Started on Saturday, 28 October 2017, 1:17 PM

State Finished
Completed on Saturday, 28 October 2017, 2:47 PM
Time taken 1 hour 30 mins
Grade 92.50 out of 100.00

Question 1

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To study the distribution of interstellar atomic hydrogen (neutral hydrogen) gas in the galaxy
we would use

Select one:
A. an optical telescope and spectrograph to look for emission lines of hydrogen.

B. a radio telescope to look for radiation due to the 21 cm line of hydrogen.

C. an infrared telescope in order to penetrate the dust that obscures much of the Milky
Way.
D. A millimetre wave telescope to look for rotational lines due to hydrogen.

Feedback

B is the correct answer. Neutral atomic hydrogen is detected most easily by its 21cm radio
emission. Rotational lines in the millimetre region are only seen from molecules, and optical
emission lines are only seen where gas is heated by nearby hot stars.

The correct answer is: a radio telescope to look for radiation due to the 21 cm line of
hydrogen.

Question 2

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Question text

We believe there is a black hole at the centre of our galaxy because

Select one:
A. the region appears dark in optical images.
B. we detect bursts of gravitational radiation that appear to be due to stars being
swallowed up by the black hole.
C. we have been able to track the orbits of stars near the centre that show they are orbiting

a very massive central object.

D. theoretical models of galaxy formation require the presence of a central black hole for
a galaxy to form.

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Answer C is the correct answer. We are able to track the orbits of stars around the central
black hole. A black hole could certainly generate gravitational waves as described in answer
B, but this has not been observed, and such events are likely to be rare.

The correct answer is: we have been able to track the orbits of stars near the centre that show
they are orbiting a very massive central object.

Question 3

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Galileo used his telescope to discover the following?

[CHECK ALL THAT APPLY]

Select one or more:

A. The four largest satellites of Jupiter

B. The phases of Venus

C. The rings of Saturn
D. The elliptical orbits of the planets

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Answers A, B  are correct. The elliptical orbits of planets were discovered by Kepler, not
Galileo. The rings of Saturn were not recognised by Galileo although he could see that there
was something unusual about its apparent shape.

The correct answer is: The four largest satellites of Jupiter, The phases of Venus

Question 4

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Many large telescopes have been built on the 4200m summit of Mauna Kea in the Hawaiian
Islands because [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY]

Select one or more:

A. The high altitude means the telescopes are closer to the objects being studied and can
thus see more detail.
B. The high altitude site provides excellent "seeing" allowing sharper images to be

obtained.
C. The site is very dry, minimizing absorption of radiation by water vapour in the

atmosphere.
D. The high altitude site is above the cloud layers and so the observatory is unaffected by

clouds.

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The correct answers are B and C. The high altitude does not make the observatory
significantly nearer to astronomical objects because the altitude is negligible compared with
astronomical distances. While the site is high enough to be above some low altitude clouds, it
is still affected by high-altitude cirrus clouds and by fog forming over the mountain.

The correct answer is: The high altitude site provides excellent "seeing" allowing sharper
images to be obtained., The site is very dry, minimizing absorption of radiation by water
vapour in the atmosphere.

Question 5

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Jupiter's Moon Europa has been suggested as having a liquid water ocean beneath its icy
surface. Which of the following techniques might be used by a future spacecraft to confirm
the presence of an ocean.

[CHECK ALL THAT APPLY]

Select one or more:

A. Optical spectroscopy to look for the spectral signature of liquid water.

B. The use of radar to map the boundary between water and ice.
C. Detailed analysis of the spacecraft's orbit to determine the gravitational field of Europa

and hence constrain its internal structure.

D. X-ray observations to see through the ice and into the ocean.

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The correct answers are B and C. Ice penetrating radar and orbital analysis are techniques
proposed for future Europa missions. Optical spectroscopy is not effective for detecting
liquid water that is buried beneath ice. X-rays are also not effective in seeing through large
thicknesses of ice.

The correct answer is: The use of radar to map the boundary between water and ice., Detailed
analysis of the spacecraft's orbit to determine the gravitational field of Europa and hence
constrain its internal structure.

Question 6

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Cataclysmic variable stars are

[CHECK ALL THAT APPLY]

Select one or more:

A. commonly binary systems composed of a main sequence star and a white dwarf.
B. found in the "instability strip" in the HR diagram.
C. observed to have light variations in the form of outbursts above a general quiescent

level.
D. known to occur in a number of types, one of which is the Cepheid variables.

Feedback

A and C are the correct answers. B and D are incorrect as they refer to "pulsating variable
stars", the other main type of variable.

The correct answer is: commonly binary systems composed of a main sequence star and a
white dwarf., observed to have light variations in the form of outbursts above a general
quiescent level.

Question 7

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The NASA Galileo mission to Jupiter

[CHECK ALL THAT APPLY]

Select one or more:

A. was the first spacecraft to orbit one of the giant planets.

B. discovered the volcanoes on Jupiter's moon Io.

C. deployed a probe that entered Jupiter's atmosphere.

D. ended its mission by being crashed into Jupiter's atmosphere

Feedback

Answers A, C and D are the correct answers. Answer B is incorrect, since the volcanoes of Io
were discovered by the Voyager mission. 
The correct answer is: was the first spacecraft to orbit one of the giant planets., deployed a
probe that entered Jupiter's atmosphere., ended its mission by being crashed into Jupiter's
atmosphere

Question 8

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Enzymes are made up from a chain of chemical building blocks called

Select one:
A. nucleotides

B. amino acids
C. lipids
D. bases

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Answer B is correct. Enzymes are proteins so are composed of chains of amino acids.

The correct answer is: amino acids

Question 9

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Which of the following are structures that can be found in eukaryotic cells

Select one or more:

A. chloroplasts
 B. nuclei

C. mitochondria
D. archaea

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Answers A, B and Care correct. 

The correct answer is: chloroplasts, nuclei, mitochondria

Question 10

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Which of the following spacecraft have returned samples to Earth from other bodies in the
solar system?

[CHECK ALL THAT APPLY]

Select one or more:

A. Luna 24

B. Apollo 11
C. Viking 1

D. Stardust

Feedback

The correct answers are A, B and D. Luna 24 was a successful robotic sample return mission
to the Moon, and Stardust brought back samples of material from a comet collected by flying
through its tail. Apollo 11 performed the first manned landing on the Moon and the astronauts
collected a range of samples.

The correct answer is: Luna 24, Apollo 11, Stardust

Question 11
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You are designing a spacecraft to land on the surface of the planet Mercury. Which of the
following methods might be considered.

[CHECK ALL THAT APPLY]

Select one or more:

A. A heat shield to protect it from entry into the atmosphere

B. Rocket engines to slow the spacecraft

C. A parachute for descent
D. A "skycrane" system like that used by the Mars Curiosity rover

Feedback

Your answer is partially correct.

You have correctly selected 1.

The correct answers are B and D. Mercury has no significant atmosphere, so a heat shield and
parachute could not be used,

The correct answer is: Rocket engines to slow the spacecraft, A "skycrane" system like that
used by the Mars Curiosity rover

Question 12

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Stars in the halo of the Galaxy are generally

[CHECK ALL THAT APPLY]

Select one or more:

A. older than stars in the disk

B. bluer than stars in the disk
C. have lower velocities relative to the Sun than stars in the disk

D. contain less heavy elements than stars in the disk

Feedback

Answers A and D are correct. Halo stars are generally older than disk stars and contain less
heavy elements (metals) because they formed at a time when less of the galaxies hydrogen
had been processed into heavier elements.  Answers B and C are incorrect because halo stars
are in fact redder (because blue stars are short-lived), and have high velocities as a result of
their orbits not being confined to the plane of the galaxy.

The correct answer is: older than stars in the disk, contain less heavy elements than stars in
the disk

Question 13

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Which of the following objects are dwarf planets in the Kuiper belt?

[CHECK ALL THAT APPLY]

Select one or more:

A. Eris
B. Ceres
C. Triton

D. Pluto

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The correct answers are A and D. Pluto and Eris are dwarf planets in the Kuiper belt. Ceres is
a dwarf planet but is in the main asteroid belt, not the Kuiper belt. Triton is not a dwarf planet
because it is a satellite of Neptune and does not orbit the Sun (although in size and
composition it is a similar object to Pluto).

The correct answer is: Eris, Pluto

Question 14

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Which property is NOT shared by the different isotopes of a given element?

Select one:
A. The number of electrons
B. The atomic number
C. The number of protons

D. The atomic mass number

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Answer D is correct. The atomic number, number of protons, and number of electrons are all
the same thing and the same for all isotopes of an element. The atomic mass number changes
because different isotopes have different numbers of neutrons in the nucleus.

The correct answer is: The atomic mass number

Question 15

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A planet in an elliptical orbit about a star 

Select one:
A. moves fastest when it is furthest from the star

B. moves fastest when it is closest to the star

C. moves fastest when at its average distance from the star
D. moves at the same speed all the time

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Your answer is correct.

B is the correct answer. This is a consequence of Kepler's second law (the law of areas).

The correct answer is: moves fastest when it is closest to the star

Question 16

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The spectral lines from a star are observed to be shifted to shorter wavelengths due to the
Doppler effect. This means that

Select one:

A. The star is moving towards us

B. The star is moving away from us
C. The star is moving at right angles to the line of sight
D. The star is in a circular orbit

Feedback

Your answer is correct.

Answer A is correct. The star is moving towards us and its light is shifted to shorter
wavelengths (blue shifted)

The correct answer is: The star is moving towards us

Question 17
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If the Earth's orbit was represented in a scale model by a circle 10 metres in diameter, what
would the Sun's diameter be on the same scale?

Select one:
A. About 10 cm

B. About 5 cm
C. About 1 cm
D. About 5 mm

Feedback

The diameter of the Earth's orbit is about 300 million km. The diameter of the Sun is 1.39
million km. This comes out to 4.63 cm for the model scale, so answer B is correct.

The correct answer is: About 5 cm

Question 18

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What features in the spectrum of an extrasolar terrestrial planet might provide evidence for
life on the planet?

[CHECK ALL THAT APPLY]

Select one or more:

A. Absorption due to oxygen (produced by photosynthesis).

B. Absorption due to carbon dioxide (a product of respiration).
 C. The "red edge" at 700nm (due to vegetation)

D. Absorption due to ozone

Feedback

A, C and D are all correct answers. Answer B is incorrect since carbon dioxide is thought to
be an important component of terrestrial planet atmospheres with or without life (as in Mars
and Venus).

The correct answer is: Absorption due to oxygen (produced by photosynthesis)., The "red
edge" at 700nm (due to vegetation), Absorption due to ozone

Question 19

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If the Earth's orbit was represented in a scale model by a circle 10 metres in diameter, how far
away would the nearest star (Alpha Centauri) be on the same scale?

Select one:
A. About 12 km
B. About 160 km

C. About 1400 km
D. About 7000 km

Feedback

The diameter of the Earth's orbit is 300 million km. The distance of Alpha Centauri is 4.36
light years or 41.2 trillion km. This comes out to 1375 km if the Earth's orbital diameter is
10m, so answer C is correct.

The correct answer is: About 1400 km

Question 20

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Which of the following statements describe properties which are unique to Earth and are
NOT shared by any other solar system planets or moons.

[CHECK ALL THAT APPLY]

Select one or more:

A. It has liquid water oceans on the surface

B. It has active volcanoes
C. It is orbited by the largest moon in the solar system
D. It has a magnetic field stronger than that of any other planet in the solar system

Feedback

The only correct answer is A. While some of Jupiter's moons may have liquid water oceans
these are not at the surface. B is not correct because Io has active volcanoes. C is not correct
because several moons of Jupiter and Saturn are bigger than our Moon (though the Earth's
moon is largest relative to the size of the planet). D is not correct because Jupiter has a
stronger magnetic field than Earth.

The correct answer is: It has liquid water oceans on the surface
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