SCIENCE QUIZ 1 ASTRONOMY
Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 4:55 pm1. What state of matter is our Sun mainly consisted of?
PLASMA
2. The Russian-built Venera 7 visited what planet?
VENUS
3. Where in our solar system would you most likely find a prominence?
THE SUN
4. The Pinwheel Galaxy, a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Ursa Major, is also known as M101. What does the "M" stand for?
MESSIER
5. What galaxy is the largest member of the Local Group?
THE ANDROMEDA GALAXY
6. What is the name for the point when an object in orbit around the Earth comes its closest to the Earth?
PERIGEE
7. When 3 celestial bodies within the same gravitational system align to form a straight line, what is it called?
SYZYSY
8. An astronomical unit is the distance between...?
EARTH AND SUN
9. What is the maximum mass of a white dwarf in solar masses?
1.44
10. What does CMBR stand for?
11. What was the name of the man who discovered Neptune with his telescope in 1846?
JOHANN GALLE
12. What is the name of the largest moon in our solar system?
GANYMEDE
13. Which of the constellations represents a goat?
CAPRICORNUS
14. This object is a neutron star that emits pulses of radiation toward Earth as it spins. Name it!
PULSAR
15. Which comet passed so close to Jupiter, in 1994, that it was broken into fragments by Jupiter's immense gravity?
SHOEMAKER - LEVY
16. The Giotto space probe was launched in order to examine what type of space object?
COMET
17. Aside from the Sun, Sirius is the star with the brightest apparent magnitude, as seen from Earth. What is the 3rd brightest star in apparent magnitude (after the Sun and Sirius)?
CANOPUS
18. Which planet has the largest volcano and largest valley in the solar system?
MARS
19. What astronomer was the first to discover galaxies beyond the Milky Way?
EDWIN HUBBLE
20. Which of the following is not a type of galaxy?
A) Elliptical B) Nebular C) Spiral D) Irregular
B) NEBULAR
21. Albireo, Beta Cygni, is a lovely double star. What color are the two stars?
A) Orange and yellow B) Red and white C) Blue and yellow D) Yellow and white
C) BLUE AND YELLOW
22. What in our solar system is the Cassini Division?
A) White layers of clouds on Jupiter B) The division of the large and small planets C) Space between the asteroids and Mars D) A gap in Saturn's rings
D) A GAP IN SATURN'S RINGS
23. The smaller, Earth-like planets are called 'terrestrial' planets. What are the larger planets called?
[COLOR]=BLUE] JOVIAN[/COLOR]
24. Which moon of Saturn is one of the only two moons in the solar system with an atmosphere?
TITAN
25. The constellation 'Crux' is probably better known as what?
THE SOUTHERN CROSS
26. Portions of the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor are also known as what?
BIG AND LITTLE DIPPER
27. What is it called when we have a second full moon within one month?
BLUE MOON
28. The galaxy known as IRAS F10214+4724 is how many times brighter than the sun?
A) 500 B) 7,000 C) 5,000 D) 300,000,000,000,000
D) 300,000,000,000,000
29. There are some scientists who believe that once the universe has ceased expanding, from the explosive repulse of the big bang, that it will begin to fall inward. The final moment of this falling inward has been termed what?
THE BIG CRUNCH
30. What was the name of the comet that made its closest approach to Earth on March 22, 1997?
HALE - BOP
PLASMA
2. The Russian-built Venera 7 visited what planet?
VENUS
3. Where in our solar system would you most likely find a prominence?
THE SUN
4. The Pinwheel Galaxy, a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Ursa Major, is also known as M101. What does the "M" stand for?
MESSIER
5. What galaxy is the largest member of the Local Group?
THE ANDROMEDA GALAXY
6. What is the name for the point when an object in orbit around the Earth comes its closest to the Earth?
PERIGEE
7. When 3 celestial bodies within the same gravitational system align to form a straight line, what is it called?
SYZYSY
8. An astronomical unit is the distance between...?
EARTH AND SUN
9. What is the maximum mass of a white dwarf in solar masses?
1.44
10. What does CMBR stand for?
11. What was the name of the man who discovered Neptune with his telescope in 1846?
JOHANN GALLE
12. What is the name of the largest moon in our solar system?
GANYMEDE
13. Which of the constellations represents a goat?
CAPRICORNUS
14. This object is a neutron star that emits pulses of radiation toward Earth as it spins. Name it!
PULSAR
15. Which comet passed so close to Jupiter, in 1994, that it was broken into fragments by Jupiter's immense gravity?
SHOEMAKER - LEVY
16. The Giotto space probe was launched in order to examine what type of space object?
COMET
17. Aside from the Sun, Sirius is the star with the brightest apparent magnitude, as seen from Earth. What is the 3rd brightest star in apparent magnitude (after the Sun and Sirius)?
CANOPUS
18. Which planet has the largest volcano and largest valley in the solar system?
MARS
19. What astronomer was the first to discover galaxies beyond the Milky Way?
EDWIN HUBBLE
20. Which of the following is not a type of galaxy?
A) Elliptical B) Nebular C) Spiral D) Irregular
B) NEBULAR
21. Albireo, Beta Cygni, is a lovely double star. What color are the two stars?
A) Orange and yellow B) Red and white C) Blue and yellow D) Yellow and white
C) BLUE AND YELLOW
22. What in our solar system is the Cassini Division?
A) White layers of clouds on Jupiter B) The division of the large and small planets C) Space between the asteroids and Mars D) A gap in Saturn's rings
D) A GAP IN SATURN'S RINGS
23. The smaller, Earth-like planets are called 'terrestrial' planets. What are the larger planets called?
[COLOR]=BLUE] JOVIAN[/COLOR]
24. Which moon of Saturn is one of the only two moons in the solar system with an atmosphere?
TITAN
25. The constellation 'Crux' is probably better known as what?
THE SOUTHERN CROSS
26. Portions of the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor are also known as what?
BIG AND LITTLE DIPPER
27. What is it called when we have a second full moon within one month?
BLUE MOON
28. The galaxy known as IRAS F10214+4724 is how many times brighter than the sun?
A) 500 B) 7,000 C) 5,000 D) 300,000,000,000,000
D) 300,000,000,000,000
29. There are some scientists who believe that once the universe has ceased expanding, from the explosive repulse of the big bang, that it will begin to fall inward. The final moment of this falling inward has been termed what?
THE BIG CRUNCH
30. What was the name of the comet that made its closest approach to Earth on March 22, 1997?
HALE - BOP
