The temperature of the innermost part of the spinning gas near our galaxy's central black hole 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 10

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

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

Why is visible light a bad choice for studying the core of the Galaxy? What is better?

Accepted Answer

Dust in the galactic plane blocks our vi

Question 12

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 13

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 14

In age,Population I stars are typically much ________ than those of Population II.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In age,Population I stars are typically much...

Question 15

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 16

Henrietta Leavitt first showed the relationship between the mass and luminosity of Cepheids and their period of pulsation; the brighter,the longer this period.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

The interstellar ________ absorbs light from stars and makes them appear fainter and redder than they otherwise would appear.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The interstellar ________ absorbs light from stars...

Question 18

List at least one naked-eye observation that is consistent with the ancient idea that Earth is at the center of the Milky Way.List at least one naked-eye observation that is inconsistent with the notion that Earth is at the center of the Milky Way.

Accepted Answer

The actual center of the galaxy is hidde

Question 19

Shapley found that globular clusters are only found in the Galactic bulge.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

In the halo,we do NOT find:

Accepted Answer

A)  tidal streams. 
B)  globular clusters. 
C)  small satellite galaxies. 
D)  spiral arms. 
E)  old white dwarfs. 
A)  tidal streams. 
B)  globular clusters. 
C)  small satellite galaxies. 
D)  spiral arms. 
E)  old white dwarfs.

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

Describe our location in the Milky Way.

The region on the H-R diagram where pulsating variables occur is called the:

Using an orbit size of 8 kpc,and a period of 225 million years,the mass of our Galaxy is found to be closest to:

The orbits of Population II stars have been compared to:

A pulsating variable star with a period of 10 days would be a Cepheid.

These objects are no longer considered a good explanation for the dark matter in the halo.

The Earth lies close to the center of the Galaxy.

The major problem faced by optical astronomers in trying to deduce the structure of the Milky Way Galaxy is that we can see only a small part of it because of the ________.

The temperature of the innermost part of the spinning gas near our galaxy's central black hole is:

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

Why is visible light a bad choice for studying the core of the Galaxy? What is better?

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

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

In age,Population I stars are typically much ________ than those of Population II.

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

Henrietta Leavitt first showed the relationship between the mass and luminosity of Cepheids and their period of pulsation; the brighter,the longer this period.

The interstellar ________ absorbs light from stars and makes them appear fainter and redder than they otherwise would appear.

List at least one naked-eye observation that is consistent with the ancient idea that Earth is at the center of the Milky Way.List at least one naked-eye observation that is inconsistent with the notion that Earth is at the center of the Milky Way.

Shapley found that globular clusters are only found in the Galactic bulge.

In the halo,we do NOT find:

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: Earth's 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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