Distances
How far away is the Earth from the Sun in AUs?
One
In what galaxy do we live?
Milky Way
What color are the coolest stars?
Red
Dark areas of reduced temperature on the surface of the sun.
Sunspots
What is the force that pulls together all objects in the universe?
Gravity
What is the distance light travels in a year called?
A light year
How is the rotation of the sun different from the rotation of the Earth?
Differential rotation- areas of the sun rotate at different speeds
What color are the hottest stars?
Blue
Layer of the sun where nuclear fusion occurs.
The core
Which two objects have the greatest force of gravity acting between them?
A. Two 100 kg masses 1 km apart
B. Two 5 kg masses 7 m apart
C. Two 100 kg masses 10 meters apart
C. Two 100 kg masses 10 meters apart
What distances can light years be used to measure?
Answers will vary but include distances between stars, galaxies, objects larger than a solar system etc.
What are galaxies organized into?
Clusters
In an HR diagram, the diagonal band of stars that runs from the upper left to lower right. Our sun lies on this imaginary line.
Main Sequence
Layer of the sun where hot gases rise and cooler ones sink.
Convection Zone
What is the biggest difficulty astronomers have in detecting exoplanets?
The stars that exoplanets orbit around are much larger and brighter than their planets.
Which distance is greatest?
A. Earth to Neptune
B. Earth to the nearest galaxy
C. Distance across our galaxy
D. Earth to Alpha Centauri
B. Earth to the nearest galaxy
What is the size relationship between galaxies and nebulas?
Nebulae can be found inside galaxies
Relationship between temperature and absolute brightness of main sequence stars.
As temperature increases, so does the absolute brightness
When hot gases cool after reaching the top of the convection zone, they do what?
They sink
What is a nebula?
A cloud of gas and dust where stars and planets are created
Approximately how many light years across is the Milky Way?
Estimates vary from about 100,000 to 150,000 light years across.
What does gravity do inside a nebula?
Contracts gas and dust together to create stars and planets
One of the two things needed to determine the absolute brightness of a star.
Apparent magnitude or distance from Earth to the star
Due to differential rotation, what part of the sun spins the fastest?
The Equator or center
What is the relationship between a star's luminosity and temperature?
The higher the luminosity, the higher the temperature