Question 1

Explain what a standard candle is and how it could be used to determine a galaxy's distance.

Accepted Answer

A standard candle is an object with a we

Question 2

You observe a spiral galaxy with a large central bulge and tightly wrapped arms. It would be classified a

Accepted Answer

A)  Sc. 
B)  Sb. 
C)  Sa. 
D)  SO. 
E)  E7. 
A)  Sc. 
B)  Sb. 
C)  Sa. 
D)  SO. 
E)  E7.

Question 3

Describe how gravitational lensing works. What can it tell us about the galaxy that is doing the lensing? How is lensing valuable to the study of dark matter?

Accepted Answer

Gravitational lensing occurs when a near

Question 4

In what sense are the quasars "quasi-stellar"?

Accepted Answer

A)  Their energy production is hydrogen-helium fusion, like main sequence stars. 
B)  They are upscale versions of O stars, yet hundreds of times more massive. 
C)  Their luminosity comes from the millions of supergiants that compose them. 
D)  Their spectra is like that of ordinary stars. 
E)  In short time exposures, their images looked stellar. 
A)  Their energy production is hydrogen-helium fusion, like main sequence stars. 
B)  They are upscale versions of O stars, yet hundreds of times more massive. 
C)  Their luminosity comes from the millions of supergiants that compose them. 
D)  Their spectra is like that of ordinary stars. 
E)  In short time exposures, their images looked stellar.

Question 5

Active galactic nuclei are usually powered by supermassive black holes.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

A spherical galaxy, like M87, which looks like a monster globular cluster, is type

Accepted Answer

A)  S0. 
B)  ES. 
C)  E0. 
D)  ES1. 
E)  0V. 
A)  S0. 
B)  ES. 
C)  E0. 
D)  ES1. 
E)  0V.

Question 7

The ________ phenomenon is an extremely energetic event which apparently occurs in the nuclei of massive galaxies during an early stage of their evolution.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The ________ phenomenon is an extremely energetic...

Question 8

What is TRUE of spiral galaxies?

Accepted Answer

A)  They are much less common at larger redshifts. 
B)  They are relatively rare in regions of high galaxy density. 
C)  They are only found in the center of rich galaxy clusters. 
D)  They have never been seen to have large redshifts. 
E)  They evolve from giant ellipticals. 
A)  They are much less common at larger redshifts. 
B)  They are relatively rare in regions of high galaxy density. 
C)  They are only found in the center of rich galaxy clusters. 
D)  They have never been seen to have large redshifts. 
E)  They evolve from giant ellipticals.

Question 9

An intermediately wound barred spiral galaxy would be

Accepted Answer

A)  BS2. 
B)  BSE.5. 
C)  SBb. 
D)  S2B. 
E)  SIrr. 
A)  BS2. 
B)  BSE.5. 
C)  SBb. 
D)  S2B. 
E)  SIrr.

Question 10

Which statement about the Local Group is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

A)  It contains about 45 member galaxies. 
B)  Its notable spirals include the Milky Way, M31, and M33. 
C)  Most of its members are dwarf elliptical and irregular galaxies. 
D)  It contains the large radio galaxy Centaurus A. 
E)  It is about three million light-years across. 
A)  It contains about 45 member galaxies. 
B)  Its notable spirals include the Milky Way, M31, and M33. 
C)  Most of its members are dwarf elliptical and irregular galaxies. 
D)  It contains the large radio galaxy Centaurus A. 
E)  It is about three million light-years across.

Question 11

Why would galaxies colliding in a small cluster tend to stick together, while galaxies in a large cluster tend to pass through each other?

Accepted Answer

In a small cluster the lower mass means

Question 12

In active galaxies, their central engines may be temporarily fed by

Accepted Answer

A)  a sudden surge of star formation. 
B)  a series of supernovae around the core. 
C)  the sudden collapse of the core into a supermassive black hole. 
D)  a close encounter with a neighbor galaxy. 
E)  the fusion of helium into carbon in their cores. 
A)  a sudden surge of star formation. 
B)  a series of supernovae around the core. 
C)  the sudden collapse of the core into a supermassive black hole. 
D)  a close encounter with a neighbor galaxy. 
E)  the fusion of helium into carbon in their cores.

Question 13

Galaxies are classified into types solely on the basis of their color.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

In Hubble's classification, which type of galaxy has no stellar disk and no gas or dust?

Accepted Answer

A)  E0 
B)  S0 
C)  Sa 
D)  SBc 
E)  E9 
A)  E0 
B)  S0 
C)  Sa 
D)  SBc 
E)  E9

Question 15

Most active galactic nuclei are powered by

Accepted Answer

A)  supermassive black holes. 
B)  a large number of supernovae. 
C)  mergers of compact objects. 
D)  black hole mergers. 
E)  extra-terrestrial civilizations. 
A)  supermassive black holes. 
B)  a large number of supernovae. 
C)  mergers of compact objects. 
D)  black hole mergers. 
E)  extra-terrestrial civilizations.

Question 16

Why is it that the quasars we see represent a time when the universe was younger?

Accepted Answer

Quasars have very large redshi

Question 17

Which of the following paraphrases Hubble's Law?

Accepted Answer

A)  The faster the galaxy spins, the more massive and luminous it is. 
B)  The greater the distance to a galaxy, the greater its redshift. 
C)  The greater the distance to a galaxy, the fainter it is. 
D)  The more distant a galaxy is, the younger it appears. 
E)  The older the galaxy appears to us, the more luminous it is. 
A)  The faster the galaxy spins, the more massive and luminous it is. 
B)  The greater the distance to a galaxy, the greater its redshift. 
C)  The greater the distance to a galaxy, the fainter it is. 
D)  The more distant a galaxy is, the younger it appears. 
E)  The older the galaxy appears to us, the more luminous it is.

Question 18

What is a galaxy's rotation curve? To which galaxies is it best applied, and what does it tell us about the distribution of dark matter?

Accepted Answer

The speed of rotation at various distanc

Question 19

Briefly describe how Hubble classified the galaxies visually.

Accepted Answer

Ellipticals were divided into eight cate

Question 20

Distinguish an E0 from an E7 galaxy.

Accepted Answer

Elliptical galaxies of type E0 show sphe

Explain what a standard candle is and how it could be used to determine a galaxy's distance.

You observe a spiral galaxy with a large central bulge and tightly wrapped arms. It would be classified a

Describe how gravitational lensing works. What can it tell us about the galaxy that is doing the lensing? How is lensing valuable to the study of dark matter?

In what sense are the quasars "quasi-stellar"?

Active galactic nuclei are usually powered by supermassive black holes.

A spherical galaxy, like M87, which looks like a monster globular cluster, is type

The ________ phenomenon is an extremely energetic event which apparently occurs in the nuclei of massive galaxies during an early stage of their evolution.

What is TRUE of spiral galaxies?

An intermediately wound barred spiral galaxy would be

Which statement about the Local Group is FALSE?

Why would galaxies colliding in a small cluster tend to stick together, while galaxies in a large cluster tend to pass through each other?

In active galaxies, their central engines may be temporarily fed by

Galaxies are classified into types solely on the basis of their color.

In Hubble's classification, which type of galaxy has no stellar disk and no gas or dust?

Most active galactic nuclei are powered by

Why is it that the quasars we see represent a time when the universe was younger?

Which of the following paraphrases Hubble's Law?

What is a galaxy's rotation curve? To which galaxies is it best applied, and what does it tell us about the distribution of dark matter?

Briefly describe how Hubble classified the galaxies visually.

Distinguish an E0 from an E7 galaxy.

The Night Sky

Light and Telescopes

The Solar System

Earth and Its Moon

The Eight Planets

Small Bodies in the Solar System

Formation of Planetary Systems

The Sun

Measuring the Stars

Star Formation and Evolution

Stellar Explosions

Black Holes

The Milky Way Galaxy

Cosmology and the Universe

Filters

Exam 14: Galaxies

Explain what a standard candle is and how it could be used to determine a galaxy's distance.

You observe a spiral galaxy with a large central bulge and tightly wrapped arms. It would be classified a

Describe how gravitational lensing works. What can it tell us about the galaxy that is doing the lensing? How is lensing valuable to the study of dark matter?

In what sense are the quasars "quasi-stellar"?

Active galactic nuclei are usually powered by supermassive black holes.

A spherical galaxy, like M87, which looks like a monster globular cluster, is type

The ________ phenomenon is an extremely energetic event which apparently occurs in the nuclei of massive galaxies during an early stage of their evolution.

What is TRUE of spiral galaxies?

An intermediately wound barred spiral galaxy would be

Which statement about the Local Group is FALSE?

Why would galaxies colliding in a small cluster tend to stick together, while galaxies in a large cluster tend to pass through each other?

In active galaxies, their central engines may be temporarily fed by

Galaxies are classified into types solely on the basis of their color.

In Hubble's classification, which type of galaxy has no stellar disk and no gas or dust?

Most active galactic nuclei are powered by

Why is it that the quasars we see represent a time when the universe was younger?

Which of the following paraphrases Hubble's Law?

What is a galaxy's rotation curve? To which galaxies is it best applied, and what does it tell us about the distribution of dark matter?

Briefly describe how Hubble classified the galaxies visually.

Distinguish an E0 from an E7 galaxy.

The Night Sky

Light and Telescopes

The Solar System

Earth and Its Moon

The Eight Planets

Small Bodies in the Solar System

Formation of Planetary Systems

The Sun

Measuring the Stars

Star Formation and Evolution

Stellar Explosions

Black Holes

The Milky Way Galaxy

Cosmology and the Universe

Filters