Understanding the Stars and Cecilia Payne's Contributions

What was the prevailing belief about the composition of the Sun before Cecilia Payne's research?

• The Sun was thought to be hollow.

• The Sun was primarily made of carbon.

• The Sun was composed mostly of iron.

• The Sun was made of the same elements as the Earth.

What inspired Cecilia Payne to switch her focus from biology to physics?

• A lecture by Sir Arthur Eddington on solar eclipses.

• A book on quantum mechanics.

• A family tradition in physics.

• Her fascination with marine biology.

What is the significance of absorption lines in understanding stellar composition?

• They measure the distance of the star from Earth.

• They reveal the elements present in the star.

• They indicate the temperature of the star.

• They show the age of the star.

How did Cecilia Payne use quantum mechanics in her research?

• To decode the patterns of absorption lines in stars.

• To develop a new type of telescope.

• To predict the future positions of stars.

• To calculate the speed of light.

What was Cecilia Payne's groundbreaking discovery about the Sun's composition?

• The Sun is made of unknown elements.

• The Sun contains large amounts of water.

• The Sun is primarily composed of iron and nickel.

• The Sun is mostly made of hydrogen and helium.

Why was Cecilia Payne advised to downplay her findings in her thesis?

• Her results contradicted the scientific consensus of the time.

• She lacked sufficient data to support her claims.

• Her findings were considered too complex for her peers.

• She was not confident in her calculations.

What additional contribution did Cecilia Payne make in her thesis besides discovering the Sun's composition?

• She developed a method to calculate star temperatures.

• She invented a new type of telescope.

• She formulated a new theory of gravity.

• She discovered a new planet.

What was Arthur Eddington's contribution to the understanding of stars around the same time as Payne's work?

• He proposed the theory of nuclear fusion in stars.

• He invented the spectroscope.

• He discovered the first exoplanet.

• He developed the theory of relativity.

What was Cecilia Payne's role at Harvard later in her career?

• She led a mission to the Moon.

• She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize.

• She became the first female professor and department chair.

• She founded the Harvard Observatory.

What is the legacy of Cecilia Payne's work in astronomy?

• She was the first to map the entire universe.

• She developed the first space telescope.

• She discovered a new galaxy.

• She paved the way for women in science and revolutionized stellar physics.