Henrietta Swan Leavitt — Questions and answers

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Before Henrietta Leavitt's discovery, how did astronomers usually measure the distance to stars that were close by?

Choices

  1. They counted how many twinkles the star made.
  2. They used a method called parallax, watching stars shift as Earth moved. ✓
  3. They sent spaceships to fly past the stars.
  4. They guessed based on how bright the stars looked.

Answer: They used a method called parallax, watching stars shift as Earth moved.

From page 2

What was Henrietta Leavitt's main job at the Harvard College Observatory?

Choices

  1. To build new telescopes.
  2. To identify and catalog stars that changed brightness. ✓
  3. To teach classes about the planets.
  4. To write books about space travel.

Answer: To identify and catalog stars that changed brightness.

From page 4

What important discovery did Henrietta Leavitt make about Cepheid stars in the Magellanic Clouds?

Choices

  1. All Cepheid stars are exactly the same brightness.
  2. The hotter a Cepheid star is, the bluer it appears.
  3. The brighter a Cepheid star, the longer it takes to complete one cycle of brightness change. ✓
  4. Cepheid stars are only found in the Southern Hemisphere.

Answer: The brighter a Cepheid star, the longer it takes to complete one cycle of brightness change.

From page 5

After finding a Cepheid's true brightness, how could astronomers then figure out its distance from Earth?

Choices

  1. By guessing based on its color.
  2. By comparing its true brightness to how bright it looked from Earth. ✓
  3. By using a giant ruler to measure across space.
  4. By listening for sounds it made in space.

Answer: By comparing its true brightness to how bright it looked from Earth.

From page 7

What big discovery did Edwin Hubble make using Henrietta Leavitt's work?

Choices

  1. He found new stars within our own Milky Way galaxy.
  2. He proved that the Andromeda Nebula was a separate galaxy, not just a cloud in ours. ✓
  3. He invented a new kind of telescope.
  4. He discovered that the sun was a star.

Answer: He proved that the Andromeda Nebula was a separate galaxy, not just a cloud in ours.

From page 8

Henrietta Leavitt's discovery is described as the foundational rung of what important tool for astronomers?

Choices

  1. The rocket launch sequence.
  2. The cosmic distance ladder. ✓
  3. The planet naming guide.
  4. The asteroid tracking system.

Answer: The cosmic distance ladder.

From page 9

How much recognition did Henrietta Leavitt receive for her work during her lifetime?

Choices

  1. She became very famous and won many awards.
  2. She received little recognition and died before her work was fully understood. ✓
  3. She was well-known by all scientists around the world.
  4. She only received recognition after she moved to a different observatory.

Answer: She received little recognition and died before her work was fully understood.

From page 10