1. SN1987A was a supernova discovered in the year 1987. The "A" in the name indicates that it was the ____ supernova discovered in 1987.
   (A) brightest
   (B) bluest
   (C) loudest
   (D) first
   (E) fastest

2. The best image of the progenitor of SN1987A, as shown in the May 1987 issue of the Sky & Telescope magazine, was taken by
   (A) a graduate student in Australia.
   (B) the world reknowned author Isaac Asimov.
   (C) an amateur astronomer in Chile.
   (D) the late astronomer Carl Sagan.
   (E) your esteemed Prof. Chu.

3. SN1987A is located in the Large Magellanic Cloud which is visible only from the southern hemisphere. Which of the following emitted during the explosion of SN1987A was detected in the US?
   (A) gamma ray.
   (B) neutrino.
   (C) radio wave.
   (D) all of the above.
   (E) none of the above.

4. The rings around SN1987A
   (A) contain swept-up interstellar medium.
   (B) contain material that was ejected by the progenitor of SN1987A.
   (C) consist of material ejected by the supernova.
   (D) are caused by spherical aberration of the Hubble Space Telescope.
   (E) are optical illusion.

5. The nature of the rings around SN1987A is diagnosed by
   (A) the distribution of interstellar medium around SN1987A.
   (B) the enhanced nitrogen abundance of the rings.
   (C) its 10,000 km/s expansion velocity.
   (D) the lousy performance of the Hubble Space Telescope.
   (E) their absence at other wavelengths.

6. The pulses of a pulsar are produced by
   (A) matter periodically falling on a neutron star from an accretion disk.
   (B) periodic nuclear explosions on the surface of a neutron star.
   (C) Cepheid-like pulsations in a neutron star.
   (D) radiation beamed along a neutron star's magnetic axis that is tilted against the rotation axis.
   (E) ET phoning home from a neutron star.

7. The size of a neutron star is approximately the same as
   (A) Papa John's large pizza.
   (B) Assembly Hall.
   (C) Champaign-Urbana.
   (D) the USA.
   (E) the Earth.

8. Neutron stars spin rapidly because of
   (A) their large magnetic field.
   (B) their neutron degeneracy pressure.
   (C) conservation of angular momentum.
   (D) asymmetric stellar wind.
   (E) their small mass.

9. Which of the following can be inside the event horizon of a black hole and still be able to escape?
   (A) blackbody radiation
   (B) gamma rays
   (C) neutrinos
   (D) all of the above
   (E) none of the above

10. If the Sun were replaced by a black hole of the same mass, the Earth would
    (A) continue to orbit as it does now.
    (B) slowly spiral into the black hole.
    (C) be rapidly thrown out of the solar system.
    (D) be sucked directly into the black hole.
    (E) slowly spiral away from the black hole.

11. Approximately how large is the Galaxy?
    (A) 3,000 parsecs across.
    (B) 30,000 parsecs across.
    (C) 300,000 parsecs across.
    (D) 3,000,000 parsecs across.
    (E) 30,000,000 parsecs across.

12. The orbital velocity of the sun around the Galactic center is approximately
    (A) 2 km/s.
    (B) 20 km/s.
    (C) 200 km/s.
    (D) 2,000 km/s.
    (E) 2,000,000 km/s.

13. Where is the sun's position in the Galaxy?
    (A) in the bulge
    (B) in the halo, 3kpc above the Galactic plane
    (C) in the disk, 2/3 from the center
    (D) at the outer edge of the disk
    (E) in the center of the Galaxy

14. In the disk of the Galaxy, what can be found?
    (A) open clusters.
    (B) O and B stars.
    (C) atomic hydrogen clouds.
    (D) emission nebulae.
    (E) all of the above.

15. The location of the center of the Galaxy can be determined by
    (A) distribution of O stars.
    (B) looking at the visibly brightest region in the Galaxy.
    (C) space-based ultraviolet observations.
    (D) distribution of globular clusters in the halo.
    (E) the fly-by space mission Galactica.

16. The rotation curve of the Galaxy plots
    (A) rotational velocities in the disk at different distances from the Galactic center.
    (B) rotational velocities of the halo at different distances from the Galactic center.
    (C) rotational velocities of the bulge at different distances from the Galactic center.
    (D) the relation between stellar rotation and stellar mass.
    (E) the relation between rotation and angular momentum of stars.

17. What observations are used to create the Galactic rotation curve?
    (A) molecular hydrogen lines
    (B) the 21-cm line of atomic hydrogen
    (C) visible light from O and B stars
    (D) ultraviolet observations of HII regions
    (E) gamma ray measurements

18. When the Galactic rotation curve was plotted, what strange result was obtained?
    (A) the velocity of the inner portion of the Galaxy was too high
    (B) the velocity of the inner portion of the Galaxy was too low
    (C) the velocity of material near the sun was too high
    (D) the velocity of the outer portion of the Galaxy was too high
    (E) the velocity of the outer portion of the Galaxy was too low

19. This strange result suggests that
    (A) the observations were erroneous.
    (B) there is a huge black hole in the center of the Galaxy.
    (C) there is dark matter in the Galaxy.
    (D) there is a lot of dust in the Galaxy.
    (E) the Galaxy is not too massive after all.

20. The mass of the Galaxy can be determined by the rotation curve and
    (A) Kepler's Third Law.
    (B) period-luminosity relation.
    (C) mass-luminosity relation.
    (D) measurements of the Galactic magnetic field.
    (E) conservation of angular momentum.

21. The center of the Galaxy is speculated to contain a black hole. Its mass can be determined by the orbital velocities of stars near the Galactic center and
    (A) Kepler's Third Law.
    (B) period-luminosity relation.
    (C) mass-luminosity relation.
    (D) turnoff point of their HR diagram.
    (E) conservation of angular momentum.

    ---

    ---