Julian Date: 24591160.16
2020-2021: XL
THE DAILY ASTRONOMER
Friday, November 6, 2020
Remote Planetarium 119: Week 26 Astronomy/Mythology Quiz
1. Observations of _______________ variables enable astronomers to measure the distances to nearby galaxies.
a. Algol
b. Cepheid
c. T-Tauri
d. none of the above
2. According to the Hubble law, the greater a galaxy's distance, the __________________.
a. brighter the galaxy will appear
b. more massive the galaxy will be
c. the greater its recession velocity will be.
d. all of the above
3. When a galaxy is moving away from an observer, its light is said to be ____________ shifted.
a. red
b. blue
c. indigo
d. violet
4. Why did Aphrodite hate Psyche?
a. Because people were worshipping Psyche instead of Aphrodite
b. Because Psyche did not sacrifice a white bull to her
c. Because Psyche stole her girdle
d. Because Psyche seduced Ares, the god of war
5. What was unusual about the servants at the palace where Psyche was delivered by Zephyrus?
a. they were all dwarfs
b. they were all giants
c. they were all invisible.
d. they all looked like Psyche
6. The Milky Way Galaxy is approximately _________________ more massive than the Sun.
a. 600 billion
b. 900 billion
d.1.5 trillion
d. 37 trillion
7. Astronomers can measure a galaxy's mass by first measuring _____________________.
a. the velocities of the stars within the galaxy
b. the density of stars within 100 light years of Earth
c. the temperatures of the stars within 100 light years of Earth
d. the galaxy's age
8. The supermassive black hole at the galaxy's center is approximately _____________ times more massive than the Sun.
a. 1 million
b. 2 million
c. 3 million
d. 4 million
9. How did Psyche manage to collect enough golden fleece from the flock of savage rams?
a. she gave them all cakes that made them fall asleep
b. the rams left a lot of their fleece along the hedges as they rubbed against them
c. she slew all of them with Excalibur
d. an eagle swooped down to collect the fleece for her.
10. Persephone gave Psyche a small box containing ________________.
a. Cerberus' teeth
b. sorcery that would restore beauty
c. water from the River Styx
d. the sweetest wine in the world
11. The Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect causes the _____________________ to shift wavelengths when it passes through the hot gases within galaxy clusters.
a. Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation
b. red light in galaxies
c. blue light in galaxies
d. none of the above
12. The phenomenon that causes distant light to be bent and focused around foreground objects is known as _______________________
a. red shift
b. gravitational lensing
c. blue shift
d. the Sunyaey-Zel'dovich effect
13. What is the name of our home galactic supercluster?
a. Coma
b. Leo
c. Virgo
d. Horologium
14. After her abduction by Boreas, Orithyia became the goddess of ________________.
a. southwest winds
b. cold mountain winds
c. aethereal winds
d. hyperborean winds
15. Why did Socrates not want to bother about determining if the old mythological tales were valid?
a. because he was convinced they were true
b. because he was convinced they were false
c. because he didn't even know himself and thought it was pointless to concern himself with such matters.
d. both a and b.
16. ___________________ is the closest thing to a dark galaxy astronomers have yet found.
a. Capricornus Dwarf
b. Dragonfly 44
c. The Andromeda Galaxy
d. The Sombrero Galaxy
17. If you were in a vessel moving toward a black hole, how would time pass for you?
a. you and everything around you would be moving very slowly
b. you and everything around you would be moving very quickly
c. you would notice time passing as usual
d. you would experience no time at all
18. Which of the following statements about parallel Universes COULD be true?
a. they might be inaccessible to us
b. the laws of physics might be profoundly different
c. life might not exist in them
d. all of the above
e. none of the above
19. Hera transformed Callisto into a ____________- because she attracted the attention of her husband Zeus.
a. swan
b. duck
c. dog
d. bear
20. Callisto and her son Arcas became the constellations _______________ and ______________.
a. Ursa Major; Ursa Minor
b. Canis Major; Canis Minor
c. Leo; Leo Minor
d. Aquila; Vulpecula
ANSWERS
1. Observations of _______________ variables enable astronomers to measure the distances to nearby galaxies.
b. Cepheid
A Cepheid variable's luminosity determines its variability period. The longer the period, the more luminous the variable star. By observing a Cepheid's variability period, an astronomer can determine its intrinsic brightness (absolute magnitude). The Cepheid's distance is then determined by comparing its absolute magnitude with its apparent magnitude.
2. According to the Hubble law, the greater a galaxy's distance, the __________________.
c. the greater its recession velocity will be.
This direct relation enables astronomers to determine the distances of distant galaxies. A galaxy's recession velocity yields information about its distance. The more distant the galaxy, the greater its recession velocity will be.
3. When a galaxy is moving away from an observer, its light is said to be ____________ shifted.
a. red
When a galaxy is moving away from an observer, its light waves are elongated. The wavelength increases, which decreases the frequency. The light shifts toward the lower frequency region, which, in the visible spectrum, is toward the red end.
4. Why did Aphrodite hate Psyche?
a. Because people were worshipping Psyche instead of Aphrodite
Although poor Psyche wasn't trying to be worshipped, she was so beautiful that many of Aphrodite's followers started to worship her instead of the love goddess. Aphrodite's temples fell into ruin, much to the goddess' chagin.
5. What was unusual about the servants at the palace where Psyche was delivered by Zephyrus?
c. they were all invisible.
Although the servants were perfectly friendly, they were all unseen. Nobody in the palace was visible except, of course, Psyche.
6. The Milky Way Galaxy is approximately _________________ more massive than the Sun.
d.1.5 trillion
According to the most recent estimates, the Milky Way Galaxy is 1.5 trillion times more massive than the Sun. This mass includes all the stars, planets, gases and even the supermassive black hole within the galactic nucleus.
7. Astronomers can measure a galaxy's mass by first measuring _____________________.
a. the velocities of the stars within the galaxy
The more massive the galaxy, the greater the velocities of the stars within that galaxy. By measuring these speeds, astronomers can determine the mass of the stars' host galaxy.
8. The supermassive black hole at the galaxy's center is approximately _____________ times more massive than the Sun.
d. 4 million
Astronomers can measure this black hole's mass by measuring the speeds of the stars surrounding it.
9. How did Psyche manage to collect enough golden fleece from the flock of savage rams?
b. the rams left a lot of their fleece along the hedges as they rubbed against them
Fortunately, Psyche didn't need to approach any of those fearsome animals to collect the fleece. She just needed to pick the fleece off the hedges to collect enough of it.
10. Persephone gave Psyche a small box containing ________________.
b. sorcery that would restore beauty
And that sorcery was simply sleep. When Psyche opened the box she lapsed into a deep sleep.
11. The Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect causes the _____________________ to shift wavelengths when it passes through the hot gases within galaxy clusters.
a. Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation
This effect enables astronomers to determine the mass of a galaxy cluster.
12. The phenomenon that causes distant light to be bent and focused around foreground objects is known as _______________________
b. gravitational lensing
The distant light is bent around the foreground object's space-time curvature. The amount of material determines the extent of this lensing effect. The mass of galaxy clusters can be approximated by analysis of this lensing.
13. What is the name of our home galactic supercluster?
c. Virgo
Just making sure you remember!
14. After her abduction by Boreas, Orithyia became the goddess of ________________.
b. cold mountain winds
Orithyia resisted Boreas' attempts at seduction. Eventually, Boreas assumed the form of a dark cloud and abducted her. Once they became married, Orithyia became the goddess of cold mountain winds.
15. Why did Socrates not want to bother about determining if the old mythological tales were valid?
c. because he didn't even know himself and thought it was pointless to concern himself with such matters.
16. ___________________ is the closest thing to a dark galaxy astronomers have yet found.
b. Dragonfly 44
Almost as massive as the Milky Way Galaxy, Dragonfly 44 contains no discernible stars and might consist entirely (or almost entirely) of dark matter.
17. If you were in a vessel moving toward a black hole, how would time pass for you?
c. you would notice time passing as usual
Yes! You would notice time passing as though you were at rest. A stationary observer watching you from a distance would see you slow down and never actually reach the event horizon.
18. Which of the following statements about parallel Universes COULD be true?
d. all of the above
Parallel universes are likely inaccessible and could well be completely different, from the physical laws governing them to their duration. They might be devoid of life entirely, as well. As of now, we have no idea if they even exist, let alone anything about them.
19. Hera transformed Callisto into a ____________- because she attracted the attention of her husband Zeus.
d. bear
Cruelly, Callisto retained the mind and soul of a human being even after her transformation.
20. Callisto and her son Arcas became the constellations _______________ and ______________.
a. Ursa Major; Ursa Minor
In our sky, these two constellations are circumpolar* and so will always remain in the night sky. Mythologically, Hera persuaded Poseidon to not allow the two constellations to wash in the ocean, so they are prohibited from ever setting.
*The southern stars in Ursa Major do set at the mid northern latitudes.
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