Astronomy Mid-Term

This is the study of the universe, all the objects int it, and their interactions

Astronomy

Where can we find the Zodiac Constellations?

Asterism

Constellations are like piano keys because there are this many of them.

88

What phase of the Moon starts the lunar cycle?

new moon

This is the imaginary sphere, centered on the Earth, with all the objects in the sky positioned

Celestial Sphere

The Earth has seasons because…

it is tilted on its axis

Ancient astronomers helped our ancestors…

know when to plant crops

About how long does one lunar cycle last?

month

This force was named by Issac Newton and defined by Albert Einstein

gravity

what is the product of the fusion process at the core of the Sun and other stars?

helium

This is the part of a star’s evolution where it spends the majority of its life fusing hydrogen

Main Sequence

It takes photons generated in the Sun’s core about this many years to escape the surface

200,000 years

The Solar System began its formation this many years ago

4.5 billion

Mercury always has the same side face the Sun because of this phenomenon

Tidal Locking

Spectroscopy allows astronomers to determine this about stellar objects

chemical makeup

Venus’ atmosphere is composed of 97% of this compound

Carbon Dioxide

Among other things, Einstein’s Theories of Relativity indicate these phenomena may exist

Wormholes

Which star has a higher surface temperature

G2

this part of the Sun’s atmosphere can only be seen during a solar eclipse

corona

this event likely caused the tilt of the Earth’s rotational axis

collision with theia

mercury has a thin atmosphere due to this reason

low gravity

giant stars are extremely bright despite having cool surface temperatures due to this

intense radiation

what event triggers a star to enter the giant phase

start fusing helium

Orion’s belt is an excellent example of this

asterism

this is the average distance between the earth and the sun

astronomical unit

he was the first person to orbit the earth

Yuri Gagarin

Stars like the sun are destined to end their existence as…

white dwarfs

this line marks the farthest position north the sun reaches during the year

Tropic of Cancer

besides volcanic activity what other sources provide earth with its atmospheric gases

comets & meters

these are the dark areas on the near side of the moon composed of basaltic lava

mare

olympus mons ơn mars is the largest one of these in the solar system

mountains

he was the first African to orbit the Earth

John Glenn

these are the expelled upper atmospheres of stars like the sun prior to becoming a white dwarf

planetary nebulae

this type of day occurs when a point on the earth is pointing at the same star after one rotation

sidereal

what is the solid core of the earth composed of

nickel-iron

the far side of the moon never faces earth because the moon is….

tidally locked

this is the reason mars has a weak magnetosphere

inner core is solid