Astronomy DSST
A Free Study Guide!

Name of Exam: Astronomy DSST

Number of questions: Around 85 (varies)

Time Limit: 120 Minutes

ACE Recommended Passing Score: 48

Cost: $80 + Sitting Fee (Usually no more than $20) at your testing site. Military can take DSSTs for free with Tuition Assistance. Check with your Educational Officer!

Difficulty 1-5 : 3
(One being the easiest, and five being the hardest)

Exam Description:

The Astronomy DSST covers the same information that a student would normally learn in a single semester of a college Astronomy course. The test taker should understand the characteristics of assorted heavenly bodies and the measurements used by Astronomers to gather information. Knowledge of the history of Astronomy as well as an understanding of celestial mechanics such as Relativity will also be tested.

Personal Thoughts:

Don't let the subject matter intimidate you. This exam is mostly memorization, and anyone who has an interest in the subject will have an obvious advantage. While it does dive (or fly?) deep on a few questions, most of the exam covers the sort of knowledge you would read in an magazine such as Sky and Telescope.

If that didn't do much to soothe your worries, then rest assured that InstantCert also has flashcards for the subject and an extensive Specific Feedback thread as well. I would suggest giving that thread a look, as they identify quite a few of the particular topics you'll need to know. It's no big surprise why I like that place so much. Targeted study = a good thing.

Exam breakdown:

Make sure you check out the Official Fact Sheet for this exam.

The Astronomy exam is broken down as follows:

Areas of Study

I'm going to list some specific topics that you'll need to study. You can find even more in the User Submission Area. After that, I'll list some resources that covers the main areas listed above.

Alright, here we go. Though there are different versions, you'll most likely see some of the following on your exam:

• The life of Comets
• Kepler
• Types of Telescopes
• The life and death of stars
• The Sun
• Star Formations
• Nebulas
• Galaxy Formation
• Asteroids
• Galileo
• Planets - Our Solar System
• The Moon and its effect on the Earth
• Measuring Starlight
• Time and the Calendar
• Relativity
• Gravity
• Age of the Universe

This is not a comprehensive list of topics! I highly recommend (as always) signing up for InstantCert and running through their entire flashcard series as well as seeing the Specific Feedback section for this exam. They've had years to accumulate their information, and it shows.

The Solar System
(19% of the Astronomy DSST)

• Our Solar System
• Solar System Formation
• Mercury
• Venus
• Earth
• Mars
• Jupiter
• Saturn
• Uranus
• Neptune
• Pluto
• Kuiper Belt
• Oort Cloud
• Comets
• Asteroids
• Meteors and Meteorites
• Moon Phases

The Sun and Stars
(17% of the Astronomy DSST)

• The Sun
• More on the Sun
• Different types of stars
• Black Holes
• Quasars
• Pulsars

Celestial Systems
(13% of the Astronomy DSST)

• The Earth - Concentrate on the parts that apply to Astronomy, such as the Magnetosphere.
• Seasonal Changes
• The Moon
• The Earth's Moon
• The Phases of the Moon
• Lunar Eclipses
• Astronomy and the Calendar

Astronomical Instruments
(12% of the Astronomy DSST)

• History of the Telescope - I'd also be familiar how each kind of telescope works, and what each is used for.
• Light Year
• Red Shift - Know which color shift means an object is getting closer, and which one means it's getting further away.
• Blue Shift
• Electromagnetic Spectrum
• Doppler Effect

The Universe
(10% of the Astronomy DSST)

• Creation of the Universe - I'd know how old the universe is thought to be.
• Different types of galaxies - Know the major ones, and be able to pick them out if given a picture. Pretty easy stuff.
• Multiple Galaxies - No real use for the exam, but just something to blow your mind. All those galaxies, and billions upon billions of solar systems in each one.
• Black Holes
• Cosmology

History of Astronomy
(09% of the Astronomy DSST)

• History of Astronomy - A brief but outstanding outline of the primary players in the history of Astronomy

Our Galaxy
(07% of the Astronomy DSST)

• The Milky Way
• More on the Milky Way
• Nebulas

Determining Astronomical Distances
(05% of the Astronomy DSST)

• Astronomical Unit - I'd look over the entire page, but know what an AU is, as well as a Parsec.

Celestial Mechanics
(05% of the Astronomy DSST)

• Gravitation
• Theory of Relativity
• Newton's Laws of Motion
• Quantum Mechanics

Life in the Universe
(03% of the Astronomy DSST)

• Exoplanets
• Panspermia

Recommended bargain-priced study resources

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Astronomy, 4th Edition - A book with great reviews from DSST takers, and seems to be an easy read for those who aren't exactly thrilled with the subject.

Astronomy For Dummies - There isn't much in the terms of official DSST preparation for this exam, which is why these are listed. Check your library and see which of these two books are avialable. They should have at least one of them. If not, Amazon's got both in stock.

InstantCert Academy Astronomy Specific Exam Feedback - Tons of good information on the exam here. Be sure to check out the Astronomy Flashcards.

If you don't know what InstantCert is, then click here for the scoop as well as a discount code: **InstantCert Academy**

You'll find an InstantCert link for every exam here if that gives you an idea of the amount of information they have available. It's an outstanding resource.

Closing Thoughts

If you already had an interest in Astronomy then chances are you'll do fine on this exam. For those that have never been bitten by the bug, that's okay too. The concepts are really not that hard to grasp, and the exam itself doesn't ask you to know the inner workings of the universe.

Remember this exam covers the same knowledge you'd find in an introductory course, so don't let it spook you. Study the material and you can pick up another three credits for a fraction of their normal cost!

Best of luck!