Space quiz

Question 1

What is an Astronomical Unit

Answer 1

Astronomical Unit (AU) - distance from Earth to Sun

Question 2

What is a light year

Answer 2

Lightyear - distance light travels in one year

Question 3

1. What is cosmology?

Answer 3

The study of the universe

Question 4

2. Who first discovered that our universe is expanding? What did he notice?

Answer 4

Edwin Hubble

Galaxies seemed to be flying further and further apart

Question 5

3. What does the expansion of the universe imply? What does this refer to at the time?

Answer 5

Everything should have started with the monumental explosion from an indefinitely hot, small point.

This is known as the “Big Bang”

Question 6

4. What happened after the Big Bang?

Answer 6

The universe cooled down to form stars and galaxies we see today.

Question 7

5. What is a particle accelerator?

Answer 7

A machine that smashed together subatomic particles at greater energies

Question 8

1. What is the Big Bang Theory? Summarize it.

Answer 8

It is an explanation of the early development of the Universe.

According to this theory the Universe expanded from an extremely small, extremely hot, and extremely dense state. Since then, it has expanded and become less dense and cooler.

Question 9

2. When did the Universe begin?

Answer 9

13.7 billion years ago

Question 10

3. What were the two major scientific discoveries that provide strong support for the Big Bang Theory?

Answer 10

Hubble’s discovery in the 1920s of a relationship between a galaxy’s distance from Earth and its speed; and the discovery in the 1960s of cosmic microwave background radiation

Question 11

4. What is the expanding universe?

Answer 11

Space between galaxies is increasing – they’re getting further apart as space itself expands

Question 12

5. What is Hubble’s Law?

Answer 12

The farther away objects are from Earth, the faster they are moving away from us.

Question 13

6. What is cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR)?

Answer 13

Leftover heat radiation from the Big Bang.

Question 14

7. Who discovered cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR)?

Answer 14

Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson

Question 15

8. According to the cosmologist, what may have caused the acceleration of the space expansion?

Answer 15

Dark energy

Question 16

9. The Big Bang was followed by ‘inflation’. What is ‘inflation’?

Answer 16

A period of very rapid expansion and cooling

Question 17

What is the Solar Nebula Theory (the most widely accepted theory)

Answer 17

A large nebula condensed into a star, but in the process also formed an outer ring of material which became the planets.

Question 18

What is the 2) Catastrophic Theory

Answer 18

A star collided with the Sun and the debris formed the planets.

Question 19

What does the Solar nebula theory suggests the following steps in solar system formation:

Answer 19

1. About 5 billion years ago, a massive cloud of gas
   and dust (nebula) begin to contract through gravity, and forms masses
   2.Temperature and pressure in the center increases

3.Center becomes a protostar (hot, condensed object)

4. Nuclear fusion occurs between hydrogen nuclei in the center
   Sun begins to form (start shining)

Remaining materials (nebula) around the sun lump together to form 5. planets

Question 20

What is Supporting Evidence for the Solar Nebula Theory

Answer 20

Planets orbits (revolve) the Sun in the same direction
Most planets orbit (revolve) the Sun in the same plane
Most planets rotate in the same direction

Question 21

8. Why did the protoplanets travel around the Sun in the same direction?

Answer 21

Because they all formed from the same cloud of gas and dust

Question 22

9. Why did the rocky planets formed closer to the Sun whereas the gas giants formed in the cooler outer region of the solar system?

Answer 22

Because the heat and the solar winds caused by the Sun swept the lighter gases further out

Question 23

What is a lunar eclipse and when does it happen?

Answer 23

When Earth’s shadow covers the moon

Question 24

What is a Solar eclipse

Answer 24

When Moon’s shadow covers the Earth

Question 25

What is the Umbra

Answer 25

a region of complete shadow, which a complete eclipse will occur

Question 26

What is the penumbra

Answer 26

A fringe region of partial shadow, which a partial eclipse will occur

Question 27

3. Where do total eclipses occur?

Answer 27

Darkest part of the shadow - the umbra

Question 28

4. In the lighter part of the shadow, penumbra, what type of eclipses occur?

Answer 28

Partial eclipses

Question 29

6. Why do we ever get eclipses?

Answer 29

Because there are 2 points where the Moon’s orbit crosses the Sun’s plane, called nodes. As the Earth orbits the Sun, Earth travels to the nodes twice a year.

Question 30

7. In a total solar eclipse, why is it possible for the Moon to completely cover the Sun from the vantage point of some place on earth?

Answer 30

Because even though the Sun is 400x larger than the Moon, it is also 400x further away, so the Moon can cover the Sun.

Question 31

9. In the far future, why will Earth only get annular solar eclipses?

Answer 31

Because the Moon is moving away from the Earth about 1.5 inches every year.

Question 32

10. Why are we more likely to see a total lunar eclipse compared to a solar eclipse?

Answer 32

Because a total solar eclipse only viewable by 0.5% of Earth’s surface, and totality lasts max 7.5 min. But a total lunar eclipse viewable by anyone on night side of Earth, and can last 1 hour and 40 min.

Question 33

11. During the total lunar eclipses, why does the Moon often turn red?

Answer 33

Because gas molecules in air scatter shorter blue wavelengths of light, while longer red wavelengths pass to the Moon.

Question 34

What are tides?

Answer 34

Tides are caused by gravatational Large object (moon) attracts water closer to it, making the tide higher Each day, there are 2 high tides and 2 low tides