Earth Science
Name: ____________________________________
Astronomy Test
I. Multiple Choice:
1. Our sun is best described as a :
a. Protostar
b. dwarf star
c. variable star
d. main-sequence star
2. The length of a star’s life depends on:
a. How much mass it has
b. Its surface temperature
c. How far away it is from Earth
d. What electromagnetic waves it emits
3. Why do astronomers use light years instead of kilometers to measure the distance between stars?
a. Not all people understand the size of a kilometer.
b. Distances in space are too large to be conveniently measured with kilometers.
c. Kilometers are only accurate for measurements on Earth.
d. Distances in space are not large enough to be measured accurately with kilometers.
4. Why does Earth get more energy from the sun than from all the other stars in the universe combined?
a. The sun is much larger than the other stars.
b. The sun is much hotter than the other stars.
c. The sun is much more dense than the other stars.
d. The sun is much closer than the other stars.
6. Based on this diagram, which type of stars would belong to spectral class M and have the highest luminosity?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Protostar
Main-Sequence
Super Giants
Giants
7. Four students are asked to describe a nebula and a star. Their responses are shown in the table below.
Which student described nebula and star correctly?
a. Student 1
b. Student 2
c. Student 3
d. Student 4
8. The Hertzsprung-Russell diagram below shows how the brightness, surface temperature, and color of stars are
related.
Which of these observations of Barnard’s Star is most likely accurate?
a. Barnard’s Star is less bright than the sun, has a surface temperature below 3,800 K, and is red.
b. Barnard’s Star is less bright than the sun, has a surface temperature above 3,800 K, and is red.
c. Barnard’s Star is brighter than the sun, has a surface temperature below 5,300 K, and is yellow.
d. Barnard’s Star is brighter than the sun, has a surface temperature above 5,300 K, and is yellow.
9. Galaxies are best described as:
a. Rare in the universe.
b. Always spherical in shape.
c. Clusters of billions of stars.
d. Clouds of gases around stars.
10. The day-night cycle on Earth is caused by it’s _________________________ on its axis:
a. Rotation
b. Revolution
11. Stars appear to have different colors because they have different:
a. Temperatures.
b. Distances.
c. Gravity
d. Ages.
12. During the spring and fall equinox, day and night hours are
a. Different—More daylight hours than night hours.
b. Equal
c. Different—More night hours than daylight hours.
13. Energy from the sun is in the form of:
a. Electrical energy
b. Kinetic energy
c. Potential energy
d. Radiant energy
14. Seasons are caused by Earth’s _________________________ around the Sun:
a. Rotation
b. Revolution
II.
Fill in the blank using the following vocabulary terms:
Parallax
Main sequence
Apparent magnitude
Pulsars
Binary star
Observatory
Absolute magnitude
Supernova
Spiral galaxy
Elliptical galaxy
Irregular galaxy
Quasar
1. A building that contains one or more telescopes is called an ______________________________.
2. A ______________________________ is a galaxy shaped like a flattened ball.
3. _____________________________ is a neutron star that produces radio waves.
4. ______________________________ is the apparent change in position of an object when you look at it from
different places.
5. A ______________________________ is a galaxy that does not have a regular shape.
6. The _______________________________________ is the brightness of a star as seen from Earth
7. A distant galaxy with a black hole at its center is called a ____________________________.
8. A ______________________________ is a galaxy whose arms curve outward in a pinwheel pattern.
9. Area of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram that contains more than 90% of all stars is called
__________________________________________________.
10. The _______________________________________ is the brightness of a star as if it were a standard distance
from Earth.
11. A star system that contains two stars is called a _____________________________________.
12. A __________________________________________ is the explosion of a dying giant or supergiant star.
III. Sequencing: Number the stages (1-6) below in the correct order.
_____ The star begins to run out of fuel and expands into a red giant or red super giant.
_____ Stars start out as diffused clouds of gas and dust drifting through space. A single cloud is called a nebula.
_____ What happens next depends on the mass of the star.
_____ Heat and pressure build in the core of the protostar until nuclear fusion takes place.
_____ The force of gravity pulls a nebula together forming clumps called protostars.
_____ Hydrogen atoms are fused together generating an enormous amount of energy igniting the star causing it to
shine.
IV.
Label the graphic organizer with the following terms: Supernova, Black dwarf, White dwarf, Black
hole, Protostar