Exploring the Cosmos - Degree Exam 2007 - Galaxies and Large Scale Structure
1. Our galaxy
is a grand design galaxy with the Solar System between a half and two thirds the way out from the centre to the visible edge of the disc.
is a grand design galaxy with the Solar System between a half and two thirds the way out from the centre to the edge of the nucleus.
is a barred spiral galaxy with the Solar System between a half and two thirds the way out towards the visible edge of the disc.
is a barred spiral galaxy with the Solar System between a half and two thirds the way out from the centre towards the edge of the nucleus.
2. A type Sb galaxy is
a barred spiral galaxy with very open arms.
a barred spiral galaxy with moderately tightly wound arms.
a barred spiral galaxy with very open arms.
a spiral galaxy with moderately tightly wound arms.
3. Globular clusters
are usually found in the discs of galaxies and contain population II stars.
are usually found in the halos of galaxies and contain population I stars.
are usually found in the discs of galaxies and contain population I stars.
are usually found in the halos of galaxies and contain population II stars.
4. Cepheid variable stars are important for distance measurements because
they emit radio waves whose frequency allows the calculation of their distance.
from their pulsation rate of their brightness, we can deduce their rotational speed.
their brightness pulsates in a well defined way that allows them to be identified and their average brightness is independent of their size.
from their pulsation rate of their brightness, we can deduce their intrinsic average brightness.
5. The inverse square law of light propagation means that a star that is half the distance of another identical star will appear to be
four times as bright as the other star.
equally as bright as the other star.
a quarter as bright as the other star.
two times as bright as the other star.
6. Population I stars in our galaxy are
typically found in regions with little new star formation and are "metal" poor.
typically found in regions with little new star formation and are "metal" rich.
typically found in regions with new star formation and are "metal" rich.
typically found in regions with new star formation and are "metal" poor.
7. Spiral galaxies are more easily seen than other types of galaxy because
they have bright O and B stars in their arms.
they are free of dust which obscures the light from stars in other galaxies.
they are much bigger than any other kind of galaxy.
they have a very large and prominent nucleus that contains bright O and B stars.
8. The Large and Small Magellanic Clouds are
dark dust clouds obscuring part of the Milky Way.
irregular galaxies close to our own galaxy.
emission nebulae in the disc of our galaxy.
reflection nebulae in Orion.
9. A "starburst" galaxy is
one with intense new star formation due to a close interaction with another galaxy.
one in which the stars are being thrown outwards, away from the centre.
one with unusually intense new star formation due to the collision of two of its spiral arms.
one in which stars are colliding.
10. The distance to very remote galaxies can be measured by
measuring the period and apparent brightness of their Cepheid variables.
measuring the apparent brightness of a type 1a supernova in them and / or measuring the red shift of the light from them.
measuring the angular size of their globular clusters and then by using trigonometry.
identifying the spectral classes of their stars and then using spectral parallax.
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