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Discovering Space

Total questions: 25

Worksheet time: 14mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

200-400 billion stars, spiral arms and 100,000 light years across describes what?

a)

Solar System

b)

Supernova

c)

Milky Way

d)

Irregular galaxy

2.

Which unit of measurement would I use to measure the distance from the sun to Neptune?

a)

light year

b)

kilometer

c)

miles

d)

astronomical unit

3.

What can be found in our solar system?

a)

natural satellites, dwarf planets, star, asteroids

b)

black hole, galaxy, nebula, moon

c)

stars, dust clouds, comets, supernova

d)

red giant, black dwarf, stars, planets

4.

Which star is closest to our Sun?

a)

Rigel

b)

Polaris

c)

Betelgeuse

d)

Proxima Centauri

5.

A collapsed star with intense gravity is known as

a)

black hole

b)

supernova

c)

neutron star

d)

black dwarf

6.

Gas cloud, star ignites, hydrogen depleted, red supergiant, supernova, neutron star is the order of what?

a)

small star life cycle

b)

large star life cycle

c)

life cycle of a galaxy

d)

how the universe formed

7.

What do scientists use to measure absolute magnitude?

a)

size and distance

b)

color and size

c)

color and distance

d)

distance and brightness

8.

A system of stars held together by gravity that can number from a thousand to a million stars is called

a)

galaxy

b)

nebula

c)

star cluster

d)

solar syster

9.

How can astronomers estimate that there is at least 160 billion planets orbiting other stars in our galaxy?

a)

Using KELT telescopes

b)

Using the Transit Timing Variations

c)

With so many stars, there must be more than one or two per star

d)

Based on the actual discovery of 700 confirmed planets orbiting other stars

10.

What is a habitable zone?

a)

area around a star where a planet could have liquid water

b)

area around a star where a planet would not be hit by harmful radiation

c)

area around a star where the planet is not consumed by high temperatures

d)

area of the Milky Way where life exists without fear of black holes

11.

A telescope can detect wobble from the gravitational effect of a planet.

a)

Transit Method

b)

Radial Velocity Method

c)

Earth Axis Method

d)

KELT Telescope Method

12.

What is a grouping of stars with recognizable patterns and mythological names called?

a)

Constellation

b)

Galaxy

c)

Solar system

d)

Star cluster

13.

Which stars can we find using Orion as a road map?

a)

Polaris, Cassiopeia, Ursa Major, Proxima Centauri

b)

Andromeda, Altair, Formalhaut, Pleiades

c)

Arcturus, Canopus, Vega, Capella

d)

Castor, Pollux, Sirius, Aldebaran

14.

Find the Little Dipper. Locate the last star in the handle. What star did you find?

a)

Rigel

b)

Betelgeuse

c)

Castor

d)

Polaris

15.

Why does Orion seem to move around Polaris?

a)

As the Earth moves around the Sun it passes through different constellations throughout the year making it seem as if Polaris his stationary and Orion moving around it.

b)

Orion is located on the celestial pole and Polaris is located along the celestial equator making Orion appear to move around Polaris.

c)

Polaris appears to remain stationary because it is aligned with the Earth's poles as the Earth revolves. Orion is seen on the celestial equator and appears to move through the night sky.

d)

Since Orion is located on the celestial equator it eventually passes through Polaris because of the Earth's alignment to Polaris.

16.

Which “sphere” contains clouds, ice, , water vapor, and goes 10,000 kilometers high?

a)

Hydrosphere

b)

Atmosphere

c)

Litho/Geosphere

d)

Biosphere

e)

Magnetosphere

17.

Which “sphere” prevents dangerous radiation and solar particles from striking the Earth?

a)

Hydrosphere

b)

Atmosphere

c)

Litho/Geosphere

d)

Biosphere

e)

Magnetosphere

18.

The correct way to look at a map of Earth is...

a)

with the North Pole at the top

b)

with Antartica at the top

c)

with Europe and Asia in front of you

d)

it doesn't matter

19.

If we fly from San Francisco, California to Hawaii (west across the Pacific ocean), what is the last thing we see in CA?

a)

the Golden Gate Bridge

b)

the beaches

c)

the houses

d)

the people

20.

What advantages do flat maps have over globe maps?

a)

When rolled into tubes flat maps can be made to seem like globes.

b)

Flat maps are convenient carry and can be made larger, so details can be seen more accurately.

c)

Flat maps can be made large enough that land masses appear the correct size.

d)

Flat maps are better if we want to get a sense of the correct proportions of all land masses and their relative sizes.

21.

I live in Nebraska. My house is located 42 degrees 11 minutes of north latitude and 98 degrees, 48 minutes west longitude. What is the correct way to write these coordinates?

a)

98W48, 42N11

b)

42W48, 98N11

c)

42N11, 98W48

d)

98E48, 42S11

22.

The Prime Meridian goes how many degrees of longitude East?

a)

180 degrees East

b)

90 degrees West

c)

90 degrees East

d)

360 degrees

23.

One degree of longitude at the equator is approximately 111 km. As we move north or south the size of a degree changes. How many kilometers would 1° of longitude measure in kilometers at 45° latitude north?

a)

444 km

b)

0 km

c)

222 km

d)

55.5 km

24.

When does the North Pole experience daylight for 24 hours a day?

a)

Spring

b)

Summer

c)

Fall

d)

Winter

25.

It takes 5 hours to fly from Los Angeles to Washington DC by jet. A passenger leaves at 3:00 pm from Los Angeles and arrives11:00 pm. How did the passenger lose 3 hours on a 5-hour flight?

a)

Washington DC is located in the eastern time zone, so it was already 3:00 in the afternoon in Washington DC when the jet left Los Angeles.

b)

The plane made two stops: one in Dallas and one in Kansas City to pick up and drop off passengers.

c)

Bad weather will often force aircraft to reroute around weather systems causing delays.

d)

Strong head winds in the jet stream often slow air travel.