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EE8086
NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
SEMESTER 1 EXAMINATION 2006-2007
EE8086 Astronomy: Stars, Galaxies and Cosmology

November/December 2006

Time Allowed: 2 hours

INSTRUCTIONS
1.

This paper consists of 2 sections and comprises EIGHT (8) pages.

2.

Section A consists of 25 multiple-choice questions each carrying 2 marks and

Section B consists of 2 essay type questions each carrying 25 marks.

3.

Answer ALL questions.

4.

Write all your answers on the answer book provided.

Section A (Answer ALL questions)

1.

What do we mean when we say that the universe is expanding?

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

2.

The earth is made mostly of metals and rocks. Where did this material come
from?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

3.

Average distances between galaxies are increasing.

Average distances between star systems within galaxies are increasing.
The statement is not meant to be literal; rather, it means that our
knowledge of the universe is growing.
Everything in the universe is gradually growing in size.
Individual galaxies are gradually growing in size.

It was made by our Sun.

It was created by chemical reactions in interstellar space.
It was made by nuclear fission of uranium and other radioactive materials.
It was produced by nuclear fusion in stars.
It was produced in the Big Bang.

Which of the following statements about the ecliptic plane is not true?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

It is the plane of the earth's orbit around the Sun.

During a solar eclipse, the Moon lies in the ecliptic plane.
It is the plane of the Moon's orbit around the earth.
The nodes of the Moon's orbit lie in the ecliptic plane.
During a lunar eclipse, the Moon lies in the ecliptic plane.
1

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EE8086
4.

You are standing on the earth's equator. Which way is Polaris, the North star?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

5.

Which of the following is not a phase of the Moon?

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

6.

full moon
thirdminusquarter moon
new moon
half moon
firstminusquarter moon

Which of the following was not observed by Galileo?

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

7.

Directly overhead
On the northern horizon
30 degrees up, due West
The answer depends on whether it is winter or summer.
The answer depends on what time of day (or night) it is.

stellar parallax
phases of Venus
Jupiter's moons
craters on the Moon
sunspots

Which of the following statements about scientific theories is not true?

A.

A theory can never be proved beyond all doubt; we can only hope to
collect more and more evidence that might support it.

B.

A theory cannot be taken seriously by scientists if it contradicts other

theories developed by scientists over the past several hundred years.

C.

A theory is a model designed to explain a number of observed facts.

D.

A theory must make predictions that can be checked by observation or

experiment.

E.

If even a single new fact is discovered that contradicts what we expect

according to a particular theory, then the theory must be revised or
discarded.

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EE8086
8.

How can an electron in an atom lose energy to go from a higher energy level to a
lower energy level?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

9.

Without telescopes or other aid, we can look up and see the Moon in the night sky
because it
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

10.

The galaxy is moving toward you.

The galaxy has very weak gravity.
The galaxy is moving away from you.
The composition of the galaxy is changing.
The galaxy is made purely of hydrogen.

The planet closest in size to Earth is

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

12.

emits thermal radiation.

glows through radioactive decay.
reflects infrared light.
reflects visible light.
emits visible light.

You observe a distant galaxy. You find that a spectral line normally found in the
visible part of the spectrum is shifted toward the infrared. What do you conclude?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

11.

It loses gravitational potential energy.

It releases a photon equal in energy to its own energy drop.
It exchanges gravitational potential energy for kinetic energy.
It loses kinetic energy.
It absorbs a photon equal in energy to its own energy drop.

Venus.
Pluto.
the Moon.
Mercury.
Mars.

Which of the following is furthest from the Sun?

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

Pluto
Neptune
a comet in the Oort cloud
a comet in the Kuiper belt
an asteroid in the asteroid belt

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13.

Which planet could an astronaut visit without the need for a spacesuit (and
survive)?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

14.

The core of the Sun is

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

15.

the Moon
Mars
Venus
Mercury
None; an astronaut would need a spacesuit to survive a visit to any other
planet in the solar system.

at the same temperature but denser than the surface.

at the same temperature and density as the surface.
hotter and denser than the surface.
constantly rising to the surface through convection.
composed of iron.

What are coronal holes?

A.

Regions on the photosphere where magnetic lines poke through, creating

the cooler areas of the sunspots.

B.

Areas of the corona where magnetic field lines project into space, allowing
charged particles to escape the Sun, becoming solar wind.

C.

Holes in the corona of the Sun that allow us to see the photosphere.

D.

Tunnels in the outer layers of the Sun through which photons can escape
more quickly than through the radiation zone.

E.

All of the above.

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16.

17.

If the distance between us and a star is doubled, with everything else remaining
the same, the luminosity
A.

is decreased by a factor of four, and the apparent brightness is decreased

by a factor of four.

B.

is decreased by a factor of two, and the apparent brightness is decreased by

a factor of two.

C.

remains the same, but the apparent brightness is decreased by a factor of

two.

D.

remains the same, but the apparent brightness is decreased by a factor of

four.

E.

is decreased by a factor of four, but the apparent brightness remains the

same.

The spectral sequence sorts stars according to

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

18.

Which of the following statements is true about low-mass stars compared to highmass stars?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

19.

mass.
surface temperature.
luminosity.
core temperature.
radius.

Low-mass stars are cooler and less luminous than high-mass stars.
Low-mass stars are hotter and more luminous than high-mass stars.
Low-mass stars are cooler but more luminous than high-mass stars.
Low-mass stars are hotter but less luminous than high-mass stars.
Low-mass stars have the same temperature and luminosity as high-mass
stars.

Compared to the star it evolved from, a red giant is

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

hotter and brighter.

hotter and dimmer.
cooler and brighter.
cooler and dimmer.
of the same temperature and brightness.

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20.

21.

22.

What is the ultimate fate of an isolated white dwarf?

A.

As gravity overwhelms the electron degeneracy pressure, it will explode as

a nova.

B.

As gravity overwhelms the electron degeneracy pressure, it will explode as

a supernova.

C.

As gravity overwhelms the electron degeneracy pressure, it will become a

neutron star.

D.

It will cool down and become a cold black dwarf.

E.

The electron degeneracy pressure will eventually overwhelm gravity and

the white dwarf will slowly evaporate.

How does the gravity of an object affect light?

A.

Light does not have a mass and is therefore not affected by gravity.

B.

Light coming from a compact massive object will be redshifted.

C.

Light coming from a compact massive object will be blueshifted.

D.

Visible light coming from a compact massive object will be redshifted, but
higher frequencies such as X-rays will not be affected.

E.

Less energetic light will not be able to escape from a compact massive
object but more energetic light will be able to.

Which of the following statements is true about irregular galaxies?

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

They are composed solely of old stars.

They generally have significant bulge populations.
They were more common when the universe was younger.
They have reddish colours.
They have well-defined spiral arms.

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23.

24.

We cannot see past the cosmological horizon because

A.

the universe extends only to this horizon.

B.

beyond the cosmological horizon, we are looking back to a time before the
universe was formed.

C.

we do not have telescopes that are big enough.

D.

we do not have sensitive enough detectors.

E.

the cosmological horizon is infinitely far away, and we cannot see to

infinity.

The habitable zone around a star is

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

25.

the region where rocky planets form.

the region where humans can survive.
the region where liquid water can exist on planetary surfaces.
the region where the ultraviolet radiation does not destroy organisms on a
planetary surface.
the region where life exists.

Main sequence fitting is

A.

a method for determining the distance to a star cluster by assuming that its
main sequence should line up with the main sequence on a standard
Hertzsprung-Russell diagram.

B.

a method for determining the age of a star cluster.

C.

a way of forcing stars to fit onto a standard main sequence, even when they
have some unusual characteristics.

D.

the way we construct an Hertzsprung-Russell diagram using the surface

temperatures and luminosities of stars.

E.

a method to determine the overall colour of a star cluster.

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EE8086
Section B (Answer ALL questions)

1.

(a)

Briefly summarize the observed patterns of motion in our solar system that
are consistent with the nebular theory.
(7 marks)

(b)

Suppose the planet Jupiter had never formed. How do you think the
distribution of asteroids and comets in our solar system would be
different? Explain.
(4 marks)

(c)

Describe the three sources of internal heat of the terrestrial planets?

(4 marks)

2.

(d)

Briefly explain why Mercury, Venus, and the Moon do not have
significant erosion. Relate erosional activity to the four planetary
formation properties.
(5 marks)

(e)

Briefly describe how the greenhouse effect makes a planetary surface

warmer than it would be otherwise.
(5 marks)

(a)

Stars are classified according to its luminosity and surface temperature.

Explain how stellar luminosities and surface temperatures are measured.
(6 marks)

(b)

Summarise the methods that astronomers use to estimate distances to

stellar objects.
(9 marks)

(c)

Describe how a white dwarf supernova occurs. How do we tell the

difference between a white dwarf supernova and a massive-star
supernova?
(10 marks)

End of Paper