Big Bang Theory
Explain the doppler effect
As an object moves closer waves get squished, as it moves away the waves get stretched
What is the name of the path the sun takes across the sky?
Ecliptic
What are 2 things that can be used in telescopes to magnify light?
Lenses and Mirrors
What is the furthest thing we can see in the night sky using only our naked eye?
Andromeda galaxy
What colour are the hottest stars?
Blue
What are the 2 biggest pieces of evidence that support the Big Bang Theory
Red shift, Cosmic Microwave Background
Why does Mars appear to move with retrograde motion while Venus does not?
Mars is further from the sun than earth. Earth orbits faster than Mars
Galaxies can be sorted into different categories based on shape. Which shape of galaxy is round or oval and are made of mostly relatively old stars?
Elliptical Galaxy
What unit of measurement would you use to measure the distance from Saturn to Earth?
Astronomical Units (AU)
Is the sun the brightest star in the Universe?
No, just the closest
Most nearby galaxies are redshifted, most distant galaxies are redshifted further. What does this tell us about the universe
Expansion is accelerating
What is the Azimuth of a star that appears directly West on the celestial sphere?
270 degrees
What type of galaxy is the milky way?
Spiral galaxy
When it is appropriate to use light years as a unit?
Measuring interstellar distance (distance between stars or galaxies)
What type of star is cool and also very bright?
Red Giants
What is the name given to the force that drives the accelerated expansion of the universe?
Dark Energy
Which constellations can be seen year round in Canada?
Constellations near the North Celestial Pole (big dipper, little dipper)
What galaxy do most of the visible stars around us belong to?
Milky Way
What is Parallax?
A method used to determine distance of nearby cosmic objects. The object is viewed from 2 different viewpoints and the amount of apparent shift in the night sky is used to predict distance from Earth
What can be determined by looking at the spectra of a star?
Its composition (what elements it is made of)
Why do Astronomers believe dark matter exists?
Matter in galaxies do not have enough gravity to stay together as they do. Dark matter must be present to hold the galaxies together.
If a constellation is exactly halfway between the horizon and straight overhead, what is its altitude?
45 degrees
Is our sun in an open star cluster or a globular star cluster?
Neither
How far away is the nearest star to Earth other than the Sun?
4.3 light years
What will happen to the sun after it runs out of Hydrogen?
It will become a Red Giant