Part I: Multiple Choice Questions. There are 30 multiple choice questions worth 2 points each. Choose the best answer and record it on the scan sheet. 1. Stars twinkle more than planets because A. starlight scatters differently from atmospheric dust particles than light from planets. B. of an optical illusion that makes all dim light sources flicker. C. refraction of light by irregularities in our atmosphere affects small sources more than large ones. D. the light output from stars are intrinsically more variable than from planets. 2. If all the asteroids in the asteroid belt were assembled into a planet, it would have a mass A. About the same mass as Jupiter. B. Much greater than Jupiter's mass. C. Much less than that of the Earth. D. About the same mass as the Earth. 3. As the solar nebula collapsed, A. all of the other answers. B. the amount of angular momentum remained the same. C. the bulk of the gas ended up in the Sun. D. it gradually flattened to a disk-shaped cloud. 4. Which of the following main-sequence stars would have the highest surface temperature? A. M1 B. G2 C. A0 D. B5 5. The mass of a main-sequence star determines all of the following properties EXCEPT A. composition. B. luminosity. C. radius. D. lifetime. 6. The two main reasons we use large telescopes for observations in astronomy are: A. Light gathering power and resolution. B. Magnfication and optical quality. C. Magnification and clarity. D. Magnification and resolution. 7. Wien's law relates A. the color of radiation to the temperature of the body emitting it. B. the wavelength of light to its velocity. C. the shape of an orbit to its distance from the Sun. D. an object's speed to its mass. 8. What is a star's source of energy during its main-sequence phase? A. Gravitational contraction B. Hydrogen fusion C. Convection D. Uranium fission 9. Why are the terrestrial planets so much smaller than the Jovian ones? A. Near the Sun, only hard to melt substances which are rare compared to hydrogen could condense. Thus, there was less material to build them. B. They are formed from highly compressible material such as hydrogen and helium so they could be squeezed to a very small size. C. They spin so fast they flung off most of their original matter which has ended up in the comet cloud. D. The Sun has pulled material off of them. 10. Main sequence stars obey a relation between A. composition and surface temperature. B. mass and luminosity. C. age and spectral type. D. none of these. 11. Electromagnetic radiation can be described A. only as what our eyes can see. B. only as a particle. C. only as a wave. D. both as a wave and as a particle. 12. Comets differ from asteroids in that A. they have low densities. B. they are composed of ice as well as rock. C. there are not many of them. D. they do not have cratered surfaces. 13. Which statement below concerning the Jovian planets is INCORRECT? A. All the Jovian planets have rings encircling them. B. The Jovian planets are composed primarily of hydrogen and helium. C. The Jovian planets have shorter orbital periods than terrestrial planets. D. The Jovian planets have more satellites than the terrestrial planets. 14. As a star like the Sun evolves into a red giant, its core A. expands and heats. B. contracts and heats. C. contracts and cools. D. expands and cools. 15. Close up images of asteroids obtained by space probes show that asteroids have A. cratered surfaces. B. volcanic activity. C. atmospheres. D. spherical shapes. 16. The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is more powerful than ground-based telescopes for many astronomical studies because A. it uses electronic detectors, not photographic film B. it has a larger mirror than any ground-based telescope C. it can go close to the stars D. its images are not blurred by the earth's atmosphere 17. In order to begin nuclear fusion, a high temperature is required in the center of a star to overcome the A. electrical repulsion between protons. B. nuclear force between protons. C. nuclear force between neutrons. D. gravitational force between particles. 18. In order from the hottest to the coolest stars, the order of the stellar spectral sequence is A. MKGFABO B. OBFGAMK C. OBAFGKM D. ABFGKMO 19. The composition of solid objects in the outer solar system differs from those inside the frost line in that A. they are composed of ices instead of rock. B. there is no difference. C. they are composed of ices as well as rocks and metals. D. they are composed of rock. 20. The Hertzsprung-Russell (H-R) diagram is a plot of stellar A. temperature vs. mass. B. luminosity vs. temperature. C. spectral type vs. color. D. mass vs. age. 21. An optical spectrum of a star it would be a(n) _______ spectrum. A. emission B. continuous C. filtergram D. absorption 22. What is the energy source of brown dwarfs? A. Gravitational contraction B. Hydrogen fusion C. Convection D. Uranium fission 23. Which of the following is NOT one of Kirchoff's Laws? A. The peak wavelength of light emitted by a thermal source decreases with increasing temperature. B. A cool medium obscuring a continuum source results in an absorption line spectrum. C. Hot, diffuse gas produces an emission line spectrum. D. Hot, dense objects emit a continuous spectrum. 24. Globular clusters are A. gravitationally bound aggregates of millions of stars. B. diffuse stellar systems held together by unseen dark matter. C. loose associations of young stars. D. dark patches ("globules") of dust in interstellar space. 25. Fusion reactions can occur in A. brown dwarfs. B. test tube mixtures of palladium and heavy water. C. Jupiter mass exoplanets. D. stars with masses exceeding 8% of the sun's mass. 26. The map of solar system in order of distance from the sun would read A. terrestrial planets, asteroid belt, Kuiper belt, jovian planets. B. jovian planets, asteroid belt, terrestrial planets, Kuiper belt. C. terrestrial planets, asteroid belt, jovian planets, Kuiper belt. D. terrestrial planets, jovian planets, asteroid belt, Kuiper belt. 27. Most of the stars in our galaxy (about 90%) are now on the main sequence in the HR diagram. That is because A. it is the longest lived phase of life for most stars. B. red giants only form from the relatively rare highly massive stars. C. it is the only stable configuration for a star. D. there are no old stars in our galaxy. 28. What is the primary energy transport mechanism in stars? A. A combination of convection and conduction. B. Radiation. C. A combination of radiation and convection. D. Convection. 29. The main sequence is primarily a sequence in stellar A. composition. B. mass. C. age. D. size. 30. Which of the following types of observations must be done above the Earth's atmosphere? A. Radio B. Optical C. All of these can be done on the earth. D. X-ray 31. (Extra credit) Jupiter has been near opposition for much of the semester. Does this mean it has been moving A. prograde, or B. retrograde? 1. C. 2. C. 3. A. 4. D. 5. A. 6. A. 7. A. 8. B. 9. A. 10. B. 11. D. 12. B. 13. C. 14. B. 15. A. 16. D. 17. A. 18. C. 19. C. 20. B. 21. D. 22. A. 23. A. 24. A. 25. D. 26. C. 27. A. 28. C. 29. B. 30. D. 31. B.