Space Basics
What is the name of the galaxy we live in?
Milky Way
What color are the hottest stars?
Blue
What is the name of the theory describing the beginning of the universe?
The Big Bang Theory
What type of wave is visible light?
An electromagnetic wave
How long does it take Earth to orbit the Sun once?
1 Year
What is the term for a giant ball of gas that emits light and heat?
A star
What is a group of billions of stars, gas, and dust held together by gravity?
A galaxy
Roughly how old is the universe?
14 Billion Years
What device is used to split light into its component colours?
A prism or spectroscope
What causes the phases of the Moon?
Changing angles of sunlight
What is the force that keeps planets in orbit around the Sun?
Gravity
What process produces energy in stars?
Nuclear fusion
What is the name of the radiation left over from the Big Bang?
Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB)
What is the difference between a reflecting and refracting telescope?
Reflecting uses mirrors, refracting uses lenses
What causes day and night?
Earth's Rotation
What are the two main gases in the Sun?
Hydrogen and helium
What is the final stage of a massive star’s life cycle?
A black hole or neutron star
What does Hubble’s Law describe?
The relationship between a galaxy’s distance and its speed of recession
What space telescope has given us deep images of the early universe?
The Hubble Space Telescope (or James Webb Telescope for newer context)
Why do we experience different seasons on Earth?
Earth’s axis is tilted as it orbits the Sun
What do we call a natural satellite that orbits a planet?
A moon
What type of star explosion creates elements heavier than iron?
A supernova
What evidence shows that the universe is expanding?
Redshift of galaxies
What does a redshift in a star’s spectrum mean?
It’s moving away from us
What is a solar eclipse?
When the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun