Question 1

What is another name for the star the Inuit call Nuuttuittuq, meaning "the one that never moves"?

Accepted Answer

A)  Sirius 
B)  Betelgeuse 
C)  Altair 
D)  Polaris 
A)  Sirius 
B)  Betelgeuse 
C)  Altair 
D)  Polaris

Question 2

In Ptolemy's view of the universe, what is at the centre of a planet's epicycle?

Accepted Answer

A)  the Sun 
B)  the Earth 
C)  the deferent 
D)  the equant 
A)  the Sun 
B)  the Earth 
C)  the deferent 
D)  the equant

Question 3

What feature of Ptolemy's model of the universe made it possible to explain retrograde motion?

Accepted Answer

A)  heliocentrism 
B)  elliptical orbits 
C)  epicycles 
D)  geocentrism 
A)  heliocentrism 
B)  elliptical orbits 
C)  epicycles 
D)  geocentrism

Question 4

What is the term for a small circle that has its centre located on the circumference of another larger circle?

Accepted Answer

A)  equant 
B)  deferent 
C)  retrograde loop 
D)  epicycle 
A)  equant 
B)  deferent 
C)  retrograde loop 
D)  epicycle

Question 5

In 1054 CE, the Chinese recorded a very interesting and powerful cosmic event. What was this event?

Accepted Answer

A)  a star merger 
B)  a supernova 
C)  a galactic collapse 
D)  simultaneous solar and lunar eclipses 
A)  a star merger 
B)  a supernova 
C)  a galactic collapse 
D)  simultaneous solar and lunar eclipses

Question 6

What is the term for a commonly accepted set of scientific ideas and assumptions?

Accepted Answer

A)  theory 
B)  paradigm 
C)  hypothesis 
D)  natural law 
A)  theory 
B)  paradigm 
C)  hypothesis 
D)  natural law

Question 7

On average, Saturn is 10 AU from the Sun. What is the approximate orbital period of Saturn?

Accepted Answer

A)  10 years 
B)  32 years 
C)  1000 years 
D)  3200 years 
A)  10 years 
B)  32 years 
C)  1000 years 
D)  3200 years

Question 8

What did Kepler base his three laws of planetary motion on?

Accepted Answer

A)  the idea that an ellipse is the perfect shape 
B)  precise observations of the apparent motions of planets 
C)  Newton's three laws of motion 
D)  the observation of the phases of Venus 
A)  the idea that an ellipse is the perfect shape 
B)  precise observations of the apparent motions of planets 
C)  Newton's three laws of motion 
D)  the observation of the phases of Venus

Question 9

Suppose that a distant planet orbiting its sun has an orbital period of 8 years. What is the approximate distance from the sun to the planet?

Accepted Answer

A)  1 AU 
B)  4 AU 
C)  10 AU 
D)  32 AU 
A)  1 AU 
B)  4 AU 
C)  10 AU 
D)  32 AU

Question 10

The orbit of planet A has an eccentricity of 0.5 and the orbit of planet B has an eccentricity of 0.01. What can be said about the shape of the orbits of these two planets?

Accepted Answer

A)  Planet A has a nearly circular orbit. 
B)  The orbit of planet A is more elongated than the orbit of planet B. 
C)  The orbit of planet B is more elongated than the orbit of planet A. 
D)  There is not enough information to say anything meaningful about the shape of either orbit. 
A)  Planet A has a nearly circular orbit. 
B)  The orbit of planet A is more elongated than the orbit of planet B. 
C)  The orbit of planet B is more elongated than the orbit of planet A. 
D)  There is not enough information to say anything meaningful about the shape of either orbit.

Question 11

The orbit of the Moon is an ellipse with the Earth at one focus. What is located at the other focus?

Accepted Answer

A)  nothing 
B)  the asteroid belt 
C)  comets 
D)  the Sun 
A)  nothing 
B)  the asteroid belt 
C)  comets 
D)  the Sun

Question 12

A comet is found in a highly elliptical orbit with a semi-major axis equal to one astronomical unit (AU). According to Kepler's third law of planetary motion, what would the sidereal period of this comet be?

Accepted Answer

A)  It would be more than one year. 
B)  It would be one year. 
C)  It would be less than one year. 
D)  It would be 76 years; the same for every comet. 
A)  It would be more than one year. 
B)  It would be one year. 
C)  It would be less than one year. 
D)  It would be 76 years; the same for every comet.

Question 13

Copernicus was the first to propose that the Earth moved around the Sun.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

What is the term for the apparent westward motion of a planet in the sky compared to the background stars (as viewed from the Earth) when observed on successive nights?

Accepted Answer

A)  epicycle 
B)  retrograde motion 
C)  prograde motion 
D)  heliocentric motion 
A)  epicycle 
B)  retrograde motion 
C)  prograde motion 
D)  heliocentric motion

Question 15

A(n) ____________________ is a circle, the centre of which moves in a circular orbit around the Earth.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A(n) ____________________ is a circle, the centre...

Question 16

Which of the following planets can be seen in a crescent phase when observed from the Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mercury and Venus 
B)  Venus and Mars 
C)  only Venus 
D)  Jupiter and Saturn 
A)  Mercury and Venus 
B)  Venus and Mars 
C)  only Venus 
D)  Jupiter and Saturn

Question 17

Which of the following statements is implied by Kepler's second law of planetary motion?

Accepted Answer

A)  A planet should move at its greatest speed when it is closest to the Sun. 
B)  The most massive planets will have the greatest speed in their orbits. 
C)  The speed of a planet in its orbit depends on the size of the epicycle. 
D)  The mass of the planet determines how far the planet is from the Sun. 
A)  A planet should move at its greatest speed when it is closest to the Sun. 
B)  The most massive planets will have the greatest speed in their orbits. 
C)  The speed of a planet in its orbit depends on the size of the epicycle. 
D)  The mass of the planet determines how far the planet is from the Sun.

Question 18

The Copernican model of the solar system has the planets orbiting the Sun along elliptical paths.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

The Ptolemaic model of the universe was heliocentric.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

What is the term for a well supported (observationally and/or experimentally) system of rules and principles that can be applied to a wide variety of circumstances but that is not universally accepted?

Accepted Answer

A)  hypothesis 
B)  paradigm 
C)  theory 
D)  model 
A)  hypothesis 
B)  paradigm 
C)  theory 
D)  model

What is another name for the star the Inuit call Nuuttuittuq, meaning "the one that never moves"?

In Ptolemy's view of the universe, what is at the centre of a planet's epicycle?

What feature of Ptolemy's model of the universe made it possible to explain retrograde motion?

What is the term for a small circle that has its centre located on the circumference of another larger circle?

In 1054 CE, the Chinese recorded a very interesting and powerful cosmic event. What was this event?

What is the term for a commonly accepted set of scientific ideas and assumptions?

On average, Saturn is 10 AU from the Sun. What is the approximate orbital period of Saturn?

What did Kepler base his three laws of planetary motion on?

Suppose that a distant planet orbiting its sun has an orbital period of 8 years. What is the approximate distance from the sun to the planet?

The orbit of planet A has an eccentricity of 0.5 and the orbit of planet B has an eccentricity of 0.01. What can be said about the shape of the orbits of these two planets?

The orbit of the Moon is an ellipse with the Earth at one focus. What is located at the other focus?

A comet is found in a highly elliptical orbit with a semi-major axis equal to one astronomical unit (AU). According to Kepler's third law of planetary motion, what would the sidereal period of this comet be?

Copernicus was the first to propose that the Earth moved around the Sun.

What is the term for the apparent westward motion of a planet in the sky compared to the background stars (as viewed from the Earth) when observed on successive nights?

A(n) ____________________ is a circle, the centre of which moves in a circular orbit around the Earth.

Which of the following planets can be seen in a crescent phase when observed from the Earth?

Which of the following statements is implied by Kepler's second law of planetary motion?

The Copernican model of the solar system has the planets orbiting the Sun along elliptical paths.

The Ptolemaic model of the universe was heliocentric.

What is the term for a well supported (observationally and/or experimentally) system of rules and principles that can be applied to a wide variety of circumstances but that is not universally accepted?

The Scale of the Cosmos: Space and Time

Users Guide to the Sky: Patterns and Cycles

Astronomical Telescopes and Instruments: Extending Humanitys Vision

The Sun: the Closest Star

The Family of Stars

The Structure and Formation of Stars

The Deaths of Stars

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies

Cosmology in the 21st Century

Planet Formation and Exoplanets

Comparative Planetology of the Terrestrial Planets

The Outer Solar System

Life on Other Worlds

Filters

Exam 3: The Origin of Modern Astronomy

What is another name for the star the Inuit call Nuuttuittuq, meaning "the one that never moves"?

In Ptolemy's view of the universe, what is at the centre of a planet's epicycle?

What feature of Ptolemy's model of the universe made it possible to explain retrograde motion?

What is the term for a small circle that has its centre located on the circumference of another larger circle?

In 1054 CE, the Chinese recorded a very interesting and powerful cosmic event. What was this event?

What is the term for a commonly accepted set of scientific ideas and assumptions?

On average, Saturn is 10 AU from the Sun. What is the approximate orbital period of Saturn?

What did Kepler base his three laws of planetary motion on?

Suppose that a distant planet orbiting its sun has an orbital period of 8 years. What is the approximate distance from the sun to the planet?

The orbit of planet A has an eccentricity of 0.5 and the orbit of planet B has an eccentricity of 0.01. What can be said about the shape of the orbits of these two planets?

The orbit of the Moon is an ellipse with the Earth at one focus. What is located at the other focus?

A comet is found in a highly elliptical orbit with a semi-major axis equal to one astronomical unit (AU). According to Kepler's third law of planetary motion, what would the sidereal period of this comet be?

Copernicus was the first to propose that the Earth moved around the Sun.

What is the term for the apparent westward motion of a planet in the sky compared to the background stars (as viewed from the Earth) when observed on successive nights?

A(n) ____________________ is a circle, the centre of which moves in a circular orbit around the Earth.

Which of the following planets can be seen in a crescent phase when observed from the Earth?

Which of the following statements is implied by Kepler's second law of planetary motion?

The Copernican model of the solar system has the planets orbiting the Sun along elliptical paths.

The Ptolemaic model of the universe was heliocentric.

What is the term for a well supported (observationally and/or experimentally) system of rules and principles that can be applied to a wide variety of circumstances but that is not universally accepted?

The Scale of the Cosmos: Space and Time

Users Guide to the Sky: Patterns and Cycles

Astronomical Telescopes and Instruments: Extending Humanitys Vision

The Sun: the Closest Star

The Family of Stars

The Structure and Formation of Stars

The Deaths of Stars

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies

Cosmology in the 21st Century

Planet Formation and Exoplanets

Comparative Planetology of the Terrestrial Planets

The Outer Solar System

Life on Other Worlds

Filters