Exploring the Cosmos - Life and Death of Stars (Part 2)
1. Globular clusters in our galaxy consist of groups of
very old stars.
very large stars.
burnt out stars.
newly born stars.
2. An open cluster consists of stars which are all
around the same age.
the same temperature.
the same mass.
on the main sequence.
3. Which of the following elements makes up a large fraction of a main sequence star?
Iron
Oxygen
Carbon
Helium
4. T Tauri stars are
remnant cores of dead stars.
optically visible in their cocoon.
standard candles.
frequently strong infrared sources.
5. The Sun generates heat by converting
helium to carbon through the triple alpha reaction.
helium to carbon through the CNO cycle.
hydrogen to helium through the triple alpha reaction.
hydrogen to helium through the proton-proton chain.
6. Main sequence stars with higher luminosity than the Sun
are only observed in globular clusters.
have a lower surface temperature than the Sun.
must be red giants.
have a shorter lifetime than the Sun.
7. Globular clusters mainly consist of groups of
newly born stars.
black holes.
very large stars.
very old stars.
8. T Tauri stars are
standard candles.
optically visible in their cocoon.
frequently strong infrared sources.
remnant cores of dead stars.
9. Open clusters
are only found in distant galaxies.
contain the oldest stars in our galaxy.
are metal poor.
have a smaller density of stars than globular clusters.
10. Stars in a single cluster differ widely in
mass.
age.
chemical composition.
distance.
11. Bok globules are
Herbig Haro objects.
small star clusters.
T Tauri stars.
dense dust clouds out of which stars form.
12. The Crab Nebula is of interest because it
contains a pulsar.
is in the centre of the constellation Cancer.
surrounds the supernova SN1987A.
contains a black hole.
13. A globular cluster in our Galaxy is
a group of very young stars.
a constellation such as Orion.
an asterism like the Pleiades.
a group of very old stars.
14. Type I and II supernovae
will occur in stars more massive than the Sun.
are both standard candles.
can reoccur.
will occur in stars less massive than the Sun.
15. The main sequence is
a nuclear reaction in very hot stars.
a line on a graph of luminosity against temperature.
the succession of stages in the life of a star.
OBAFGKMRN.
16. An open cluster in our Galaxy is
most likely to be found in the galactic halo.
a group of newly formed stars.
a group like the Pleiades.
a constellation such as Orion.
17. White dwarfs
are low magnitude stars.
are very hot.
are very small in number.
are the remains of stars much less massive than the Sun.
18. Hydrogen burning in stars
is a nuclear reaction only occurring in the hottest stars.
produces water vapour in interstellar space.
is a reaction in which hydrogen fuses with oxygen.
can occur in the proton-proton chain reaction.
19. One element not expected to be produced in the core of stars is
silicon.
helium.
carbon.
gold.
20. Gas clouds contract to form stars because of
internal pressure.
gravity.
electrical attraction.
nuclear forces.
21. Stars in a single cluster differ widely in
chemical composition.
distance.
age.
mass.
22. Which of the following elements is not expected to be common in the core of a white dwarf?
Oxygen
Hydrogen
Carbon
Silicon
23. The CNO cycle is a nuclear reaction which
occurs in stars with cores hotter than the Sun.
occurs in carbon white dwarfs.
causes the helium flash.
produces 'metals'.
24. The final state of a star depends mainly on its
mass.
degeneracy.
magnitude.
chemical composition.
25. T Tauri stars are
remnant cores of dead stars.
optically visible in their cocoon.
standard candles.
frequently strong infrared sources.
26. Given that the radius of the Sun is about 700,000 km
energy from fusion takes about 1 million years to travel this distance.
energy from fusion appears almost instantly at the photosphere.
it takes a few hours for light to travel from the core to the photosphere.
light takes 2 to 3 seconds to travel from the core to the photosphere.
27. Protostars heat up mostly due to
gravitational contraction.
nuclear fission.
nuclear fusion.
radioactivity.
28. If 4 hydrogen nuclei fuse to form a helium nucleus
energy is absorbed.
the mass-energy increases by about 1%.
the mass is conserved.
the mass drops by about 1%.
29. The Chandrasekhar limit is
around ten times the solar mass.
the maximum mass of a white dwarf.
the maximum radius of a red giant.
the radius of a black hole.
30. Type I and II supernovae
are both standard candles.
will occur in stars less massive than the Sun.
will occur in stars more massive than the Sun.
can reoccur.
31. Type Ia supernovae are
have strong H lines.
caused by stars collapsing upon themselves.
are thought to be exploding white dwarfs.
very bright, newly-formed stars.
32. When the Sun becomes a Red Giant
it will produce iron and heavier elements in its core.
hydrogen fusion in its core will have ceased.
its surface will become hotter than it is now.
it will eventually become a supernova.
33. Which of the following elements is not expected to be common in the core of a white dwarf?
Oxygen
Hydrogen
Silicon
Carbon
34. The triple-alpha reaction is
an intermediate stage in the proton-proton chain reaction.
a nuclear reaction in which helium fuses to form carbon.
responsible for the formation of globular clusters.
an intermediate stage in the Carbon-Oxygen-Nitrogen cycle.
35. The supernova SN1987A
emitted gravitational radiation which was detected on Earth.
was at the same position as a previously catalogued star.
is the most distant supernova seen until now.
was seen in the nearby Andromeda galaxy.
36. One element not expected to be produced in the core of stars is
silicon.
helium.
gold.
carbon.
37. The supernova SN1987A
was seen in the nearby Andromeda galaxy.
is the most distant supernova seen until now.
emitted gravitational radiation which was detected on Earth.
was at the same position as a previously catalogued star.
38. The Chandrasekhar limit is
around ten times the solar mass.
the radius of a black hole.
the maximum mass of a white dwarf.
the maximum radius of a red giant.
39. Black holes
cannot be directly observed.
are the final stages of stars like the Sun.
are caused absorption of light in cold, dense nebulae.
are detected as dark clouds at the centre of galaxies.
40. The Schwarzschild radius gives
the size of a black hole.
the maximum size of a white dwarf.
the radius of the observable Universe.
the size of a neutron star.
41. Type I and II supernovae
will occur in stars more massive than the Sun.
will occur in stars less massive than the Sun.
can reoccur.
are both standard candles.
42. The Pauli Exclusion Principle explains
supernovae.
why neutron stars collapse.
the solar neutrino problem.
why white dwarfs are stable.
43. The final state of a star depends mainly on its
degeneracy.
chemical composition.
magnitude.
mass.
44. One element not expected to be produced in the core of stars is
gold.
helium.
carbon.
silicon.
45. The position of white dwarfs on a HR diagram is
to the right of the main sequence.
on the upper part of the main sequence.
to the lower left of the main sequence.
at random points on the diagram.
46. When the Sun becomes a Red Giant
it will produce iron and heavier elements in its core.
it will eventually become a supernova.
hydrogen fusion in its core will have ceased.
its surface will become hotter than it is now.
47. The CNO cycle is a nuclear reaction which
occurs in stars with cores hotter than the Sun.
produces 'metals'.
causes the helium flash.
occurs in carbon white dwarfs.
48. Black holes
are also called accretion disks.
exert a strong gravitational pull.
can only exist at the centres of galaxies.
are massive neutron stars.
49. Electron degeneracy
prevents black hole formation in massive stars.
prevents neutron star formation in solar-like stars.
prevents the Sun from collapsing within a few years.
causes pulsars to have a strong magnetic ï¬eld.
50. Globular clusters
are recently formed collections of approximately 10^6 stars.
are probably the largest clusters of stars in the Universe.
are found in elliptical but not spiral galaxies.
contain mainly stars of low metallicity.
51. Black holes
are often observed by their tidal effect on the Earth.
can never be observed.
are often observed due to their tidal effect on nearby matter.
have never been observed.
52. Neutrinos
carry most of the energy away from a type-II supernova.
are too weak to have any effect.
cause massive stars to collapse.
are mainly associated with type Ia supernovae.
53. A main-sequence star 10 times as massive as the Sun
has a core temperature that is much higher than that of the Sun.
is much denser than the Sun so has roughly the same diameter.
obtains most of its energy by the triple alpha process.
has about 10 times the amount of hydrogen and so burns approximately 10 times longer than the Sun.
54. Analysis of the H-R diagram for a cluster is a good means to
count the number of stars in the cluster.
estimate the distance to the cluster.
estimate the mass of dust in the cluster.
estimate the age of the cluster.
55. Neutron stars
contain most of the neutrinos in the known Universe.
can rotate at a rate of more than 100 revolutions per second.
are very dense and so cannot rotate faster than about once an hour.
are about the same density as white dwarfs, but made of nuclear material.
56. Open clusters are
any number of stars in a group.
several stars weakly bound by gravity.
several galaxies weakly bound by gravity.
an unnamed constellation.
57. T Tauri stars, EGGs and Bok globules are associated with
star birth.
main sequence stars.
star death.
most pulsars.
58. Pulsars
are known to be nearly perfect spheres.
are made of neutrons and so have zero electric and magnetic ï¬eld.
pulse uniformly over their whole surface in a perfectly synchronised manner.
have not yet been detected.
59. Open clusters within the Galaxy
contain about 1 million stars in a sphere of typically 25 parsecs diameter.
often contain metal-rich stars.
usually contain only very old stars which have then spread apart.
are never surrounded by dust clouds.
60. White dwarfs are
cold and tiny compared to the Sun.
about as hot as the Sun but typically smaller.
typically hot enough to be strong X-rays emitters and about the size of the Earth.
so hot that IR radiation dominates, but smaller than the Sun.
61. The crab pulsar is seen to pulse brightly
nearly 30,000 times each second.
about 30 times each second.
about once a day.
only very rarely.
62. Protostars are normally visible in which two bands of the electromagnetic spectrum?
UV and gamma.
IR and x-ray.
visible and UV.
Radio and visible.
63. The helium flash occurs
when a 1 solar mass black hole forms from a white dwarf.
in a star of 1 solar mass near the end of the main sequence stage.
when fusion begins in a proto-star of about 1 solar mass.
in the few seconds before a supernova explosion in a 10 solar mass star.
64. Pulsars are
too hard to detect to be able to make any clear statements about them.
seen in all the main observing bands within the EM spectrum.
always observed as optical objects.
never observed as gamma-ray objects.
65. Supermassive stars
are the usual precursors of white dwarfs.
are too large to form black holes.
live longer than all other types of star, as they have a greater store of fuel.
form iron cores in the final stages of their development
66. Type II supernovae
are rare but exceedingly bright night-sky objects lasting many years.
are well-recognised standard candles.
are thought to be due to gravitational collapse of a white dwarf.
typically show hydrogen lines in their spectra.
67. Sirius B is
a white dwarf close to Sirius A.
a black hole that is difficult to observe because it is so close to Sirius a which is a very bright star.
a star slightly heavier than Sirius A that causes Sirius A to wobble.
the "dog star"
68. Neutron degeneracy
determines the size of black holes smaller than 3 solar masses.
prevents white dwarfs from collapsing to form neutron stars.
prevents neutron stars from collapsing to form black holes.
affects how neutrons react within the proton-proton chain.
69. Synchrotron radiation is
a pulsed source of radio interference.
a feature of the heat from a red giant.
caused by radioactive decay in a Type-II supernova.
a feature of radiation from a neutron star.
70. Supermassive black holes are
found at the centre of nearly every galaxy.
only found in distant galaxies.
usually violent sources of energy that can destroy galaxies.
thought to be very rare in the universe.
71. The best evidence of black holes comes from
x-ray sources which are always black holes.
evidence of their extreme magnetic fields.
signs of the effect of strong gravitational fields.
direct observation of black areas in space.
72. Pulsars typically spin
many times per second.
many thousands of times per second.
about once a year.
about once a day.
73. Neutron degeneracy
causes supernova explosions.
leads to the formation of heavy metals like gold in supernovae.
prevents the collapse of a white dwarf in a supernova.
stops collapse in a supernova.
74. An emission nebula is
usually dark as it blocks the light from stars.
red as it scatters the light from stars.
internally heated by stars.
blue as it scatters the light from stars.
75. A protostar forms due to
changes in the early stage of a main sequence star.
gravitational attraction due to a nearby star.
collapse of a low density region containing hydrogen.
collapse of a high density region of gas.
76. Main sequence stars
are continuously cooling.
are continuously contracting.
are hydro-dynamically unstable.
stay approximately constant in size.
77. If 4 hydrogen nuclei fuse to form a helium nucleus
the mass-energy increases by about 1 %.
the mass is conserved.
energy is absorbed.
the mass drops by about 1 %.
78. Given that the radius of the Sun is about 700,000 km
light takes 2 to 3 seconds to travel from the core to the photosphere.
it takes a few hours for light to travel from the core to the photosphere.
energy from fusion takes about 1 million years to travel this distance.
energy from fusion appears almost instantly at the photosphere.
79. Which of the following is Betelgeuse?
A star
A constellation
A nova
A cluster
80. The Hertzprung-Russell diagram relates which two properties of a star?
Time and distance
Time and temperature
Luminosity and temperature
Luminosity and time
81. The surface temperature of a type G2 star is about what?
58 000 K
820 K
8 200 K
5 800 K
82. If the core temperature of a main sequence star increases, what happens to it?
The star expands and heats.
The star shrinks and heats.
The star expands and cools.
The star shrinks and cools.
83. Which of the following tends to escape the core of a star?
Neutrons
Neutrinos
Positrons
Protons
84. A planetary nebula is associated with which of the following?
White dwarfs
Red giants
Supernovae
Asteroids
85. The light curve of a type-II supernova has
H-lines and a plateau.
no H-lines and no plateau.
no H-lines and a plateau.
H-lines and no plateau.
86. The Chandrasekhar limit is
the minimum mass of a black hole.
caused by electrons being fermions.
due to boson degeneracy.
2.8 solar masses
87. Neutron stars are approximately as dense as which of the following?
A mountain squashed into a thimble.
The mass of the Sun squashed into the volume of the Earth.
Water
The mass of the Earth squashed into a thimble.
88. Jocelyn Bell-Burnell discovered
supernovae
pulsars
black holes
novae
89. Which one of the following statements is TRUE?
Reflection nebulae emit light from ionising hydrogen.
Extinction nebulae can only be formed by black holes.
Bok globules often emit infrared radiation.
Emission nebulae appear blue.
90. A nebula is a
star about to collapse.
cloud of gas and dust.
cluster of small stars
cluster of galaxies.
91. Hydrogen burning in stars
is a reaction in which hydrogen fuses with oxygen.
can occur via the proton-proton chain reaction.
is a nuclear reaction only occurring in the most massive stars.
produces water vapour in interstellar space.
92. The Sun generates heat by converting
helium to carbon through the triple alpha reaction.
helium to carbon through the CNO cycle.
hydrogen to helium through the proton-proton chain.
hydrogen to helium through the triple alpha reaction.
93. When the Sun becomes a Red Giant
it will eventually become a supernova.
its surface will become hotter than it is now.
hydrogen fusion in its core will have ceased.
it will produce iron and heavier elements in its core.
94. Type I and II supernovae
can reoccur.
will occur in stars more massive than the Sun.
will occur in stars less massive than the Sun.
are both standard candles.
95. White dwarfs are
very small in number.
very hot.
the remains of stars much less massive than the Sun.
low magnitude stars.
96. Neutrinos are
produced in the centre of stars.
particles of about the same mass as protons.
dangerous to human health.
derived from Neutrons.
97. Black holes
exert a strong gravitational pull.
are massive neutron stars.
are also called accretion disks.
can only exist at the centres of galaxies.
98. The Schwarzschild radius gives the
size of a neutron star.
maximum size of a white dwarf.
radius of the observable Universe.
size of a black hole.
99. Stars in the same cluster differ widely in
mass
distance
age
chemical composition
100. A globular cluster in our Galaxy is
a group of very old stars.
an asterism like the Pleiades.
a constellation such as Orion.
a group of very young stars.
101. Stars of ten times the solar mass
are more common than stars like the Sun.
shine for longer than the Sun.
burn out more quickly than the Sun.
are only found in globular clusters.
102. Interstellar gas is
all at a temperature close to absolute zero.
mostly hydrogen.
mostly carbon monoxide.
of little importance astronomically.
103. The Chandrasekhar limit is
around ten times the solar mass.
the maximum mass of a white dwarf.
the radius of a black hole.
the maximum radius of a red giant.
104. A red giant
looks very large through a telescope.
fuses hydrogen in its core.
is hotter than a white dwarf.
is a stage in the life of our Sun.
105. The CNO cycle is a nuclear reaction which
occurs mainly in carbon white dwarfs.
causes the helium flash.
produces 'metals'.
occurs mainly in stars with cores hotter than the Sun.
106. The Crab Nebula is of interest because it
surrounds the supernova SN1987A.
contains a black hole.
is in the centre of the constellation Cancer.
contains a pulsar.
107. Pulsars are
very large stars.
rotating white dwarfs.
stars that periodically expand and contract.
rotating neutron stars.
108. The final state of a star depends on its
mass
magnitude
degeneracy
chemical composition
109. A globular cluster in our Galaxy is
a group of very old stars.
a group of very young stars.
an asterism like the Pleiades.
a constellation such as Orion.
110. T Tauri stars are
remnant cores of dead stars.
standard candles.
frequently strong infrared sources.
optically visible in their cocoon.
111. The Chandrasekhar limit is
the maximum radius of a red giant.
the maximum mass of a white dwarf.
around ten times the solar mass.
the radius of a black hole.
112. Protostars
are most easily observed by the IR radiation emitted.
are stars with abnormally high proton content.
are Population I stars.
usually emit pulses observable in radio waves.
113. Stars on the lower left part of the main sequence on a HR diagram are
red giants.
blue giants.
white dwarfs.
red dwarfs.
114. The Crab Nebula is of interest because it
contains a pulsar.
surrounds the supernova SN1987A.
contains a black hole.
is in the centre of the constellation Cancer.
115. Red giants
look very large through a telescope.
have nuclear reactions in their interior.
are very hot.
are a stage in the life of our Sun.
116. The Pauli exclusion principle explains
why neutron stars collapse.
supernovae.
the solar neutrino problem.
why white dwarfs are stable.
117. Type I and II supernovae
can reoccur.
will occur in stars less massive than the Sun.
will occur in stars more massive than the Sun.
are both standard candles.
118. The final state of a star depends mainly on its
magnitude.
mass.
chemical composition.
degeneracy.
119. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
Reflection nebulae emit light from ionising hydrogen.
Emission nebulae appear blue.
Bok globules often emit infrared radiation.
Extinction nebulae can only be formed by black holes.
120. Stars in an open cluster are assumed to be
moving away from each other.
of the same mass.
of the same surface temperature.
of the same spectral type.
121. Hydrogen burning in stars
is a nuclear reaction only occurring in the most massive stars.
produces water vapour in interstellar space.
is a reaction in which hydrogen fuses with oxygen.
can occur via the proton-proton chain reaction.
122. Protostars heat up mostly due to
nuclear fission.
nuclear fusion.
radioactivity.
gravitational contraction.
123. Main sequence stars with higher luminosity than the Sun
must be red giants.
have a shorter lifetime than the Sun.
are only observed in globular clusters.
have a lower surface temperature than the Sun.
124. The triple alpha reaction is a nuclear reaction which
produces hydrogen nuclei.
only occurs in stars more massive than the Sun.
will occur in red giants.
produces helium nuclei.
125. SN1987A
was a nova which occurred in 1987.
is a faint white dwarf companion of the star SN1987.
was a star which exploded in 1987.
is a binary star found in 1987 which emitted X-rays.
126. The Chandrasekhar limit is
the maximum mass of a white dwarf.
the maximum radius of a red giant.
the radius of a black hole.
around ten times the solar mass.
127. Neutron stars
are generally thought to have a strong magnetic field.
emit a steady beam of neutrinos.
are detected by the neutrons they emit.
are prevented from collapse by electron degeneracy pressure.
128. Black holes
are the final stages of stars like the Sun.
are caused absorption of light in cold, dense nebulae.
are detected as dark clouds at the centre of galaxies.
cannot be directly observed.
Submit Quiz