How can astronomers measure the composition of an extrasolar planet's atmosphere?
A) by measuring how brightly the planet glows in infrared light
B) by measuring the Doppler shift of the host star
C) by comparing spectra for when the planet is in transit or eclipse with spectra taken at other times
D) by measuring the composition of the host star; the planet must have formed from the same initial material
Question 2
The Big Bang theory is supported by two major lines of evidence that alternative models have not successfully explained. What are they?
A) (1 ) The theory correctly predicts that the universe should be expanding; (2 ) the theory predicts the existence of and the specific characteristics of the observed cosmic microwave background.
B) (1 ) The theory predicts the episode of inflation that we think occurred in the early universe; (2 ) the theory predicts the existence of large quantities of dark matter.
C) (1 ) The theory correctly predicts that the universe should be expanding; (2 ) the theory correctly predicts the observed ratio of spiral to elliptical galaxies in the universe.
D) (1 ) The theory predicts the existence of and the specific characteristics of the observed cosmic microwave background; (2 ) the theory correctly predicts the observed overall chemical composition of the universe.
Extent of agricultural activity across the planet (data from Foley et al. 2005).
Scale used to measure pupil size in millimeters.
Temperature Profile of Earth’s Atmosphere
The Atmosphere of Mars
Sources of SO2 Pollution in the Atmosphere
Goniometer measure of joint range of motion