Font size
S
M
L
XL
WorksheetsAstronomy Final Practice Test
Total questions: 100
Worksheet time: 5hrs 58mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
In its daily motion across the sky, in the Northern Hemisphere, the Sun reaches its highest point in which direction?
a)
North
b)
South
c)
West
d)
East
2.
What tool is used to make naked-eye observations?
a)
Telescope
b)
Astrolabe
c)
No tools are needed
d)
Binocoluars
3.
What causes the seasons on Earth?
a)
Phases of the moon
b)
The distance between the Earth and the Sun
c)
The Sun's brightness
d)
Earth's tilted axis of rotation
4.
How many dwarf planets are in our solar system?
a)
One
b)
Two
c)
Three
d)
More than three
5.
Which of these is not an IAU rule for being a planet?
a)
Has an atmosphere
b)
Is approximately spherical
c)
Has cleared its orbit of smaller bodies
d)
Orbits a star
6.
What are the phases called when the moon is going between the new moon and the full moon?
a)
Waning
b)
Crescent
c)
Waxing
d)
Gibbous
7.
What causes the lunar phase cycle?
a)
The shadow cast by the Earth blocking the moon
b)
The moon's orbit around the Earth
c)
Light reflecting off of the Earth
d)
A cosmic wolf
8.
What is the dark side of the moon in astronomy?
a)
The lunar hemisphere that we can't see from Earth
b)
The part of the moon in shadow during an eclipse
c)
The part of the moon that faces away from the sun
d)
A terrible Pink Floyd album
9.
What is the estimated age of the universe?
a)
13 million years
b)
20 thousand light years
c)
12 parsecs
d)
14 billion years
10.
Which scientist was the first to observe moons orbiting Jupiter?
a)
Einstein
b)
Copernicus
c)
Gallileo
d)
Brahe
11.
Which planets in our solar system are categorized as giants?
a)
Mars, Venus, Earth, Mercury
b)
Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Saturn
c)
Uranus, Venus, Jupiter, Europa
d)
Pluto, Ceres, Charon, Persephone
12.
During what phase would a total lunar eclipse occur?
a)
New moon
b)
Waning crescent
c)
Moonrise
d)
Full moon
13.
During what moon phase would a solar eclipse occur?
a)
New moon
b)
Waning crescent
c)
Moonrise
d)
Full moon
14.
What are the most abundant elements found in the sun?
a)
Hydrogen and iron
b)
Helium and hydrogen
c)
Plasma and ions
d)
Carbon and nitrogen
15.
Which statement is true of solar eclipses?
a)
They occur every year
b)
They are only visible during the daytime
c)
It is safe to look directly at them with the naked eye
d)
They can be seen by an entire hemisphere
16.
Which part of the sun becomes visible during a solar eclipse?
a)
The sunspots
b)
The core
c)
The umbra
d)
The corona
17.
Which of the following is the largest by mass?
a)
All of the asteroids in the solar system
b)
Jupiter
c)
The sun
d)
Uranus and Neptune
18.
Identify this planet:
a)
Saturn
b)
Jupiter
c)
Uranus
d)
Neptune
19.
After which culture's mythology are the planets named?
a)
Greek
b)
Roman
c)
Egyptian
d)
Norse
20.
Which of the following does NOT orbit the sun?
a)
Comets
b)
Planets
c)
Moons
d)
Asteroids
21.
What is the smallest planet in our solar system?
a)
Pluto
b)
Mercury
c)
Ceres
d)
Venus
22.
What is the largest planet in our solar system?
a)
Jupiter
b)
Saturn
c)
Uranus
d)
Earth
23.
The length of time a total solar eclipse lasts is usually measured in
a)
Minutes
b)
Hours
c)
Days
d)
Weeks
24.
After approximately five billion more years, our Sun will become a _____________________ star that will engulf Mercury, Venus, and quite possibly the Earth.
a)
Super Nova
b)
Red Giant
c)
White Dwarf
d)
Brown Dwarf
25.
Planets shine by their own light.
a)
True
b)
False
26.
The planets of the solar system orbit the Sun
a)
in one direction
b)
in two directions.
c)
in random orbits.
d)
in circular orbits.
27.
The letters AU are short for
a)
Astronomical Universe
b)
After Uranus
c)
Astronomical Units
d)
Asteroid Ursa
28.
The diameter of the Earth is roughly how many times larger than the diameter of the moon?
a)
2x
b)
4x
c)
10x
d)
50x
29.
When a planet is said to be perihelion, it is
a)
the furthest it gets from the Sun.
b)
the closest it gets to the sun.
c)
experiencing summer.
d)
moving the slowest in its orbit.
30.
When a planet is aphelion, it is
a)
the moving the fastest in its orbit
b)
the closest it gets to the sun.
c)
experiencing summer.
d)
moving the slowest in its orbit.
31.
The main asteroid belt is located between which planets?
a)
Venus and Earth
b)
Mercury and Mars
c)
Mars and Jupiter
d)
Jupiter and Saturn
32.
Compared to the Earth the Moon
a)
rotates at the same speed.
b)
has shorter days.
c)
rotates more slowly.
d)
has more mass.
33.
Nuclear fusion in the core of stars has limits. The heaviest element this process can produce is
a)
Neon
b)
Uranium
c)
Carbon
d)
Iron
34.
One of the reasons that there is so little water on Mars might be becuase
a)
the solar wind blew it away because of Mars' weak magnetic field.
b)
there never was any water there.
c)
it is all frozen in polar ice caps.
d)
Mars' thin atmosphere.
35.
The Great Red Spot on Jupiter is
a)
a massive storm.
b)
due to the impact of a comet.
c)
acne.
d)
a surface feature.
36.
How many rings does Saturn have?
a)
2
b)
5
c)
20
d)
thousands
37.
The first space probe to leave the solar system was
a)
New Horizons.
b)
Curiosity.
c)
Voyager 1.
d)
Venera 13.
38.
Which of the following planets has almost no atmosphere?
a)
Mercury
b)
Venus
c)
Earth
d)
Mars
39.
Due to its relatively low energy output and low fusion reaction rate, a low mass red dwarf star can shine for _____________ years.
a)
a trillion
b)
a billion
c)
a million
d)
a quadrillion
40.
Which of the following planets has lots of liquid water on its surface?
a)
Earth
b)
Mercury
c)
Venus
d)
Mars
41.
Which of the following planet is the largest?
a)
Mercury
b)
Venus
c)
Earth
d)
Mars
42.
Which of the following planets has the longest day?
a)
Mercury
b)
Venus
c)
Earth
d)
Mars
43.
Which of the following planet is the largest?
a)
Uranus
b)
Jupiter
c)
Earth
d)
Saturn
44.
Which of the following planets has the smallest orbit?
a)
Mercury
b)
Venus
c)
Earth
d)
Mars
45.
What is a noteworthy feature of Jupiter?
a)
It has a huge ring system.
b)
It has polar ice caps.
c)
It has a great red spot.
d)
It has lots of craters.
46.
Which star has the longest lifespan.
a)
A star with low mass.
b)
A star with high mass.
47.
What do all of the outer planets (Jupiter, Neptune, Saturn and Uranus) have in common?
a)
They all have rocky surfaces.
b)
They all have thick atmospheres.
c)
They all have hot surfaces.
d)
They all are the same size
48.
What is a noteworthy feature of the planet Mars?
a)
It has a huge ring system
b)
It has 3 moons
c)
It has a great red spot.
d)
Its surface is covered with canals.
49.
Phobos and Deimos are two tiny moons that belong to which planet?
a)
Neptune
b)
Saturn
c)
Jupiter
d)
Mars
50.
Which of the following planets has the greatest known number of moons?
a)
Neptune
b)
Mercury
c)
Jupiter
d)
Mars
51.
Jupiter's moon Europa is especially interesting because
a)
it has lots of craters.
b)
it has an oxygen atmosphere.
c)
it may have oceans of liquid water.
d)
it has large volcanoes.
52.
The correct term for a "shooting star" is a
a)
meteor.
b)
meteorite.
c)
meteoroid.
d)
comet.
53.
The brightest asteroid seen from Earth is
a)
Sedna.
b)
Triton.
c)
Vesta.
d)
Toutatis.
54.
What is true about the tail of a comet?
a)
It always points away from the Sun.
b)
It is always shorter than the nucleus.
c)
It always points toward the Sun.
d)
It always points in the direction that the comet is moving.
55.
Why do comets develop tails?
a)
The comet captures material from the Sun.
b)
The Sun vaporizes material from the comet's nucleus.
c)
The Sun's gravity breaks up a comet's nucleus.
d)
The high speed of a comet as it nears the Sun scatters some comet material.
56.
What will most likely happen when a comet's tail collides with the Earth?
a)
Some of the comet's ice will produce an ice storm on Earth.
b)
A large crater will form where the comet's tail strikes the Earth.
c)
We'll all die because the tail contains cyanide gases.
d)
There will be no noticeable effect.
57.
Meteor showers are largely due to
a)
asteroids that come close to Earth's orbit.
b)
small particles that orbit the Earth.
c)
dust grains left behind in the orbits of comets.
d)
global warming caused by greenhouse gases.
58.
Asteroids are made of mostly
a)
frozen gases.
b)
rock and metal.
c)
rocky material.
d)
metals
59.
Most comets orbit the Sun in a region called the Oort Cloud.
a)
True
b)
False
60.
Comets and asteroids have never struck the Earth or the other planets in the solar system.
a)
True
b)
False
61.
The Sun's energy comes from
a)
the breakdown of heavy elements into light elements.
b)
gravity.
c)
the fusion of hydrogen into helium.
d)
the fusion of helium into carbon.
62.
The Sun has existed for about five billion years and will continue to shine for about another
a)
one billion years.
b)
five billion years.
c)
ten billion years.
d)
twenty billion years.
63.
What causes the seasons on Earth?
a)
Phases of the moon
b)
The distance between the Earth and the Sun
c)
The Sun's brightness
d)
Earth's tilted axis of rotation
64.
Radiation from the Sun
a)
streams past Earth without affecting Earth.
b)
warms Earth, causing circulation in the oceans and atmosphere.
c)
is completely stopped by Earth's magnetic field.
d)
does not reach as far as Mars.
65.
Charged particles from the Sun are part of what is called the
a)
solar wind.
b)
solar polar cap.
c)
coma.
d)
great red spot.
66.
Cool, dark areas on the surface of the Sun are known as
a)
sunspots.
b)
freckles.
c)
great dark spots.
d)
polar caps.
67.
Is the following statements about the solar system true or false: The planets all orbit in more-or-less the same plane.
a)
True
b)
False
68.
Is the following statements about the solar system true or false: The planets all orbit the Sun in the same direction.
a)
True
b)
False
69.
Is the following statements about the solar system true or false: The orbits of all the major planets are nearly perfect circles.
a)
True
b)
False
70.
Is the following statements about the solar system true or false: The planets formed before the Sun.
a)
True
b)
False
71.
Charged particles from the Sun can strike the upper atmosphere, causing it to glow in a colorful display called the
a)
Ion Tail.
b)
Aurorae.
c)
Solar Cycle.
d)
Solar Wind
72.
The Sun is a huge ball of mostly what kind of gas?
a)
Helium
b)
Hydrogen
c)
Lithium
d)
Mehane
73.
The number of sunspots on the Sun changes in relation to the Sun's magnetic cycle.
a)
True
b)
False
74.
The Sun rotates on an axis.
a)
True
b)
False
75.
Match the phrase with the part of the sun: Core
a)
The hot, outermost layer of the Sun
b)
Region of the Sun where hydrogen fuses to helium
c)
Sweeps past the planets
d)
Sometimes shows sunspots.
76.
Match the phrase with the part of the sun: Solar wind
a)
The hot, outermost layer of the Sun
b)
Region of the Sun where hydrogen fuses to helium
c)
Sweeps past the planets
d)
Sometimes shows sunspots.
77.
Match the phrase with the part of the sun: Corona
a)
The hot, outermost layer of the Sun
b)
Region of the Sun where hydrogen fuses to helium
c)
Sweeps past the planets
d)
Sometimes shows sunspots.
78.
Match the phrase with the part of the sun: Surface
a)
The hot, outermost layer of the Sun
b)
Region of the Sun where hydrogen fuses to helium
c)
Sweeps past the planets
d)
Sometimes shows sunspots.
79.
Stars are powered by
a)
nuclear fission.
b)
nuclear combustion.
c)
nuclear fusion.
d)
nuclear explosion.
80.
What is given off as a result of the reactions deep inside the Sun?
a)
Energy
b)
Water molecules
c)
Carbon atoms
d)
Magnetic monopoles
81.
What unit do astronomers use to measure the distances between stars?
a)
Parsecs
b)
Astronomical Units
c)
Light Years
d)
Kilometers
82.
Most of the characteristics of an individual star depend on the star's
a)
mass.
b)
temperature.
c)
color.
d)
radius.
83.
What color are most of the hottest stars?
a)
Red
b)
Blue
c)
Orange
d)
Green
84.
Stars look like tiny points of light in the sky because
a)
they are small.
b)
they are cool and dim.
c)
they are extremely far away.
d)
the Earth's atmosphere blocks all radiant energy.
85.
The brightest stars in the sky are closest to Earth.
a)
True
b)
False
86.
Stars are usually born
a)
in the constellation Orion.
b)
in the spaces between galaxies.
c)
in black holes.
d)
in a nebula.
87.
What property governs the ultimate fate of any star?
a)
Color
b)
Density
c)
Mass
d)
Temerature
88.
Galaxies are huge collections of
a)
stars, dust and gas.
b)
planets and dust.
c)
planets and gas.
d)
stars with no dust or gas.
89.
We cannot see the Milky Way galaxy from outside of it because
a)
it is the entire universe.
b)
its gravity is too strong.
c)
it is too big, and the Sun and solar system are embedded within the galaxy.
d)
light cannot escape from the galaxy.
90.
The diameter of the Milky Way is about
a)
10 light years
b)
1 light year
c)
100,000 kilometers
d)
100,000 light years
91.
Where is our Sun located in the Milky Way?
a)
In the center of the Milky Way.
b)
About two-thirds from the center to the edge.
c)
Near the edge of the Milky Way.
d)
Astronomers have not figured that out yet.
92.
When astronomers look at objects that are very far away in the universe, they are looking
a)
forward in time.
b)
backward in time.
c)
at the object as it exists now.
d)
at a static universe.
93.
As the universe evolves, it is _______________ that is/are expanding.
a)
the stars
b)
the galaxies
c)
space itself
d)
the interstellar gas clouds
94.
What part of the entire electromagnetic spectrum do scientist use to study the universe?
a)
Visible light
b)
Radio waves
c)
The entire electromagnetic spectrum
d)
Ultraviolet waves
95.
When the lines in a star's spectrum are shifted toward the red end of the spectrum, it means the star is
a)
moving toward the observer.
b)
receding from the observer.
c)
remaining stationary with respect to the observer.
d)
becoming a red giant.
96.
Which planet is tipped over on its side with an axial tilt of 98 degrees?
a)
Neptune
b)
Uranus
c)
Jupiter
d)
Venus
97.
What is the only planet in our solar system to be discovered using math?
a)
Neptune
b)
Uranus
c)
Pluto
d)
Saturn
98.
Which planets are called "Ice giants?"
a)
Uranus and Neptune
b)
Jupiter and Saturn
c)
Mercury and Neptune
d)
Jupiter and Venus
99.
What is the solid part of an comet called?
a)
Coma
b)
Tail
c)
Nucleus
d)
Boulder
100.
A telescope that uses lenses to bend light is called a(n)
a)
refracting telescope.
b)
reflecting telescope.
c)
objective telescope.
d)
convex telescope.
Reset
