Question 1

The celestial sphere appears to move fastest above the ________.

Accepted Answer

equator

Question 2

How long is the precession cycle?

Accepted Answer

A) 1 day 
B) 29.5 days 
C) 365.24 days 
D) 18 years, 11.3 days 
E) 26,000 years 
A) 1 day 
B) 29.5 days 
C) 365.24 days 
D) 18 years, 11.3 days 
E) 26,000 years E

Question 3

When the Moon is directly opposite the Sun in the sky, its phase is:

Accepted Answer

A) new. 
B) waxing or waning crescent. 
C) first or third quarter. 
D) waxing or waning gibbous. 
E) full. 
A) new. 
B) waxing or waning crescent. 
C) first or third quarter. 
D) waxing or waning gibbous. 
E) full. E

Question 4

Pensacola, Florida lies at a latitude of 30 degrees north. Where is Polaris in its sky?

Accepted Answer

30 degrees

Question 5

Why did early civilizations observe constellations?

Accepted Answer

A) only for religious reasons 
B) for practical reasons, such as navigation and helping to determine seasons 
C) only for recreational reasons 
D) only to predict a person's destiny 
A) only for religious reasons 
B) for practical reasons, such as navigation and helping to determine seasons 
C) only for recreational reasons 
D) only to predict a person's destiny

Question 6

The four extra minutes in the solar day are due to our ________ around the Sun.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The four extra minutes in the solar...

Question 7

Modern scientific theories are NOT:

Accepted Answer

A) testable. 
B) continuously tested. 
C) simple. 
D) perfect. 
E) elegant. 
A) testable. 
B) continuously tested. 
C) simple. 
D) perfect. 
E) elegant.

Question 8

What conditions are necessary for an annular solar eclipse?

Accepted Answer

A) new Moon on equator at perigee 
B) full Moon on ecliptic at perihelion 
C) new Moon on ecliptic at perigee 
D) new Moon on equator at apogee 
E) new Moon on ecliptic at apogee 
A) new Moon on equator at perigee 
B) full Moon on ecliptic at perihelion 
C) new Moon on ecliptic at perigee 
D) new Moon on equator at apogee 
E) new Moon on ecliptic at apogee

Question 9

If Taurus is now rising at sunset, which constellation will rise at sunset next month?

Accepted Answer

A) Scorpius 
B) Aquarius 
C) Gemini 
D) Aries 
E) Pisces 
A) Scorpius 
B) Aquarius 
C) Gemini 
D) Aries 
E) Pisces

Question 10

From the North Pole, Polaris would appear directly overhead.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

The two days when the Sun rises due east and sets due west are the ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The two days when the Sun rises...

Question 12

If new Moon fell on March 2nd, what is the Moon's phase on March 14th?

Accepted Answer

A) waxing crescent 
B) first quarter 
C) waxing gibbous 
D) full 
E) waning crescent 
A) waxing crescent 
B) first quarter 
C) waxing gibbous 
D) full 
E) waning crescent

Question 13

Which is longer, the sidereal or solar day? By how much?

Accepted Answer

The solar day is app

Question 14

When the parallax angle of a star is measured to be 0.002", the distance to the star is________ light-years.

Accepted Answer

The answer of When the parallax angle of a star...

Question 15

What conditions are necessary for a total solar eclipse?

Accepted Answer

A) new Moon on ecliptic near perigee 
B) full Moon on ecliptic near aphelion 
C) new Moon on equator at perigee 
D) full Moon on equator at perigee 
E) new Moon on ecliptic near aphelion 
A) new Moon on ecliptic near perigee 
B) full Moon on ecliptic near aphelion 
C) new Moon on equator at perigee 
D) full Moon on equator at perigee 
E) new Moon on ecliptic near aphelion

Question 16

The last quarter phase of the Moon:

Accepted Answer

A) rises at sunrise. 
B) sets at sunrise. 
C) crosses the meridian at sunrise. 
D) rises at sunset. 
E) sets at sunset. 
A) rises at sunrise. 
B) sets at sunrise. 
C) crosses the meridian at sunrise. 
D) rises at sunset. 
E) sets at sunset.

Question 17

Into how many constellations is the celestial sphere divided?

Accepted Answer

A) 12 
B) 44 
C) 57 
D) 88 
E) 110 
A) 12 
B) 44 
C) 57 
D) 88 
E) 110

Question 18

Which statement about the ecliptic is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

A) The Sun appears to move about a degree per day eastward along it. 
B) It is tilted 23.5 degrees with respect to the equator. 
C) The year is marked by the Sun's return to the same place along it. 
D) The Moon can never leave it, but moves twelve times faster than the Sun. 
E) The major planets stay close to it, but not always on it. 
A) The Sun appears to move about a degree per day eastward along it. 
B) It is tilted 23.5 degrees with respect to the equator. 
C) The year is marked by the Sun's return to the same place along it. 
D) The Moon can never leave it, but moves twelve times faster than the Sun. 
E) The major planets stay close to it, but not always on it.

Question 19

In what sense is our unique Earth just "ordinary" from a cosmic perspective?

Accepted Answer

We are not in the center of our solar sy

Question 20

The stars appear to be attached to a sphere that surrounds the Earth and rotates above,causing the apparent rising and setting of the stars. This is called the:

Accepted Answer

A) cosmos. 
B) universe. 
C) Sun. 
D) celestial sphere. 
E) constellations. 
A) cosmos. 
B) universe. 
C) Sun. 
D) celestial sphere. 
E) constellations.

Exam 1: Charting the Heavens: The Foundations of Astronomy

The celestial sphere appears to move fastest above the ________.

How long is the precession cycle?

When the Moon is directly opposite the Sun in the sky, its phase is:

Pensacola, Florida lies at a latitude of 30 degrees north. Where is Polaris in its sky?

Why did early civilizations observe constellations?

The four extra minutes in the solar day are due to our ________ around the Sun.

Modern scientific theories are NOT:

What conditions are necessary for an annular solar eclipse?

If Taurus is now rising at sunset, which constellation will rise at sunset next month?

From the North Pole, Polaris would appear directly overhead.

The two days when the Sun rises due east and sets due west are the ________.

If new Moon fell on March 2nd, what is the Moon's phase on March 14th?

Which is longer, the sidereal or solar day? By how much?

When the parallax angle of a star is measured to be 0.002", the distance to the star is________ light-years.

What conditions are necessary for a total solar eclipse?

The last quarter phase of the Moon:

Into how many constellations is the celestial sphere divided?

Which statement about the ecliptic is FALSE?

In what sense is our unique Earth just "ordinary" from a cosmic perspective?

The stars appear to be attached to a sphere that surrounds the Earth and rotates above,causing the apparent rising and setting of the stars. This is called the:

The Copernican Revolution: The Birth of Modern Science

Radiation: Information From the Cosmos

Spectroscopy: the Inner Workings of Atoms

Telescopes: The Tools of Astronomy

The Solar System: Comparative Planetology and Formation Models

Earth: Our Home in Space

The Moon and Mercury: Scorched and Battered Worlds

Venus: Earths Sister Planet

Mars: a Near Miss for Life

Jupiter: Giant of the Solar System

Saturn: Spectacular Rings and Mysterious Moons

Uranus and Neptune: The Outer Worlds of the Solar System

Solar System Debris: Keys to Our Origin

Exoplanets: Planetary Systems Beyond Our Own

The Sun: Our Parent Star

The Stars: Giants, Dwarfs, and the Main Sequence

The Interstellar Medium: Gas and Dust Among the Stars

Star Formation: a Traumatic Birth

Stellar Evolution: The Life and Death of a Star

Stellar Explosions: Novae, Supernovae, and the Formation of the Elements

Neutron Stars and Black Holes: Strange States of Matter

The Milky Way Galaxy: a Spiral in Space

Galaxies: Building Blocks of the Universe

Galaxies and Dark Matter: The Large-Scale Structure of the Cosmos

Cosmology: The Big Bang and the Fate of the Universe

The Early Universe: Toward the Beginning of Time

Life in the Universe: Are We Alone

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