25 questions
The sun produces energy in its core by combining H atoms into He atoms in a process known as ___.
Nuclear fission
gravitational compression
kinetic compression
Nuclear fusion
The center of the sun, the ___, produces the energy that eventually reaches us and warms the Earth.
core
radiative zone
corona
convective zone
Photons of light travel from where they are produced in the core to the convective zone, where they follow a zig-zag path that takes them close to a million years to reach the next layer - the photosphere. This process is called the _____.
CME
crooked path
random walk
100 yard dash
The outer atmosphere of the sun, only visible during a total solar eclipse, is called the ___.
penumbra
umbra
corona
corolla
Solar flares, prominences, coronal holes, and coronal mass ejections are all due to disturbances in _____ on the sun.
the convective zone
the radiative zone
the core
magnetic fields
The ___ was a huge solar storm in 1859 caused by 2 CMEs hitting Earth. Telegraph stations were damaged, and northern lights were seen much farther south than normal. If it happened again today, communication, electrical power, and navigation all would be disrupted - potentially for years.
Bastille Day Storm
Carrington Event
Solar Mega Storm
These appear darker than the rest of the sun's surface (photosphere) because the strong magnetic fields associated with them decrease convection from below the surface, cooling this area.
filaments
prominences
sun spots
flares
Our school has one of these devices that measure the changing strength of the local magnetic field twice per second. This was given to the school through NASA's THEMIS mission.
seismograph
magnetometer
solar telescope
coronagraph
Does the sun have enough mass to ever become a supernova?
Yes
No
The universe has many different components. Which list places four components of the universe in the most likely order from smallest to largest?
Planets, stars, galaxies, nebulae
Nebulae, stars, planets, galaxies
Galaxies, stars, planets, nebulae
Planets, stars, nebulae, galaxies
Based on the HR diagram given, how do the characteristics of Star 1 and Star 2 compare?
Star 1 is cooler and less bright than Star 2
Star 1 is hotter and brighter than Star 2
Star 1 is cooler and brighter than Star 2
Star 1 is hotter and less bright than Star 2
The sun is classified as a medium sized star and many stars are much bigger and brighter. However, the student observes that other stars look very dim. Why do the other stars look much dimmer?
The sun is yellow, which is more visible than other colors
The sun is much closer to Earth than the other stars are
Other stars are made up of different gases than the sun
As light from other stars travels through space it gets reflected
Investigators using a special telescope determined that a quasar was emitting waves with a frequency of 1.41 x 109 Hz. Using the EM spectrum given, they were using a telescope that detects...
Microwaves
Visible light
X-rays
Gamma rays
What is one condition that is necessary for a hurricane to form?
Warm ocean water
A strong cold front
Cold ocean water
A strong warm front
What never moves?
Sun
Earth
Light and heat from the sun is called?
Electric energy
Kinetic energy
Solar energy
Mechanical energy
What is made of hot gases and is the closest star to Earth?
Planet
Star
Sun
What is the spinning of the Earth called?
Path
Orbit
Rotation
The sun and the planets make up what?
Sky
Seasons
Solar system
The hottest planet in the Solar System is _______ .
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Mercury experiences huge temperature changes because of its proximity to the sun and ________ .
it small size
its thin atmosphere
its fast revolution
Venus' gravitational pull
Why is Venus hotter than Mercury?
Venus has no clouds.
Venus has the most volcanos in the Solar System.
Venus is closer to the sun.
Venus has an extremely thick atmosphere.
Which planet is nicknamed the "Red Planet"?
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
If you were an astronaut, how long would it take for you to get to Saturn in a spaceship?
1 year
2 days
4 years
10 years
About how many moons does Saturn have?
1 moon
0 moons
36 moons
53 moons