ASTR 1020 FINAL EXAM NEWEST 2024-2025 ACTUAL EXAM COMPLETE ALL 150 QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS
Which of the following is the smallest?
a) 1 AU
b) Size of a typical planet
c) 1 light-month
d) Size of a typical star - (answer) b) Size of a typical planet
How are galaxies important to our existence?
a) Without galaxies, the universe could not be expanding
b) Without galaxies, there could not have been a big bang
c) Galaxies provide the gravity that prevents us from falling off Earth
d) Galaxies prevent planets from leaving their orbits around stars; e.g., our galaxy prevents Earth from
leaving its orbit
e) Galaxies recycle heavy elements produced in stars into future generations of stars - (answer) e)
Galaxies recycle heavy elements produced in stars into future generations of stars
How long does it take the Earth to complete one orbit around the Sun?
a) The time it takes Earth to orbit the sun changes significantly from one orbit to the next
b) one month
c) one year
d) one day
e) one week - (answer) c) one year
A typical galaxy is a:
a) collection of a few hundred million to a trillion or more stars bound together by gravity
b) nearby object orbiting a planet.
c) relatively small, icy object orbiting a star
d) large, glowing ball of gas powered by nuclear energy - (answer) a) collection of a few hundred
million to a trillion or more stars bound together by gravity
,ASTR 1020 FINAL EXAM NEWEST 2024-2025 ACTUAL EXAM COMPLETE ALL 150 QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS
Based on observations of the universal expansion, the age of the universe is about
a) 14 trillion years
b) 14 billion years
c) 14 million years
d) 14,000 years - (answer) b) 14 billion years
When we look at an object that is 1,000 light-years away we see it
a) as it was 1,000 years ago
b) as it is right now, but it appears 1,000 times dimmer
c) looking just the same as our ancestors would have seen it 1,000 years ago
d) as it was 1,000 light years ago - (answer) a) as it was 1,000 years ago
- our ancestors did not necessarily see it
- light years are a measure of distance
When do the Northern and Southern hemispheres receive the same amount of light?
a) On the spring and fall equinoxes
b) the two hemispheres never receive the same amount of light
c) On the winter solstice
d) on the summer solstice - (answer) a) on the spring and fall equinoxes
What is the ecliptic?
a) the Moon's apparent path along the celestial sphere
b) the Sun's daily path across the sky
c) when the Moon passes in front of the Sun
d) the constellations commonly used in astrology to predict the future
, ASTR 1020 FINAL EXAM NEWEST 2024-2025 ACTUAL EXAM COMPLETE ALL 150 QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS
e) the Sun's apparent path along the celestial sphere - (answer) e) the Sun's apparent path along the
celestial sphere
When traveling north from the U.S. into Canada, you'll see the North Star (Polaris) getting
a) lower in the sky
b) dimmer
c) brighter
d) higher in the sky - (answer) d) higher in the sky
If you heat a gas so that collisions are continually bumping electrons to higher energy levels, when the
electrons fall back to lower energy levels the gas produces
a) an absorption line spectrum
b) radio waves
c) X-Rays
d) an emission line spectrum
e) thermal radiation - (answer) d) an emission line spectrum
We can learn a lot about the properties of a star by studying its spectrum. All of the following statements
are true EXCEPT one. Which one?
a)We can identify chemical elements present in the star by recognizing patterns of spectral lines that
correspond to particular chemicals.
b) The peak of the star's thermal emission tells us its temperature: Hotter stars peak at shorter (bluer)
wavelengths.
c) The total amount of light in the spectrum tells us the star's radius.
d) We can look at Doppler shifts of spectral lines to determine the star's speed toward or away from us. -
(answer) c) The total amount of light in the spectrum tells us the star's radius.
Everything looks red through a red filter because...
a) the filter emits red light and absorbs the other colors
CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS
Which of the following is the smallest?
a) 1 AU
b) Size of a typical planet
c) 1 light-month
d) Size of a typical star - (answer) b) Size of a typical planet
How are galaxies important to our existence?
a) Without galaxies, the universe could not be expanding
b) Without galaxies, there could not have been a big bang
c) Galaxies provide the gravity that prevents us from falling off Earth
d) Galaxies prevent planets from leaving their orbits around stars; e.g., our galaxy prevents Earth from
leaving its orbit
e) Galaxies recycle heavy elements produced in stars into future generations of stars - (answer) e)
Galaxies recycle heavy elements produced in stars into future generations of stars
How long does it take the Earth to complete one orbit around the Sun?
a) The time it takes Earth to orbit the sun changes significantly from one orbit to the next
b) one month
c) one year
d) one day
e) one week - (answer) c) one year
A typical galaxy is a:
a) collection of a few hundred million to a trillion or more stars bound together by gravity
b) nearby object orbiting a planet.
c) relatively small, icy object orbiting a star
d) large, glowing ball of gas powered by nuclear energy - (answer) a) collection of a few hundred
million to a trillion or more stars bound together by gravity
,ASTR 1020 FINAL EXAM NEWEST 2024-2025 ACTUAL EXAM COMPLETE ALL 150 QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS
Based on observations of the universal expansion, the age of the universe is about
a) 14 trillion years
b) 14 billion years
c) 14 million years
d) 14,000 years - (answer) b) 14 billion years
When we look at an object that is 1,000 light-years away we see it
a) as it was 1,000 years ago
b) as it is right now, but it appears 1,000 times dimmer
c) looking just the same as our ancestors would have seen it 1,000 years ago
d) as it was 1,000 light years ago - (answer) a) as it was 1,000 years ago
- our ancestors did not necessarily see it
- light years are a measure of distance
When do the Northern and Southern hemispheres receive the same amount of light?
a) On the spring and fall equinoxes
b) the two hemispheres never receive the same amount of light
c) On the winter solstice
d) on the summer solstice - (answer) a) on the spring and fall equinoxes
What is the ecliptic?
a) the Moon's apparent path along the celestial sphere
b) the Sun's daily path across the sky
c) when the Moon passes in front of the Sun
d) the constellations commonly used in astrology to predict the future
, ASTR 1020 FINAL EXAM NEWEST 2024-2025 ACTUAL EXAM COMPLETE ALL 150 QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS
e) the Sun's apparent path along the celestial sphere - (answer) e) the Sun's apparent path along the
celestial sphere
When traveling north from the U.S. into Canada, you'll see the North Star (Polaris) getting
a) lower in the sky
b) dimmer
c) brighter
d) higher in the sky - (answer) d) higher in the sky
If you heat a gas so that collisions are continually bumping electrons to higher energy levels, when the
electrons fall back to lower energy levels the gas produces
a) an absorption line spectrum
b) radio waves
c) X-Rays
d) an emission line spectrum
e) thermal radiation - (answer) d) an emission line spectrum
We can learn a lot about the properties of a star by studying its spectrum. All of the following statements
are true EXCEPT one. Which one?
a)We can identify chemical elements present in the star by recognizing patterns of spectral lines that
correspond to particular chemicals.
b) The peak of the star's thermal emission tells us its temperature: Hotter stars peak at shorter (bluer)
wavelengths.
c) The total amount of light in the spectrum tells us the star's radius.
d) We can look at Doppler shifts of spectral lines to determine the star's speed toward or away from us. -
(answer) c) The total amount of light in the spectrum tells us the star's radius.
Everything looks red through a red filter because...
a) the filter emits red light and absorbs the other colors
