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.
Read the first 7 Knowledge flashcards as text
Which type of telescope uses a mirror as its primary light-collecting element?
Answer: Reflector
Reflector telescopes use a concave mirror to collect and focus light, unlike refractors which use lenses.
What is the term for the apparent shift in a star's position caused by Earth's orbital motion around the Sun?
Answer: Parallax
Stellar parallax is the apparent shift in a nearby star's position relative to distant background stars as Earth orbits the Sun.
Which layer of the Sun is responsible for the energy we receive as visible light?
Answer: Photosphere
The photosphere is the visible surface of the Sun and the layer from which most of the Sun's visible light is emitted.
What is the name of the galaxy closest to the Milky Way (excluding dwarf satellites)?
Answer: Andromeda Galaxy
The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) is the closest large spiral galaxy to the Milky Way, at about 2.5 million light-years away.
What causes a lunar eclipse?
Answer: Earth passes between the Sun and Moon
A lunar eclipse occurs when Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, casting Earth's shadow onto the Moon.
What is the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram primarily used to show?
Answer: The relationship between stellar luminosity and temperature
The H-R diagram plots stars by their luminosity versus surface temperature, revealing distinct groups like the main sequence and giant branches.
Which unit is commonly used to express distances within our solar system?
Answer: Astronomical Unit
The Astronomical Unit (AU) is the average Earth-Sun distance (~150 million km) and is the standard unit for solar system distances.