AST 104 Study Guide - Quiz Guide: Harlow Shapley, Galactic Center, Parsec
Where in the galaxy would the Sun have to be in order for us to view the Milky Way
face-on (instead of a band of light circling the sky)?
a. At the edge of the disk.
b. In the halo, far away from the disk.
c. Inside the bulge, near the very center of the galaxy.
d. Inside the disk, about halfway between the center of the galaxy and the edge
of the disk.
2. Which of the following are properties of Population I stars?
a. A high proportion (1-4%) of heavy elements.
b. Almost no or very few, bright blue stars.
c. Move in very eccentric elliptical orbits.
d. Located in the disk.
3. Which of the following are properties of Population II stars?
a. Almost no or very few bright blue stars
b. Move in very circular orbits.
c. Located mostly in the halo.
d. A high proportion (1-4%) of heavy elements.
4. Match the following parts of the Milky Way Galaxy with their descriptions.
a. The Bulge
i. The dense collection of yellow stars at the center of the galaxy.
b. The Disk
i. The thin, swirling collection of gas, dust, and stars of various ages
that orbit around the galactic center.
c. The Halo
i. The diffuse scattering of old stars and globular clusters above and
below the galactic plane.
5. A Cepheid variable star is found to have a period of around 20 days and an average
apparent magnitude of m = −5. How far away is this star?
a. 10 parsecs
b. 100 parsecs
c. 1000 parsecs
d. 1 parsec
6. How did Harlow Shapley deduce the location of the center of the Milky Way Galaxy?
a. He found the center of the distribution of globular clusters.
b. He looked for the brightest spot on the Milky Way.
c. He waited for the Sun to complete one trip around the galaxy and found the
center of its orbit.
