AST 1002
Test 3, Fall 2007
1
QQ An object from space which hits the surface of the Earth 
or another planet or moon is termed a/an 
AA S 1 (1) meteorite
(2) meteor
(3) asteroid
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

2
QQ The Kirkwood gaps are gaps in the Asteroid Belt which 
are associated with resonances of asteroids with 
AA 1 (1) Jupiter   (2) Mars   (3) Saturn's moon Mimas 
(4) NVA   (5) NVA

3
QQ The asteroids in the outer part of the Asteroid Belt have 
AA S 1 (1) mainly low albedos
(2) mainly high albedos
(3) a wide range of albedos, from very low to relatively 
high
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

4
QQ The carbonaceous chondrites, which contain 
hydrogen compounds and organic molecules, are 
considered which type of meteorite?
AA S 1 (1) primitive 
(2) processed 
(3) differentiated 
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

5
QQ The relatively large iron crystals called 
Widmanstaetten figures are evidence that the 
meteorites in which they are found 
AA S 1 (1) were once deep inside fairly large bodies 
that cooled slowly
(2) formed as small bodies which cooled very rapidly
(3) were once part of the Earth's core
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

6
QQ The curved tail of a comet, which widens as it 
stretches away from the nucleus, is shaped by 
AA S 1 (1) solar radiation pressure
(2) the solar wind 
(3) the solar magnetic field
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

7
QQ The comets that have orbits with very long periods, 
eccentricities very close to 1, and random inclinations 
are thought to come from the 
AA S 1 (1) Oort Cloud
(2) Kuiper Belt
(3) Asteroid Belt
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

8
QQ Whatever its status, Pluto's orbit is located in 
the 
AA S 1 (1) Kuiper Belt
(2) Asteroid Belt
(3) Kirkwood Gap
(4) NVA 
(5) NVA

9
QQ Which of the following could never be a 
significant energy source for the Sun?
AA S 1 (1) chemical energy
(2) nuclear fusion 
(3) gravitational potential energy
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

10
QQ Hydrostatic equilibrium is a balance 
between 
AA S 1 (1) the inward pull of gravity and the 
outward push of pressure difference 
(2) the inward pull of centripetal force and 
the outward push of pressure difference
(3) the inward pull of gravity and the 
outward push of temperature
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

11
QQ In the Sun the radiative zone, where energy is 
transported mainly as radiation, is located 
AA S 1 (1) deep inside, next to the core
(2) near the outside, directly under the 
photosphere
(3) everywhere outside the core
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

12
QQ In the Sun's core energy is produced at present 
mainly by the reaction(s) known as the 
AA S 1 (1) proton-proton chain
(2) CNO cycle (or carbon cycle)
(3) triple-alpha process
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

13
QQ The solar neutrino problem was the fact 
that the Sun 
AA S 1 (1) didn't seem to be producing as many 
neutrinos as it should 
(2) seemed to be producing more neutrinos than 
it should
(3) didn't seem to be producing any neutrinos 
at all
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

14
QQ Plages are found in which layer of the 
Sun's atmosphere?
AA S 1 (1) chromosphere 
(2) photosphere
(3) corona
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

15
QQ Sunspots are cooler than neighboring regions 
of the photosphere because 
AA S 1 (1) their strong magnetic fields provide a 
pressure that takes the place of some of the gas 
pressure, allowing a lower temperature
(2) they are regions where we can see deeper into 
the Sun where it is cooler
(3) they are regions where cooler gas from the 
corona has fallen into the photosphere
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

16
QQ The magnetic fields of sunspots can be 
measured by means of the 
AA S 1 (1) Zeeman effect 
(2) Doppler effect
(3) Greenhouse effect
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

17
QQ Star A has a smaller apparent visual magnitude 
than Star B.  Which star has the larger apparent 
brightness in the visual (looks brighter)?
AA S 1 (1) Star A
(2) Star B
(3) [can't tell without more information]
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

18
QQ A star having a reddish color would be most 
likely to have a (B - V) color index that is 
AA S 1 (1) large, 1.0 or larger
(2) near zero (0.0)
(3) somewhat negative, like -0.4
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

19
QQ The Harvard stellar spectral classification, 
in order of increasing temperature from 
left to right, is:
AA S 1 (1) MKGFABO
(2) OBAFGKM
(3) OMKGFBA
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

20
QQ The Hubble type of galaxies having the 
largest proportion of old stars and the 
smallest percentage of gas by mass is the 
AA S 1 (1) elliptical
(2) spiral 
(3) irregular (amorphous type)
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

21
QQ The mass of a star can be found, at least 
in principle if not always in practice, if 
AA S 1 (1) it is a member of a visual binary 
whose distance is known 
(2) its angular size is measured with an 
interferometer and its distance is known 
(3) it is a member of a single-line 
spectroscopic binary
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

22
QQ According to the mass-luminosity relation 
the most massive stars on the main sequence 
are those in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram 
that are 
AA S 1 (1) at the top 
(2) in the middle, near where the Sun is
(3) at the bottom
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

23
QQ The coordinate axes in the Hertzsprung-Russell 
(H-R) diagram are 
AA S1 (1) luminosity (vertical) and surface 
temperature (horizontal)
(2) radius (vertical) and mass (horizontal)
(3) luminosity (vertical) and mass (horizontal)
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

24
QQ The method for obtaining an estimate of a 
star's distance based on the "wobble" 
in its position on the sky caused by the 
Earth's motion around the Sun is called 
AA S 1 (1) trigonometric parallax 
(2) spectroscopic parallax 
(3) geocentric parallax
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

25
QQ The kind of pressure which depends only on 
the density and not on the temperature is 
AA S 1 (1) degeneracy pressure
(2) radiation pressure 
(3) gas pressure
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

26
QQ Brown dwarf is the name for 
AA S 1 (1) a protostar that has too little mass 
to become a star ("failed" star) because 
of degeneracy pressure
(2) a very large planet
(3) a star that has stopped its nuclear fusion 
and is supported by degeneracy pressure
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

27
QQ Star formation occurs mainly inside molecular 
clouds, in regions where 
AA S 1 (1) the temperature is low and the density 
is high  
(2) the temperature is low and the density is low 
(3) the temperature is high and the density is 
low
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

28
QQ The maximum mass for a star on the main 
sequence is set by the effects of 
AA S 1 (1) radiation pressure 
(2) degeneracy pressure 
(3) magnetic fields 
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

29
QQ The triple-alpha process is a fusion 
reaction which converts 
AA S 1 (1) helium into carbon 
(2) hydrogen into helium using carbon as 
a kind of catalyst
(3) carbon into magnesium
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

30
QQ The horizontal branch stage of the Sun's 
future evolution will be when it has 
AA S 1 (1) helium core-burning 
(2) hydrogen shell-burning only
(3) carbon core-burning 
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

31
QQ Which is smallest?
AA S 1 (1) neutron star 
(2) white dwarf 
(3) the Sun
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

32
QQ The point of nuclear exhaustion is reached 
when a star's core consists of 
AA S 1 (1) iron
(2) helium 
(3) silicon 
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

33
QQ A pulsar is a 
AA S 1 (1) rotating magnetic neutron star 
(2) pulsating neutron star (expanding and 
contracting)
(3) pulsating white dwarf (expanding and 
contracting)
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

34
QQ If one is observing a star undergoing 
gravitational collapse from a considerable 
distance, one sees it 
AA S 1 (1) slow down and stop just outside the 
event horizon 
(2) collapse faster and faster until it zooms 
through the event horizon and becomes invisible 
(3) collapse faster and faster until it has 
shrunk to a point (that is, a singularity)
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

35
QQ The name that has been associated with 
the cause of the accelerating expansion of the 
Universe is 
AA S 1 (1) dark energy
(2) dark matter 
(3) sympathy
(4) NVA
(5) NVA