1. Albireo is a well-known double star in which constellation?
(a) Cygnus
(b) Gemini
(c) Lyra
(d) Taurus
2. The term "gas giants" refers to which planets?
(a) Jupiter and Saturn
(b) Uranus and Neptune
(c) Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune
(d) Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn
3. The Big Dipper subtends an angle of approximately
(a) 5 degrees
(b) 15 degrees
(c) 25 degrees
(d) 35 degrees
4. According to the latest theories, the Moon formed after
(a) a passing asteroid was captured by Earth's gravity
(b) Earth's primordial cloud of matter split into two unequal parts
(c) a Mars-sized body collided with the young Earth
(d) volcanic activity on the young Earth spewed a huge amount of material into orbit
5. The constellation Draco can be found
(a) between the Big and Little Dippers
(b) at the feet of Orion
(c) along the bottom of the "W" in Cassiopeia
(d) near the Great Square of Pegasus
6. The cosmic microwave background radiation is best understood as
(a) red-shifted radiation from distant quasars
(b) thermal radiation emitted when the universe was young
(c) gravitational lensing caused by black holes
(d) Hawking radiation from black holes
7. The most prominent gap in Saturn's rings is called the
(a) Cassini Division
(b) Galileo Division
(c) Hubble Division
(d) Kepler Division
8. Which are the only planets that can appear in a crescent phase as seen from Earth?
(a) Venus, Mars, and Jupiter
(b) Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn
(c) Mercury and Venus
(d) Jupiter and Saturn
9. The existence of dark matter has been postulated by cosmologists because
(a) it explains how space is warped around black holes
(b) intergalactic space is filled with stars that do not emit visible light
(c) observations of distant supernovae suggest that the expansion of the universe is accelerating
(d) observations of galaxies suggest that they have greater mass than can otherwise be accounted for
10. A telescope with an f/6 focal ratio, a primary mirror of diameter 20 centimeters, and an eyepiece with a focal length of 24 millimeters will have what magnification?
(a) 5 power
(b) 12 power
(c) 50 power
(d) 80 power
11. Zodiacal light is caused by
(a) myriads of distant, faint stars in the galaxy
(b) charged particles in the solar wind colliding with molecules in the atmosphere
(c) scattering of sunlight off ice crystals in the atmosphere
(d) scattering of sunlight off dust particles in the plane of the ecliptic
12. The observation of Martian "canals" or "channels" was first reported by
(a) Galileo Galilei
(b) Giovanni Schiaparelli
(c) Percival Lowell
(d) Edwin Hubble
13. A solar eclipse can occur only when the Moon is
(a) new
(b) full
(c) at first quarter
(d) at last quarter
14. The colors of the stars are determined primarily by their
(a) surface temperature
(b) chemical composition
(c) presence or absence of stellar companions
(d) distance from the center of their host galaxy
15. Which of the following is true about binary star systems?
(a) Some binary pairs are actually widely separated in space; they are merely aligned along similar lines of sight.
(b) Some binary pairs are actually in orbit around their common center of gravity.
(c) Some binary pairs actually exchange matter; one star sheds mass while the other accumulates it.
(d) All of the above.