ASP MCQ 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which type of telescope uses a parabolic mirror as its primary optical element?
- Refractor
- Reflector (Correct answer)
- Schmidt-Cassegrain
- Apochromat
Correct answer: Reflector
Reflector telescopes use a parabolic primary mirror to focus incoming light without chromatic aberration.
Question 2: What is the approximate distance from Earth to the nearest star system, Alpha Centauri?
- 1.3 light-years
- 4.2 light-years (Correct answer)
- 8.6 light-years
- 11.0 light-years
Correct answer: 4.2 light-years
Alpha Centauri is approximately 4.2 light-years from Earth, making it the closest stellar system to our solar system.
Question 3: Which layer of the Sun is responsible for the sunspots visible from Earth?
- Corona
- Chromosphere
- Photosphere (Correct answer)
- Radiative zone
Correct answer: Photosphere
Sunspots appear on the photosphere, the visible surface layer of the Sun, as cooler, magnetically active regions.
Question 4: What does the Hertzsprung-Russell (H-R) diagram primarily plot?
- Mass vs. radius
- Luminosity vs. temperature (Correct answer)
- Distance vs. velocity
- Age vs. composition
Correct answer: Luminosity vs. temperature
The H-R diagram plots stellar luminosity on the y-axis against surface temperature (or spectral class) on the x-axis.
Question 5: Which phenomenon causes a star's spectral lines to shift toward longer wavelengths when it moves away from us?
- Blueshift
- Redshift (Correct answer)
- Gravitational lensing
- Parallax
Correct answer: Redshift
Redshift occurs when a source moves away from the observer, stretching light waves to longer (redder) wavelengths due to the Doppler effect.
Question 6: What is the main sequence on the H-R diagram?
- A band of stars fusing hydrogen in their cores (Correct answer)
- A sequence of red giant stars
- A group of white dwarf remnants
- A series of neutron star candidates
Correct answer: A band of stars fusing hydrogen in their cores
Main sequence stars are in the stable phase of hydrogen fusion in their cores, forming a diagonal band on the H-R diagram.
Question 7: What is the term for the point in Earth's orbit when it is closest to the Sun?
- Aphelion
- Perihelion (Correct answer)
- Solstice
- Equinox
Correct answer: Perihelion
Perihelion is the point in Earth's elliptical orbit where it is nearest to the Sun, occurring around January 3rd each year.
ASP MCQ 2
Which type of telescope uses a parabolic mirror as its primary optical element?