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Astrophysics and Stellar Evolution

Total questions: 115

Worksheet time: 1hrs 3mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What is the distance between the Earth and the Sun?

a)

1 AU

b)

1 light year

c)

10,000 km

d)

384,400 km

2.

What happens when you compress a gas?

a)

The pressure increases, therefore the temperature increases

b)

The pressure decreases, therefore the temperature decreases

c)

The pressure remains the same, but the temperature increases

d)

The pressure and temperature both decrease

3.

Which of the following is not a stellar property depicted by the HR diagram?

a)

Mass

b)
Star brightness
c)
Distance from Earth
d)
Surface temperature
4.

What is the Chandrasekhar Limit?

a)

A mass limit for a white dwarf

b)

The minimum temperature for nuclear fusion

c)

The maximum size of a neutron star

d)

The distance from a star where planets can form

5.

How is the absolute magnitude of a celestial object defined?

a)

The apparent magnitude as measured from 10 parsecs

b)

The brightness as seen from Earth

c)

The distance of the object from the Sun

d)

The size of the object in kilometers

6.

If you replaced the mass of the Sun with a black hole of equal mass, what would happen to the Solar System?

a)

Nothing would change about the orbits of objects in the Solar System

b)

All planets would be sucked into the black hole instantly

c)

The Solar System would be ejected from the galaxy

d)

The planets would stop orbiting and drift away into space

7.

At what distance from a celestial object would the apparent (m) and absolute (M) magnitudes be equal?

a)

10 parsecs

b)

1 parsec

c)

100 parsecs

d)

0.1 parsec

8.

Given the HR diagrams below, which of these star clusters is the oldest?

a)

C

b)

A

c)

B

d)

D

9.

I am observing 2 galaxies. The first has an apparent magnitude of m=4, the second of m=9. How many times brighter is the first galaxy than the second?

a)

100

b)

5

c)

10

d)

50

10.

I am observing 2 identical stars. If one star is 4 times further from me, I observe that star to be ___ times dimmer than the closer star.

a)

16

b)

4

c)

8

d)

2

11.

In what part of the EM spectrum is the Sun emitting the most photons?

a)

Optical

b)

Ultraviolet

c)

Infrared

d)

Radio

12.

What is the distance modulus of an object at a distance of 100 parsecs?

a)

5

b)

10

c)

0

d)

2

13.

Which of the following correctly labels the x-axis of an HR Diagram?

a)

All of these answers

b)

Color

c)

Temperature

d)

Age

e)

λ

14.

Where is the Sun located on the HR Diagram?

a)

In the middle of the main sequence

b)

At the top right among red giants

c)

At the bottom left among white dwarfs

d)

At the top left among blue supergiants

15.

Which of the following would produce an emission spectrum?

a)

A gas cloud that was just heated up by a nearby supernova

b)

A cold, dense dust cloud blocking starlight

c)

A solid metal rod heated until it glows

d)

A planet reflecting sunlight

16.

It is extremely rare to find a white dwarf in a binary system.

a)

True

b)

False

17.

Magnitudes are defined such that 5 steps in magnitude is equivalent to 100 steps in brightness.

a)

True

b)

False

18.

All fusion in the cores of stars stops at (Fe).

a)

True

b)

False

19.

Low mass stars can fuse and produce elements all the way up to iron (Fe) before transitioning into the red giant phase

a)

False

b)

True

20.

The Sun's luminosity will rise to 1000 times its current level during its evolution.

a)

True

b)

False

21.

A nearby star’s spectrum reveals that its peak wavelength is 200 nm, placing most of its emitted photons in the ultraviolet. Therefore, I can conclude that this star is colder than the Sun.

a)

True

b)

False

22.

A star’s temperature has the greatest effect on its luminosity

a)

True

b)

False

23.

Most elements present on the periodic table were produced in the Big Bang.

a)

True

b)

False

24.

RADAR is mostly used to measure distances to objects within the Solar System. It can also be used for stellar distances, but only for stars that are the closest to the Sun.

a)

True

b)

False

25.

An electron will absorb a photon if it ascends one or more energy levels of an atom.

a)

True

b)

False

26.

What kind of spectrum is this? (no need to type 'spectrum' in your answer, simply enter only the type of spectrum)

a)

Absorption

b)

Emission

c)

Continuous

d)

Line

27.

Given the spectrum of Betelgeuse, what color is this star?

a)

Red

b)

Blue

c)

Yellow

d)

White

28.

If the parallax angle of Betelgeuse is 0.007 arcseconds, what is the distance to Betelgeuse, rounded to the nearest parsec?

a)
120
b)
200
c)
160
d)
143
29.

If you decreased the temperature of core of the Sun, the average speed of particles would, __

a)

decrease

b)

increase

c)

remain the same

d)

become zero

30.

32. which would cause the rate of nuclear reactions to, __ (17%) causing the size of the core to. __ (16%)

a)

decrease

b)

increase

c)

remain constant

d)

fluctuate

31.

The change to its size will cause the temperature of the core to, __

a)

increase

b)

decrease

c)

remain constant

d)

fluctuate

32.

35. which in turn would cause the rate of nuclear reactions to, __ (17%)

a)

increase

b)

decrease

c)

remain constant

d)

fluctuate

33.

finally causing the size of the core to. __

a)

stay the same

b)

increase

c)

decrease

d)

fluctuate

34.

Which of the following is not one of the reasons why main sequence fitting works

a)
Influence of stellar mass
b)
Effect of temperature variations
c)
Role of binary star systems
d)

  1. All main sequences of every star cluster are the same

35.

Where are stars made in the Milky Way?

a)
Asteroid belts in the Milky Way.
b)
Galactic centers in the Milky Way.
c)
Planetary systems in the Milky Way.
d)

In the disk

36.

Molecular clouds, planetary nebulae, and supernovae all exhibit this type of spectrum.

a)

Emission

b)
Blackbody spectrum
c)
Continuous spectrum
d)
Absorption spectrum
37.

Where will the Milky Way’s gas be in 1 trillion years?

a)
The gas will form new stars within the galaxy.
b)

Locked in white dwarfs and low mass stars

c)
The gas will be concentrated in the core of the Milky Way.
d)
The gas will be trapped in black holes throughout the universe.
38.

The furthest distances that Leavitt’s Law can reach are

a)
up to about 50 million light-years
b)
up to about 5 million light-years
c)

Other galaxies

d)
up to about 10 million light-years
39.

Which of the following correctly lists the galaxy types from youngest to oldest?

a)
Irregular, Spiral, Elliptical
b)

Spiral, Lenticular, Elliptical

c)
Elliptical, Spiral, Irregular
d)
Spiral, Irregular, Lenticular
40.

What would the Hubble classification be for this galaxy?

a)

SBb

b)
Irregular
c)
Elliptical
d)
Spiral
41.

What is cosmology?

a)

The study of the structure and evolution of the Universe

b)
Cosmology is the examination of Earth's climate and weather patterns.
c)
Cosmology is the analysis of human behavior and social structures.
d)
Cosmology is the study of ancient civilizations and their cultures.
42.

What features about distance galaxies do we observe that provide evidence for more frequent interactions in the early universe?

a)

Distant galaxies appear to have disturbed morphologies

b)
Consistent distances and regular patterns in galaxies
c)
Reduced star formation rates and fewer interactions
d)
Stable galaxy formations and uniform shapes
43.

In which part of the EM spectrum would starburst galaxies shine the brightest?

a)
X-ray
b)
Infrared
c)
Radio
d)
Ultraviolet
44.

In the HR Diagram below, temperature is listed on the x - axis. What can also be labeled on the x-axis? Select all that apply

a)
Size, Age
b)
Distance, Brightness
c)

λ

d)
Luminosity, Mass
45.

Which of the following correctly describes how stars orbit around a galaxy if they’re located in the disk?

a)

All of the above

b)

The orbits are elliptical

c)

The direction of the orbits are mainly the same

d)

The stars mostly stay in the plane of the disk, with some up- and-down motion

46.

Where are Cepheids located on the HR Diagram?

a)

On the instability strip

b)
In the white dwarf region of the HR Diagram.
c)
In the main sequence of the HR Diagram.
d)
In the red giant branch of the HR Diagram.
47.

If a protogalactic cloud has high angular momentum, what will it likely turn into?

a)

A spiral

b)
A quasar
c)
A globular cluster
d)
An elliptical galaxy
48.

Why does ongoing star formation in spiral galaxies lead to a blue appearance?

a)
Star formation causes a red appearance due to aging stars.
b)
Spiral galaxies appear blue because of dust clouds blocking light.
c)
The blue color is due to the presence of dark matter in the galaxy.
d)

Short - lived blue stars outshine the other stars

49.

Stars in the disk of the Milky Way are typically older than halo or bulge stars

a)

False

b)

True

c)

Sometimes

d)

Only for certain types of stars

50.

Spiral arms cannot be produced by gravitational interaction with another galaxy

a)

False

b)

True

c)

Maybe

d)

Only in rare cases

51.

54. Protogalactic clouds with little to no angular momentum are believed to have evolved into disk galaxies

a)

False

b)

True

c)

Cannot be determined

d)

Only for elliptical galaxies

52.

Spiral galaxies are much more common in the centers of galaxy clusters

a)

False

b)

True

c)

Sometimes

d)

Only in small clusters

53.

56. Irregular galaxies have no defined shape and usually no central bulge, but they can have ongoing star formation

a)

True

b)

False

c)

Only spiral galaxies have ongoing star formation

d)

Irregular galaxies always have a central bulge

54.

57. Stars that populate the bulge and halo of a spiral galaxy share the same orbital properties (i.e., randomly oriented elliptical orbits)

a)

True

b)

False

c)

Only in the bulge

d)

Only in the halo

55.

Lenticulars usually don’t have spiral arms but they do have disks, which means lenticulars also have ongoing star formation. True or False?

a)

False

b)

True

c)

Maybe

d)

Not enough information

56.

Leavitt’s Law cannot be used for distances outside of the Milky Way.

a)

False

b)

True

c)

Maybe

d)

Not Sure

57.

The Faber-Jackson relation can be applied to both elliptical and spiral galaxies

a)

False

b)

True

c)

Only elliptical galaxies

d)

Only spiral galaxies

58.

The diameter of the Milky Way is roughly 30 kpc.

a)

True

b)

False

c)

50 kpc

d)

10 kpc

59.

What 2 properties does the relation describe to be correlated?

a)

Period, Absolute Magnitude

b)

Temperature, Luminosity

c)

Mass, Radius

d)

Distance, Apparent Magnitude

60.

How is the relation calibrated (i.e., where do the values on the y-axis of the relation come from)?

a)

Main sequence Fitting, Parallax

b)

Spectral Line Broadening

c)

Redshift Measurement

d)

Luminosity Distance Calculation

e)

Apparent Magnitude Scaling

61.

Where are Cepheids located on the HR diagram?

a)

On the instability strip

b)

On the main sequence

c)

In the white dwarf region

d)

In the red giant branch

62.

Approximately how far can the relation be applied?

a)

Other universities

b)

Other galaxies

c)

Gigaparsecs (billions of parsecs)

d)

Megaparsecs (millions of parsecs)

63.

Consider the following spectrum. What type of spectrum is this?

a)

Emission

b)

Absorption

c)

Continuous

d)

Line

64.

What is most likely causing the spectral features present in the spectrum?

a)

Gas that has been heated up

b)

Dust particles blocking light

c)

Solid objects emitting light

d)

Reflected light from planets

65.

What color is this object?

a)

Blue

b)

Red

c)

Green

d)

Yellow

66.

Which of the following is not one of the conclusions of Hubble’s Law?

a)

The velocities of the Local Group show infall into the Virgo Cluster

b)

The universe is expanding

c)

Galaxies are moving away from each other

d)

The farther a galaxy is, the faster it moves away

67.

If Ho = 70 km/s/Mpc and a galaxy's velocity is 2800 km/s, what is the distance to this galaxy in Mpc according to Hubble’s Law?

a)

40 Mpc

b)

20 Mpc

c)

100 Mpc

d)

70 Mpc

68.

During what era of the early Universe were photons finally released?

a)

Atoms Era

b)

Quark Era

c)

Nucleosynthesis Era

d)

Inflation Era

69.

Dark energy comprises approximately ________ of the Universe.

a)

75%

b)

50%

c)

25%

d)

90%

70.

Which of the following is NOT one of the four fundamental forces of the universe?

a)

Hydrostatic Force

b)

Gravitational Force

c)

Electromagnetic Force

d)

Weak Nuclear Force

71.

Which rung of the distance ladder did Hubble use to prove Andromeda was its own galaxy separate from the Milky Way?

a)

Leavitt’s Law

b)

Parallax Method

c)

Tully-Fisher Relation

d)

Cepheid Variable Calibration

72.

In which type of galaxy are type II supernovae most likely to occur?

a)

Spirals

b)

Ellipticals

c)

Irregulars

d)

Dwarf Spheroidals

73.

What is the Observable Universe?

a)

All photons which have had time to travel to us

b)
The Observable Universe is a theoretical concept with no physical boundaries.
c)
The Observable Universe is the entire universe including regions beyond our sight.
d)
The Observable Universe is the part of space that is visible only during the night.
74.

Which of the following is not a conclusion from the disagreement between values H₀?

a)

All of these answers are valid conclusions to the disagreement

b)

Something is possibly wrong with our methods of observation

c)

There is possibly new physics to understand about the Universe

d)

Something is possibly wrong with our models to the Universe

75.

Consider the AGN Unified Model Below. What is #11?

a)

Seyfert 1

b)

Seyfert 2

c)

Quasar

d)

Radio Galaxy

76.

Consider the AGN Unified Model Below. What is #12?

a)

Seyfert 2

b)

Seyfert 1

c)

Radio Galaxy

d)

Quasar

77.

Consider the AGN Unified Model below. What is #13?

a)

Broad Line Region

b)

Narrow Line Region

c)

Accretion Disk

d)

Dusty Torus

78.

Consider the AGN Unified Model below. What is #14?

a)

Narrow Line region

b)

Broad Line region

c)

Accretion Disk

d)

Dusty Torus

79.

Consider the AGN Unified Model Below. What is #15?

a)
Narrow Line Region
b)
Seyfert 1
c)
Torus
d)

Broad Line Region

80.

On large scales, the distribution of matter in the Universe is even without a center or edge.

a)

True

b)

False

81.

The supermassive black hole at the center of Messier 87 is larger than our Solar System.

a)

True

b)

False

82.

As you move backwards in the Universe's timeline, the strength of gravity decreases.

a)

True

b)

False

83.

From every galaxy's perspective, nearly every galaxy in the Universe is moving away from them.

a)

True

b)

False

84.

Hubble Flow gets stronger for galaxies at further distances, while gravitational interactions get weaker.

a)

True

b)

False

85.

The broad line region can be observed for face-on and edge-on AGN.

a)

True

b)

False

86.

A Type Ia supernova is the explosion of the outer layers of a massive star after core collapse.

a)

True

b)

False

87.

We have imaged the supermassive black hole at the center of Messier 87 with the Event Horizon Telescope.

a)

True

b)

False

88.

The present-day Universe has a closed geometry.

a)

True

b)

False

89.

Supernova explosions can shine as bright as an entire galaxy for weeks to months.

a)

True

b)

False

90.

Please refer to the image of M87* shown on the screen in front of the classroom. What is the illuminated portion of this image?

a)

The accretion disk

b)
The jets emitted from M87*'s core.
c)
The stellar remnants surrounding M87*.
d)
The event horizon of the black hole M87*.
91.

What is the bottom of the illuminated portion brighter than the top?

a)
The top of an object illuminated by a light source.
b)

The bottom portion is angled towards us, which when combined with its rotation causes light to be blue shifted

c)
The edge of an object illuminated by a light source.
d)
The side of an object illuminated by a light source.
92.

Why do we see the black hole and its ‘shadow’?

a)

The innermost stable orbit of a photon is larger than the Schwarzschild radius of the black hole.

b)
We observe the black hole through the light it absorbs from surrounding galaxies.
c)
The black hole is visible due to the radiation emitted from its core.
d)
We see the black hole because of its gravitational pull on nearby stars.
93.

Are there any lensing effects observed in this image?

a)
No
b)

Yes

94.

  1. I am attempting to estimate the distance to an elliptical galaxy which is currently infalling into the virgo cluster due to the cluster’s immense gravity. Is it safe to use Hubble’s Law to estimate the distance to this galaxy?

a)

No

b)

Yes

95.

  1. Which of the following circumstances would result in the most accurate distance estimate using Hubble’s Law?

a)
Measuring nearby stars with uncertain velocities.
b)

Using Hubble’s Law to estimate the distance to an isolated galaxy, infinitely far way from any other source of gravity

c)
Calculating distances using redshift data only.
d)
Observing galaxies with no velocity measurements.
96.

Approximately how long ago did the “Bang” occur?

a)
Approximately 1 trillion years ago.
b)
Approximately 4.5 billion years ago.
c)
Approximately 10 million years ago.
d)

Approximately 14 billion years ago.

97.

What is the geometry of the present-day Universe?

a)

Slightly open, mostly flat

b)
The geometry of the present-day Universe is elliptical.
c)
The geometry of the present-day Universe is conical.
d)
The geometry of the present-day Universe is spherical.
98.

We have observational evidence that the Universe is undergoing an accelerated rate of expansion.

a)

True

b)

False

99.

What percentage of the Universe is dark energy?

a)

73%

b)

50%

c)

27%

d)

10%

100.

What percentage of the Universe is baryonic matter (stars+gas)?

a)

~5%

b)

~25%

c)

~50%

d)

~70%

101.

What percentage of the Universe is dark matter?

a)

~22%

b)

~5%

c)

~50%

d)

~70%

102.

  1. What kind of object is this?

a)
Elliptical galaxy
b)
Lenticular galaxy
c)
Irregular galaxy
d)
Spiral galaxy
103.

What is the bottom of the illuminated portion brighter than the top?

a)
The top of a light beam or illuminated object.
b)
The center of a light beam or illuminated object.
c)

The bottom portion is angled towards us, which when combined with its rotation causes light to be blueshifted

d)
The edge of a light beam or illuminated object.
104.

  1. Match the following evolutionary stages of a low mass star to their correct placement on the HR diagram (refer to the figure included in this question).

    1 → Planetary nebula

    2 → White dwarf

    3 → Double shell fusion

    4 → Helium flash

    5 → Helium core fusion, hydrogen shell fusion

    6 → Hydrogen shell fusion

    7 → Hydrogen core fusion

4 lines
105.

  1. Match the following evolutionary stages of a low mass star to the correct ordering sequence, from first stage to last stage.

    1. Stage 1 → Hydrogen core fusion

    2. Stage 2 → Hydrogen shell fusion

    3. Stage 3 → Helium flash

    4. Stage 4 → Helium core fusion, hydrogen shell fusion

    5. Stage 5 → Double shell fusion

    6. Stage 6 → Planetary nebula

    7. Stage 7 → White dwarf

4 lines
106.

The observed, linear relationship between a galaxy’s distance and its recessional velocity (or redshift)

a)

Hubble’s Law

b)

Hubble Flow

c)

  1. Peculiar Velocity

107.

The amount of a galaxy’s velocity solely caused by the expansion of the Universe

a)

Hubble’s Law

b)

Hubble Flow

c)

  1. Peculiar Velocity

108.

The amount of galaxy’s velocity solely caused by local gravitational interactions (s)

a)

Hubble’s Law

b)

Hubble Flow

c)

  1. Peculiar Velocity

109.

Atomic hydrogen / Carbon monoxide gas

a)

  1. Radio

b)

Infrared

c)

X - ray

d)

Gamma Ray

110.

Shows coldest gas in the disk

a)

  1. Radio

b)

Infrared

c)

X - ray

d)

Gamma Ray

111.

Star Forming Regions

a)

  1. Radio

b)

Infrared

c)

X - ray

d)

Gamma Ray

112.

Shows stars normally hidden in the optical and regions of hotter gas forming stars

a)

  1. Radio

b)

Infrared

c)

X - ray

d)

Gamma Ray

113.

Supernova remnants

a)

  1. Radio

b)

Infrared

c)

X - ray

d)

Gamma Ray

114.

Shows hot gas above and below the disk

a)

  1. Radio

b)

Infrared

c)

X - ray

d)

Gamma Ray

115.

Cosmic ray collisions

a)

  1. Radio

b)

Infrared

c)

X - ray

d)

Gamma Ray

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