Question 1

Why are SOHO (the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory)and the Solar DynamicsObservatory (SDO)positioned beyond Earth's magnetosphere?

Accepted Answer

To ensure that particles from ...

Question 2

How long does the sunspot cycle last, on average?

Accepted Answer

A)  between 25 and 35 days
B)  365.25 days
C)  about 7 years
D)  about 11 years
E)  about 76 years

Question 3

What are the main constituents of the solar wind? Which travel faster?

Accepted Answer

The lower mass elect...

Question 4

In the proton-proton cycle, the positron is:

Accepted Answer

A)  massless.
B)  a spin conservation particle.
C)  an anti-electron.
D)  the chief means energy reaches the photosphere.
E)  intermediate between the proton and neutron in mass.

Question 5

What is the size of a typical granule or convection cell seen in the photosphere?

Accepted Answer

A)  10,000 km
B)  1,000 km
C)  100 km
D)  10 km
E)  1 km

Question 6

The pattern of rising hot gas cells all over the photosphere is called:

Accepted Answer

A)  filaments.
B)  granulation.
C)  sunspots.
D)  convective projections.
E)  prominences.

Question 7

How would sunspots appear if you could magically remove them from the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A)  They would appear blue-white, like Sirius but brighter.
B)  Because sunspots are dark spots, they would be invisible against the blackness of space.
C)  They would shine bright orange in color, like Arcturus.
D)  They would not appear any differently than on the surface of the Sun.
E)  They would shine only with reflected sunlight, appearing similar to Venus.

Question 8

In the proton-proton cycle, two positrons are produced. What are they similar to, and how arethe different? What happens to them?

Accepted Answer

Positrons are the antiparticle to the el...

Question 9

What is it about the Sun's corona that astronomers don't understand?

Accepted Answer

A)  No one knows why that part of the Sun's atmosphere does not drift away into space.
B)  During total solar eclipses, the corona sometimes disappears from view.
C)  The corona seems to absorb 2/3 of the neutrinos that pass through it.
D)  The corona is much hotter than layers of the Sun that are closer to the solar interior.
E)  The Sun's corona extends to the outer reaches of the solar system.

Question 10

Both the gravitational and electromagnetic forces obey the inverse square law, and extendinfinitely outward in their effects.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

Visible sunspots lie in the:

Accepted Answer

A)  chromosphere.
B)  transition zone.
C)  corona.
D)  radiative zone.
E)  granulation in the photosphere.

Question 12

Why is studying the neutrino so vital to understanding the solar interior?

Accepted Answer

Alone of all the products of the proton-...

Question 13

Two pairs of sunspots appear similar, but if one photo was made in 1990, and the next photowas made in 2002, what difference would we note?

Accepted Answer

In the 12 years, the...

Question 14

The vibrations of the Sun reveal information about:

Accepted Answer

A)  the temperature of the core of the Sun.
B)  the structure of the atmosphere of the Sun.
C)  the interior structure of the Sun.
D)  the production of energy in the Sun.
E)  the magnetic field of the Sun.

Question 15

From inside out, which is in the correct order for the structure of the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A)  core, convective zone, radiative zone
B)  photosphere, radiative zone, corona
C)  radiative zone, convective zone, chromosphere
D)  core, chromosphere, photosphere
E)  convective zone, radiative zone, granulation

Question 16

Explain what the granulation of the solar surface is related to.

Accepted Answer

The surface of the Sun is highly mottled...

Question 17

Iron is observed in the Sun's ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Iron is observed in the Sun's ________....

Question 18

What do sunspots tell us about the Sun's rotation rate?

Accepted Answer

Watching and timing sunspots as they tra...

Question 19

The proton-proton chain requires a temperature of 100 million K to get started.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

The critical temperature the core must reach for a star to shine by fusion is:

Accepted Answer

A)  5,800 K.
B)  11,000 K.
C)  127,000 K.
D)  10 million K.
E)  100 million K.

Exam 16: The Sun: Our Parent Star

What do sunspots tell us about the Sun's rotation rate?

Correct AnswerverifiedWatching and timing sunspots as they tra...View AnswerShow Answer

The critical temperature the core must reach for a star to shine by fusion is:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Two pairs of sunspots appear similar, but if one photo was made in 1990, and the next photowas made in 2002, what difference would we note?

Correct AnswerverifiedIn the 12 years, the...View AnswerShow Answer

How would sunspots appear if you could magically remove them from the Sun?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Why are SOHO (the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory)and the Solar DynamicsObservatory (SDO)positioned beyond Earth's magnetosphere?

Correct AnswerverifiedTo ensure that particles from ...View AnswerShow Answer

In the proton-proton cycle, the positron is:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What is the size of a typical granule or convection cell seen in the photosphere?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What is it about the Sun's corona that astronomers don't understand?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

How long does the sunspot cycle last, on average?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The proton-proton chain requires a temperature of 100 million K to get started.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

From inside out, which is in the correct order for the structure of the Sun?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Why is studying the neutrino so vital to understanding the solar interior?

Correct AnswerverifiedAlone of all the products of the proton-...View AnswerShow Answer

In the proton-proton cycle, two positrons are produced. What are they similar to, and how arethe different? What happens to them?

Correct AnswerverifiedPositrons are the antiparticle to the el...View AnswerShow Answer

Visible sunspots lie in the:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The vibrations of the Sun reveal information about:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Both the gravitational and electromagnetic forces obey the inverse square law, and extendinfinitely outward in their effects.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Explain what the granulation of the solar surface is related to.

Correct AnswerverifiedThe surface of the Sun is highly mottled...View AnswerShow Answer

Iron is observed in the Sun's ________.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The pattern of rising hot gas cells all over the photosphere is called:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What are the main constituents of the solar wind? Which travel faster?

Correct AnswerverifiedThe lower mass elect...View AnswerShow Answer

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Watching and timing sunspots as they tra...
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In the 12 years, the...
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To ensure that particles from ...
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Alone of all the products of the proton-...
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Positrons are the antiparticle to the el...
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The surface of the Sun is highly mottled...
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The lower mass elect...
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