Question 1

Stars only exhibit a Doppler shift if they are moving

Accepted Answer

A)  away from us along the line of sight 
B)  perpendicular to our line of sight 
C)  in a circular motion about us 
D)  toward or away from us along the line of sight 
A)  away from us along the line of sight 
B)  perpendicular to our line of sight 
C)  in a circular motion about us 
D)  toward or away from us along the line of sight

Question 2

M-type stars in our galaxy are

Accepted Answer

A)  fairly common (several percent) 
B)  the most common type of stars in our galaxy (75% or more) 
C)  very common, making up about 50% of the total 
D)  very rare (less than 1%) 
A)  fairly common (several percent) 
B)  the most common type of stars in our galaxy (75% or more) 
C)  very common, making up about 50% of the total 
D)  very rare (less than 1%)

Question 3

B-type stars have lifetimes

Accepted Answer

A)  long enough for advanced life to evolve 
B)  too short for planet formation 
C)  long enough for planets to form but not for life to appear 
D)  long enough for planets to form and for simple life to appear, but not long enough for advanced life to develop 
A)  long enough for advanced life to evolve 
B)  too short for planet formation 
C)  long enough for planets to form but not for life to appear 
D)  long enough for planets to form and for simple life to appear, but not long enough for advanced life to develop

Question 4

When a star much more massive than our Sun dies it will

Accepted Answer

A)  eject its outer layers into space forming a planetary nebula, leaving behind a dead star called a white dwarf 
B)  eject its outer layers into space forming a planetary nebula, leaving behind a dead star called a neutron star 
C)  explode as a supernova forming a supernova remnant, leaving behind a dead star called a white dwarf 
D)  explode as a supernova forming a supernova remnant, leaving behind a dead star called a neutron star 
A)  eject its outer layers into space forming a planetary nebula, leaving behind a dead star called a white dwarf 
B)  eject its outer layers into space forming a planetary nebula, leaving behind a dead star called a neutron star 
C)  explode as a supernova forming a supernova remnant, leaving behind a dead star called a white dwarf 
D)  explode as a supernova forming a supernova remnant, leaving behind a dead star called a neutron star

Question 5

The luminosity of a star is

Accepted Answer

A)  determined by its apparent brightness and surface temperature 
B)  only determined by its distance 
C)  only determined by its surface temperature 
D)  determined by its apparent brightness and distance 
A)  determined by its apparent brightness and surface temperature 
B)  only determined by its distance 
C)  only determined by its surface temperature 
D)  determined by its apparent brightness and distance

Question 6

If a star has an extrasolar planet, the amplitude of its radial velocity curve is related to the planet's

Accepted Answer

A)  mass 
B)  orbital shape 
C)  orbital period 
D)  radius 
A)  mass 
B)  orbital shape 
C)  orbital period 
D)  radius

Question 7

Which of the following methods describes the transit method for detecting extrasolar planets?

Accepted Answer

A)  regular changes in the positions of the parent stars with respect to more distant stars as they move across the sky 
B)  detection of Doppler shifts in the spectra of the parent stars 
C)  detection of brightness changes in a star as a planet passes in front of it 
D)  detection of reflected starlight 
A)  regular changes in the positions of the parent stars with respect to more distant stars as they move across the sky 
B)  detection of Doppler shifts in the spectra of the parent stars 
C)  detection of brightness changes in a star as a planet passes in front of it 
D)  detection of reflected starlight

Question 8

The great insight gained from the discovery of exoplanets is that planetary systems

Accepted Answer

A)  are extremely rare 
B)  exist around every star in our galaxy 
C)  appear to be common 
D)  are only found around sun-like stars 
A)  are extremely rare 
B)  exist around every star in our galaxy 
C)  appear to be common 
D)  are only found around sun-like stars

Question 9

Which of the following types of stars are suitable for advanced life?

Accepted Answer

A)  A-type 
B)  F-type 
C)  O-type 
D)  K-type 
A)  A-type 
B)  F-type 
C)  O-type 
D)  K-type

Question 10

Which of the following extrasolar planets would be easiest to detect using the Doppler shift method?

Accepted Answer

A)  a massive planet far from its parent star 
B)  a low mass planet far from its parent star 
C)  a low mass planet close to its parent star 
D)  a massive planet close to its parent star 
A)  a massive planet far from its parent star 
B)  a low mass planet far from its parent star 
C)  a low mass planet close to its parent star 
D)  a massive planet close to its parent star

Question 11

NASA's Kepler mission, launched in 2009, is currently searching for exoplanets using which technique?

Accepted Answer

A)  transit 
B)  Doppler 
C)  astrometry 
D)  gravitational lensing 
A)  transit 
B)  Doppler 
C)  astrometry 
D)  gravitational lensing

Question 12

Which of the following methods allows us to determine the size of an extrasolar planet around another star?

Accepted Answer

A)  detection of brightness changes in a star as a planet passes in front of it 
B)  detection of reflected starlight 
C)  regular changes in the positions of the parent stars with respect to more distant stars as they move across the sky 
D)  detection of Doppler shifts in the spectra of the parent stars 
A)  detection of brightness changes in a star as a planet passes in front of it 
B)  detection of reflected starlight 
C)  regular changes in the positions of the parent stars with respect to more distant stars as they move across the sky 
D)  detection of Doppler shifts in the spectra of the parent stars

Question 13

Which of the following stars is the hottest?

Accepted Answer

A)  M7 
B)  A0 
C)  G6 
D)  B4 
A)  M7 
B)  A0 
C)  G6 
D)  B4

Question 14

Which of the following methods uses astrometry to detect extrasolar planets around other star systems?

Accepted Answer

A)  detection of Doppler shifts in the spectra of the parent stars 
B)  detection of reflected starlight 
C)  detection of brightness changes in a star as a planet passes in front of it 
D)  regular changes in the positions of the parent stars with respect to more distant stars as they move across the sky 
A)  detection of Doppler shifts in the spectra of the parent stars 
B)  detection of reflected starlight 
C)  detection of brightness changes in a star as a planet passes in front of it 
D)  regular changes in the positions of the parent stars with respect to more distant stars as they move across the sky

Question 15

In our search for stars with habitable planets, we are mostly interested in

Accepted Answer

A)  giants and supergiants that have very wide habitable zones 
B)  dead stars like white dwarfs and neutron stars 
C)  stable, long-lived hydrogen-fusing stars 
D)  stars in the process of formation 
A)  giants and supergiants that have very wide habitable zones 
B)  dead stars like white dwarfs and neutron stars 
C)  stable, long-lived hydrogen-fusing stars 
D)  stars in the process of formation

Question 16

At the lower left of the Hertzprung-Russell diagram we find

Accepted Answer

A)  supergiant stars 
B)  red giant stars 
C)  white dwarfs 
D)  main sequence stars 
A)  supergiant stars 
B)  red giant stars 
C)  white dwarfs 
D)  main sequence stars

Question 17

Imagine we have a planet identical to Jupiter around another star, with the exception that its orbit is much closer. How would its size compare to Jupiter?

Accepted Answer

A)  it would be the same size 
B)  it would be larger 
C)  it would be much smaller 
D)  it would be slightly smaller 
A)  it would be the same size 
B)  it would be larger 
C)  it would be much smaller 
D)  it would be slightly smaller

Question 18

Brown dwarfs are

Accepted Answer

A)  stars in the process of forming 
B)  very cool, low mass stars of spectral type M 
C)  the burnt out cores of dead stars 
D)  objects with insufficient mass to sustain nuclear fusion in their cores 
A)  stars in the process of forming 
B)  very cool, low mass stars of spectral type M 
C)  the burnt out cores of dead stars 
D)  objects with insufficient mass to sustain nuclear fusion in their cores

Question 19

All stars on the main sequence

Accepted Answer

A)  are in the process of forming 
B)  are mature stars that are fusing hydrogen into helium in their cores 
C)  are dead stars 
D)  have exhausted their nuclear fuel and are in the process of dying 
A)  are in the process of forming 
B)  are mature stars that are fusing hydrogen into helium in their cores 
C)  are dead stars 
D)  have exhausted their nuclear fuel and are in the process of dying

Question 20

The wavelengths of radiation from a star that is moving away from us

Accepted Answer

A)  can be longer or shorter depending on the distance to the star 
B)  are shorter than if the star were not moving 
C)  are the same as if the star were not moving 
D)  are longer than if the star were not moving 
A)  can be longer or shorter depending on the distance to the star 
B)  are shorter than if the star were not moving 
C)  are the same as if the star were not moving 
D)  are longer than if the star were not moving

Stars only exhibit a Doppler shift if they are moving

M-type stars in our galaxy are

B-type stars have lifetimes

When a star much more massive than our Sun dies it will

The luminosity of a star is

If a star has an extrasolar planet, the amplitude of its radial velocity curve is related to the planet's

Which of the following methods describes the transit method for detecting extrasolar planets?

The great insight gained from the discovery of exoplanets is that planetary systems

Which of the following types of stars are suitable for advanced life?

Which of the following extrasolar planets would be easiest to detect using the Doppler shift method?

NASA's Kepler mission, launched in 2009, is currently searching for exoplanets using which technique?

Which of the following methods allows us to determine the size of an extrasolar planet around another star?

Which of the following stars is the hottest?

Which of the following methods uses astrometry to detect extrasolar planets around other star systems?

In our search for stars with habitable planets, we are mostly interested in

At the lower left of the Hertzprung-Russell diagram we find

Imagine we have a planet identical to Jupiter around another star, with the exception that its orbit is much closer. How would its size compare to Jupiter?

Brown dwarfs are

All stars on the main sequence

The wavelengths of radiation from a star that is moving away from us

The Science of Life in the Universe

The Universal Context of Life

The Habitability of Earth

The Nature of Life on Earth

The Origin and Evolution of Life on Earth

Searching for Life in Our Solar System

Mars

Life on Jovian Moons

The Nature and Evolution of Habitability

The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

Interstellar Travel and the Fermi Paradox

Filters

Exam 11: Habitability Outside the Solar System

Stars only exhibit a Doppler shift if they are moving

M-type stars in our galaxy are

B-type stars have lifetimes

When a star much more massive than our Sun dies it will

The luminosity of a star is

If a star has an extrasolar planet, the amplitude of its radial velocity curve is related to the planet's

Which of the following methods describes the transit method for detecting extrasolar planets?

The great insight gained from the discovery of exoplanets is that planetary systems

Which of the following types of stars are suitable for advanced life?

Which of the following extrasolar planets would be easiest to detect using the Doppler shift method?

NASA's Kepler mission, launched in 2009, is currently searching for exoplanets using which technique?

Which of the following methods allows us to determine the size of an extrasolar planet around another star?

Which of the following stars is the hottest?

Which of the following methods uses astrometry to detect extrasolar planets around other star systems?

In our search for stars with habitable planets, we are mostly interested in

At the lower left of the Hertzprung-Russell diagram we find

Imagine we have a planet identical to Jupiter around another star, with the exception that its orbit is much closer. How would its size compare to Jupiter?

Brown dwarfs are

All stars on the main sequence

The wavelengths of radiation from a star that is moving away from us

The Science of Life in the Universe

The Universal Context of Life

The Habitability of Earth

The Nature of Life on Earth

The Origin and Evolution of Life on Earth

Searching for Life in Our Solar System

Mars

Life on Jovian Moons

The Nature and Evolution of Habitability

The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

Interstellar Travel and the Fermi Paradox

Filters