Question 1

The Tully-Fisher relationship relies on broadening of the 21-cm radio line in distant spiral galaxies.What causes this broadening?

Accepted Answer

A)  the thermal motion of the gases in the galaxy 
B)  the random motions of the stars in the galaxy 
C)  the rotation of the galaxy 
D)  the general expansion of the universe (Hubble flow) 
A)  the thermal motion of the gases in the galaxy 
B)  the random motions of the stars in the galaxy 
C)  the rotation of the galaxy 
D)  the general expansion of the universe (Hubble flow)

Question 2

It was recently discovered that the galactic halo contains an outer layer.How does this outer layer compare to the inner layer?

Accepted Answer

A)  The two layers are virtually identical except for their distance from the galactic nucleus. 
B)  The stars of the outer layer are much younger than those of the inner layer. 
C)  The stars of the outer layer are relatively metal-rich. 
D)  The stars of the outer layer orbit in the opposite sense from those of the inner layer. 
A)  The two layers are virtually identical except for their distance from the galactic nucleus. 
B)  The stars of the outer layer are much younger than those of the inner layer. 
C)  The stars of the outer layer are relatively metal-rich. 
D)  The stars of the outer layer orbit in the opposite sense from those of the inner layer.

Question 3

The first suggestion that there were collections of stars beyond the Milky Way in the universe was made by:

Accepted Answer

A)  Edwin Hubble in 1923. 
B)  Immanuel Kant in 1755. 
C)  William Parsons, Earl of Rosse, in 1845. 
D)  Sir Isaac Newton in 1690. 
A)  Edwin Hubble in 1923. 
B)  Immanuel Kant in 1755. 
C)  William Parsons, Earl of Rosse, in 1845. 
D)  Sir Isaac Newton in 1690.

Question 4

According to the Hubble classification scheme,an E3 galaxy:

Accepted Answer

A)  is rounder looking than an E5 galaxy. 
B)  has more tightly wound spiral arms than an E5 galaxy. 
C)  is more elongated than an E5 galaxy. 
D)  has a shorter central bar in its disk than an E5 galaxy. 
A)  is rounder looking than an E5 galaxy. 
B)  has more tightly wound spiral arms than an E5 galaxy. 
C)  is more elongated than an E5 galaxy. 
D)  has a shorter central bar in its disk than an E5 galaxy.

Question 5

What name is given to a galaxy with a smooth distribution of brightness and a very elongated shape?

Accepted Answer

A)  Sc 
B)  SBc 
C)  E0 
D)  E7 
A)  Sc 
B)  SBc 
C)  E0 
D)  E7

Question 6

You are looking through a very old astronomy book,and you find the Messier object M31 referred to as the Andromeda Nebula.You might suspect that this book was written before:

Accepted Answer

A)  1780. 
B)  1845. 
C)  1924. 
D)  1954. 
A)  1780. 
B)  1845. 
C)  1924. 
D)  1954.

Question 7

Harlow Shapley's original estimate of the distance from the Sun to the galactic center was incorrect because it did not take scattering by interstellar dust into account.Shapley's original estimate was:

Accepted Answer

A)  too large because light scattering and absorption by dust made nearer stars look dim-as though they were more distant. 
B)  too large because scattering by dust made stars look redder-as though they were highly Doppler-shifted and thus more distant. 
C)  too small because gas and dust tend to reflect light into the path of the beam, thus making stars look brighter and nearer. 
D)  too large because scattering by dust made stars look redder-as though they were red giants of larger luminosity and thus farther away. 
A)  too large because light scattering and absorption by dust made nearer stars look dim-as though they were more distant. 
B)  too large because scattering by dust made stars look redder-as though they were highly Doppler-shifted and thus more distant. 
C)  too small because gas and dust tend to reflect light into the path of the beam, thus making stars look brighter and nearer. 
D)  too large because scattering by dust made stars look redder-as though they were red giants of larger luminosity and thus farther away.

Question 8

When swirling eddies of gas-rich matter in the universe collide and form a disk centered on an especially massive black hole and lots of dark matter,what type of galaxy is believed to be the MOST likely to form?

Accepted Answer

A)  normal spiral 
B)  barred spiral 
C)  giant elliptical 
D)  irregular 
A)  normal spiral 
B)  barred spiral 
C)  giant elliptical 
D)  irregular

Question 9

In the Local Group of about 40 galaxies,about how many are within 10⁶ light-years of our own Milky Way Galaxy? (See Figure 13-38,Comins,Discovering the Essential Universe,6th ed.)

Accepted Answer

A)  none 
B)  roughly one-fourth to one-third 
C)  roughly one-half to two-thirds 
D)  all 
A)  none 
B)  roughly one-fourth to one-third 
C)  roughly one-half to two-thirds 
D)  all

Question 10

What evidence now exists for a supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy?

Accepted Answer

A)  very bright X-ray emissions from the galactic center 
B)  observations of intense inflow of matter toward the center of the Galaxy as seen by light, Doppler-shifted toward the red, emitted by this matter 
C)  very rapid motion of matter close to the nucleus of the Galaxy, requiring a very massive body to hold it in orbit 
D)  very dark void in an otherwise bright region of space near the galactic center, indicating the presence of a black hole 
A)  very bright X-ray emissions from the galactic center 
B)  observations of intense inflow of matter toward the center of the Galaxy as seen by light, Doppler-shifted toward the red, emitted by this matter 
C)  very rapid motion of matter close to the nucleus of the Galaxy, requiring a very massive body to hold it in orbit 
D)  very dark void in an otherwise bright region of space near the galactic center, indicating the presence of a black hole

Question 11

The largest range of sizes of galaxies is found in which class of galaxy?

Accepted Answer

A)  spiral 
B)  irregular 
C)  elliptical 
D)  starburst 
A)  spiral 
B)  irregular 
C)  elliptical 
D)  starburst

Question 12

The puzzle about quasar spectra,which was finally solved by Maarten Schmidt,was that:

Accepted Answer

A)  the characteristic pattern of hydrogen spectral lines was seen but at much greater blueshifts than is usual from hydrogen in stellar sources. 
B)  the brightnesses of hydrogen lines in the familiar spectral sequence were seen to fluctuate wildly over times of seconds from such a bright and therefore presumably large object. 
C)  the characteristic pattern of hydrogen spectral lines was seen but at much greater redshifts than is usual from hydrogen in stellar sources. 
D)  a familiar spectral line sequence of hydrogen lines was detected from these starlike objects, but they had intensity ratios between lines radically different from those seen in spectra from nearby stars. 
A)  the characteristic pattern of hydrogen spectral lines was seen but at much greater blueshifts than is usual from hydrogen in stellar sources. 
B)  the brightnesses of hydrogen lines in the familiar spectral sequence were seen to fluctuate wildly over times of seconds from such a bright and therefore presumably large object. 
C)  the characteristic pattern of hydrogen spectral lines was seen but at much greater redshifts than is usual from hydrogen in stellar sources. 
D)  a familiar spectral line sequence of hydrogen lines was detected from these starlike objects, but they had intensity ratios between lines radically different from those seen in spectra from nearby stars.

Question 13

Which of the following statements does NOT describe one of the unusual characteristics of quasar 3C 273 that astronomers noticed when the quasar was first discovered?

Accepted Answer

A)  3C 273 was a faint, starlike object that coincided with an intense radio source. 
B)  A luminous jet protruded from one side. 
C)  The object was ringed with multiple but identical images of a distant galaxy, suggesting gravitational lensing. 
D)  The spectrum contained emission lines that could not be immediately identified. 
A)  3C 273 was a faint, starlike object that coincided with an intense radio source. 
B)  A luminous jet protruded from one side. 
C)  The object was ringed with multiple but identical images of a distant galaxy, suggesting gravitational lensing. 
D)  The spectrum contained emission lines that could not be immediately identified.

Question 14

MOST quasars produce their strongest emissions in which region of the electromagnetic spectrum?

Accepted Answer

A)  X-ray 
B)  visible 
C)  infrared 
D)  radio 
A)  X-ray 
B)  visible 
C)  infrared 
D)  radio

Question 15

A Cepheid variable star with a pulsation period of a few days is seen in the spiral arm of a galaxy.Its apparent brightness is measured as 10⁴ times fainter than an equivalent star 1000 ly away from the Sun in the Milky Way Galaxy.Assuming no light absorption between galaxies,what is the distance to the far Cepheid and hence to the galaxy?

Accepted Answer

A)  10⁷ ly (10⁴ times farther away) 
B)  10,000 ly (10 times farther away) 
C)  10 ly (100 times closer) 
D)  100,000 ly (100 times farther away) 
A)  10⁷ ly (10⁴ times farther away) 
B)  10,000 ly (10 times farther away) 
C)  10 ly (100 times closer) 
D)  100,000 ly (100 times farther away)

Question 16

Self-propagating star formation requires many mechanisms to spread star formation over a region.Which is NOT one of them?

Accepted Answer

A)  the influence of black holes 
B)  winds from newly formed stars 
C)  shock waves from supernova 
D)  radiation from newly formed stars 
A)  the influence of black holes 
B)  winds from newly formed stars 
C)  shock waves from supernova 
D)  radiation from newly formed stars

Question 17

Which technique has NOT provided a means by which astronomers can infer the presence of dark matter in the universe?

Accepted Answer

A)  measurement of the orbital speeds of stars near possible supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies 
B)  measurement of the orbital speeds of stars in the outer regions of galaxies 
C)  observation of the bending of light (gravitational lensing) from remote galaxies as it passes through intervening clusters of galaxies 
D)  measurement of the line-of-sight speeds of individual galaxies in clusters of galaxies 
A)  measurement of the orbital speeds of stars near possible supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies 
B)  measurement of the orbital speeds of stars in the outer regions of galaxies 
C)  observation of the bending of light (gravitational lensing) from remote galaxies as it passes through intervening clusters of galaxies 
D)  measurement of the line-of-sight speeds of individual galaxies in clusters of galaxies

Question 18

In our universe,we can consider four different regimes of space in which distances between objects might be changing as a result of the general expansion of the universe: (1)distances between different parts of Earth,(2)distances between planets in our solar system,(3)distances between stars in the Milky Way Galaxy,and (4)distances between clusters of galaxies.In which of these regimes are the distances changing because of the universal expansion?

Accepted Answer

A)  4 and 3 
B)  4, 3, 2, and 1 
C)  4, 3, and 2 
D)  4 only 
A)  4 and 3 
B)  4, 3, 2, and 1 
C)  4, 3, and 2 
D)  4 only

Question 19

Suppose we were able to detect radio signals from an intelligent civilization in the Coma cluster of galaxies.If we were to send a message to this civilization,how long would it take to get a reply?

Accepted Answer

A)  600 million years 
B)  150 million years 
C)  75 million years 
D)  300 million years 
A)  600 million years 
B)  150 million years 
C)  75 million years 
D)  300 million years

Question 20

What is the galaxy content of rich,irregular clusters of galaxies such as the Hercules cluster?

Accepted Answer

A)  about the same number of spirals as ellipticals 
B)  entirely spirals 
C)  more than one-half spirals, less than one-quarter ellipticals 
D)  more than one-half ellipticals, less than one-quarter spirals 
A)  about the same number of spirals as ellipticals 
B)  entirely spirals 
C)  more than one-half spirals, less than one-quarter ellipticals 
D)  more than one-half ellipticals, less than one-quarter spirals

The Tully-Fisher relationship relies on broadening of the 21-cm radio line in distant spiral galaxies.What causes this broadening?

It was recently discovered that the galactic halo contains an outer layer.How does this outer layer compare to the inner layer?

The first suggestion that there were collections of stars beyond the Milky Way in the universe was made by:

According to the Hubble classification scheme,an E3 galaxy:

What name is given to a galaxy with a smooth distribution of brightness and a very elongated shape?

You are looking through a very old astronomy book,and you find the Messier object M31 referred to as the Andromeda Nebula.You might suspect that this book was written before:

Harlow Shapley's original estimate of the distance from the Sun to the galactic center was incorrect because it did not take scattering by interstellar dust into account.Shapley's original estimate was:

When swirling eddies of gas-rich matter in the universe collide and form a disk centered on an especially massive black hole and lots of dark matter,what type of galaxy is believed to be the MOST likely to form?

In the Local Group of about 40 galaxies,about how many are within 10⁶ light-years of our own Milky Way Galaxy? (See Figure 13-38,Comins,Discovering the Essential Universe,6th ed.)

What evidence now exists for a supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy?

The largest range of sizes of galaxies is found in which class of galaxy?

The puzzle about quasar spectra,which was finally solved by Maarten Schmidt,was that:

Which of the following statements does NOT describe one of the unusual characteristics of quasar 3C 273 that astronomers noticed when the quasar was first discovered?

MOST quasars produce their strongest emissions in which region of the electromagnetic spectrum?

Self-propagating star formation requires many mechanisms to spread star formation over a region.Which is NOT one of them?

Which technique has NOT provided a means by which astronomers can infer the presence of dark matter in the universe?

Suppose we were able to detect radio signals from an intelligent civilization in the Coma cluster of galaxies.If we were to send a message to this civilization,how long would it take to get a reply?

What is the galaxy content of rich,irregular clusters of galaxies such as the Hercules cluster?

Discovering the Night Sky

Gravitation and the Waltz of the Planets

Light and Telescopes

Formation of the Solar System and Other Planetary Systems

Exoplanets

The Terrestrial Planets and Their Moons

The Outer Planets and Their Moons

Vagabonds of the Solar System

The Sun: Our Extraordinary Ordinary Star

Characterizing Stars

The Lives of the Stars From Birth Through Middle Age

The Deaths and Remnants of Stars

Cosmology

Astrobiology

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Exam 13: The Galaxies

The Tully-Fisher relationship relies on broadening of the 21-cm radio line in distant spiral galaxies.What causes this broadening?

It was recently discovered that the galactic halo contains an outer layer.How does this outer layer compare to the inner layer?

The first suggestion that there were collections of stars beyond the Milky Way in the universe was made by:

According to the Hubble classification scheme,an E3 galaxy:

What name is given to a galaxy with a smooth distribution of brightness and a very elongated shape?

You are looking through a very old astronomy book,and you find the Messier object M31 referred to as the Andromeda Nebula.You might suspect that this book was written before:

Harlow Shapley's original estimate of the distance from the Sun to the galactic center was incorrect because it did not take scattering by interstellar dust into account.Shapley's original estimate was:

When swirling eddies of gas-rich matter in the universe collide and form a disk centered on an especially massive black hole and lots of dark matter,what type of galaxy is believed to be the MOST likely to form?

In the Local Group of about 40 galaxies,about how many are within 10⁶ light-years of our own Milky Way Galaxy? (See Figure 13-38,Comins,Discovering the Essential Universe,6th ed.)

What evidence now exists for a supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy?

The largest range of sizes of galaxies is found in which class of galaxy?

The puzzle about quasar spectra,which was finally solved by Maarten Schmidt,was that:

Which of the following statements does NOT describe one of the unusual characteristics of quasar 3C 273 that astronomers noticed when the quasar was first discovered?

MOST quasars produce their strongest emissions in which region of the electromagnetic spectrum?

Self-propagating star formation requires many mechanisms to spread star formation over a region.Which is NOT one of them?

Which technique has NOT provided a means by which astronomers can infer the presence of dark matter in the universe?

Suppose we were able to detect radio signals from an intelligent civilization in the Coma cluster of galaxies.If we were to send a message to this civilization,how long would it take to get a reply?

What is the galaxy content of rich,irregular clusters of galaxies such as the Hercules cluster?

Discovering the Night Sky

Gravitation and the Waltz of the Planets

Light and Telescopes

Formation of the Solar System and Other Planetary Systems

Exoplanets

The Terrestrial Planets and Their Moons

The Outer Planets and Their Moons

Vagabonds of the Solar System

The Sun: Our Extraordinary Ordinary Star

Characterizing Stars

The Lives of the Stars From Birth Through Middle Age

The Deaths and Remnants of Stars

Cosmology

Astrobiology

Filters