Midterm Review

What is the name of the star that is closest to Earth?

• Betelgeuse

• Antares

• the Sun

• the Moon

What force is responsible for crushing or collapsing stars?

• nuclear fusion

• gravity

• light

• velocity

What do light bulbs emit to produce light?

• protons

• electrons

• neutrons

• photons

Alicia is an avid stargazer and noticed that, over time, one of her favorite stars appears to be switching locations across the sky as the night progresses. What is this called?

• apparent motion

• illusory moion

• endless motion

• absolute motion

Fiona is trying to describe the location of some of the brightest set of stars in the Northern Sky, Betelgeuse and Rigel, to a friend. What could she have her friend look for to help find the stars?

• Sirius' dog collar

• Leo's mane

• Orion's belt

• Ursa Major's claws

What are the official names for the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper?

• Ursa Major and Sirius

• Orion and Rigel

• Ursa Major and Ursa Minor

• Ursa Minor and Orion

What could an astronomer deduce if they know the type of light being emitted by a star?

• what dust surrounds it

• elements that it absorbs

• its distance from the Sun

• its distance from the Earth

What does an astronomer know about a star if they know its classification in the Morgan-Keenan Spectral Classification system?

• a method of classifying stars by their temperatures and compositions

• a method of classifying stars by their distance from the Sun

• a method of classifying stars by their age

• a method of classifying stars by their age and distance from Earth

The supergiant star Alnitak is one of the hottest stars identified by astronomers. What color must it be?

• red

• blue

• yellow

• orange

How long does it take light to travel from the Sun to Earth?

• it cannot be measured

• about eight days

• about eight hours

• about eight minutes