Exam 1: Why Learn Astronomy

Once a scientific theory is declared to be true,it is believed from that time onward.

The cosmological principle states that:

There are nearly 1,000 times more galaxies in the observable universe as there are stars in the Milky Way.

Because of _____________,we can conclude that gravity works the same way on Earth as it does on Mars.

An unmanned robotic spacecraft has NOT landed on:

Scientific notation is used in astronomy primarily because it allows us to:

Describe two important technological developments in the last 100 years that have greatly increased our ability to study the universe and describe how each did so.

Describe briefly why the phrase "we are stardust" is literally true.

Which is an important element in the composition of your body that was produced by nuclear fusion inside a star or an explosion of a star?

A _________ becomes a _________ when repeated testing of its predictions does not disprove it.

A scientific theory can be shown to be wrong if:

If you have a stuffy nose,a fever,chills,and body aches and a doctor treats you for the flu rather than four separate diseases that account for each of your symptoms,this is an application of:

The heavy elements that make up most of Earth were formed via nuclear fusion in the center of the Sun.

Human beings are composed almost entirely of elements that were created in the Big Bang.

The study of whether or not life exists elsewhere in the Solar System and beyond is called:

What would you say to someone who said,"It would take light-years to get to the Andromeda galaxy"?

What two pre-Renaissance beliefs are contradicted by the cosmological principle?

An observed pattern in nature is usually a sign of some underlying physical reason.Give an example of this in astronomy,citing the pattern and the reason behind it.

If the speed of light is 3 × 10⁵ km/s and 1 km = 0.62 miles,what is the speed of light in miles/hr?

Our universe is approximately 13.7 _________ years old.