ASTRONOMY (PHYS 1306) FINAL EXAM
REVIEW UH QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
100% PASS 2026/2027
Concerning Binary Stars - ANS -one can always see both stars an optical binary, although they
are not actually orbiting each other
-are called visual if both can be seen (in a telescope) and represent true mutually orbiting stars
-they obey kepler's laws (modified by newton)
-are, along with higher multiple star systems our only source of direct stellar mass information
Which of the following characteristics can we obtain info about a star by examining only the
shape of a single spectrum line, w/out knowing which line it is (i.e. where it belongs in the
spectrum) - ANS -whether or not its atmosphere is very dense (or under high pressure)
-if the star is rapidly rotating
-if the star has a very high surface temperature
Galileo - ANS -is considered the father of modern science for his reintroduction of an
empirical philosophy in science
-was 1st to report seeing the present phases of Venus
eclipsing binaries - ANS -only occur when their mutual orbits are viewed edge on
-are generally always spectroscopic binaries as well
@2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED 1
, -can in principle also give stellar diameter information as well
-are generally identified by the shape of their light curves (i.e. their brightness) over time
Concerning stellar motion - ANS -a star's proper motion is typically measured in units of arc
seconds per year
-space motion is the actual true 3-dimensional vector velocity
-the apex is the point in the sky towards which the solar system appears to be moving
concerning stellar magnitude - ANS -a star with an apparent magnitude of 0 would appear
brighter to the eye than +5 apparent magnitude star
-a difference of 15 in absolute magnitude between 2 stars means a luminosity difference of
10^6 times
-if one knows both the luminosity and apparent magnitude of a star, the star's distance can be
calculated
The Babylonians - ANS -preserved and passed on the 24-hour day
-adopted the 7-day week
concerning telescopes - ANS -newton was one of the 1st people to figure out how to make
one using a mirror rather than a primary lens
-photographic film is no longer widely used for seeing images on large research telescopes
Which of the following stars has a hotter surface than the sun? - ANS -F1
-F9
-G1
All atoms - ANS -have at least one proton in the nucleus
@2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED 2
REVIEW UH QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
100% PASS 2026/2027
Concerning Binary Stars - ANS -one can always see both stars an optical binary, although they
are not actually orbiting each other
-are called visual if both can be seen (in a telescope) and represent true mutually orbiting stars
-they obey kepler's laws (modified by newton)
-are, along with higher multiple star systems our only source of direct stellar mass information
Which of the following characteristics can we obtain info about a star by examining only the
shape of a single spectrum line, w/out knowing which line it is (i.e. where it belongs in the
spectrum) - ANS -whether or not its atmosphere is very dense (or under high pressure)
-if the star is rapidly rotating
-if the star has a very high surface temperature
Galileo - ANS -is considered the father of modern science for his reintroduction of an
empirical philosophy in science
-was 1st to report seeing the present phases of Venus
eclipsing binaries - ANS -only occur when their mutual orbits are viewed edge on
-are generally always spectroscopic binaries as well
@2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED 1
, -can in principle also give stellar diameter information as well
-are generally identified by the shape of their light curves (i.e. their brightness) over time
Concerning stellar motion - ANS -a star's proper motion is typically measured in units of arc
seconds per year
-space motion is the actual true 3-dimensional vector velocity
-the apex is the point in the sky towards which the solar system appears to be moving
concerning stellar magnitude - ANS -a star with an apparent magnitude of 0 would appear
brighter to the eye than +5 apparent magnitude star
-a difference of 15 in absolute magnitude between 2 stars means a luminosity difference of
10^6 times
-if one knows both the luminosity and apparent magnitude of a star, the star's distance can be
calculated
The Babylonians - ANS -preserved and passed on the 24-hour day
-adopted the 7-day week
concerning telescopes - ANS -newton was one of the 1st people to figure out how to make
one using a mirror rather than a primary lens
-photographic film is no longer widely used for seeing images on large research telescopes
Which of the following stars has a hotter surface than the sun? - ANS -F1
-F9
-G1
All atoms - ANS -have at least one proton in the nucleus
@2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED 2
