1. The visible spectrum of the Sun shows:
a) a continuous bright spectrum, crossed by many dark absorption lines.
b) a uniform continuous spectrum, with the same level of brightness at all wavelengths.
c) only a few bright emission lines.
d) only yellow light.
e) a perfect blackbody spectrum.

2. The temperature of the corona of the Sun is:
a) about 1,000,000K.
b) about the same as the photosphere, 6000K.
c) about the same as the lower chromosphere, 4500K.
d) about the same as the atmosphere of the Earth, about 300K.
e) 0K.

3. What is the strongest piece of evidence that convection occurs in the Sun?
a) the existence of absorption lines in the spectrum of the Sun.
b) the reddish color of the chromosphere of the Sun.
c) the existence of sunspots, where very strong convection is occuring.
d) the observation that the peak of the Sun's spectrum is in the visible range, not gamma rays.
e) the measurement of blueshifts and redshifts, respectively, in the bright and dark granules visible in the photosphere.

4. Sunspots:
a) are regions on the Sun with very intense magnetic fields.
b) are regions on the Sun where convection is inhibited.
c) are generally found in pairs.
d) are places where the magnetic field lines of the Sun break through the surface of the Sun.
e) all of the above.

5. Sunspots:
a) have weaker magnetic fields than the rest of the Sun.
b) are hot spots in the Sun's photosphere.
c) are regions in the sun where convection is inhibited.
d) are locations where nuclear fusion is occuring.
e) are black since they are not producing any light at all.

6. A H-alpha photon is produced:
a) during hydrogen fusion.
b) when an electron escapes from a hydrogen atom.
c) when an electron in a hydrogen atom drops from energy level 3 to energy level 2.
d) when an electron in a hydrogen atom jumps up from energy level 1 to energy level 2.
e) when an electron in a helium atom drops from energy level 3 to energy level 2.

7. An annular eclipse is:
a) An eclipse that occurs every year.
b) An eclipse of the Sun during which the photosphere is not completely blocked by the Moon.
c) An eclipse of the Sun during which only the corona is seen.
d) An eclipse of the Sun during which only the chromosphere is seen.
e) An artificial eclipse of the Sun, produced by a coronagraph.

8. Star A has a magnitude of 6, Star B has a magnitude of 5. Therefore:
a) The brightness of Star A is 10 times that of Star B.
b) The brightness of Star B is 10 times that of Star A.
c) The brightness of Star A is 2.5 times that of Star B.
d) The brightness of Star B is 2.5 times that of Star A.
e) The brightness of Star A is the same as that of Star B.

9. Sunspots are caused by:
a) Comets hitting the Sun, stirring up cooler material from under the surface.
b) Strong magnetic fields inhibiting convection.
c) The shadow of planets in front of the Sun.
d) Weaker magnetic fields than the surrounding photosphere, causing cooler gas.
e) What causes sunspots is still unknown.

10. A solar prominence is:
a) a dark spot on the photosphere of the Sun, where cool gas is sinking.
b) a large arch of gas extending above the surface of the Sun, where gas is suspended along magnetic field lines.
c) a huge explosion on the Sun, that may be caused by magnetic field lines crossing.
d) a hole in the corona, where the solar wind may escape.
e) a convective cell in the interior of the Sun.

11. Which of the following is a consequence of the solar wind?
a) the magnetic field of the Earth.
b) the Northern Lights.
c) the absorption lines in the spectrum of the Sun.
d) Neutrino oscillations.
e) The Solar Neutrino Problem.

12. The energy carried by a gamma ray photon produced in the core of the Sun reaches the Earth:
a) Immediately after the photon is produced.
b) 8.3 minutes after the photon is produced.
c) 2-3 days after the photon is produced.
d) A year after the photon is produced.
e) About million years after the photon is produced.

13. What produces a spectrum with ONLY certain color (wavelength) bright lines?
a) a low density gas.
b) a high density gas.
c) a low density gas in front of a hot dense gas.
d) a low density gas in front of a hot solid.
e) a hot solid.

14. The huge arcs of gas sometimes seen suspended for days above the Sun are:
a) solar flares.
b) mostly carbon and oxygen.
c) loops in the magnetic field lines, typically connecting sunspots.
d) generally more energetic than solar flares.
e) caused by neutrino bursts from the Sun.

15. The vapor lamps shown in class produce light at only certain specific wavelengths. This light is produced by:
a) electrons in lower energy levels of atoms jumping to higher energy levels.
b) a hot dense solid in the lamp.
c) a low density gas in front of a hot dense solid.
d) electrons in high energy levels of the atoms in the gas jumping to lower energy levels.
e) electrons escaping from atoms.

16. Why does the chromosphere of the Sun appear red?
a) It is hotter than the photosphere.
b) It is redshifted relative to the rest of the Sun.
c) It has strong H-alpha emission.
d) Nuclear reactions are occurring in the chromosphere.
e) It is mainly rusty iron.

17. Alpha Centauri A, the brightest star in the Alpha Centauri triple, has a magnitude of 0. Barnard's Star, the next closest star to us after the Alpha Centauri triple, has a magnitude of 10. Therefore:
a) Alpha Centauri A is 10 times brighter than Barnard's Star.
b) Alpha Centauri A is 100 times brighter than Barnard's Star.
c) Alpha Centauri A is 100 X 100 = 10,000 times brighter than Barnard's star.
d) Alpha Centauri A and Barnard's Star have the same brightness.
e) Barnard's Star is 10 times brighter than Alpha Centauri A.

18. An emission-line spectrum:
a) is produced by a hot solid object.
b) is sometimes called a dark line spectrum, since it looks like a continuous spectrum with dark lines across it.
c) is produced by a low density gas in front of a source of continuous light.
d) is a spectrum where light is seen at all wavelengths, except at certain specific wavelengths.
e) is a spectrum in which light is only seen at certain specific wavelengths.

19. Polaris (the North Star) is a 2nd magnitude star, while Capella (the brightest star in Auriga) has a magnitude of 0. Therefore:
a) Polaris is twice as bright as Capella.
b) Capella is twice as bright as Polaris.
c) Polaris is 2.5 X 2.5 = 6.25 times brighter than Capella.
d) Capella is 2.5 X 2.5 = 6.25 times brighter than Polaris.
e) Capella is 10 X 10 = 100 times brighter than Polaris.

20. The layer in the Sun which is the most convective is:
a) The core.
b) The layer just outside the core: between one quarter and one half of the radius.
c) The thick layer just below the photosphere.
d) The Radiative Zone.
e) There is no convection going on in the Sun.

21. From inside to out, what is the correct order of the following regions in the Sun?
a) core, radiative zone, convective zone, photosphere, chromosphere, corona.
b) core, convective zone, radiative zone, photosphere, chromosphere, corona.
c) core, radiative zone, convective zone, chromosphere, photosphere, corona.
d) core, convective zone, radiative zone, chromosphere, photosphere, corona.
e) core, radiative zone, chromosphere, convective zone, photosphere, corona.

22. How long does an individual sunspot last?
a) 5 - 10 minutes.
b) 1 - 100 days.
c) 11 years.
d) 22 years.
e) more than four hundred years. We still see the same sunspots that Galileo saw.

23. Proxima Cen, the closest star to us besides the Sun, has a magnitude of 15.5, while Lalande 21185, the 6th closest star to us, has a magnitude of 10.5. This means:
a) Proxima Cen is 5 times brighter than Lalande 21185.
b) Proxima Cen is 10 times brighter than Lalande 21185.
c) Proxima Cen is 100 times brighter than Lalande 21185.
d) Lalande 21185 is 5 times brighter than Proxima Cen.
e) Lalande 21185 is 100 times brighter than Proxima Cen.

24. An emission-line spectrum is produced by:
a) a hot dense gas.
b) a hot solid.
c) a hot low density gas.
d) a hot low density gas in front of a hot dense gas.
e) the filament in a light bulb.

25. Which of the following statements about the sunspot cycle is NOT true?
a) The number of sunspots peaks approximately every 11 years.
b) The number of neutrinos from the Sun varies with an 11-year period.
c) With each successive sunspot cycle, the magnetic polarity of the Sun changes from that of the previous cycle.
d) The sunspot cycle is a cycle of magnetic activity.
e) The number of solar flares varies with a period of about 11 years.

26. The solar wind is:
a) ultraviolet photons from the Sun.
b) visible photons from the Sun.
c) gamma ray photons from the Sun.
d) high speed charged particles streaming out from the Sun.
e) streams of high speed charged particles circulating in the interior of the Sun.

27. What is responsible for exciting molecules in our atmosphere, producing the Aurora Borealis?
a) Ultraviolet light from the Sun.
b) Visible light from the Sun.
c) Infrared light from the Sun.
d) Gamma rays from the Sun.
e) High speed charged particles from the Sun.

28. The thickness of the corona of the Sun, compared to the radius of the Sun (as measured from the center to the photosphere), is:
a) about the same size.
b) about as thick as a piece of wrapping paper, compared to the radius of a basketball.
c) about as thick as three pieces of wrapping paper, compared to the radius of a basketball.
d) about 15 times larger.
e) about a billion times larger.

29. The magnitude scale used in astronomy was invented by:
a) Galileo, in approximately 1600 A.D.
b) Albert Einstein.
c) the ancient Greek astronomer Hipparchus.
d) the scientists who built the Hubble Space Telescope.
e) the scientists who developed Charged Coupled Devices (CCDs), used to accurately measure the brightnesses of stars.

30. Which of the following can NOT be deduced from the spectrum of a star?
a) The star's radial velocity.
b) The star's chemical composition.
c) The amount of ionization of the atoms in its atmosphere.
d) The relative amount of various isotopes in its atmosphere.
e) The star's proper motion.

31. The locations of Stars X, Y, and Z are marked on the H-R diagram to the right. What types of stars are they?
a) Star X: main sequence B star. Star Y: white dwarf star. Star Z: main sequence A star.
b) Star X: GV star. Star Y: main sequence A star. Star Z: supergiant M star.
c) Star X: giant G star. Star Y: AV star. Star Z: MV star.
d) Star X: GIII star. Star Y: white dwarf star. Star Z: main sequence M star.
e) Star X: G star with hydrogen fusion in core. Star Y: white dwarf star. Star Z: main sequence M star.

32. MV stars are:
a. the hottest known stars.
b. white dwarfs.
c. supergiant stars.
d. similar in temperature, luminosity, and size to our Sun.
e. fusing hydrogen to helium in their cores.

33. Stars in the lower left corner of the H-R diagram (with high temperatures and low luminosities) are called:
a) supergiant stars.
b) giant stars.
c) main sequence stars.
d) white dwarfs.
e) bright giants.

34. During a 6 month period, the apparent position of Star A changes on the sky by 0.4 arcseconds, and then shifts back again to the same location 6 months later. This means:
a) Star A has a proper motion of 0.8 arcseconds per year.
b) Star A is 1/0.4 = 2.5 parsecs away from us.
c) Star A is 1/0.8 = 1.25 parsecs away from us.
d) Star A is 1/0.2 = 5 parsecs away from us.
e) Star A is moving away from us at a rate of 8 light years per year.

35. During a 6 month period, the apparent position of Star A moved East by 0.5 arcseconds. Six months later, the apparent position had moved another 0.5 arcseconds East. Therefore:
a) Star A has a proper motion of 1 arcsecond per year.
b) Star A is 1/1 = 1 parcsec away from us.
c) Star A is 1/2 = 0.5 parsecs away from us.
d) Star A is 1/0.5 = 2 parsecs away from us.
e) Star A has a Doppler Shift of 1 arcsecond per year.

36. The two bright stars in Gemini, Castor and Pollux, are not really twins. Castor is an A1 star and Pollux is a K0 star. Therefore:
a) Castor has a lower B-V than Pollux.
b) The peak of the spectrum of Castor is at longer wavelengths than the peak of the spectrum of Pollux.
c) Castor is a red star, and Pollux is a blue star.
d) Castor is very similar to the Sun, while Pollux is hotter.
e) Castor and Pollux are both red stars, but Castor is hotter.

37. If the Sun were replaced by an M star with the same diameter:
a) it would be much more luminous.
b) it would be much hotter.
c) it would be much brighter.
d) it would be much fainter.
e) it would be much bluer.

38. A parsec is:
a) the time it takes a photon of light to travel 1 A.U.
b) the time it takes a photon of light to travel a million kilometers.
c) 1/3600 of a degree.
d) the distance to the closest star.
e) the distance to a star with a parallax shift of 1 arcsecond.

39. The sunspot cycle is:
a) the time that it takes one sunspot to orbit the Sun once.
b) the total lifetime of a sunspot.
c) the time it takes a sunspot to form.
d) the time it takes a sunspot to move from the north pole of the sun to the equator.
e) the time between episodes of large numbers of sunspots.

40. Star A has very strong lines of ionized helium, while Star B has strong lines of titanium oxide. Therefore:
a) The peak of the spectrum of Star A is at shorter wavelengths than the peak of the spectrum of Star B.
b) Star A is a red star, star B is a blue star.
c) Star A has a higher B-V than Star B.
d) Star A is colder than the Sun, Star B is hotter than the Sun.
e) Star A is made up of mainly helium, Star B is made up of mainly titanium oxide.

41. Which of the following is NOT true about moving charged particles?
a) Moving charged particles are deflected by magnetic field lines.
b) Moving charged particles generate magnetic fields.
c) Moving charged particles are responsible for the magnetic field of the Earth.
d) Moving charged particles are responsible for the magnetic field of the Sun.
e) Moving charged particles travel at the speed of light.

42. The Stefan-Boltzmann Law is a relationship between:
a) the brightness of a star, its luminosity, and its distance.
b) the luminosity of a star, its radius, and its temperature.
c) the luminosity of a star, its radius, and its distance.
d) the peak of the spectrum of a star and its temperature.
e) the parallax shift and the distance.

43. The Sun is:
a) More luminous than Betelgeuse.
b) The most luminous star in the sky.
c) The hottest star in the sky.
d) The largest star in the sky.
e) hotter than Betelgeuse.

44. A third magnitude star is:
a) 10 times brighter than a second magnitude star.
b) 10 times fainter than a second magnitude star.
c) 2.5 times brighter than a second magnitude star.
d) 2.5 times fainter than a second magnitude star.
e) 100 times fainter than a second magnitude star.

45. Sunspots are:
a) sometimes associated with prominences.
b) sometimes associated with solar flares.
c) observed to have stronger magnetic fields than their surroundings.
d) cooler than the surrounding photosphere.
e) All of the above.

46. On the H-R diagram, white dwarfs are located:
a) on the lower right.
b) on the lower left.
c) on the upper right.
d) on the upper left.
e) near the middle.

47. Most of the stars in the sky are Luminosity Class:
a) I.
b) II.
c) III.
d) IV.
e) V.

48. In Astronomy, the term `proper motion' refers to:
a) the apparent `back-and-forth' motion of a star on the sky, due to the Earth's motion around the Sun.
b) the motion of a star towards us or away from us, measured by a shift in the wavelength of the light from that star.
c) the physical motion of a star through space perpendicular to our line of sight to that star.
d) a change in velocity with time.
e) the spectroscopic parallax of a star.

49. Our Sun is a(n):
a) MV star.
b) OI star.
c) OV star.
d) GI star.
e) GV star.

50. Which type of star has the strongest H-alpha, H-beta, and H-gamma absorption lines?
a) M.
b) O.
c) G.
d) A.
e) F.

51. M stars are:
a) similar in temperature to the Sun.
b) white dwarfs.
c) the hottest stars.
d) all supergiant stars.
e) the coldest stars.

52. For most stars in the sky, measuring their angular size directly is impossible. However, we can determine their physical diameter indirectly if their temperature and luminosity are already known, by using:
a) their proper motion.
b) their blueshift.
c) their redshift.
d) Stefan's Law.
e) their magnitude.

53. Masses of stars can be measured by:
a) weighing them on a scale.
b) observing the motion of a single star as it moves through space.
c) monitoring the change in brightness of a variable star.
d) measuring the orbital period, Doppler shift, and separation of a visual binary.
e) wait for the star to pass near the Earth and send a spacecraft.

54. An astrometric binary star pair is:
a) a pair of stars that are lined up such that one star passes directly in front of the other star, as seen from Earth.
b) a pair of stars that are too close together to resolve, but whose spectrum shows lines from two stars.
c) a pair of stars in which one star is too faint to see from Earth, but its existence can be inferred by the periodic wobble of its companion's position on the sky.
d) a widely separated pair of stars, which can both be clearly seen from Earth.
e) two stars that are not near each other in 3-dimensional space, but happen to be near each other on the sky.

55. A visual binary star is:
a) a pair of stars that are lined up such that one star passes directly in front of the other star, as seen from Earth.
b) a pair of stars that are too close together to resolve, but whose spectrum shows lines from two stars.
c) a pair of stars in which one star is too faint to see from Earth, but its existence can be inferred by the periodic wobble of its companion's position on the sky.
d) a widely separated pair of stars orbiting each other, which can both be seen from Earth.
e) two stars that are not near each other in 3-dimensional space, but happen to be near each other on the sky.

56. A basketball and a bowling ball are both struck by a hammer with the same force. The bowling ball has a mass three times that of the basketball. Therefore:
a. The bowling ball accelerates nine times faster than the basketball.
b. The bowling ball accelerates three times faster than the basketball.
c. The basketball accelerates nine times faster than the bowling ball.
d. The basketball accelerates three times faster than the bowling ball.
e. The two balls accelerate at the same rate.

57. If the distance between the Earth and the Sun increased by a factor of 5, how would the gravitational force on the Earth due to the Sun change?
a) It would increase by a factor of 5.
b) It would decrease by a factor of 5.
c) It would increase by a factor of 25.
d) It would decrease by a factor of 25.
e) It would stay the same.

58. The mass of the Sun is 330,000 times the mass of the Earth. Therefore the gravitational force that the Sun exerts on the Earth is:
a) 330,000 times larger than the gravitational force the Earth exerts on the Sun.
b) 330,000 times smaller than the gravitational force the Earth exerts on the Sun.
c) 330,000² = 10¹¹ times larger than the gravitational force the Earth exerts on the Sun.
d) 330,000² = 10¹¹ times smaller than the gravitational force the Earth exerts on the Sun.
e) the same as the gravitational force the Earth exerts on the Sun.

59. According to Newton's first law of motion:
a) If no force acts upon a moving object, it will slow down and stop.
b) If no force acts upon a moving object, it will move in a circle.
c) If no force acts upon a moving object, it will continue moving in a straight line at a constant velocity.
d) For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
e) F = MA.

60. If the distance between the Earth and the Moon suddenly doubles, the gravitational force between them:
a) doubles.
b) increases by 4 times.
c) decreases by 1/2.
d) decreases by 1/4.
e) doesn't change.

61. If the mass of the Moon suddenly doubles, but its distance from the Earth remains the same, the gravitational force between them:
a) doubles.
b) increases by 4 times.
c) decreases by 1/2.
d) decreases by 1/4.
e) doesn't change.

62. If Earth moved to be 1/4 A.U. from the Sun, how would the gravitational force on the Earth due to the Sun change?
a) It would increase by a factor of 4.
b) It would decrease by a factor of 4.
c) It would increase by a factor of 16.
d) It would decrease by a factor of 16.
e) It would stay the same.

63. Imagine you have two balls, Ball A and Ball B. Ball A has ten times the mass of Ball B. If they are hit with the same force:
a) they accelerate at the same rate.
b) Ball A accelerates ten times as fast as Ball B.
c) Ball A accelerates 100 times as fast as Ball B.
d) Ball A accelerates 1/10th as fast as Ball B.
e) Ball A accelerates 1/100th as fast as Ball B.

64. A planet orbiting a star in a circular orbit is:
a) not accelerating.
b) continually accelerating.
c) moving at a constant velocity.
d) not subject to an external force.
e) all of the above.

65. The force of gravity between two object is proportional to:
a) the difference of their masses.
b) the sum of their masses.
c) the product of their masses.
d) the reciprocal of the product of their masses.
e) only the largest of the two masses.

66. If the distance between Jupiter and its moon Europa decreases to one third of its current distance, the gravitational force between them will:
a) stay the same.
b) decrease by a factor of three.
c) decrease by a factor of nine.
d) increase by a factor of three.
e) increase by a factor of nine.

67. Sirius A has a mass that is twice as big as that of Sirius B. Therefore the gravitational force that Sirius A exerts on Sirius B is:
a) 4 times bigger than the gravitational force Sirius B exerts on Sirius A.
b) 2 times bigger than the gravitational force Sirius B exerts on Sirius A.
c) the same as the gravitational force Sirius B exerts on Sirius A.
d) one half of the gravitational force Sirius B exerts on Sirius A.
e) one quarter as big as the gravitational force Sirius B exerts on Sirius A.

68. Newton's First Law of Motion, also known as the Law of Inertia, can be paraphrased as:
a) F = MA
b) F₁ = F₂
c) objects in motion with no forces acting on them tend to slow down and stop.
d) objects in motion keep moving with constant velocity unless acted upon by a force.
e) objects in motion keep moving with constant acceleration unless acted upon by a force.

69. Which of the following is a unit of acceleration?
a) m/s.
b) m/s².
c) m/s³.
d) light years/year
e) all of the above.

70. Newton's Second Law of Motion can be paraphrased as:
a) when a force is applied to an object, the velocity of the object is proportional to its mass.
b) when a force is applied to an object, the acceleration of the object is proportional to its mass.
c) when a force is applied to an object, the velocity of the object is inversely proportional to its mass.
d) when a force is applied to an object, the acceleration of the object is inversely proportional to its mass.
e) when a force is applied to an object, the acceleration of the object is proportional to its mass squared.

71. If the distance between the Earth and the Moon decreased to half its current distance, how would the gravitational force between them change?
a) It would increase by a factor of 2.
b) It would decrease by a factor of 2.
c) It would increase by a factor of 4.
d) It would decrease by a factor of 4.
e) It would stay the same.

72. Who first showed that the stars are mostly made up of hydrogen and helium?
a) Annie Jump Cannon.
b) Isaac Newton.
c) Henry Norris Russell.
d) Ejnar Hertzsprung.
e) Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin.

73. Betelgeuse is Luminosity Class:
a) I.
b) II.
c) III.
d) IV.
e) V.

74. A first magnitude star is:
a) 5 times fainter than a sixth magnitude star.
b) 5 times brighter than a sixth magnitude star.
c) 10 times fainter than a sixth magnitude star.
d) 10 times brighter than a sixth magnitude star.
e) 100 times brighter than a sixth magnitude star.

75. Newton's third Law of Motion can be paraphrased as:
a) F = MA
b) F₁ = F₂
c) objects in motion with no forces acting on them tend to slow down and stop.
d) objects in motion keep moving with constant velocity unless acted upon by a force.
e) F = G M₁M₂/R².

76. The tendency of an object to resist a change in its motion is called:
a) weight.
b) inertia.
c) acceleration.
d) parallax.
e) proper motion.

77. Which of the following components of the Sun is the hottest?
a) the photosphere.
b) the corona.
c) the chromosphere.
d) sunspots.
e) granules.

78. On an H-R diagram, red supergiants are located in the:
a) upper right.
b) lower right.
c) upper left.
d) lower left.
e) center.

79. The stellar spectral classes from hottest to coldest is:
a) OBFGKAM.
b) ABFGKMO.
c) MKGFABO.
d) OMKGFBA.
e) OBAFGKM.

80. Approximately how long does it take the Sun to spin once on its axis? (i.e., how long does it take a sunspot to appear to orbit the Sun?)
a) 11 years.
b) 500 days.
c) 25 days.
d) 24 hours.
e) 5 minutes.

81. In the energy level diagram of hydrogen, the levels get closer and closer together as the energy increases. The red H-alpha emission line of hydrogen is produced when an electron jumps from energy level 3 to energy level 2 in a hydrogen atom, while a jump from level 4 to level 2 produces the blue-green H-beta line. What kind of photon is produced by a jump from level 2 to level 1?
a) radio.
b) IR.
c) UV.
d) microwave.
e) gamma ray.

Answers: 1a, 2a, 3e, 4e, 5c, 6c, 7b, 8d, 9b, 10b, 11b, 12e, 13a, 14c, 15d, 16c, 17c, 18e, 19d, 20c, 21a, 22b, 23e, 24c, 25b, 26d, 27e, 28d, 29c, 30e, 31e, 32e, 33d, 34d, 35a, 36a, 37d, 38e, 39e, 40a, 41e, 42b, 43e, 44d, 45e, 46b, 47e, 48c, 49e, 50d, 51e, 52d, 53d, 54c, 55d, 56d, 57d, 58e, 59c, 60d, 61a, 62c, 63d, 64b, 65c, 66e, 67c, 68d, 69b, 70d, 71c, 72e, 73a, 74e, 75b, 76b, 77b, 78a, 79e, 80c, 81c.