Universe Test

Students will begin reviewing for their universe test on Friday. I expect that all the students will do well after all the time and studying we have put in learning about space.  Here are examples of the questions that will be on the test.

1.  How large is the Milky Way Galaxy?
 A.  It is the largest galaxy ever observed.
 B.  It takes up over half of the known universe.
 C.  It cannot be measured or compared.
 D.  It is very small when compared to the universe

2.  Which of the following correctly ranks astronomical objects by size, starting with the
smallest?
 A.  Earth, sun, solar system, galaxy, universe
 B.  Sun, solar system, Earth, universe, galaxy
 C.  Universe, galaxy, solar system, Earth, sun
 D.  Solar system, Earth, sun, universe, galaxy

3.  Which of the following best compares the amount of empty space in the universe to the
amount of space galaxies occupy?   Galaxies...
 A.  take up about half of the space.
 B.  take up most of the room in space.
 C.  are less than half but more than a fourth of space.
 D.  take up an extremely small amount of space.

4.  Compared to our galaxy, how big is our solar system?  The solar system is...
 A.  extremely  tiny.
 B.  about one-tenth of the galaxy.
 C.  about one-third of the galaxy.
 D.  over half of the galaxy.

5.  Our nearest star neighbor in space, Alpha Centauri, is four light years from Earth.  Why
will it be difficult to visit?
 A.  It is very bright and hot.
 B.  We are not sure exactly where it is.
 C.  There may be no planets near it.
 D.  It is very far away.

6.  What are galaxies made of?
 A.  moons and planets
 B.  two stars orbiting each other
 C.  about one hundred stars
 D.  many millions of stars

7.  Why are distances in space often measured in light years?
 A.  The light year is a commonly used unit of measure.
 B.   Distances in space are so great that a large unit is needed.
 C.  Scientists always use metric units like light years.
 D.  Light years are easy to measure and understand.

8.  Early astronomers thought that galaxies were single stars.  Why was this mistake easy 
     to make?
 A.  Galaxies are so far away that they look like a single star.
 B.  Galaxies are made of stars that you can only see one at a time.
 C.  Light from galaxies collects into a single beam.
 D.  Earth is small and galaxies are much larger.

9.  What do the stars in a constellation have in common?  The same...
 A.  brightness
 B.  distance from Earth
 C.  size
 D.  general direction from Earth

10.  Which stars do we always see during the year?  Stars...
 A.  on the horizon
 B.  over the North Pole
 C.  in the larger constellations
 D.  inside other galaxies

11.    How were constellations originally named and identified?
 A.  as people or animals they may have resembled
B.  mathematically, with numbers and coordinates
C.  in groups of very distant, bright or old stars
 D.  by their location from Earth’s horizon

12.  What are galaxies made of? 

13.  If you could travel outside the solar system and look back at it, what would you notice
about the size of the planets? 

14.  Draw or describe where Earth is in space.  Be sure to include its position in the solar
system, galaxy and universe.