Star Magnitude

Multiple Choice

Why does the sun look small in the sky to us?

• It is 93,000,000 miles away
• It is smaller than Earth
• It is not very bright
• It travels around Earth

Multiple Choice

A student notices that the moon looks larger than the stars.  Why?

• The moon is reflecting light from the sun
• The moon is closer to Earth then the stars
• The moon is much larger than the stars
• The moon is much larger than Earth

Multiple Choice

A light-year (ly) is the distance that light travels in one year. If a star is 3 ly from Earth, how long does it take light from that star to reach Earth?

• 3 min

• 3 hours

• 3 years

• 3 months

Multiple Choice

What is a parsec?

• Unit of length

• Unit of time

• Unit of mass

• Unit of pressure

Multiple Choice

What is the closest meaning of "Parsec"

• Parallax second, it is a unit of time.

• Parallax second, it is a unit of distance.

• Particulate second, it is a unit of time.

• Particulate second, it is a unit of distance.

Multiple Choice

An arcsecond of parallax is know as a parsec and is equal to __________.

• 3.26 light years
• 3.26 astronomical units
• 100 light years
• 100 astronomical units

Multiple Choice

Which word below is a synonym for magnitude (as it pertains to stars)?

• Mass

• Brightness

• Temperature

• Phase

Multiple Choice

Describe the difference between a star with a magnitude of 1 and a star with a magnitude of 6.

• A star with a magnitude of 1 is the same brightness as a star with a magnitude of 6

• A star with a magnitude of 1 is 10 times brighter than a star with a magnitude of 6

• A star with a magnitude of 1 is 1000 times brighter than a star with a magnitude of 6

• A star with a magnitude of 1 is 100 times brighter than a star with a magnitude of 6.

Multiple Choice

Explain the concept of negative magnitudes in the magnitude scale.

• As the magnitude number decreases, the brightness of the object increases.

• As the magnitude number decreases, the brightness of the object decreases.

• Negative magnitudes only apply to planets, not stars.

• Negative magnitudes are used to measure the size of a celestial object, not its brightness.

Multiple Choice

Which object (based on apparent magnitude) is the brightest:

• Full Moon (-12.6)

• Venus (-4.4)

• Sirius (-1.4)

• Pluto (+15.1)

Multiple Choice

The following stars are rated on a scale of apparent magnitude.

A -1.53

B 1.16

C -0.25

D 6.56

Which answer lists the stars from dimmest to brightest when viewed from Earth?

• D, B, C, A

• A, B, C, D

• D, A, B, C

• A, C, D, B

Multiple Choice

Using the values of the apparent magnitudes,
which star is the dimmest star as seen from Earth's surface?

• Star A, apparent magnitude of -1.44

• Star B, apparent magnitude of 1.23

• Star C, apparent magnitude of -0.31

• Star D, apparent magnitude of 9.54

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is used in determining the apparent magnitude of a star?

• the constellation the star is in

• the distance the star is from Earth

• the number of times the star rotates

• the number of prominences the star makes

Multiple Choice

Two stars have the same apparent magnitude as seen from Earth’s surface. Star A is 33 ly away. Star B is 346 ly away. Which of the following claims is supported by the evidence?

• Star B is larger than Star A

• Star B is more luminous than Star A

• The stars have the same absolute magnitude

• Star A has a smaller apparent magnitude

Multiple Choice

What two factors does apparent magnitude depend on?

• How much light the star emits(size) and how big the star is

• How much light the star emits(size) and how far the star is from Earth

• How far the star is from Earth and how big the star is

Multiple Choice

The brightness the star would have if it were a standard distance from earth.

• Apparent Brightness
• Absolute Brightness
• Brightness
• Candid Brightness

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is used in determining the absolute magnitude or brightness of a star?

• how bright the star actually is

• how bright the star appears to be from the Earth

• the number of prominences the star makes

• the direction the star rotates

Multiple Choice

Star A and Star B have the same apparent magnitude. Star A is twice as far from Earth than Star B. Which statement about absolute magnitudes is correct?

• Star A and B have the same absolute magnitudes

• Star A must have a greater absolute magnitude

• Star B must have a greater absolute mangnitude

Multiple Choice

What is the brightness of Rigel as seen from Earth?

• -1.46

• -8.1

• 0.12

• 0.85

Multiple Choice

Antares is a star with a very high ABSOLUTE magnitude. What causes it to have such a low APPARENT magnitude from Earth?

• It's very far from Earth

• It's very close to Earth

• The atmosphere blocks its light

Multiple Choice

Which of the star listed would look the brightest when observed from Earth?

• Rigel

• Sirius

• Vega

• Betelgeuse

Multiple Choice

Based on the chart, which star has the greatest absolute brightness?

• Rigel

• Sirius

• Betelgeuse

• Aldebaran

Multiple Choice

Based on the information in the table, which statement is true?

• Sirius and Rigel appear blue from Earth

• Sirius and Arcturus appear the dimmest from Earth

• Sirius appears the brightest from Earth, but Rigel has the greatest absolute brightness.

• Rigel has a lower absolute brightness than Sirius.

Multiple Choice

Stars are classified on the HR Diagram by...

• luminosity and brightness.

• temperature and absolute magnitude (or luminosity).

• temperature and apparent magnitude.

• temperature and distance.

Multiple Choice

Which star is brighter?

• Canopus

• Sirius B

Multiple Choice

Which star is brighter?

• Sirius

• Mira

Multiple Choice

Which star is brighter?

• Antares

• Mira

Multiple Choice

Which star is brighter?

• Altair

• Sun

Multiple Choice

Which star is brighter?

• Sirius B

• Sun