Space Quiz

What evidence on Earth suggests that dinosaurs died because of a cosmic collision?

• Fossilized footprints

• A crater and other evidence

• Volcanic ash layers

• Ice core samples

What is the gravity like on a tiny moon mentioned in the text?

• Strong enough to hold an atmosphere

• Strong enough to keep water in liquid form

• So weak that one good throw from its surface could put a baseball into orbit

• Strong enough to cause high tides on Earth

What would be required to duplicate the interior of a collapsed star?

• Squeeze every human being on Earth into a single raindrop

• Compress the entire Earth into a small pebble

• Combine the mass of all the planets into a single object

• Create a black hole

What could wipe clean all of the life-forms on a planet orbiting a neighboring star?

• A supernova explosion

• A solar flare

• A gamma-ray burst

• A meteor shower

What is a "cannibal galaxy"?

• A galaxy that consumes stars from its own core

• A galaxy that has already consumed a number of its smaller galaxy neighbors

• A galaxy that is being consumed by a black hole

• A galaxy that is expanding rapidly

What is the faint but unmistakable signal of the creation event for our universe?

• Cosmic microwave background radiation

• Gravitational waves

• Neutrino emissions

• Radio echo

What is the definition of Astronomy as mentioned in the text?

• The study of the objects that lie beyond our planet Earth and the processes by which these objects interact with one another.

• The study of the Earth's atmosphere and weather patterns.

• The study of the ocean and marine life.

• The study of human anatomy and physiology.

What is emphasized about science in the text?

• Science is a collection of unchanging facts.

• Science is a progress report that changes constantly as new techniques and instruments allow us to probe the universe more deeply.

• Science is a method to memorize historical events.

• Science is a static body of knowledge.

What is the ultimate judge in science according to the text?

• Theoretical models

• Observations, experiments, models, and testing

• Philosophical beliefs

• Historical documents

What was the ancient astronomical model mentioned in the text?

• The Earth was the center of the universe and everything moved around it in circular orbits.

• The Sun was the center of the universe and everything moved around it in elliptical orbits.

• The Moon was the center of the universe and everything moved around it in circular orbits.

• The Earth was flat and everything moved around it in straight lines.