Question 1

If a galaxy has a recessional velocity of 880 km/s,what is its distance if the Hubble constant is 72 km/s/Mpc?

Accepted Answer

A)  12 Mpc 
B)  27 Mpc 
C)  123 Mpc 
D)  2,700 Mpc 
A)  12 Mpc 
B)  27 Mpc 
C)  123 Mpc 
D)  2,700 Mpc

Question 2

The spectra of most galaxies tell us that:

Accepted Answer

A)  most galaxies appear to be moving away from us. 
B)  their light comes predominantly from objects other than stars. 
C)  most galaxies contain clouds of gas that are absorbing their favorite wavelengths. 
D)  galaxies in the past rotated at a faster rate than they do today. 
A)  most galaxies appear to be moving away from us. 
B)  their light comes predominantly from objects other than stars. 
C)  most galaxies contain clouds of gas that are absorbing their favorite wavelengths. 
D)  galaxies in the past rotated at a faster rate than they do today.

Question 3

In the Great Debate of 1920,Curtis and Shapley argued about whether spiral and elliptical nebulae were inside or outside of the Milky Way.These objects are now known as:

Accepted Answer

A)  dark matter. 
B)  supermassive black holes. 
C)  galaxies. 
D)  globular clusters. 
A)  dark matter. 
B)  supermassive black holes. 
C)  galaxies. 
D)  globular clusters.

Question 4

If the spectrum of a distant galaxy is observed to have a calcium K absorption line that occurs at a wavelength of 500.4 nm,what is this galaxy's distance if the rest wavelength of this absorption line is 393.4 nm? Assume a Hubble constant of 72 km/s/Mpc.

Accepted Answer

A)  950 Mpc 
B)  1,800 Mpc 
C)  2,300 Mpc 
D)  1,130 Mpc 
A)  950 Mpc 
B)  1,800 Mpc 
C)  2,300 Mpc 
D)  1,130 Mpc

Question 5

Which of the following lists distance indicators that are used to measure distances ranging from the very nearest to the very farthest?

Accepted Answer

A)  Cepheids, parallax, main-sequence fitting, Type Ia supernovae 
B)  parallax, main-sequence fitting, Cepheids, Type Ia supernovae 
C)  parallax, main-sequence fitting, Type Ia supernovae, Cepheids 
D)  main-sequence fitting, parallax, Cepheids, Type Ia supernovae 
A)  Cepheids, parallax, main-sequence fitting, Type Ia supernovae 
B)  parallax, main-sequence fitting, Cepheids, Type Ia supernovae 
C)  parallax, main-sequence fitting, Type Ia supernovae, Cepheids 
D)  main-sequence fitting, parallax, Cepheids, Type Ia supernovae

Question 6

What was the Hubble tuning fork originally intended to explain,and what does it mean to astronomers today?

Accepted Answer

Hubble intended it to describe

Question 7

What is observed to happen to the velocities of stars that reside at greater distances from the center of the galaxy?

Accepted Answer

A)  They move slower and slower. 
B)  They move faster and faster. 
C)  They vary greatly in a random fashion. 
D)  They essentially stay the same. 
A)  They move slower and slower. 
B)  They move faster and faster. 
C)  They vary greatly in a random fashion. 
D)  They essentially stay the same.

Question 8

How did Edwin Hubble definitively prove that "spiral nebulae" were individual galaxies that were separate from the Milky Way?

Accepted Answer

Hubble identified Cepheid variable stars

Question 9

What do astronomers mean when they say that the universe is homogeneous?

Accepted Answer

A)  All stars in all galaxies have planetary systems just like ours. 
B)  The universe appears the same no matter where you look. 
C)  Galaxies are generally distributed similarly throughout the universe. 
D)  Generally speaking, there is little difference between conditions on Earth, in the Sun, or in outer space. 
A)  All stars in all galaxies have planetary systems just like ours. 
B)  The universe appears the same no matter where you look. 
C)  Galaxies are generally distributed similarly throughout the universe. 
D)  Generally speaking, there is little difference between conditions on Earth, in the Sun, or in outer space.

Question 10

The figure below indicates a possible picture of a theoretical universe with two separate observers within it.Which of the following statements describes this universe?

Accepted Answer

A)  This universe is homogeneous but not isotropic. 
B)  This universe is isotropic but not homogeneous. 
C)  This universe is both homogeneous and isotropic. 
D)  This universe is neither homogeneous nor isotropic. 
A)  This universe is homogeneous but not isotropic. 
B)  This universe is isotropic but not homogeneous. 
C)  This universe is both homogeneous and isotropic. 
D)  This universe is neither homogeneous nor isotropic.

Question 11

Does Hubble's law imply that our galaxy is sitting at the center of the universe? Explain.

Accepted Answer

Our galaxy is not at the center of the u

If a galaxy has a recessional velocity of 880 km/s,what is its distance if the Hubble constant is 72 km/s/Mpc?

The spectra of most galaxies tell us that:

In the Great Debate of 1920,Curtis and Shapley argued about whether spiral and elliptical nebulae were inside or outside of the Milky Way.These objects are now known as:

If the spectrum of a distant galaxy is observed to have a calcium K absorption line that occurs at a wavelength of 500.4 nm,what is this galaxy's distance if the rest wavelength of this absorption line is 393.4 nm? Assume a Hubble constant of 72 km/s/Mpc.

Which of the following lists distance indicators that are used to measure distances ranging from the very nearest to the very farthest?

What was the Hubble tuning fork originally intended to explain,and what does it mean to astronomers today?

What is observed to happen to the velocities of stars that reside at greater distances from the center of the galaxy?

How did Edwin Hubble definitively prove that "spiral nebulae" were individual galaxies that were separate from the Milky Way?

What do astronomers mean when they say that the universe is homogeneous?

The figure below indicates a possible picture of a theoretical universe with two separate observers within it.Which of the following statements describes this universe?

Does Hubble's law imply that our galaxy is sitting at the center of the universe? Explain.

Thinking Like an Astronomer

Patterns in the Skymotions of Earth and the Moon

Laws of Motion

Light and Telescopes

The Formation of Stars and Planets

Terrestrial Worlds in the Inner Solar System

Atmospheres of Venus, earth, and Mars

The Giant Planets

Small Bodies of the Solar System

Measuring the Stars

Our Star: the Sun

Evolution of Low-Mass Stars

Evolution of High-Mass Stars

Our Galaxy: the Milky Way

The Evolution of the Universe

Formation of Structure

Life in the Universe

Filters

Exam 14: Measuring Galaxies

If a galaxy has a recessional velocity of 880 km/s,what is its distance if the Hubble constant is 72 km/s/Mpc?

The spectra of most galaxies tell us that:

In the Great Debate of 1920,Curtis and Shapley argued about whether spiral and elliptical nebulae were inside or outside of the Milky Way.These objects are now known as:

If the spectrum of a distant galaxy is observed to have a calcium K absorption line that occurs at a wavelength of 500.4 nm,what is this galaxy's distance if the rest wavelength of this absorption line is 393.4 nm? Assume a Hubble constant of 72 km/s/Mpc.

Which of the following lists distance indicators that are used to measure distances ranging from the very nearest to the very farthest?

What was the Hubble tuning fork originally intended to explain,and what does it mean to astronomers today?

What is observed to happen to the velocities of stars that reside at greater distances from the center of the galaxy?

How did Edwin Hubble definitively prove that "spiral nebulae" were individual galaxies that were separate from the Milky Way?

What do astronomers mean when they say that the universe is homogeneous?

The figure below indicates a possible picture of a theoretical universe with two separate observers within it.Which of the following statements describes this universe?

Does Hubble's law imply that our galaxy is sitting at the center of the universe? Explain.

Thinking Like an Astronomer

Patterns in the Skymotions of Earth and the Moon

Laws of Motion

Light and Telescopes

The Formation of Stars and Planets

Terrestrial Worlds in the Inner Solar System

Atmospheres of Venus, earth, and Mars

The Giant Planets

Small Bodies of the Solar System

Measuring the Stars

Our Star: the Sun

Evolution of Low-Mass Stars

Evolution of High-Mass Stars

Our Galaxy: the Milky Way

The Evolution of the Universe

Formation of Structure

Life in the Universe

Filters