Practice Test GeeksASP - Astronomical Society of the Pacific Exam Practice Test
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Knowledge Flashcards

7 cards from real ASP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

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  1. What is the term for the point in a planet's orbit when it is closest to the Sun?

    Answer: Perihelion

    Perihelion is the orbital point closest to the Sun; Earth reaches perihelion in early January each year.

  2. Which spectral class of stars is hottest and appears bluish-white?

    Answer: O

    O-type stars are the hottest stars (surface temperatures above 30,000 K) and appear blue-white in color.

  3. What are the dark areas on the Sun's surface caused by concentrated magnetic field regions called?

    Answer: Sunspots

    Sunspots are temporarily cooler, darker areas on the photosphere where strong magnetic fields inhibit convection.

  4. What is the name of the force that keeps planets in orbit around the Sun?

    Answer: Gravity

    Gravity, described by Newton's law of universal gravitation and refined by Einstein's general relativity, keeps planets in their orbits.

  5. The Milky Way galaxy is classified as what type of galaxy?

    Answer: Barred spiral

    The Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy with a central bar-shaped structure of stars from which spiral arms extend.

  6. What is the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation?

    Answer: Thermal radiation left over from the Big Bang

    The CMB is the thermal radiation remnant from the early universe, approximately 380,000 years after the Big Bang, now cooled to about 2.7 K.

  7. What is the Chandrasekhar limit?

    Answer: The maximum mass a white dwarf can have before collapsing

    The Chandrasekhar limit (~1.4 solar masses) is the maximum mass a white dwarf can sustain before electron degeneracy pressure fails and it collapses.