Astronomy Quiz

During a stargazing event, Joseppi points to an object in the sky and asks, 'What is that celestial body?'

• A) A natural object in the sky.

• B) A satellite that orbits the Earth's equator.

• C) A large ball of hot gases undergoing nuclear fusion.

• D) A spacecraft maneuver to gain orbital velocity.

During a school project, Lucas and Hanna are discussing what defines a planet. Lucas says it's an object that orbits a star and undergoes nuclear fusion, while Hanna disagrees. What is the correct definition according to their discussion?

• A) An object that orbits a star and undergoes nuclear fusion.

• B) An object that does not undergo nuclear fusion but orbits a star.

• C) A natural object that orbits a planet.

• D) Objects orbiting the sun that do not fulfill planetary criteria.

During a school project on the solar system, Iain explained a concept to Hayden. He said, 'A dwarf planet is an object that orbits a star and is similar to a planet but is not large enough to clear its orbital path of debris.' How did Iain describe a dwarf planet?

• A) An object that orbits a star and is similar to a planet but is not large enough to clear its orbital path of debris.

• B) A natural object that orbits a planet.

• C) A large ball of hot gases that is undergoing nuclear fusion.

• D) A satellite that orbits the Earth's equator at an altitude of 36,000 km.

Imagine Hayden and Lucas are planning a space mission to Mars. What does Kepler's 3rd Law imply for their journey?

• A) It defines the time Hayden and Lucas's spacecraft will take to go around the Sun in one full revolution on their way to Mars.

• B) It states that as the orbital radius from Earth to Mars increases, the orbital period of their spacecraft also increases.

• C) It describes the movement of Hayden and Lucas's spacecraft from one circular orbit to another during their mission.

• D) It involves the joining together of spacecraft modules in orbit around Mars.

Imagine Lucas and Hayden are working on a space project where they plan to send a probe to Mars. What technique would they use to increase the probe's speed using Mars' gravitational pull without expending extra fuel?

• A) Measuring the exact distance from the probe to Mars to ensure a safe landing.

• B) Adjusting the probe's trajectory slightly as it reaches the outer atmosphere of Mars for a smoother entry.

• C) Utilizing Mars' gravitational force to accelerate the probe, thereby increasing or decreasing its orbital velocity as needed.

• D) Changing the probe's orbit around Earth to match that of Mars by increasing or decreasing its speed.

Imagine Lucas is writing a science fiction novel. In his story, a spaceship travels at the speed of light. He wants to describe the distance it covers in one year. How should he describe this distance?

• The time it takes for light to travel in one year.

• The distance that light travels in one year.

• The speed at which light travels through a vacuum.

• The time it takes for a star to complete one orbit around the galaxy.

During a stargazing night, Hanna noticed that most distant galaxies appear red. What does this red-shift indicate about those galaxies?

• They are moving towards us.

• They are not moving.

• They are moving away from us.

• They are losing energy.

During a stargazing event, Hanna and Daniel discussed what the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMBR) provides evidence for. What was their conclusion?

• The existence of black holes.

• The Big Bang Theory.

• The steady state theory.

• The expansion of the solar system.

Imagine Hanna and Hayden are observing stars from their backyard telescope. According to Hubble's Law, what is the relationship between the speed at which the stars move away from them and their distance?

• Inversely proportional.

• No relationship.

• Directly proportional.

• Equal to the square of the distance.

During a school science project, Lucas and Hanna are tasked with observing the night sky. What is the primary function of the telescope they are using?

• To measure the distance between stars.

• To observe distant objects by collecting lots of light via a large objective lens or mirror.

• To pick up weak radio waves from space.

• To split white light into a spectrum of different colors.