Astro 330 Final Exam 2024-2025. Questions and correct, Verified Answers. Graded A+, Exams of Astronomy

Download Astro 330 Final Exam 2024-2025. Questions and correct, Verified Answers. Graded A+ and more Exams Astronomy in PDF only on Docsity! Astro 330 Final Exam 2024-2025. Questions and correct, Verified Answers. Graded A+ According to modern ideas and observations, what can be said about the location of the center of our expanding Universe? - ANSThe Universe does not have a center. According to the theory of general relativity, why does the Earth orbit the Sun? - ANSEarth is following the straightest path possible, but spacetime is curved in such a way that this path goes around the Sun. All class activities are due at what time on the day indicated both in the syllabus and on our course Moodle site? - ANS11:59 p.m. Although the Kepler mission is finished now, it is still the record holder for exoplanet detections. The Kepler mission used which method to detect exoplanets? - ANSTransit timing An advanced civilization is found on a planet 1000 light years away. If we send out a radio wave today, what is the minimum amount of time it would take for us to hear back neglecting the relative motion between the planet and the Earth? - ANS2000 years An advanced civilization is found on a planet 5000 light years away. If we send out a radio wave today, what is the minimum amount of time it would take for us to hear back? - ANS10,000 years An argument against silicon-based life is that - ANSSi-Si bonds are weaker than C-C bonds. An astronaut throws a baseball in space. What happens to her? - ANSShe moves away from her original position at a lower speed of the baseball and in the opposite direction Because of the general expansion of the Universe, all distant galaxies appear to be moving away from us, with speeds that increase with distance from our galaxy. An observer in one of these distant galaxies would apparently see - ANSAll galaxies moving away from her; the more distant galaxies moving faster. DNA is built from the following "monomers" except? - ANSa phosphorus oxoacid Fermi's paradox is - ANSIf technological civilizations are common in our galaxy, they should be on Earth but they aren't. For an advanced civilization to communicate what are the two main factors to overcome? Chose two of the following. - ANSCivilization has to develop and create suitable technology, Civilization must have the correct worldview. Galaxy A is observed to move away from us at 1000 km/s. Galaxy B is observed to move away from us at 2000 km/s. Which one is further away? - ANSB How do greenhouse gases warm up the atmosphere? - ANSThey absorb and reemit infrared radiation. If our Universe is expanding, what are the implications for the separation between two stars within our galaxy due to cosmic expansion? - ANSThe distance between the two stars is unaffected. If we assume that the number of advanced civilizations we can communicate with in the galaxy is around 25,000, approximately how far away on average would the nearest such civilization be from us (in light- years)? - ANS100 If we develop spacecraft that can take humans to other solar systems at around 10% the speed of light, how long would it be before we could conceivably populate all habitable planets in the entire Milky Way? - ANSA few million years If we try to detect extraterrestrial civilization with radio telescopes, which of the following do we NOT have to worry about? - ANSPower source of the telescope If you could time travel back to 30,000 years ago and help the human race speed up their evolution of civilization, which of the following would be the most important thing to share with the early humans? - ANSFarming Some percentage of UFO sightings cannot be explained. This means? - ANSSightings must be explained "after the fact" without complete information, which implies that some will always be unexplained. Stars are born in - ANSgiant clouds of dust and gas that coagulate due to gravity Stars are formed - ANSIn giant molecular clouds The carbon atom serves as the base for many organic compounds and life molecules primarily because - ANSIts outer electron shell is only half full. The detection of a gas giant in orbit within the habitable zone of another star is exciting for this class because - ANSIt may have rocky moons that could harbor life. The Drake Equation - ANSestimates how many intelligent extraterrestrial civilizations exist with whom we might be able to communicate with right now in our galaxy. The early Universe was - ANSHotter and denser The elements of life are more consistent with - ANSThe most abundant elements in the Universe The energy of human life is currently supplied by the - ANSATP molecule The expansion of the Universe means that - ANSAs time goes by, space itself expands, carrying the galaxies along with it. The first organization to successfully build a single stage rocket that achieved escape velocity from the Earth was - ANSNo one has ever done this The greenhouse effect is - ANSan increased retention of heat by the atmosphere. The idea that the molecules of life (or advanced life itself) originated in space is known as - ANSPanspermia The lightyear is a measure of - ANSDistance The Moon is believed to be the result of - ANSa merger debris from a collision between Earth and a Mars-sized object. The most dominant molecule in Earth's lifeforms is - ANSWater The Nazca lines in the sands of Peru can only be seen in full from aircraft, which implies that - ANSActually, their purpose is unknown but they are likely religious or astronomical. The nuclear fusion in the Sun takes 4 hydrogen nuclei (4 positive charges) and makes 1 helium nucleus (2 positive charges). What holds the nucleons in helium nucleus together? - ANSStrong nuclear force The purpose of the codon is - ANSto encode the information required to construct the 20 amino acids needed by life. The Wow! signal is really just an example of - ANSmany unexplained signals that did not repeat in various SETI experiments. There could not have been an ET civilization with a technological capability greater than that which we have now. - ANSFalse We believe that the most difficult step for life to emerge is the - ANSTransition to life once given the basic polymers. We can only detect exoplanet transits when - ANSpart of the planet's orbit is between the star and our line of sight. We have reasons to believe that ET visitations have not happened. - ANSFalse We have very few direct images of exoplanets. Why? - ANSIt is very hard because planets are much dimmer than their host star and usually the exoplanets are relatively close to their host star. What does the phrase "We are star stuff" mean? - ANSThat the elements that make up our body, other than hydrogen, were produced in the cores of stars What does the term UFO mean? - ANSA government term meant to be any flying object that could not be positively identified to stop people from using the term flying saucer, but since then the term has morphed into meaning an alien vehicle. What happens when a person on Earth observes a spacecraft traveling near the speed of light? (Note that more than one answer is required.) - ANSThe effective mass of the spacecraft will increase compared to the spacecraft at rest,Clock on the spacecraft will tick slower, Length of the spaceship is smaller along the direction of motion compared to the spacecraft at rest. What happens when an electron and a positron (anti-electron) collide? - ANSThey annihilate each other, creating energy. What is strong evidence that we live in a Universe with a finite age? - ANSThe night sky is dark. What is the habitable zone around a star? - ANSThe distance from a star where water can be liquid on the surface of a planet. What is the last element to form by fusing in the core of a massive star before it goes supernovae? - ANSFe What is the main reason for a large asteroid to be catastrophic for life on Earth? (Hint: why couldn't the dinosaurs survive the mass extinction 66 million years ago?) - ANSDisruption of food chain due to lack of photosynthesis What is the technical term for an object that can't be superimposed on its mirror image? - ANSChiral Which of the following is a dwarf planet? - ANSPluto Which of the following is believed to be the most efficient engine for space travel? - ANSAntimatter Which of the following is not a basic requirement for the development of early life? - ANSSexual reproduction Which of the following is not a benefit of increased energy production by humans? - ANSTransmutation of silicates into rare earth elements Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a host star that is believed to be conducive to the formation of habitable planets for intelligent life? - ANSAn O, B, or A spectral-type star Which of the following is NOT a consideration for the term fi in the Drake Equation, the fraction of planets on which life exists that will evolve intelligence? - ANSThe ability to teach other organisms how to use tools Which of the following is NOT a fact that is important for a discussion of fl? - ANSResearchers have clearly shown that a candle is not alive, regardless of the definition of life. Which of the following is NOT a fact that should be used in the fc discussion? - ANSAbout 75% of University of Illinois students have an Android smartphone. Which of the following is not a Galilean moon of Jupiter? - ANSTitan Which of the following is not a polymer? - ANSAmino acids Which of the following is not a primary characteristic of primates? - ANSMultiple sharp teeth or claws Which of the following is not a primary molecule of life? - ANSVirus Which of the following is not a true statement about proteins? - ANSThey encode information about replication Which of the following is not a valid statement about the rise of agriculture? - ANSAgriculture allowed for the development of smaller communities Which of the following is NOT an advantage of the first long term settlements? - ANSshort work days Which of the following is NOT evidence for an fp discussion? - ANSWe have detected planets in the habitable zone. Which of the following is not evidence that supports the Big Bang theory? - ANSThe sky is dark. Which of the following is NOT important in a discussion of np? - ANSOur Sun has a habitable zone that includes the Earth. Which of the following is the most genetically similar to humans today? - ANSHomo sapiens Which of the following is unlikely to be a reason why an alien society might change its worldview to avoid communication and change their L? - ANSIncreased agricultural production Which of the following stars is the hottest? - ANSA blue star Which of the following was domesticated the earliest by humans? - ANSEinkorn wheat Which of the following was not a component of the Miller-Urey experiment? - ANSClay polymers Which of the following was not a likely condition when life began on the early Earth? - ANSOxygen-rich atmosphere Which of the following was not a scientific task performed by ancient astronomers? - ANSFortune-telling Which of the following was NOT a source of the Earth's atmosphere at any point in its history? - ANSGas accretion from nearby planets Which of the following was the earliest known form of extra somatic storage? - ANSCuneiform writing Which of the following would not be useful in a discussion about L? - ANSThe new survey telescopes will be detecting new binary systems. Which one of the following is inarguably necessary for stars to form out of gas clouds? - ANSGravity Which one of the following statements about mutation is TRUE? - ANSMutations can be caused by environmental stimuli. Which source of energy would be the most sustainable for a long-lived civilization? - ANSNuclear fusion Which stage is NOT part of the Sun's life? - ANSSupernova explosion Which statement about a hunter-gatherer society is false? - ANSOrigin of astronomers Which statement is correct? - ANSSingle-celled life can have intelligence. Which stellar property is exclusive to the first generation of stars? - ANSNo metals Which type of light travels fastest? - ANSBlue light Red light Radio waves Gamma rays X-rays