1|Page
Astro 1 PSU Final Exam Prep Test Bank Latest 2025
With 430 Exam Practice Questions And Correct
Verified Answers/ PSU Astro 1 Exam Prep
Questions Bank/ Astronomy
What is a light year? - ...ANSWER...✓✓distance that light
travels in 1 year
What is the closest star to Earth besides the Sun? (4.2 ly
away) - ...ANSWER...✓✓proxima centauri
What is the age of the universe? - ...ANSWER...✓✓14
billion years
What is our cosmic address? What is the Local Group? -
...ANSWER...✓✓Earth, solar system, milky way galaxy,
local group, local supercluster
Order of planets in our solar system -
...ANSWER...✓✓Mercury, venus, earth, mars, jupiter,
saturn, uranus, neptune
,2|Page
What is the fastest speed in the universe? -
...ANSWER...✓✓speed of light
Typical composition of stars - ...ANSWER...✓✓74% H, 25%
He, 1% Metals
How old is the Sun/solar system? How much longer will it
live? - ...ANSWER...✓✓4.5 billion, live to 10 billion
What is a star? - ...ANSWER...✓✓glowing ball of hot dense
gas that generates its own energy via nuclear fusion
What is the reason that we have seasons on Earth? -
...ANSWER...✓✓tilt of the earth's axis determines what
hemisphere leans towards the sun
If Earth's orbit were a perfect circle, how would this affect
seasons? - ...ANSWER...✓✓Would not because earth's
orbit is already very close to a perfect circle
moon phases in order - ...ANSWER...✓✓new moon,
waxing crescent, first quarter moon, waxing gibbous, full
,3|Page
moon, waning gibbous, third quarter moon, waning
crescent
How long does it take to complete all the phases? -
...ANSWER...✓✓29.5 days
What are the two types of eclipses (only solar and lunar)
and what phase does the Moon need
to be in for each one of the eclipses to occur? -
...ANSWER...✓✓lunar: earth blocks sunlight from moon,
full moon
solar: moon passing directly in front of sun, new moon
If you see that the Moon is full, what phase will someone
in Australia see? What about
someone on the Moon looking at Earth? -
...ANSWER...✓✓the same phase, the moon will just look
upside down
people on the moon wouldn't see earth (new earth)
Kepler's laws - ...ANSWER...✓✓1.) a^3=p^2(M1+M2)
, 4|Page
2.) when planet is closer to sun, it moves faster in its
orbit
3.) planets further from sun orbit slower
How can you tell a color of a star based on its blackbody
curve? - ...ANSWER...✓✓peak of curve in visible spectrum
order of different types of electromagnetic radiation by
wavelength - ...ANSWER...✓✓gamma, x ray, uv, visible,
infrared, microwave, radio
What needs to happen inside an atom to produce an
absorption or an emission line? - ...ANSWER...✓✓-
emission: excited state (electron is in an energy level
above the lowest possible one)
-absorption: moving to a higher energy level (photon of
just the right energy is absorbed by the atom)
What are the 3 types of spectra and how is each produced
- ...ANSWER...✓✓1.) continuous: hot, dense energy source
2.) emission: hot, low density gas cloud - bright lines on
black background
Astro 1 PSU Final Exam Prep Test Bank Latest 2025
With 430 Exam Practice Questions And Correct
Verified Answers/ PSU Astro 1 Exam Prep
Questions Bank/ Astronomy
What is a light year? - ...ANSWER...✓✓distance that light
travels in 1 year
What is the closest star to Earth besides the Sun? (4.2 ly
away) - ...ANSWER...✓✓proxima centauri
What is the age of the universe? - ...ANSWER...✓✓14
billion years
What is our cosmic address? What is the Local Group? -
...ANSWER...✓✓Earth, solar system, milky way galaxy,
local group, local supercluster
Order of planets in our solar system -
...ANSWER...✓✓Mercury, venus, earth, mars, jupiter,
saturn, uranus, neptune
,2|Page
What is the fastest speed in the universe? -
...ANSWER...✓✓speed of light
Typical composition of stars - ...ANSWER...✓✓74% H, 25%
He, 1% Metals
How old is the Sun/solar system? How much longer will it
live? - ...ANSWER...✓✓4.5 billion, live to 10 billion
What is a star? - ...ANSWER...✓✓glowing ball of hot dense
gas that generates its own energy via nuclear fusion
What is the reason that we have seasons on Earth? -
...ANSWER...✓✓tilt of the earth's axis determines what
hemisphere leans towards the sun
If Earth's orbit were a perfect circle, how would this affect
seasons? - ...ANSWER...✓✓Would not because earth's
orbit is already very close to a perfect circle
moon phases in order - ...ANSWER...✓✓new moon,
waxing crescent, first quarter moon, waxing gibbous, full
,3|Page
moon, waning gibbous, third quarter moon, waning
crescent
How long does it take to complete all the phases? -
...ANSWER...✓✓29.5 days
What are the two types of eclipses (only solar and lunar)
and what phase does the Moon need
to be in for each one of the eclipses to occur? -
...ANSWER...✓✓lunar: earth blocks sunlight from moon,
full moon
solar: moon passing directly in front of sun, new moon
If you see that the Moon is full, what phase will someone
in Australia see? What about
someone on the Moon looking at Earth? -
...ANSWER...✓✓the same phase, the moon will just look
upside down
people on the moon wouldn't see earth (new earth)
Kepler's laws - ...ANSWER...✓✓1.) a^3=p^2(M1+M2)
, 4|Page
2.) when planet is closer to sun, it moves faster in its
orbit
3.) planets further from sun orbit slower
How can you tell a color of a star based on its blackbody
curve? - ...ANSWER...✓✓peak of curve in visible spectrum
order of different types of electromagnetic radiation by
wavelength - ...ANSWER...✓✓gamma, x ray, uv, visible,
infrared, microwave, radio
What needs to happen inside an atom to produce an
absorption or an emission line? - ...ANSWER...✓✓-
emission: excited state (electron is in an energy level
above the lowest possible one)
-absorption: moving to a higher energy level (photon of
just the right energy is absorbed by the atom)
What are the 3 types of spectra and how is each produced
- ...ANSWER...✓✓1.) continuous: hot, dense energy source
2.) emission: hot, low density gas cloud - bright lines on
black background
