Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin — Questions and answers

Read the full story

What simple question started Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin's journey to understand the universe?

Choices

  1. What color are stars?
  2. How far away are stars?
  3. What are stars made of? ✓
  4. How many stars are there?

Answer: What are stars made of?

From page 1

What did Cecilia's data show about hydrogen in stars?

Choices

  1. Hydrogen was hardly present.
  2. Hydrogen was similar to Earth's composition.
  3. Hydrogen was much more abundant than other elements. ✓
  4. Hydrogen was not important for stars.

Answer: Hydrogen was much more abundant than other elements.

From page 3

What did Harlow Shapley tell Cecilia to say about the high abundance of hydrogen?

Choices

  1. That it was absolutely correct.
  2. That it was 'certainly not real.' ✓
  3. That she should research it more.
  4. That it was an interesting idea.

Answer: That it was 'certainly not real.'

From page 4

Who was another astronomer who independently confirmed Cecilia's findings?

Choices

  1. Harlow Shapley
  2. Benjamin Franklin
  3. Voltaire
  4. Henry Norris Russell ✓

Answer: Henry Norris Russell

From page 5

What did Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin's work help astronomers understand?

Choices

  1. How to build telescopes.
  2. How stars are born, live, and die. ✓
  3. How to travel to other stars.
  4. How to name new stars.

Answer: How stars are born, live, and die.

From page 6

What was one of Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin's major accomplishments mentioned on this page?

Choices

  1. She discovered a new planet.
  2. She became the first woman to earn a Ph.D. in astronomy from Radcliffe College. ✓
  3. She built the first space telescope.
  4. She traveled to the moon.

Answer: She became the first woman to earn a Ph.D. in astronomy from Radcliffe College.

From page 7

What did Henry Norris Russell's confirmation do for Payne-Gaposchkin's findings?

Choices

  1. It made them more confusing.
  2. It made them less important.
  3. It helped solidify them in the scientific community. ✓
  4. It proved them wrong.

Answer: It helped solidify them in the scientific community.

From page 8

How is Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin's legacy described in the text?

Choices

  1. As forgotten and unimportant.
  2. As a temporary discovery.
  3. As a pioneering astrophysicist with a secure legacy. ✓
  4. As someone who never received credit.

Answer: As a pioneering astrophysicist with a secure legacy.

From page 9

What does Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin's journey remind us about revolutionary ideas?

Choices

  1. They are always accepted quickly.
  2. They rarely have an impact.
  3. They can face resistance but meticulous work can make them prevail. ✓
  4. They are usually wrong.

Answer: They can face resistance but meticulous work can make them prevail.

From page 10