Question 1

The figure below shows a schematic of the Hubble tuning-fork diagram.At which labeled point will a lenticular galaxy be placed?

Accepted Answer

A)  A 
B)  B 
C)  C 
D)  D 
A)  A 
B)  B 
C)  C 
D)  D

Question 2

Which type of astronomical object is shown in the figure below?

Accepted Answer

A)  Seyfert galaxy 
B)  irregular galaxy 
C)  quasar 
D)  radio galaxy 
A)  Seyfert galaxy 
B)  irregular galaxy 
C)  quasar 
D)  radio galaxy

Question 3

In the context of the cosmic distance ladder,to what does calibration refer?

Accepted Answer

A)  measuring Hubble's constant 
B)  tuning one distance determination method to another 
C)  measuring the distance to Cepheid variable stars 
D)  defining units 
A)  measuring Hubble's constant 
B)  tuning one distance determination method to another 
C)  measuring the distance to Cepheid variable stars 
D)  defining units

Question 4

The figure below shows a schematic of the Hubble tuning-fork diagram.At which labeled point might a spiral galaxy with a very small bulge lie?

Accepted Answer

A)  A 
B)  B 
C)  C 
D)  D 
A)  A 
B)  B 
C)  C 
D)  D

Question 5

An astronomer measures a galaxy to have an apparent recession velocity of 2,100 km/s.How far away is the galaxy?

Accepted Answer

A)  300 Mpc 
B)  30 Mpc 
C)  300 kpc 
D)  1.4 x 105 Mpc 
A)  300 Mpc 
B)  30 Mpc 
C)  300 kpc 
D)  1.4 x 105 Mpc

Question 6

An observer detects a galaxy with a blue color,lots of 21-cm emission,and a moderate total mass.It is most likely a(n):

Accepted Answer

A)  irregular. 
B)  elliptical. 
C)  lenticular. 
D)  spiral. 
A)  irregular. 
B)  elliptical. 
C)  lenticular. 
D)  spiral.

Question 7

Suppose astronomers discover an error in the size of the astronomical unit.How would this affect distances measured with Hubble's law?

Accepted Answer

A)  It would not affect such measurements, because they use galaxy redshifts. 
B)  It would not affect such measurements, because calibration protects against such errors. 
C)  Measurements with Hubble's law would change because of the change to inferred galaxy redshifts. 
D)  Measurements with Hubble's law would change because of the calibration process. 
A)  It would not affect such measurements, because they use galaxy redshifts. 
B)  It would not affect such measurements, because calibration protects against such errors. 
C)  Measurements with Hubble's law would change because of the change to inferred galaxy redshifts. 
D)  Measurements with Hubble's law would change because of the calibration process.

Question 8

A bright source doubles its luminosity over the course of a week.How large is the source?

Accepted Answer

A)  12 AU 
B)  1200 AU 
C)  0.12 parsecs 
D)  1.2 parsecs 
A)  12 AU 
B)  1200 AU 
C)  0.12 parsecs 
D)  1.2 parsecs

Question 9

A galaxy appears cigar-shaped on the sky.It has a population of globular clusters and predominantly old stars.It is most likely a(n):

Accepted Answer

A)  spiral. 
B)  barred spiral. 
C)  elliptical. 
D)  irregular. 
A)  spiral. 
B)  barred spiral. 
C)  elliptical. 
D)  irregular.

Question 10

The figure below shows the rotation curves of several nearby spiral galaxies.What does the shape of these curves tell us about the content of these galaxies?

Accepted Answer

They are d

Question 11

The figure below shows the rotation curves of several spiral galaxies,extending to the very edge of their visible disks.What do these curves tell us about the distribution of dark matter in these galaxies?

Accepted Answer

A)  Most of the dark matter is in clumps. 
B)  Most of the dark matter is in the bulge. 
C)  Most of the dark matter is near stars. 
D)  Most of the dark matter is in the galaxies' outskirts. 
A)  Most of the dark matter is in clumps. 
B)  Most of the dark matter is in the bulge. 
C)  Most of the dark matter is near stars. 
D)  Most of the dark matter is in the galaxies' outskirts.

Question 12

The figure below shows a schematic diagram of an active galactic nucleus (AGN).How might an observer lying along the direction indicated by the arrow describe this AGN?

Accepted Answer

A)  blazar 
B)  radio-loud galaxy 
C)  radio-quiet galaxy 
D)  quasar 
A)  blazar 
B)  radio-loud galaxy 
C)  radio-quiet galaxy 
D)  quasar

Question 13

Which of the following is necessary to measure the distance to a galaxy with Hubble's law?

Accepted Answer

A)  the Doppler effect formula 
B)  resolving a Cepheid variable in the galaxy 
C)  the size of the solar system 
D)  the rotation velocity of the galaxy 
A)  the Doppler effect formula 
B)  resolving a Cepheid variable in the galaxy 
C)  the size of the solar system 
D)  the rotation velocity of the galaxy

Question 14

What two observables of a galaxy correlate most strongly with the mass of the galaxy's supermassive black hole?

Accepted Answer

The mass of its bulg

Question 15

How do astronomers most directly measure the amount of dark matter in elliptical galaxies?

Accepted Answer

A)  through their rotation curves 
B)  through their velocity dispersion 
C)  through their radii 
D)  through their reddening 
A)  through their rotation curves 
B)  through their velocity dispersion 
C)  through their radii 
D)  through their reddening

Question 16

A black hole with a mass of 10⁹ MSᵤn brightens rapidly and increases its luminosity by a factor of two.Approximately how long would it take for an observer on Earth to see the black hole reach its maximum brightness?

Accepted Answer

A)  3 minutes 
B)  3 hours 
C)  3 days 
D)  3 weeks 
A)  3 minutes 
B)  3 hours 
C)  3 days 
D)  3 weeks

Question 17

How do stars move inside of ellipticals?

Accepted Answer

A)  They move along random orbits. 
B)  They all circulate in the same direction with little variation. 
C)  They all circulate in the same direction, but with some variation in velocities. 
D)  They move on mostly vertical orbits. 
A)  They move along random orbits. 
B)  They all circulate in the same direction with little variation. 
C)  They all circulate in the same direction, but with some variation in velocities. 
D)  They move on mostly vertical orbits.

Question 18

Which of the following quantities is most useful to astronomers when measuring the dark matter content of galaxies?

Accepted Answer

A)  color 
B)  age 
C)  stellar velocities 
D)  luminosity 
A)  color 
B)  age 
C)  stellar velocities 
D)  luminosity

Question 19

What is "spectroscopic parallax"?

Accepted Answer

A)  using stellar spectra to measure distances 
B)  using the apparent angular motion of stars to measure distances 
C)  using the redshifts of galaxy absorption lines to measure distances 
D)  using the apparent angular motion of galaxies to measure distances 
A)  using stellar spectra to measure distances 
B)  using the apparent angular motion of stars to measure distances 
C)  using the redshifts of galaxy absorption lines to measure distances 
D)  using the apparent angular motion of galaxies to measure distances

Question 20

An astronomer discovers a galaxy with unusually broad emission lines.What is the most likely source of these lines?

Accepted Answer

Fast-movin

The figure below shows a schematic of the Hubble tuning-fork diagram.At which labeled point will a lenticular galaxy be placed?

Which type of astronomical object is shown in the figure below?

In the context of the cosmic distance ladder,to what does calibration refer?

The figure below shows a schematic of the Hubble tuning-fork diagram.At which labeled point might a spiral galaxy with a very small bulge lie?

An astronomer measures a galaxy to have an apparent recession velocity of 2,100 km/s.How far away is the galaxy?

An observer detects a galaxy with a blue color,lots of 21-cm emission,and a moderate total mass.It is most likely a(n):

Suppose astronomers discover an error in the size of the astronomical unit.How would this affect distances measured with Hubble's law?

A bright source doubles its luminosity over the course of a week.How large is the source?

A galaxy appears cigar-shaped on the sky.It has a population of globular clusters and predominantly old stars.It is most likely a(n):

The figure below shows the rotation curves of several nearby spiral galaxies.What does the shape of these curves tell us about the content of these galaxies?

The figure below shows the rotation curves of several spiral galaxies,extending to the very edge of their visible disks.What do these curves tell us about the distribution of dark matter in these galaxies?

The figure below shows a schematic diagram of an active galactic nucleus (AGN).How might an observer lying along the direction indicated by the arrow describe this AGN?

Which of the following is necessary to measure the distance to a galaxy with Hubble's law?

What two observables of a galaxy correlate most strongly with the mass of the galaxy's supermassive black hole?

How do astronomers most directly measure the amount of dark matter in elliptical galaxies?

A black hole with a mass of 10⁹ MSᵤn brightens rapidly and increases its luminosity by a factor of two.Approximately how long would it take for an observer on Earth to see the black hole reach its maximum brightness?

How do stars move inside of ellipticals?

Which of the following quantities is most useful to astronomers when measuring the dark matter content of galaxies?

What is "spectroscopic parallax"?

An astronomer discovers a galaxy with unusually broad emission lines.What is the most likely source of these lines?

Getting Started: Science, astronomy, and Being Human

A Universe Made, a Universe Discovered

A Universe of Universal Laws

A Universe of Universal Laws

The Architecture and Birth of Planetary Systems

Home Base: Earth and Moon

Sibling Worlds: Mercury, Venus, and Mars

Gas, ice, and Stone: the Outer Planets

Life and the Search for Habitable Worlds

The Sun As a Star

Measuring the Stars: the Main Sequence and Its Meaning

Nursery of the Stars: the Interstellar Medium and Star Formation

To the Graveyard of Stars: the End Points of Stellar Evolution

Down the Rabbit Hole: Relativity and Black Holes

Our City of Stars: the Milky Way

The Cosmic Web: the Large-Scale Structure of the Universe

Cosmology

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Exam 16: A Universe of Galaxies

The figure below shows a schematic of the Hubble tuning-fork diagram.At which labeled point will a lenticular galaxy be placed?

Which type of astronomical object is shown in the figure below?

In the context of the cosmic distance ladder,to what does calibration refer?

The figure below shows a schematic of the Hubble tuning-fork diagram.At which labeled point might a spiral galaxy with a very small bulge lie?

An astronomer measures a galaxy to have an apparent recession velocity of 2,100 km/s.How far away is the galaxy?

An observer detects a galaxy with a blue color,lots of 21-cm emission,and a moderate total mass.It is most likely a(n):

Suppose astronomers discover an error in the size of the astronomical unit.How would this affect distances measured with Hubble's law?

A bright source doubles its luminosity over the course of a week.How large is the source?

A galaxy appears cigar-shaped on the sky.It has a population of globular clusters and predominantly old stars.It is most likely a(n):

The figure below shows the rotation curves of several nearby spiral galaxies.What does the shape of these curves tell us about the content of these galaxies?

The figure below shows the rotation curves of several spiral galaxies,extending to the very edge of their visible disks.What do these curves tell us about the distribution of dark matter in these galaxies?

The figure below shows a schematic diagram of an active galactic nucleus (AGN).How might an observer lying along the direction indicated by the arrow describe this AGN?

Which of the following is necessary to measure the distance to a galaxy with Hubble's law?

What two observables of a galaxy correlate most strongly with the mass of the galaxy's supermassive black hole?

How do astronomers most directly measure the amount of dark matter in elliptical galaxies?

A black hole with a mass of 10⁹ MSᵤn brightens rapidly and increases its luminosity by a factor of two.Approximately how long would it take for an observer on Earth to see the black hole reach its maximum brightness?

How do stars move inside of ellipticals?

Which of the following quantities is most useful to astronomers when measuring the dark matter content of galaxies?

What is "spectroscopic parallax"?

An astronomer discovers a galaxy with unusually broad emission lines.What is the most likely source of these lines?

Getting Started: Science, astronomy, and Being Human

A Universe Made, a Universe Discovered

A Universe of Universal Laws

A Universe of Universal Laws

The Architecture and Birth of Planetary Systems

Home Base: Earth and Moon

Sibling Worlds: Mercury, Venus, and Mars

Gas, ice, and Stone: the Outer Planets

Life and the Search for Habitable Worlds

The Sun As a Star

Measuring the Stars: the Main Sequence and Its Meaning

Nursery of the Stars: the Interstellar Medium and Star Formation

To the Graveyard of Stars: the End Points of Stellar Evolution

Down the Rabbit Hole: Relativity and Black Holes

Our City of Stars: the Milky Way

The Cosmic Web: the Large-Scale Structure of the Universe

Cosmology

Filters