1. When you look at distant stars, you see them how? a. as they were in the past b. as they are at the present time c. as they will be in the future d. no stars can be seen 2. Suppose a star’s light would take 800 years to reach us but the star has only been shining for 300 years. Can we see the star? a. yes, the star’s light reached us 500 years ago b. yes, the star’s light reached us 300 years ago c. no, the starlight is still traveling toward us d. yes, starlight travels infinitely fast 3. Suppose a star exploded 900 years ago. Also, suppose that the star’s light took 400 years to reach the Earth. When did astronomers here on Earth see the explosion? a. 400 years ago b. 500 years ago c. 900 years ago d. 1,300 years ago 4. Suppose a star’s light takes 800 years to reach us and the star exploded 300 years ago. What is true? a. we will see the explosion in another 300 years b. we saw the explosion 500 years ago c. we saw the explosion 300 years ago d. we will see the explosion in another 500 years 5. “Asterism” relates to “constellation figure” the same way that steering wheel relates to what? a. skateboard b. windshield c. hand d. car 6. A constellation named the “half–man–half–bull” would have been invented when? a. in the modern, scientific era b. in ancient times, thousands of years ago c. constellations do not have names d. no way to know 7. What objects have a random arrangement? a. fixed chairs in the LMC planetarium b. stars in the American flag c. stars in the night sky d. holes in the blue wall panels of the planetarium 8. The word ending “icide” means “killer,” as in “pesticide.” So, what does “astericide” mean? a. star killer b. light killer c. planet killer d. night killer EARTH REVOLUTION 9. How do we say that a fire fighter airplane flies around a forest fire in a big, closed, oval–shaped path? a. airplane rotates around the forest fire b. airplane revolves around the forest fire c. airplane precesses around the forest fire d. airplane librates around the forest fire 10. What object revolves around what other object? a. Earth revolves around the Sun b. Sun revolves around the Earth c. Earth revolves around the Moon d. Earth revolves on its own axis 11. The Earth revolving is like what? a. basketball bouncing up and down b. basketball spinning on the tip of a finger c. punching bag swinging back and forth d. toy train going around a little, oval track Use this diagram to answer questions 12, 13, and 14. The proportions in the diagram are exaggerated for clarity. The picture is a top view looking down onto the Earth’s north pole from above. X Sun Earth Y 12. At the position shown above, the Earth is just about to move through what position? a. perihelion b. apogee c. aphelion d. perigee 13. If the Earth starts at perihelion, then the Earth will be at position X in how long? a. 3 months b. 6 months c. 9 months d. 3 weeks 14. ...

1. 1. When you look at distant stars, you see them how?
a. as they were in the past b. as they are at the
present time
c. as they will be in the future d. no stars can
be seen
2. Suppose a star’s light would take 800 years to reach
us but the star has only been shining for 300 years. Can we see
the star?
a. yes, the star’s light reached us 500 years ago b.
yes, the star’s light reached us 300 years ago
c. no, the starlight is still traveling toward us d.
yes, starlight travels infinitely fast
3. Suppose a star exploded 900 years ago. Also, suppose
that the star’s light took 400 years to reach the Earth. When did
astronomers here on Earth see the explosion?
a. 400 years ago b. 500 years ago
c. 900 years ago d. 1,300 years ago
4. Suppose a star’s light takes 800 years to reach us and
the star exploded 300 years ago. What is true?
a. we will see the explosion in another 300 years b.
we saw the explosion 500 years ago
c. we saw the explosion 300 years ago d. we will
see the explosion in another 500 years
5. “Asterism” relates to “constellation figure” the same
way that steering wheel relates to what?
a. skateboard b. windshield
c. hand d. car
6. A constellation named the “half–man–half–bull”
would have been invented when?

2. a. in the modern, scientific era b. in ancient
times, thousands of years ago
c. constellations do not have names d. no way
to know
7. What objects have a random arrangement?
a. fixed chairs in the LMC planetarium b.
stars in the American flag
c. stars in the night sky d. holes in the blue
wall panels of the planetarium
8. The word ending “icide” means “killer,” as in
“pesticide.” So, what does “astericide” mean?
a. star killer b. light killer
c. planet killer d. night killer
EARTH REVOLUTION
9. How do we say that a fire fighter airplane flies
around a forest fire in a big, closed, oval–shaped path?
a. airplane rotates around the forest fire b.
airplane revolves around the forest fire
c. airplane precesses around the forest fire d.
airplane librates around the forest fire
10. What object revolves around what other object?
a. Earth revolves around the Sun b. Sun revolves
around the Earth
c. Earth revolves around the Moon d. Earth
revolves on its own axis
11. The Earth revolving is like what?
a. basketball bouncing up and down b.
basketball spinning on the tip of a finger

3. c. punching bag swinging back and forth d.
toy train going around a little, oval track
Use this diagram to answer questions 12, 13, and 14.
The proportions in the diagram are exaggerated for clarity. The
picture is a top view looking down onto the Earth’s north pole
from above.
X
Sun
Earth
Y
12. At the position shown above, the Earth is just about
to move through what position?
a. perihelion b. apogee
c. aphelion d. perigee
13. If the Earth starts at perihelion, then the Earth will be
at position X in how long?
a. 3 months b. 6 months
c. 9 months d. 3 weeks
14. The Earth is at what position on its orbit every year
in July?
a. at position X b. at its closest position to the
Sun
c. no one knows d. at its farthest position from

4. the Sun
15. What causes nearly vertical, direct sunlight to shine
down onto the ground in our northern hemisphere in the summer
each year?
a. Earth’s north pole tilts toward the Sun b.
Earth’s north pole tilts way from the Sun
c. Earth is at perihelion d. Earth is at its
closest position to the Sun
MOON’S REVOLUTION
Use this diagram to answer questions 16 and 17. The
proportions in the diagram are exaggerated for clarity. The
picture is a top view looking down onto the Earth’s north pole
from above.
X
Moon
Earth sunlight
Y
16. If the Moon starts at apogee on its orbit, then how
long does it take to get to position Y?
a. 1 week b. 3 weeks
c. 2 weeks d. 1 month

5. 17. If the Moon starts at position X on its orbit, then one
week later, the Moon is where?
a. position Y b. apogee
c. aphelion d. perigee
Use this picture of a waning crescent Moon to answer
question 18.
18. Which curved edge of the phase is the terminator?
a. right edge b. left edge
c. there is no terminator d. no way to know
Use this picture of a first quarter Moon to answer
question 19.
19. Which edge of the phase is the limb?
a. there is no limb b. no way to know
c. right edge d. left edge
20. In terms of what orbits what, the Earth relates to the

6. Sun the same way that the Moon relates to what?
a. Sun b. Earth
c. itselfd. Jupiter
21. What is the Moon’s limb?
a. boundary line between light and dark b.
sharp points at the ends of a crescent
c. Moon’s horizon against the background sky d.
circle that divides north from south
22. What is the Moon’s terminator?
a. boundary line between light and dark b.
sharp points at the ends of a crescent
c. Moon’s horizon against the background sky d.
circle that divides north from south
23. In a crescent Moon like the phase that is shown for
question 18 above, what is the name for the sharp points at the
top and bottom of the crescent shape?
a. terminators b. limbs
c. cusps d. vertices
Continued
Use this picture of a waxing crescent Moon to answer

7. questions 24 and 25. The spots are background stars.
U
Y
W
V X
Z
24. Could star W ever really be seen where it is shown in
the picture?
a. no b. yes
c. only if it were summer d. no way to know
25. Which star could never really be seen where it is
shown in the picture?
a. star Z b. star W
c. star Y d. star X
SCIENTIFIC PROCESS
26. A meteorologist who looks at dark red clouds at
sunset in the Mohave desert is an example of what step of the
scientific process?
a. classification b. observation
c. generalization d. explanation
27. Suppose a meteorologist says, “We could measure
dust in the air during a dark red cloud at sunset.” This statement
represents what step of the scientific process?
a. classification b. prediction
c. observation d. proposition
28. Suppose a meteorologist says, “Pretty much all the

8. dark red clouds happen about a week after a volcano erupts
somewhere across the Pacific.” This statement represents what
step of the scientific process?
a. generalization b. observation
c. classification d. explanation
29. Suppose a meteorologist says, “This is due to comet
dust; but, there is no way to detect comet dust, so there is
nothing that you can predict from it.” What is wrong with this
explanation?
a. it is supernatural b. does not allow a
prediction
c. it is not simple d. there is nothing wrong with
it
30. What is true about the observation step of the
scientific process for all scientists, not just astronomers?
a. scientists use all of their five senses b.
scientists are not allowed to use any tools
c. scientists are only allowed to use their eyes d.
scientists only look through microscopes
31. Which of the following is the least certain, most
speculative kind of explanation?
a. model b. hypothesis
c. theory d. natural law
32. What is true about the cycle of the scientific process?
a. prediction is the last step and then you stop b.
prediction comes right after observation
c. you go through the cycle once and then you stop
d. prediction is followed by observation
LIGHT
33. The brightness of a light wave is caused by the

9. wave’s what?
a. wavelength b. polarization angle
c. amplitude d. speed
Here is a reference list of different light waves.
Taller = brighter
Shorter wavelength V I B G Y O R
Longer wavelength
Gamma ray X–ray Ultraviolet Visible
Infrared Microwave Radio wave
Lower = dimmer
34. Suppose you start with a blue light wave and you
make it taller in height and longer in wavelength. The light
wave becomes what?
a. dimmer indigo b. brighter indigo
c. dimmer green d. brighter green
35. Imagine that you could not see violet light waves but
you could see infrared light waves. What would be the middle
of your new, hypothetical visible spectrum?
a. yellow b. blue
c. ultraviolet d. red
36. What change do you carry out on a violet light wave
in order to make it disappear from view?
a. reflect it off a mirror b. make it taller in
amplitude
c. make it shorter in wavelength d. make it
longer in wavelength

10. 37. Suppose just for this question only that you could see
every kind of light wave from gamma ray to radio wave.
Imagine you start with an ultraviolet light wave and you make it
taller in height and shorter in wavelength. The ultraviolet light
wave changes into what?
a. brighter X–ray b. brighter violet
c. dimmer X–ray d. dimmer violet
38. What is a light wave’s amplitude?
a. its length, how stretched from left to right it is
b. its speed, how fast it goes
c. its height, how tall it is d. its direction, what
path it follows
39. What happens to a light wave when you make it taller
in height?
a. it becomes dimmer b. it becomes brighter
c. it travels faster d. it changes color
40. What is a visible spectrum?
a. spectrum made of X–ray and ultraviolet light b.
light path through a lens
c. spectrum made of infrared and microwave light
d. rainbow
41. Why do we say that astronomers do not discriminate
against any kind of light?
a. they never use visible light waves b. they
never use any invisible light waves
c. they use all parts of the complete light spectrum
d. they never use any kind of light
TELESCOPES
42. When it comes to light rays and lenses, what is the
word that means, “bend?”

11. a. absorb b. diffract
c. interfere d. refract
43. What part of a refracting telescope collects light from
an object and makes a small image?
a. objective lens b. eyepiece
c. primary mirror d. secondary mirror
Continued
44. Here are two views of an asteroid seen with two
different telescopes. Telescope 2 has more of which power?
Telescope 1 Telescope 2
(dim)
a. magnifying power b. light–gathering power
c. diffracting power d. telescopes have no
powers
45. In telescopes, what causes the problem of spherical
aberration?
a. lens glass absorbs too much light b. lens
glass has bubbles in it

12. c. lens sags under its own weight d. lens surfaces
are shaped incorrectly
46. In telescopes, what problem happens when a lens’
glass has bubbles in it?
a. spherical aberration b. unwanted refraction
c. gravitational flexing d. extinction
47. Suppose a computer–driven grinding machine is
polishing and shaping a lens’ surfaces. If the machine suddenly
gets out of adjustment and malfunctions, then what problem
does this cause?
a. unwanted refraction b. extinction
c. spherical aberration d. gravitational flexing
48. An analogy would be “refract” relates to “light ray”
the same way that what word relates to “paper clip?”
a. bend b. break into two pieces
c. drop d. melt
49. What happens when you focus light rays?
a. you eliminate all but one of the rays b.
you make each ray split into two new rays
c. the rays come together at one point d. the rays
all travel parallel to each other
50. With light rays, what is the name for a point where all
the rays come together?
a. vanishing pointb. dispersion point
c. diffraction point d. focal point
SOLAR SYSTEM INVENTORY
51. With regard to size, “planet” relates to “planetoid”
the same way that “mansion” relates to what?
a. dog house b. city

13. c. neighborhood d. national park
Continued
Use this Venn Diagram to answer questions 52 and
53.
Made of rock
T
U W
V

14. X Z
Y
City–sized Made of snow
52. Where on the diagram would a comet be placed?
a. area U b. area W
c. area Y d. area T
53. Where on the diagram would a rock moonlet be
placed?
a. area U b. area T
c. area X d. area Y
Use this concept table to answer questions 54 and 55.
This table deals with a planet, moon, planetoid, and
moonlet. You sort those four objects onto the table.
Smaller Bigger
Orbits a planet W X
Orbits the Sun Y Z
54. Where on the table would a moon be placed?
a. area W b. area Z

15. c. area Y d. area X
55. Where on the table would a moonlet be placed?
a. area Y b. area W
c. area Z d. area X
56. What describes hydrogen gas?
a. one of the substances at the Earth’s core b.
the only substance in interplanetary space
c. one of the substances in interplanetary space d.
one of the substances in Pluto’s atmosphere
57. What word sums up the Sun in comparison to other
stars?
a. ordinary b. the biggest
c. the hottest d. the most luminous
58. What bodies are both city–sized?
a. comets and moonlets b. asteroids and
large moons
c. planetoids and dwarf planets d. planetoids
and small moons
SOLAR SYSTEM PLANETS
59. Besides Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris, what is
the remaining dwarf planet?
a. Arcturus b. Aldebaran
c. Procyon d. Ceres
60. What is true about the closest planet to the Sun?
a. it is the hottest planet b. it is not the
hottest planet
c. it is the biggest planet d. it is the slowest

16. planet in its revolution
61. What describes Mars?
a. blue b. hottest
c. red d. biggest
This diagram shows the Sun along with the first four
planets from the Sun and their orbits. The path of a space probe
is also shown. Use this picture to answer question 62.
Sun
space probe path
62. The planets lie along the space probe path in what
order?
a. Earth, Mars, Mercury, Venus b. Earth,
Mercury, Mars, Venus
c. Earth, Venus, Mercury, Mars d. Earth, Mars,
Venus, Mercury
63. Which planet is closer to the Sun, Saturn or Neptune?

17. a. Neptune is closer b. both are equally far
c. Saturn is closer d. neither planet’s
distance is known
64. Which planet is the Goldilocks planet because it is
not too hot or too cold to have liquid water?
a. Mars b. Earth
c. Venus d. Mercury
Use this Venn Diagram to answer questions 65 and
66.
Dwarf planets
T
U W
V
X Z
Y

18. Jovian Planets Terrestrial
Planets
65. Where on the diagram would the property of having
many moons be placed?
a. area Y b. area U
c. area Z d. area X
66. Where on the diagram would the property of having
slow rotations be placed?
a. area W b. area U
c. area Y d. area Z only
Use this concept table to answer questions 67 and 68.
Few moons Many moons
Dwarf size W X
Medium or giant size Y Z
67. Where on the table would Uranus go?
a. area W b. area X
c. area Y d. area Z
68. Where on the table would Mars go?
a. area Z b. area Y
c. area X d. area W

19. EXTRASOLAR PLANETS
69. What does “extravehicular” mean?
a. an additional vehicle b. inside a vehicle
c. outside a vehicle d. larger than a vehicle
70. There are how many stars in our Galaxy?
a. 200 billion b. 200 million
c. 200 thousand d. 200
Suppose you look at one specific color in a star’s
light and you observe that the color varies as follows.
January 1 green
January 3 yellow
January 5 orange
January 7 red
January 9 orange
January 11 yellow
January 13 green
January 15 yellow
January 17 orange
January 19 orange
January 21 orange
January 23 yellow
January 25 green
January 27 yellow
January 29 orange
January 31 red
71. For the planet that orbits around the star, what is the
planet’s orbital period?

20. a. 30 days b. 2 days
c. 12 days d. 24 days
72. Between January 1 and January 31, how many times
does the planet orbit around the star?
a. 2 1/2 times b. 2 times
c. 3 times d. 30 times
Use this graph of brightness vs. time for a star to
answer questions 73 and 74.
Star brightness
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11
Hours
73. Does this star have a planet in this example?
a. no way to know b. no
c. graphing brightness cannot detect planets d.
yes
74. The star is how many times as big as its planet in this

21. example?
a. 8 times as big b. 4 times as big
c. 3 times as big d. the star does not have a
planet
75. Suppose you look up into the night sky and you see
80 stars. Of those 80 stars, how many stars are actually alien
solar systems with their own planets?
a. 1 star has planets b. 79 stars have planets
c. 40 stars have planets d. 80 stars have
planets
STAR DISTANCES
76. To find a star’s distance, you would observe the star
in April, and then in what month? NOTE: When we say
“distance,” we mean distance from the Earth.
a. later in the same April b. October
c. one year later in April d. May
77. If a star has a smaller parallax shift, then does it have
a smaller or a larger distance from the Earth?
a. no way to know b. smaller distance
c. any parallax shift would mean the same distance
d. larger distance
Use this table of stars and their parallaxes to answer
question 78. NOTE: “arcsec” is the unit of parallax.
Star Parallax (arcsec)
S 0.50
T 0.30
U 0.80
V 0.70

22. 78. Which star in the table is the second closest to the
Earth?
a. star V b. star S
c. star U d. star T
Continued
Here are two views of four stars seen through a telescope six
months apart. The two views are from the ground looking up
into the sky. Remember that parallax shifts for nearby stars are

23. directly to the right. Use these telescope views to answer
questions 79 and 80.
K
L
M
N
First night Six months later
79. Of the four stars above, which star is the closest to
the Earth?
a. star K b. star N
c. star L d. star M
80. Between star L and star M, which star is closer to the
Earth?
a. no way to know b. star L
c. star M d. parallax shifts do not tell star
distances

24. Use this table of stars and their parallaxes to answer
question 81.
Star Parallax (arcsec)
E 0.50
F 0.10
J 0.70
K 0.20
81. Which star in the table is the second farthest away
from the Earth?
a. star E b. star F
c. star J d. star K
Continued
STAR PROPERTIES
Use this table of stars and their apparent magnitudes
to answer questions 82 and 83.
Star Apparent Magnitude

25. E 8
F 1
G 5
H 3
J 6
82. Which star in the table appears the second brightest
to us when we see it in the sky?
a. star J b. star G
c. star H d. star E
83. What star in the table appears 2.5 times as bright as
which other star?
a. star G appears 2.5 times as bright as star F b.
star E appears 2.5 times as bright as star H
c. star J appears 2.5 times as bright as star H d.
star G appears 2.5 times as bright as star J
Use this table of stars and their magnitudes, both
apparent and absolute, to answer questions 84 and 85.
Apparent Absolute.
Star Magnitude Magnitude
V 9 7
W 4 1
X 1 3
Y 6 10
Z 2 5
84. Which star in the table appears the brightest in the
sky to us when we see it?
a. star W b. star X
c. star V d. star Y
85. Which star in the table is actually the dimmest in

26. reality, i.e., the least luminous?
a. star X b. star W
c. star Y d. star V
Here are two line spectra for two stars. Use these line
spectra to answer questions 86 and 87.
Star S
Star T
86. What do the line spectra show about the stars’
temperatures?
a. the stars have the same temperature b. the
stars are different temperatures
c. the stars have no temperatures d. line spectra
do not tell star temperatures
87. What do the line spectra show about the stars’ sizes?
a. star S is bigger b. both stars are the same size
c. star T is bigger d. line spectra do not tell star
sizes
GALAXIES
88. What kind of galaxy is oval–shaped?
a. irregular b. lenticular
c. elliptical d. spiral
89. What kind of galaxy has two lines of stars that wind
out from the middle?
a. irregular b. spiral

27. c. elliptical d. lenticular
90. If you took a spiral galaxy and then you scrambled up
its shape into a formless blob with no describable pattern, then
what kind of galaxy would you have?
a. SBa b. E0
c. S0 d. Irr
91. What kind of galaxy is this? This is a direct top view,
not a view seen from the side or at an angle.
a. Sa b. SBa
c. SBc d. S0
92. What is our home in the Universe?
a. Andromeda Galaxy b. Whirlpool Galaxy
c. Milky Way Galaxy d. Pinwheel Galaxy
HUBBLE LAW
Use this table of galaxies and their redshifts to
answer question 93. NOTE; “A” is the unit for redshift.
Galaxy Redshift
W 600 A
X 100 A
Y 800 A
Z 400 A
93. Which galaxy in the table has the fastest recessional

28. speed?
a. galaxy Y b. galaxy X
c. galaxy W d. galaxy Z
Use this table of galaxies and their recession speeds
to answer question 94. NOTE: “km/sec” is the unit for a
galaxy’s recession speed.
Galaxy Recession Speed (km/sec)
R 70
S 20
T 90
U 40
94. Which galaxy in the table is the farthest from the
Earth?
a. galaxy R b. galaxy U
c. galaxy S d. galaxy T
Continued
The sequence of colors of the visible spectrum is
Shorter wavelength
Longer wavelength
violet indigo blue green yellow
orange red
95. Suppose you have two identical galaxies called S and
T with the same actual color of indigo.
Galaxy S has a recession speed of 30 km/sec and
appears yellow.
Galaxy T has a recession speed of 40 km/sec and
appears what color?

29. a. yellow b. green
c. orange d. blue
96. How do astronomers describe the phenomenon where
all the distant galaxies are receding from us?
a. the galaxies are each expanding b. the
Universe is expanding
c. all the atoms in the Universe are expanding d.
the Universe is diffusing
97. What was the Big Bang?
a. a supernova b. the birth of the Sun
c. the birth of the Earth d. the birth of the
Universe
98. What would allow a soccer player to kick a ball 3
miles?
a. Earth’s dark energy became stronger b.
Earth gravity became stronger
c. Earth’s atmosphere became much thicker d.
Earth became more massive
99. What would make a soccer player unable to lift a
ball?
a. Earth’s dark energy became stronger b.
Earth’s antigravity became stronger
c. Earth’s gravity became stronger d. Earth
became less massive
100. What does dark energy do to the expansion of the
Universe?
a. dark energy has no effect on the Universe b.
make it go at a constant rate
c. makes it slow down d. makes it accelerate