Bronze Exam

1

What is a galaxy?

A massive system of stars, gas, dust, and dark matter bound by gravity A cluster of planets orbiting a star A type of nebula inside our solar system A pattern of stars as seen from Earth

2

The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) is which type of galaxy?

Elliptical Irregular Spiral Lenticular

3

How long does the Moon take to complete one cycle of phases (new Moon to new Moon)?

About 24 days About 27 days About 29.5 days About 31 days

4

What is the Milky Way?

The band of light from our own galaxy as seen from within A distant galaxy visible only through telescopes A large nebula near the solar system A cluster of stars in Sagittarius

5

Which planet in our solar system has the most prominent ring system visible through a small telescope?

Saturn Jupiter Uranus Neptune

6

What color are the hottest stars?

Red Yellow Orange Blue-white

7

What type of object is the Pleiades (M45)?

A globular cluster A planetary nebula A galaxy An open star cluster

8

What is a meteor?

A rocky body orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter A streak of light caused by a small particle burning up in Earth's atmosphere A large rock that has landed on Earth's surface A comet visible to the naked eye

9

What is the Messier catalog?

A catalog of all known galaxies A list of the 100 brightest stars A list of 110 bright deep-sky objects compiled by Charles Messier A catalog of comets

10

What happens when you use a shorter focal length eyepiece in your telescope?

The magnification increases The field of view gets wider The image gets dimmer The image quality improves

11

What type of deep-sky object is the Orion Nebula (M42)?

A galaxy An emission/diffuse nebula A planetary nebula A globular cluster

12

What is a globular cluster?

A loose grouping of young stars A dense, spherical collection of old stars orbiting a galaxy A cluster of galaxies A group of nebulae

13

What type of telescope uses a lens as its primary light-gathering element?

Refractor Reflector Catadioptric Radio telescope

14

What does the aperture of a telescope refer to?

The length of the telescope tube The magnification power The diameter of the primary lens or mirror The field of view

15

What does the term 'seeing' refer to in amateur astronomy?

The observer's eyesight quality The atmospheric steadiness affecting image sharpness The transparency of the sky The brightness of the Moon

16

What is the Bortle scale used to measure?

Telescope aperture classes Earthquake intensity Star brightness Night sky darkness and light pollution levels

17

Which type of telescope is best suited for a beginner on a budget who wants to observe deep-sky objects?

A small refractor on an equatorial mount A Schmidt-Cassegrain A solar telescope A Dobsonian reflector

18

Which planet is closest to the Sun?

Mars Earth Venus Mercury

19

Which planet is known as the 'Red Planet'?

Venus Jupiter Saturn Mars

20

What is a solar eclipse?

When the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth When the Earth's shadow falls on the Moon When the Sun dims temporarily When a planet passes in front of the Sun