Study Questions Week 13   and Week 14 Astronomy 104: Stellar Astronomy Fall 2002

Study questions from Chapter 24 

1. Discuss the major characteristics of the different types of galaxies: spiral, barred spiral, elliptical (giant and dwarf), irregular, and peculiar. Be able to visually identify each type.
2. What is a standard candle? What criteria must be met for a class of objects to be considered a standard candle?
3. What is the Local Group? What is a galaxy cluster? What is a supercluster?
4. How do we determine the masses of galaxies? What is a typical mass for spiral galaxies and giant elliptical galaxies?
5. What is dark matter?
6. Based on studies of galaxy masses, what percentage of the universe is composed of dark matter?
7. Describe Hubble’s Law in words.
8. What two observations for each of a group of galaxies are needed to determine Hubble’s Law? Explain how each observation is obtained.
9. Explain how Hubble’s Law is used to find the distance to far away galaxies.
10. What is the currently accepted value  of the Hubble constant? What is the range of values?
11. Describe the large scale structure of the universe.
12. Describe the Hubble Deep Field. What are it significant findings?
13.  What is the "distance pyramid"? Know how to use the methods of the distance pyramid.

Review and Discussion:

Ch. 24: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

Study questions from other weeks:

week 1 | week2 | week 3 | week 4 | week 5 | week 6 | week 7 | week 8 | week 9 | week 10 | week 11 | week 12 | week 13 | week 14| week 15 | week16