17-6 Cosmic Distance and Parallax Quiz

What is the cosmic distance ladder?

• A collection of celestial entities connected by measurement links

• A tool used to climb mountains

• A method for measuring the height of trees

• A scale for measuring ocean depths

What is parallax?

• The change in color of a star

• The apparent change in position of an object when viewed from two different locations

• The speed of a moving object

• The brightness of a star

Why doesn't stellar parallax work well for distances beyond a few hundred parsecs?

• It is too expensive

• It requires too much time

• It is not accurate for very large distances

• It can only be used during the day

What is a distance indicator also known as?

• A measuring tape

• A standard candle

• A light bulb

• A telescope

What are the best primary distance indicators called?

• Globular clusters

• Cepheid variables

• HII regions

• Type-Ia supernovae

What is a standard candle used for in astronomy?

• To measure the temperature of stars

• To find the distance to a faraway object

• To calculate the mass of a galaxy

• To determine the age of the universe

Which of the following is a major secondary distance indicator?

• Cepheid variables

• Parallax

• HII regions

• Radar ranging

What is the Tully-Fisher relation used to measure?

• The age of a star

• The distance to a galaxy

• The brightness of a supernova

• The temperature of a planet

What is the approximate distance that tertiary distance indicators can help measure?

• 100 light years

• 1000 light years

• 1000 megaparsecs

• 3 billion light years

What are primary distance indicators in astronomy?

• Cepheid variables

• HII regions

• Globular clusters

• Entire galaxies