ASTR 100 SPRING QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED
ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) ALREADY GRADED A+
Which of these numbers is larger and by approximately how many
times?
a) 2.1 x 106 or 2.2 x 104
b) 2.1 x 106 by 2 times
c) 2.1 x 106 by 100 times
d) 2.2 x 104 by 2 times
e) 2.2 x 104 by 100 times Ans✓✓✓c) 2.1 x 106 by 100 times
Proxima Centauri is:
a) the closest star to the Sun
b) Part of the Milky Way galaxy
c) Part of the same galaxy cluster as our Sun
d) More than 1 light year away
e) all of the above Ans✓✓✓e) All of the Above
Uranus is 20 AU from the Sun. Uranus is ____________ times farther
from the Sun than the Earth is.
a) 5
b) 10
c) 20
d) 30
e) Impossible to tell with information given. Ans✓✓✓c) 20
,Which of these objects is the smallest?
a) Supercluster
b) Galaxy
c) Cluster
d) Sun
e) Solar System Ans✓✓✓d) Sun
Which of these is true about the scientific method?
a) The scientific method ends after astronomers test a hypothesis two
times.
b) An idea that is impossible to test can be considered a scientific theory.
c) The scientific method for astronomy has to mostly use observations
instead of experiments in a lab to test hypotheses.
d) When astronomers call something a theory, they mean it is an idea
that hasn't really been tested.
e) All of the above Ans✓✓✓c) The scientific method for astronomy has
to mostly use observations instead of experiments in a lab to test
hypotheses.
Which of these descriptions is correct?
a) Galaxy = Group of stars, gas, and dust
b) Cluster = Group of galaxies
c) Supercluster = Group of clusters
,d) All of the above Ans✓✓✓d) All of the above
Our solar system is made up of the Sun and:
a) Only the 8 planets.
b) Anything larger than Pluto.
c) Anything that orbits the Sun.
d) All the other stars in our galaxy. Ans✓✓✓c) Anything that orbits the
Sun.
Which of these statements is true?
a) The closest natural object in space to the Earth is the Sun.
b) Occam's Razor says that we should always choose the most
complicated explanation for a hypothesis.
c) All the stars that we can see with the naked eye are in our solar
system.
d) Most of the atoms in our body have passed through (and in many
cases formed) in stars.
e) According to the cosmological principle, the laws of physics and
astronomy are probably different on Earth compared to a planet in a
different galaxy. Ans✓✓✓d) Most of the atoms in our body have passed
through (and in many cases formed) in stars.
Which of these parts of our cosmic address is NOT correct?
a) Galaxy = Milky Way
b) Planet = Earth
, c) Galaxy Cluster = Virgo Group
d) Galaxy Supercluster = Local Supercluster (also called Virgo or
sometimes Laniakea) Ans✓✓✓c) Galaxy Cluster = Virgo Group
T/F: Trying to give real-time commands to satellites or probes that are
orbiting other planets can be difficult because of the time it takes radio
signals carrying the commands to go from the Earth to the satellite.
Ans✓✓✓True
Which of the following is true about constellations and asterisms?
a) Anyone can make up a constellation, but asterisms are official shapes
approved by astronomers at meetings.
b) There are a total of 88 constellations.
c) There are large parts of the sky that are not part of any constellation.
d) All the stars in a constellation are the same distance from the Earth.
e) The alpha star of a constellation is always the star closest to Earth.
Ans✓✓✓b) There are a total of 88 constellations.
The most likely distance to a star in the Big Dipper is:
a) 10 light years
b) 10 AU
c) 10 meters
d) 10 kilometers Ans✓✓✓a) 10 light years
ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) ALREADY GRADED A+
Which of these numbers is larger and by approximately how many
times?
a) 2.1 x 106 or 2.2 x 104
b) 2.1 x 106 by 2 times
c) 2.1 x 106 by 100 times
d) 2.2 x 104 by 2 times
e) 2.2 x 104 by 100 times Ans✓✓✓c) 2.1 x 106 by 100 times
Proxima Centauri is:
a) the closest star to the Sun
b) Part of the Milky Way galaxy
c) Part of the same galaxy cluster as our Sun
d) More than 1 light year away
e) all of the above Ans✓✓✓e) All of the Above
Uranus is 20 AU from the Sun. Uranus is ____________ times farther
from the Sun than the Earth is.
a) 5
b) 10
c) 20
d) 30
e) Impossible to tell with information given. Ans✓✓✓c) 20
,Which of these objects is the smallest?
a) Supercluster
b) Galaxy
c) Cluster
d) Sun
e) Solar System Ans✓✓✓d) Sun
Which of these is true about the scientific method?
a) The scientific method ends after astronomers test a hypothesis two
times.
b) An idea that is impossible to test can be considered a scientific theory.
c) The scientific method for astronomy has to mostly use observations
instead of experiments in a lab to test hypotheses.
d) When astronomers call something a theory, they mean it is an idea
that hasn't really been tested.
e) All of the above Ans✓✓✓c) The scientific method for astronomy has
to mostly use observations instead of experiments in a lab to test
hypotheses.
Which of these descriptions is correct?
a) Galaxy = Group of stars, gas, and dust
b) Cluster = Group of galaxies
c) Supercluster = Group of clusters
,d) All of the above Ans✓✓✓d) All of the above
Our solar system is made up of the Sun and:
a) Only the 8 planets.
b) Anything larger than Pluto.
c) Anything that orbits the Sun.
d) All the other stars in our galaxy. Ans✓✓✓c) Anything that orbits the
Sun.
Which of these statements is true?
a) The closest natural object in space to the Earth is the Sun.
b) Occam's Razor says that we should always choose the most
complicated explanation for a hypothesis.
c) All the stars that we can see with the naked eye are in our solar
system.
d) Most of the atoms in our body have passed through (and in many
cases formed) in stars.
e) According to the cosmological principle, the laws of physics and
astronomy are probably different on Earth compared to a planet in a
different galaxy. Ans✓✓✓d) Most of the atoms in our body have passed
through (and in many cases formed) in stars.
Which of these parts of our cosmic address is NOT correct?
a) Galaxy = Milky Way
b) Planet = Earth
, c) Galaxy Cluster = Virgo Group
d) Galaxy Supercluster = Local Supercluster (also called Virgo or
sometimes Laniakea) Ans✓✓✓c) Galaxy Cluster = Virgo Group
T/F: Trying to give real-time commands to satellites or probes that are
orbiting other planets can be difficult because of the time it takes radio
signals carrying the commands to go from the Earth to the satellite.
Ans✓✓✓True
Which of the following is true about constellations and asterisms?
a) Anyone can make up a constellation, but asterisms are official shapes
approved by astronomers at meetings.
b) There are a total of 88 constellations.
c) There are large parts of the sky that are not part of any constellation.
d) All the stars in a constellation are the same distance from the Earth.
e) The alpha star of a constellation is always the star closest to Earth.
Ans✓✓✓b) There are a total of 88 constellations.
The most likely distance to a star in the Big Dipper is:
a) 10 light years
b) 10 AU
c) 10 meters
d) 10 kilometers Ans✓✓✓a) 10 light years
