Review Checklist - Sample Questions
Normal Galaxies
Types, Properties and Examples
- What are the main types of regular galaxies?
- What distinguishes spiral galaxies from elliptical
or irregular ones?
- Do spiral or elliptical galaxies have more
gas and dust?
- In what sense are elliptical galaxies "all
halo"?
- Which galaxies are more common in our part
of the universe?
- What types of galaxies are the smallest ones?
- How can we find out the mass of a galaxy?
- Is there matter in the universe that we don't
see? What evidence do we have?
- Name two examples of spiral galaxies.
- Name two examples of irregular galaxies.
Distances and Distribution
- How do we find out how the distance to a
nearby galaxy?
- Which objects can be used as "standard
candles" to find distances to galaxies?
- What are the Magellanic Clouds?
- How far from us is the Andromeda galaxy,
M31?
- What is the local group?
- What is the Virgo cluster?
- Are galaxies arranged in any kind of pattern?
- How many galaxies are there in the part of
the universe we can see?
Motion
- Can we find out the speed of galaxies?
- What is remarkable about the motion of all
distant galaxies?
- What is Hubble's law?
- How fast do galaxies move away from us?
- What is the practical use for Hubble's law?
- How do we find out how the distance to a
faraway galaxy?
Evolution
- Why don't we see the galaxies changing?
- Do galaxies collide?
- Is the evolution of galaxies affected by
their collisions?
- Can galaxies merge?
- Can we see young galaxies?
page by luca bombelli <bombelli at olemiss.edu>,
modified 29 sep 2012