Questions and answers for exam Preparation

MCQs

Total Questions : 10

Question 1.

Which of the following is not a general difference between a planet and a star?

Planets are smaller than stars
Planets are dimmer than stars
Planets are made of rock and stars are made of gas
Planets orbit stars, while stars orbit the center of the galaxy

Discuss Question

Answer: Option C. -> Planets are made of rock and stars are made of gas
:
C

Option C

Question 2.

The farthest bright galaxies that modern telescopes are capable of seeing are up to

1 million light years away
10 million light years away
1 billion light years away
10 billion light years away

Discuss Question

Answer: Option D. -> 10 billion light years away
:
D

Option D

Question 3.

The total number of stars in the observable universe is about

100 billion
the same as the number of grains of sand in a large sandbox
the same as the number of grains of sand on all the beaches on Earth
the same as the number of atoms that make up Earth

Discuss Question

Answer: Option C. -> the same as the number of grains of sand on all the beaches on Earth
:
C

Option C

Question 4.

Which of the following best describes the Milky Way Galaxy?

a spiral galaxy with a disk about 100,000 light-years in diameter and containing between 100 billion and 1 trillion stars
a spiral galaxy with a disk about a billion kilometers in diameter and containing between 100 million and 1 billion stars
a spiral galaxy with a disk about 100,000 light-years in diameter and containing about 100,000 stars
a spherically shaped collection of stars including our solar system and about a dozen other solar systems, stretching about 4 light-years in diameter

Discuss Question

Answer: Option A. -> a spiral galaxy with a disk about 100,000 light-years in diameter and containing between 100 billion and 1 trillion stars
:
A

Option A

Question 5.

Which of the following is largest?

size of a typical galaxy
size of Pluto's orbit
distance to the nearest star (other than our Sun)
1 light-year

Discuss Question

Answer: Option A. -> size of a typical galaxy
:
A

Option A

Question 6.

Which statement about motion in the universe is not true?

The mysterious dark matter is the fastest moving material in the universe
Some stars are moving closer to us and other stars are moving farther away from us
Except for a few nearby galaxies, all other galaxies are moving away from us.
Your speed of rotation about Earth's axis is faster if you live near the equator than if you live near the North Pole.

Discuss Question

Answer: Option A. -> The mysterious dark matter is the fastest moving material in the universe
:
A

Option A

Question 7.

How are galaxies important to our existence?

Without galaxies, there could not have been a Big Bang
Without galaxies, the universe could not be expanding
Deep in their centers, galaxies created the elements from which we are made
Galaxies recycle material from one generation of stars to the next, and without this recycling we could not exist.

Discuss Question

Answer: Option D. -> Galaxies recycle material from one generation of stars to the next, and without this recycling we could not exist.
:
D

Option D

Question 8.

Which of the following statements about the Milky Way Galaxy is not true?

It contains between 100 billion and 1 trillion stars
Our solar system is located very close to the center of the Milky Way Galaxy.
The galaxy is about 100,000 light-years in diameter.
One rotation of the galaxy takes about 200 million years

Discuss Question

Answer: Option B. -> Our solar system is located very close to the center of the Milky Way Galaxy.
:
B

Option B

Question 9.

Why do the patterns of the stars in our sky look the same from year to year?

Although these stars move quite fast by human standards, they are so far away that it would take thousands of years for their motion to be noticeable to the eye.
These stars are not moving
Although these stars move quite fast as they orbit around the Milky Way Galaxy, they all move together so they don't change their relative positions
Although these stars are moving, they move so slowly—typically about the speed of a snail—that their motion is not noticeable

Discuss Question

Answer: Option A. -> Although these stars move quite fast by human standards, they are so far away that it would take thousands of years for their motion to be noticeable to the eye.
:
A

Option A

Question 10.

How many arcseconds are in 1 $^{\circ} ?$