Question 1

Which is more common: a star blows up as a supernova, or a star forms a planetary nebula/white dwarf system?

Accepted Answer

A)  Planetary nebula formation is more common. 
B)  Supernovae are more common. 
C)  They both occur in about equal numbers. 
D)  It is impossible to say. 
A)  Planetary nebula formation is more common. 
B)  Supernovae are more common. 
C)  They both occur in about equal numbers. 
D)  It is impossible to say.

Question 2

Choose from the list below for the following questions. You may use a choice more than once.
-Which process leads to the production of carbon?

Accepted Answer

A) H fusion by the proton-proton chain 
B) H fusion by the CNO cycle 
C) helium fusion 
D) matter-antimatter annihilation 
E) gravitational contraction 
A) H fusion by the proton-proton chain 
B) H fusion by the CNO cycle 
C) helium fusion 
D) matter-antimatter annihilation 
E) gravitational contraction

Question 3

Which part of the electromagnetic spectrum generally gives us our best views of stars forming in dusty clouds?

Accepted Answer

A)  Infrared 
B)  Visible light 
C)  Ultraviolet 
D)  Blue light 
A)  Infrared 
B)  Visible light 
C)  Ultraviolet 
D)  Blue light

Question 4

Our Sun will end its life in a planetary nebula and become a white dwarf.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

Do you think it is possible that a 10-solar-mass main-sequence star could harbor an advanced civilization? Explain your reasoning.

Accepted Answer

A 10-solar-mass star has a ver

Question 6

Suppose the star Betelgeuse (the upper left shoulder of Orion) were to become a supernova tomorrow (as seen here on Earth). What would it look like to the naked eye?

Accepted Answer

A)  Because the supernova event destroys the star, Betelgeuse would suddenly disappear from view. 
B)  We'd see a cloud of gas expanding away from the position where Betelgeuse used to be. Over a period of a few weeks, this cloud would fill our entire sky. 
C)  Betelgeuse would remain a dot of light but would suddenly become so bright that, for a few weeks, we'd be able to see this dot in the daytime. 
D)  Betelgeuse would suddenly appear to grow larger in size, soon reaching the size of the full moon. It would also be about as bright as the full moon. 
A)  Because the supernova event destroys the star, Betelgeuse would suddenly disappear from view. 
B)  We'd see a cloud of gas expanding away from the position where Betelgeuse used to be. Over a period of a few weeks, this cloud would fill our entire sky. 
C)  Betelgeuse would remain a dot of light but would suddenly become so bright that, for a few weeks, we'd be able to see this dot in the daytime. 
D)  Betelgeuse would suddenly appear to grow larger in size, soon reaching the size of the full moon. It would also be about as bright as the full moon.

Question 7

Why is iron significant to understanding how a supernova occurs?

Accepted Answer

A)  Iron cannot release energy either by fission or fusion. 
B)  Iron is the heaviest of all atomic nuclei, and thus no heavier elements can be made. 
C)  Supernovae often leave behind neutron stars, which are made mostly of iron. 
D)  The fusion of iron into uranium is the reaction that drives a supernova explosion. 
A)  Iron cannot release energy either by fission or fusion. 
B)  Iron is the heaviest of all atomic nuclei, and thus no heavier elements can be made. 
C)  Supernovae often leave behind neutron stars, which are made mostly of iron. 
D)  The fusion of iron into uranium is the reaction that drives a supernova explosion.

Question 8

The heaviest element produced by stars or in supernovae is silicon.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

Choose from the list below for the following questions. You may use a choice more than once.
-Which one provided the energy that made the Sun hot in the first place?

Accepted Answer

A) H fusion by the proton-proton chain 
B) H fusion by the CNO cycle 
C) helium fusion 
D) matter-antimatter annihilation 
E) gravitational contraction 
A) H fusion by the proton-proton chain 
B) H fusion by the CNO cycle 
C) helium fusion 
D) matter-antimatter annihilation 
E) gravitational contraction

Question 10

Lithium, beryllium, and boron are elements with atomic number 3, 4, and 5, respectively. Even though they are three of the five simplest elements, why are they rare compared to many heavier elements?

Accepted Answer

Helium fuses into carbon by combining th

Question 11

What types of stars end their lives with supernovae?

Accepted Answer

A)  all stars that are red in color 
B)  all stars that are yellow in color 
C)  stars that are at least several times the mass of the Sun 
D)  stars that are similar in mass to the Sun 
E)  stars that have reached an age of 10 billion years 
A)  all stars that are red in color 
B)  all stars that are yellow in color 
C)  stars that are at least several times the mass of the Sun 
D)  stars that are similar in mass to the Sun 
E)  stars that have reached an age of 10 billion years

Question 12

The Faintest White Dwarfs: All low-mass stars end their lives by forming white dwarfs which evolve by cooling at a constant radius, growing less and less luminous with time. You are about to begin an observing program to look for the faintest white dwarfs in the Milky Way Galaxy. In the course of your observations, will you continue to find white dwarfs that are less and less luminous, or will you ultimately find a population of white dwarfs that are the least luminous ones in the Milky Way? If you answer the latter, what is your interpretation of this result?

Accepted Answer

In the course of our observations, we wi

Question 13

Which two processes can generate energy to help a star maintain its internal thermal pressure?

Accepted Answer

A)  Nuclear fusion and gravitational contraction 
B)  Nuclear fusion and nuclear fission 
C)  Nuclear fusion and supernova 
D)  Nuclear fission and supernova 
A)  Nuclear fusion and gravitational contraction 
B)  Nuclear fusion and nuclear fission 
C)  Nuclear fusion and supernova 
D)  Nuclear fission and supernova

Question 14

In any star cluster, stars with lower masses greatly outnumber those with higher masses.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

What happens to the core of a star after it ejects a planetary nebula?

Accepted Answer

A)  It contracts from a protostar to a main-sequence star. 
B)  It breaks apart in a violent explosion. 
C)  It becomes a white dwarf. 
D)  It becomes a neutron star. 
E)  none of the above 
A)  It contracts from a protostar to a main-sequence star. 
B)  It breaks apart in a violent explosion. 
C)  It becomes a white dwarf. 
D)  It becomes a neutron star. 
E)  none of the above

Question 16

Which of the following statements about the stages of nuclear burning in a massive star is not true?

Accepted Answer

A)  Each successive stage of fusion requires higher temperatures than the previous stages. 
B)  As each stage ends, the core shrinks further. 
C)  Each successive stage creates an element with a higher atomic weight. 
D)  Each successive stage lasts for approximately as long as the first, hydrogen fusion stage. 
A)  Each successive stage of fusion requires higher temperatures than the previous stages. 
B)  As each stage ends, the core shrinks further. 
C)  Each successive stage creates an element with a higher atomic weight. 
D)  Each successive stage lasts for approximately as long as the first, hydrogen fusion stage.

Question 17

Why does a star grow larger after it exhausts its core hydrogen?

Accepted Answer

A)  The outer layers of the star are no longer gravitationally attracted to the core. 
B)  Hydrogen fusion in a shell outside the core generates enough thermal pressure to push the upper layers outward. 
C)  Helium fusion in the core generates enough thermal pressure to push the upper layers outward. 
D)  Helium fusion in a shell outside the core generates enough thermal pressure to push the upper layers outward. 
E)  The internal radiation generated by the hydrogen fusion in the core has heated the outer layers enough that they can expand after the star is no longer fusing hydrogen. 
A)  The outer layers of the star are no longer gravitationally attracted to the core. 
B)  Hydrogen fusion in a shell outside the core generates enough thermal pressure to push the upper layers outward. 
C)  Helium fusion in the core generates enough thermal pressure to push the upper layers outward. 
D)  Helium fusion in a shell outside the core generates enough thermal pressure to push the upper layers outward. 
E)  The internal radiation generated by the hydrogen fusion in the core has heated the outer layers enough that they can expand after the star is no longer fusing hydrogen.

Question 18

A spinning neutron star has been observed at the center of a ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  supernova remnant 
B)  planetary nebula 
C)  red supergiant 
D)  protostar 
A)  supernova remnant 
B)  planetary nebula 
C)  red supergiant 
D)  protostar

Question 19

Where would a brown dwarf be located on an H-R diagram?

Accepted Answer

A)  Below and to the right of the lowest part of the main sequence 
B)  Above and to the left of the highest part of the main sequence 
C)  In the upper right corner of the H-R diagram 
D)  In the lower left corner of the H-R diagram 
A)  Below and to the right of the lowest part of the main sequence 
B)  Above and to the left of the highest part of the main sequence 
C)  In the upper right corner of the H-R diagram 
D)  In the lower left corner of the H-R diagram

Question 20

We do not know for certain whether the general trends we observe in stellar birth masses also apply to brown dwarfs. But if they do, then which of the following would be true?

Accepted Answer

A)  Brown dwarfs would outnumber all ordinary stars. 
B)  Brown dwarfs would be responsible for most of the overall luminosity of our Milky Way Galaxy. 
C)  Brown dwarfs would be extremely rare. 
D)  Most of the brown dwarfs in the Milky Way Galaxy would be quite young in age. 
A)  Brown dwarfs would outnumber all ordinary stars. 
B)  Brown dwarfs would be responsible for most of the overall luminosity of our Milky Way Galaxy. 
C)  Brown dwarfs would be extremely rare. 
D)  Most of the brown dwarfs in the Milky Way Galaxy would be quite young in age.

Which is more common: a star blows up as a supernova, or a star forms a planetary nebula/white dwarf system?

Choose from the list below for the following questions. You may use a choice more than once. -Which process leads to the production of carbon?

Which part of the electromagnetic spectrum generally gives us our best views of stars forming in dusty clouds?

Our Sun will end its life in a planetary nebula and become a white dwarf.

Do you think it is possible that a 10-solar-mass main-sequence star could harbor an advanced civilization? Explain your reasoning.

Suppose the star Betelgeuse (the upper left shoulder of Orion) were to become a supernova tomorrow (as seen here on Earth). What would it look like to the naked eye?

Why is iron significant to understanding how a supernova occurs?

The heaviest element produced by stars or in supernovae is silicon.

Choose from the list below for the following questions. You may use a choice more than once. -Which one provided the energy that made the Sun hot in the first place?

Lithium, beryllium, and boron are elements with atomic number 3, 4, and 5, respectively. Even though they are three of the five simplest elements, why are they rare compared to many heavier elements?

What types of stars end their lives with supernovae?

Which two processes can generate energy to help a star maintain its internal thermal pressure?

In any star cluster, stars with lower masses greatly outnumber those with higher masses.

What happens to the core of a star after it ejects a planetary nebula?

Which of the following statements about the stages of nuclear burning in a massive star is not true?

Why does a star grow larger after it exhausts its core hydrogen?

A spinning neutron star has been observed at the center of a ________.

Where would a brown dwarf be located on an H-R diagram?

We do not know for certain whether the general trends we observe in stellar birth masses also apply to brown dwarfs. But if they do, then which of the following would be true?

Our Place in the Universe

Discovering the Universe for Yourself

The Science of Astronomy

Making Sense of the Universe: Understanding Motion, Energy, and Gravity

Light: the Cosmic Messenger

Formation of Planetary Systems: Our Solar System and Beyond

Earth and the Terrestrial Worlds

Jovian Planet Systems

Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets: Their Nature, Orbits, and Impacts

Our Star

Surveying the Stars

Bizarre Stellar Graveyard

Our Galaxy

Galaxies and the Foundation of Modern Cosmology

Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe

The Beginning of Time

Life in the Universe

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Exam 12: Star Stuff

Which is more common: a star blows up as a supernova, or a star forms a planetary nebula/white dwarf system?

Choose from the list below for the following questions. You may use a choice more than once. -Which process leads to the production of carbon?

Which part of the electromagnetic spectrum generally gives us our best views of stars forming in dusty clouds?

Our Sun will end its life in a planetary nebula and become a white dwarf.

Do you think it is possible that a 10-solar-mass main-sequence star could harbor an advanced civilization? Explain your reasoning.

Suppose the star Betelgeuse (the upper left shoulder of Orion) were to become a supernova tomorrow (as seen here on Earth). What would it look like to the naked eye?

Why is iron significant to understanding how a supernova occurs?

The heaviest element produced by stars or in supernovae is silicon.

Choose from the list below for the following questions. You may use a choice more than once. -Which one provided the energy that made the Sun hot in the first place?

Lithium, beryllium, and boron are elements with atomic number 3, 4, and 5, respectively. Even though they are three of the five simplest elements, why are they rare compared to many heavier elements?

What types of stars end their lives with supernovae?

Which two processes can generate energy to help a star maintain its internal thermal pressure?

In any star cluster, stars with lower masses greatly outnumber those with higher masses.

What happens to the core of a star after it ejects a planetary nebula?

Which of the following statements about the stages of nuclear burning in a massive star is not true?

Why does a star grow larger after it exhausts its core hydrogen?

A spinning neutron star has been observed at the center of a ________.

Where would a brown dwarf be located on an H-R diagram?

We do not know for certain whether the general trends we observe in stellar birth masses also apply to brown dwarfs. But if they do, then which of the following would be true?

Our Place in the Universe

Discovering the Universe for Yourself

The Science of Astronomy

Making Sense of the Universe: Understanding Motion, Energy, and Gravity

Light: the Cosmic Messenger

Formation of Planetary Systems: Our Solar System and Beyond

Earth and the Terrestrial Worlds

Jovian Planet Systems

Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets: Their Nature, Orbits, and Impacts

Our Star

Surveying the Stars

Bizarre Stellar Graveyard

Our Galaxy

Galaxies and the Foundation of Modern Cosmology

Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe

The Beginning of Time

Life in the Universe

Filters