Exam 2: Users Guide to the Sky: Patterns and Cycles

An observer in the northern hemisphere watches the sky for several hours. Due to the motion of the Earth, this observer notices that the stars near the north celestial pole appear to move. What pattern does this apparent movement follow?

A scientific model is a mental conception that provides a framework that helps us think about some aspect of nature.

You point your finger toward the zenith right now, and then point there again six hours later. At both times, your finger was pointing in the same direction relative to one of the options below. Which one?

A(n) ____________________ eclipse occurs when the Moon is at its greatest distance from the Earth, and the Moon is new.

Which of the following is equivalent to 1/3600th of a degree?

The Earth's rotation axis ____________________ slowly so that in a few thousand years Polaris will no longer be the North Star.

At what two celestial locations do the celestial equator and the ecliptic coincide?

For an observer in Valdivia, Chile, at a latitude of 39° South, what is the angle between the southern horizon and the south celestial pole?

Precession of the Earth's axis causes the date at which perihelion of the Earth's orbit occurs to slowly change.

Seen from Yellowknife (latitude 62 degrees North), where is the star Polaris in the sky?

What is the term for a lunar eclipse in which the Moon moves completely into the Earth's umbral shadow?

What is the apparent visual magnitude of a star a measure of?

What determines the phase of the Moon on a particular night?

Why are Northern Hemisphere winters colder than Northern Hemisphere summers?

The Greek letter designation conveys information about a star's location and brightness.

When do total lunar eclipses always occur?

An eclipse season is the interval during which the Sun crosses a node of the Moon's orbit.

What is the term for the Moon when it is visible above the eastern horizon a couple of hours before sunrise?

When and where is a third quarter Moon visible?

-The diagram shows three approximate locations of the Sun along the western horizon. Which number indicates the location of the Sun at sunset on autumnal equinox (Sept. 21) for an observer at a latitude of 45° North?