wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

Ose Sky and Space

Total questions: 111

Worksheet time: 7hrs 16mins

Name
Class
Date
1.
The line that separates the sky in half from North to South
a)
zenith
b)
azimuth
c)
ecliptic
d)
meridian
2.
The _____ is the huge imaginary sphere on which all objects in the sky were once considered to be attached.
a)
equator
b)
celestial sphere
c)
ecliptic
d)
zenith
3.
The _____ is where the Earth and sky appear to meet in the far distance and the _____ is the point on the celestial sphere directly over the head of the observer.
a)
horizon, azimuth
b)
altitude, zenith
c)
horizon, zenith
d)
altitude, azimuth
4.
Why does the sun appear to move across the sky over the course of a day?
a)
The Earth is stationary and the sun revolves around it.
b)
The Sun is stationary and the Earth rotates upon its axis.
c)
The Sun is stationary and the Earth revolves around it.
d)
Both the Sun and the Earth are revolving around each other.
5.
If the Earth's north pole is considered "up", does the Earth rotate clockwise or counterclockwise?
a)
Clockwise
b)
Counterclockwise
6.
The angular distance of a celestial object above the horizon
a)
Altitude
b)
Latitude
c)
Longitude
d)
Angle of Isolation
7.
When we watch the nighttime sky, we find that
a)
the stars and constellations remain fixed in our sky, not rising or setting in a time as short as one night because they are so far away.
b)
most stars and constellations slowly rise in the east and set in the west.
c)
most stars and constellations slowly rise in the west and set in the east.
d)
all stars and constellations reach their highest point in the sky at midnight.
8.
If you follow a line through the "pointer stars" (the two stars in the bowl of the Big Dipper farthest from the handle) away from the open end of the dipper, the first moderately bright star you come to is
a)
Polaris, the North Star.
b)
Spica, in Virgo.
c)
Arcturus, in Bootes.
d)
Vega, in Lyra.
9.
Where would you have to be in order to see the north celestial pole directly over your head (i.e., in your zenith)?
a)
On the equator
b)
About 4 degrees of the Magnetic North Pole of the Earth
c)
At a position about 1 degree away from the South Pole, to account for precession
d)
At the South Pole
10.
For any observer the _____ is the point of the sky directly overhead.
a)
analemma
b)
azimuth
c)
zenith
d)
ecliptic
11.
The __________ is the line of the Sun's apparent path through the sky.
a)
ecliptic
b)
analemma
c)
obliquity
d)
celestial sphere
12.

_____ is the point where the earth appears to meet the sky. Can you ever reach that point?

a)

Lattitude

b)

Longitude

c)

Horizon

d)

Altitude

13.
angular distance above the horizon (especially of a celestial object)
a)
Horizon
b)
Vertical Drop
c)
Altitude
d)
Altimeter
14.
instrument used to determine latitude by measuring the position of the stars
a)
Altimeter
b)
Periscope
c)
Telescope
d)
Astrolabe
15.

What instrument would you use to determine the azimuth of the direction you are facing?

a)

Altimeter

b)

compass

c)

Telescope

d)

Astrolabe

16.

The ecliptic describes the plane (or line) in which the Sun & the planets travel.

a)

True

b)

False

17.

_______ is/are used to find specific objects and constellations on the celestial sphere.

a)

Right ascension

b)

Azimuth

c)

Celestial coordinates

d)

Declination

18.

What is the difference between the angle of measurement terms azimuth & altitude?

a)

altitude is only used to describe elevation

b)

azimuth is a "side to side" circle; altitude is "up & down"

c)

azimuth is a "up & down" circle; altitude is "side to side"

d)

both are projections of latitude & longitude

19.

Equinoxes occur (around March 21st & Sept. 21st) when the Sun appears to be directly

a)

over the Tropic of Capricorn.

b)

over the Tropic of Cancer.

c)

over the Equator.

d)

between the Earth & Moon.

20.

Earth's seasons are caused by

a)

the precession of Earth's axis.

b)

its distance from the Sun.

c)

wobbles in its orbit and axis of rotation.

d)

its tilt; revolution around the Sun, and spherical shape.

21.

What is the maximum value for any altitude in reference to the horizon?

a)

24 hrs

b)

90 degrees

c)

180 degrees

d)

0 degrees

22.

The ___ is the point directly above the observer.

a)

Zenith

b)

Nadir

c)

Meridian

d)

Horizon

23.

You can use this to locate Polaris

a)

Zenith

b)

Pisces

c)

The Big Dipper

d)

Sagittarius

24.

When sunlight is split by a prism or diffraction grating it appears to emit a ___ spectra.

a)

absorption

b)

dark-line

c)

continuous

d)

bright-line

25.

Upon closer examination, sunlight (and all stars) actually emit ___ spectra.

a)

bright-line (or emission)

b)

absorption (or dark-line)

c)

continuous

d)

multiple

26.

The analysis of the way matter emits and absorbs radiation is called ___.

a)

astronomy

b)

chemistry

c)

spectroscopy

d)

atomic theory

27.

Spectroscopy can be used to study

a)

the atmosphere of stars and planets

b)

the age,temperature, or type of stars.

c)

the speed a star is travelling towards or away from us(by looking at how shifted the lines are)

d)

all of the above

28.

Spectroscopy can also be used to study

a)

galaxies.

b)

the surface of Mercury.

c)

stellar composition.

d)

UFO's.

29.

A ___ is used in astronomy to break down light like a prism.

a)

telescope

b)

spectroscope

c)

stethoscope

d)

microscope

30.

Each element on the periodic table can be identified by its

a)

classification as a solid, liquid or gas.

b)

location on the table.

c)

ability to react to form compounds.

d)

unique spectral "fingerprint."

31.

Emission spectra emitted by an element (or compound) will produce ___ through a spectroscope.

a)

bright lines

b)

a continuous rainbow

c)

dark lines

d)

white light

32.

The spectroscope is a powerful tool used by astronomers to infer the nature of matter.

a)

True

b)

False

33.

By passing starlight light through a ___the light is spread out into its component colors.

a)

spectrograph or spectrometer

b)

telescope

c)

prism or diffraction grating

d)

mirror

34.

A spectroscope may be connected to a ___ to record an object's spectra.

a)

telescope

b)

CCD (charged coupled device)

c)

spectrometer

d)

spectrograph

35.

A ___ can be used in place of a prism in a spectroscope & is inexpensive.

a)

plastic prism

b)

diffraction grating

c)

CCD

d)

lens

36.

If an object like a star is moving away from Earth, the spectral lines are observed to be

a)

smaller or thinner & red-shifted.

b)

smaller or thinner & blue-shifted.

c)

wider or broader & blue-shifted.

d)

wider or broader & red-shifted.

37.

Spectral lines that are observed to be narrower & blue-shifted indicates that an object is

a)

moving away from Earth.

b)

showing transverse motion.

c)

moving towards Earth.

d)

showing radial motion.

38.

What does Kepler’s 1st Law of Motion state?

a)

Planets revolve around the sun in circular orbits.

b)

Planets revolve around the sun in elliptical orbits.

c)

Planets revolve around the sun in rectangular orbits.

d)

Mr. Arrendell's head looks like an ellipse...wait, what?!

39.

What shape did the early astronomers think the planets’ paths looked like?

a)

circular

b)

elliptical

c)

quadrilateral

d)

octagonal

40.

What is true about the distance between a planet and the sun and the planet’s revolution around the Sun?

a)

The closer the planet is to the sun, the slower it orbits.

b)

The farther the planet is to the sun, the faster it orbits.

c)

The farther the planet is to the sun, the brighter the sun is.

d)

The closer the planet is to the sun, the faster it orbits.

41.

The ___________ the planet is from the sun, the ____________ it takes to go around the sun.

a)

closer, shorter

b)

farther, shorter

c)

farther, longer

d)

closer, longer

42.

Is the Sun a star?

a)

yes

b)

no

43.

Which planet takes longer to revolve around the Sun, Earth or Mars? Why?

a)

Mars, it's closer to the Sun

b)

Earth, it's farther from the Sun

c)

Mars, it's farther from the Sun

d)

Earth, it's closer to the Sun

44.

What did Johannes Kepler(pictured) discover about our understanding of space?

a)

Kepler created the heliocentric model

b)

Kepler realized that everything that orbits another body(planets, moons, etc), travels in an ellipse, not a circle

c)

Kepler discovered gravity and described how it keeps planets orbiting

d)

Kepler created the geocentric model

45.

According to Newton, what kinds of objects are affected by gravity?

a)

Only objects inside the earth's atmosphere, like apples.

b)

Only objects that orbit the sun, like planets.

c)

Only objects with a lot of mass, like human beings.

d)

All objects in the universe.

46.

How is the moon's orbit around the earth related to an apple falling from a tree?

a)

The earth's gravity keeps the moon in orbit, and also pulls objects toward the ground.

b)

The earth, the moon, and an apple are all spherical, so they all have gravity.

c)

The moon's gravity holds apples on tree branches, while the earth's gravity pulls apples toward the ground.

d)

The moon's gravity affects bodies of water; the earth's gravity affects solid objects.

47.

What did Isaac Newton discover when the apple supposedly fell on his head?

a)

Gravity

b)

Electricty

c)

Hydrogen

d)

Plasma

48.
Which of these items is not needed to sustain life in space?
a)
oxygen
b)
food
c)
water
d)
tools
49.
What is the ISS?
a)
International Student Services
b)
Inside Sun Secrets
c)
International Space Station
d)
Iraq Space Services
50.
Which of these is a place where humans live and study space?
a)
Moon probe
b)
Mars Rover
c)
Space Shuttle
d)
International Space Station
51.
What factor is being considered when items are attached in the space station?
a)
air pressure
b)
microgravity
c)
heat
d)
oxygen need
52.
How do astronauts protect their bone health while in space?
a)
drink lots of fluids
b)
exercise with equipment
c)
special space suits
d)
special medicine
53.
Which country launched the first artificial satellite?
a)
USSR/Soviet Union
b)
USA
c)
Canada
d)
Japan
54.
Why would animals be sent to space before humans?
a)
Because they are much cuter
b)
Because they can withstand more force
c)
To test for safety
d)
Because they didn't have to pay them
55.
Why is a space suit insulated?
a)
regulate temperature- protect against hot/cold
b)
to keep the astronaut from dehydrating
c)
so they can use the bathroom in space
d)
so they can breathe
56.
Laika, the first living being in space, was a...
a)
dog.
b)
cat.
c)
canary.
d)
rabbit.
57.
Early satellites were placed in an orbit a few hundred kilometers above the Earth's surface called a(n)...
a)
geostationary orbit (GEO).
b)
low stationary orbit (LSO).
c)
high Earth orbit (HEO).
d)
low Earth orbit (LEO).
58.
A satellite that travels in an orbit that exactly matches the Earth's rotation is traveling in a(n)
a)
low Earth orbit (LEO).
b)
low stationary orbit (LSO).
c)
geostationary orbit (GEO).
d)
high Earth orbit (HEO).
59.
The United States and the Soviet Union developed satellites to...
a)
help each other.
b)
signal each other.
c)
defend each other.
d)
spy on each other.
60.
People can find out their exact location on Earth by using a...
a)
Global Drection System (GDS) receiver.
b)
Regional Positioning System (RPS) receiver.
c)
Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver.
61.

What do natural and artificial satellites have in common?

a)

the don't have anything in common

b)

they orbit celestial bodies

c)

they send information to the Earth

d)

the float outer space with no direction

62.

(a)   telescopes use lenses to concentrate light.

63.

(a)   telescopes use mirrors to concentrate light.

64.

These telescopes look like TV satellite dishes and can be used to communicate with probes.

a)

Radio telescopes

b)

Infrared telescopes

c)

Land-based telescopes

d)

Optical telescopes

65.

This telescope gathers mainly visible light and has been in use for over 30 years.

a)

Spitzer

b)

Hubble Space Telescope

c)

Chandra

d)

James Webb Space Telescope

66.

Check each correct reason for why telescopes are put in space to be used.

a)

No weather

b)

Lots of light

c)

No atmosphere

d)

Easier to fix

67.

A _____________ is a vehicle designed to propel itself by ejecting exhaust gas from one end.

a)

probe

b)

satellite

c)

lunar probe

d)

rocket

68.

A _______________ is an uncrewed space craft sent form Earth to explore objects in space.

a)

probe

b)

satellite

c)

telescope

d)

rocket

69.
Stars are made mostly of which of the following?
a)
very hot metal
b)
hot gases of hydrogen and helium
c)
hot molten lava
d)
dust and ice
70.

Choose the Political concern below:

a)

Who owns space? Can countries claim parts of space?

b)

Is is right that humans claim space for themselves?

c)

Should humans terraform other planets?

d)

Should humans put satellites in space, if it leaves space junk when they are done their mission?

71.

Choose the Ethical concern below:

a)

Who owns space? Can countries claim parts of space?

b)

Is is right that humans claim space for themselves?

c)

Should humans terraform other planets?

d)

Should humans put satellites in space, if it leaves space junk when they are done their mission?

72.

Choose the Environmental concern below:

a)

Who owns space? Can countries claim parts of space?

b)

Is is right that humans claim space for themselves?

c)

Should humans terraform other planets?

d)

Should humans put satellites in space, if it leaves space junk when they are done their mission?

73.
Where does the electricity, that powers lights and computers, originally come from?
a)
from solar panels
b)
from batteries brought from home
c)
from a wind turbine
d)
from a wall outlet
74.

How do astronauts breathe on board the ISS?

a)

They carry oxygen tanks around with them at all times

b)

They wear special masks that filter oxygen from the ambient air for them

c)

They use generators that split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen

d)

The space station carries its own very large supply of oxygen

75.

Newtons law states that for every action, there is an_________ reaction

a)

unequal and opposite

b)

stronger and opposite

c)

equal and similar

d)

equal and opposite

76.

The forces in a force pair are in _______ direction

a)

opposite

b)

same

77.

This type of pollution inhibits people from seeing the stars and planets.

a)

Light Pollution

b)

Water Pollutilon

c)

Air Pollution

d)

Land pollution

78.

Reflecting telescopes use _______ to focus light.

a)

Lenses

b)

Flat mirrors

c)

Curved Mirrors

d)

A lens and lasers

79.

A refracting telescope uses _______ to focus light.

a)

Lenses

b)

Mirrors

c)

Lasers

d)

Water

80.

What type of telescope can work 24 hours a day and even be used in the rain?

a)

Refracting Telescope

b)

Radio Telescope

c)

Newtonian Telescope

d)

Solar Telescope

81.

What is the major drawback of radio telescopes?

a)

They can only be used at certain hours of the day

b)

They are too small

c)

They have a low resolution

d)

They have complex mirror systems

82.
Which has the LONGEST wavelength and, therefore, the lowest frequency/energy
a)
Gamma Rays
b)
Radio Waves
c)
Visible Light
d)
Infrared rays
83.
Why is the Hubble telescope located in space?
a)
So it can be closer to the stars it magnifies
b)
They have very large optical lenses
c)
So its images arent distorted by Earth's atmosphere 
d)
So it can be operated by astronauts 
84.
A good way to practice parallax is with your
a)
Foot
b)
Thumb
85.

The apparent shift in the position of an object when viewed from different locations is called

a)

Parallelogram

b)

Parallax

c)

altitude

86.

The average distance between the earth and the sun is the

a)

astronomical unit

b)

Light year

c)

Standard Earth orbit

d)

1 MILLION kilometers

87.

A light year is the

a)

distance that light travels in one year

b)

Speed at which light travels

c)

How much light we receive in 1 year

88.

Pick the largest unit of measurement (of distance)

a)

light year(Ly)

b)

Astronomical unit(Au)

c)

kilometer(km)

d)

Solar unit(SU)

89.
a)

This pictures shows Parallax

b)

This picture shows triangulation

c)

This picture shows astronomy

90.
What do people usually call a global positioning system?
a)
globe
b)
GPS
c)
map
d)
UNCC
91.
Your hand held GPS communicates with
a)
other GPS units
b)
other satellites
c)
the GPS station
d)
with you
92.
Electromagnetic radiation is simply known as 
a)
light
b)
refraction
c)
reflection
d)
time
93.

The speed of light is

a)

30,000 km/s

b)

300,000 km/s

c)

30,000 mi/ s

d)

300,000 m/s

94.
The electromagnetic spectrum consists of
a)
all of the colors of light you can see with your eyes.
b)
all of the different types of electromagnetic waves.
c)
a band of colors formed when white light passes through a prism.
d)
the distance between the crest of one wave and the crest of the next wave.
95.

How does Newton's third law explain how a rocket will take off?

a)

The rocket doesn't move until ignition

b)

The more mass the rocket has the more force is needs to take off

c)

Gas pushes down, the rocket goes up.

96.

The force used to provide lift for the rocket is...

a)

Weight

b)

Control

c)

Thrust

d)

Inertia

97.

What force is responsible for pulling objects back down to Earth?

a)

Thrust

b)

Gravity

c)

Force

98.

A(n) _ is a large artificial satellite on which people can live and work for long periods.

a)

space station

b)

satellite

c)

space probe

d)

rocket

99.

A spacecraft that has various scientific instruments that can collect data but has no human crew is called a(n)

a)

space station

b)

satellite

c)

space probe

d)

rover

100.

Some probes have small robots called that can move about on the surface of another planet or moon.

a)

Wall-e

b)

rovers

c)

satellites

d)

shuttles

101.

A(n) ______is a spacecraft that can carry a crew into space, return to Earth, and then be reused for the same purpose.

a)

satellite

b)

space probe

c)

space shuttle

d)

rocket

102.

What is Newton's 3rd Law

a)

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction

b)

For every action, something happens

c)

For every action, there is a stronger action

d)

The force of gravity

103.

What does a rocket use for fuel?

a)

gasoline

b)

diesel

c)

Liquid oxygen + Liquid hydrogen

d)

Electricity

104.

What is one alternative space propulsion system we talked about in class? (besides rocket engines)

(a)  

105.
Today, the number of satellites orbiting the Earth is in the...
a)
hundreds.
b)
thousands.
c)
billions.
d)
millions.
106.
Early satellites were placed in an orbit a few hundred kilometers above the Earth's surface called a(n)...
a)
geostationary orbit (GEO).
b)
low stationary orbit (LSO).
c)
high Earth orbit (HEO).
d)
low Earth orbit (LEO).
107.
A satellite that travels in an orbit that exactly matches the Earth's rotation is traveling in a(n)
a)
low Earth orbit (LEO).
b)
low stationary orbit (LSO).
c)
geostationary orbit (GEO).
d)
high Earth orbit (HEO).
108.

What is the major drawback of radio telescopes?

a)

They can only be used at certain hours of the day

b)

They are too small

c)

They have a low resolution

d)

They have complex mirror systems

109.

Which of these light types cannot be captured by a telescope?

a)

Radio waves

b)

Microwaves

c)

Ultraviolet

d)

All of them can be captured

110.
Why are many large optical telescopes located on mountains?
a)
to be closer to the stars
b)
to be above part of the atmosphere
c)
because it is easier to build telescopes on mountains
d)
to be closer to city lights
111.
Radio telescopes biggest advantage is that they:
a)
Can be used during the day
b)
Can be used in any type of weather
c)
Almost all radio waves make it to the surface
d)
All of these