Stars, Suns, and Moons

A spherical object in space made up of Hydrogen, Helium (or other gases), and that gives off its own

light is called a

A: moon

B: planet

C: star

D: asteroid

A natural satellite of a planet is called a

A: star

B: asteroid

C: sun

D: moon

What makes our planet Earth unique for supporting life?

A: specific atmosphere

B: distance from the sun

C: rotation and tilt that allows for seasons

D: all of the above

A collection of stars that influence each other because of their

gravity is called a

A: star cluster

B: galaxy

C: nebula

D: solar system

Polaris, our north star, is unique and useful in astronomy and

navigation because

A: it is the only stationary star in our universe relative to Earth

B: it is not stationary relative to Earth

C: it is directly North of Earth

D: it appears only in winter

An astronomical unit (AU) is approximately 150 million km. Why do scientists use this measurement

in astronomy?

A: it is the diameter of Earth

B: it is the approximate average distance between Earth and our sun

C: it is the distance between Earth and our moon

D: it represents a random unit that scientists use to define an AU

A group or pattern of stars as observed from Earth is called a

A: system

B: galaxy

C: constellation

D: nebula

Why do stars have different colors?

A: they differ in size, temperature, and age

B: they are made of crystals that reflect light differently

C: they reflect different suns

D: they act as lenses for refracted light

How large is our sun?

A: 1.4 million km in diameter

B: 100 billion km in diameter

C: 10 km in diameter

D: 1 km in diameter

Our solar system is approximately twice the distance of our planet

Pluto to the sun across or

A: 80 AUs

B: 1 AU

C: 50 light years

D: 1 light year