1. The Double Cluster is located in which constellation? (a) Andromeda (b) Gemini (c) Perseus (d) Taurus
2. Astronomers sometimes use colored filters on their telescopes in order to (a) increase contrast between subtle planetary markings (b) increase contrast between dim nebulas and the background sky (c) make separate RGB images which can be digitally combined later (d) all of the above
3. The Lagoon Nebula is in which constellation? (a) Sagitta (b) Sagittarius (c) Scorpius (d) Serpens
4. A pulsar is (a) a star-forming region emitting puffs of interstellar gas (b) a periodically erupting ice volcano on a frozen moon (c) a spinning neutron star that is emitting a beam of radio energy (d) a variable star whose surface periodically expands and contracts
5. A sidereal day on Earth is (a) about 23 hours and 56 minutes (b) exactly 24 hours (c) about 24 hours and 4 minutes (d) variable, depending on the time of year
6. If you follow the curve of the handle of the Big Dipper, which two first-magnitude stars will you encounter? (a) Altair and Vega (b) Arcturus and Spica (c) Betelgeuse and Rigel (d) Sirius and Procyon
7. The triangular asterism near Capella is called (a) The Chicks (b) The Kids (c) The Lambs (d) The Pups
8. What is the heaviest element that can be synthesized by normal stellar fusion (i.e. not in a supernova)? (a) Helium (b) Carbon (c) Iron (d) Uranium
9. A satellite that constrains the orbit of a planetary ring through gravitational forces is called a (a) custodial moon (b) guardian moon (c) pilot moon (d) shepherd moon
10. Which of the following stars, as seen from the Earth, cannot be occulted by the Moon? (a) Aldebaran (b) Antares (c) Regulus (d) Sirius
11. Which of the following constellations might you see high overhead from midnorthern latitudes on a summer evening? (a) Lyra (b) Orion (c) Pegasus (d) Sagittarius
12. The lunar crater with prominent white rays easily visible in binoculars is (a) Aristotle (b) Copernicus (c) Plato (d) Tycho
13. Which type of telescope mount is best for long-term photographic exposures? (a) altazimuth (b) equatorial (c) transit (d) zenith
14. Lasers have been used by astronomers as (a) artificial guide stars for adaptive optics systems (b) collimation tools for reflecting telescopes (c) ranging tools for measuring the distance to the moon (d) all of the above
15. The Danish astronomer Ole Rømer made the first quantitative measurement of the speed of light by studying (a) delays in the timing of eclipses of Jupiter's moons (b) delays in the arrival of reflected light from the Moon (c) changes in apparent stellar positions as the Earth orbits the Sun (d) changes in the frequency of starlight as the Earth orbits the Sun