Question 1

When the Sun rises, it is located in the constellation Gemini. When the Sun sets later thatsame day, it will be:

Accepted Answer

A) in the constellation Aries. 
B) in the constellation Taurus. 
C) in the constellation Gemini. 
D) in the constellation Cancer. 
E) in the constellation Leo. 
A) in the constellation Aries. 
B) in the constellation Taurus. 
C) in the constellation Gemini. 
D) in the constellation Cancer. 
E) in the constellation Leo.

Question 2

This diagram explains:

Accepted Answer

A) the difference between solar time and sidereal time. 
B) precession. 
C) the solar day's relation to the Moon. 
D) the sidereal day's relation to the seasons. 
E) the reason for the solstices. 
A) the difference between solar time and sidereal time. 
B) precession. 
C) the solar day's relation to the Moon. 
D) the sidereal day's relation to the seasons. 
E) the reason for the solstices.

Question 3

Where would you be if the Sun sets for six continuous months, beginning on September23rd?

Accepted Answer

A) North Pole 
B) Arctic Circle 
C) Equator 
D) Antarctic Circle 
E) South Pole 
A) North Pole 
B) Arctic Circle 
C) Equator 
D) Antarctic Circle 
E) South Pole

Question 4

Where on Earth would you be if Polaris were at your zenith?

Accepted Answer

A) North Pole 
B) Arctic Circle 
C) Tropic of Cancer 
D) Equator 
E) It lies overhead everywhere on Earth. 
A) North Pole 
B) Arctic Circle 
C) Tropic of Cancer 
D) Equator 
E) It lies overhead everywhere on Earth.

Question 5

The full Moon rises around sunrise, and sets around sunset.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

The parallax shift of a star would be greater if viewed from Mars than from Earth.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

On April 8, 2005, observers off New Zealand observe an annular eclipse at sunrise, and thosein Columbia see an annular eclipse at sunset. Yet in the middle of the path, off the GalapagosIslands, cruise ships are advertising that they will show their guests a total solar eclipse. How canthis be possible?

Accepted Answer

The Earth's radius is about 6,000 km (4,

Question 8

The Earth's circumference was first determined by:

Accepted Answer

A) Aristotle using lunar eclipses. 
B) Pythagoras with geometry. 
C) Hipparchus with stellar parallaxes. 
D) Erastothenes with solstice shadows. 
E) Aristarchus with first and third quarter Moon timings. 
A) Aristotle using lunar eclipses. 
B) Pythagoras with geometry. 
C) Hipparchus with stellar parallaxes. 
D) Erastothenes with solstice shadows. 
E) Aristarchus with first and third quarter Moon timings.

Question 9

The Milky Way Galaxy contains about ________ stars.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Milky Way Galaxy contains about ________...

Question 10

Which statement about the length of a day is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

A) At the North Pole, the day lasts six months, then six months of night. 
B) At the equator, every day is twelve hours long, then twelve hours of night. 
C) For the United States, June 21st will be the longest day. 
D) The solar day is four minutes longer than the sidereal one. 
E) The sidereal day includes both the Earth's rotation and revolution around the Sun. 
A) At the North Pole, the day lasts six months, then six months of night. 
B) At the equator, every day is twelve hours long, then twelve hours of night. 
C) For the United States, June 21st will be the longest day. 
D) The solar day is four minutes longer than the sidereal one. 
E) The sidereal day includes both the Earth's rotation and revolution around the Sun.

Question 11

The angular size of an object depends on which two quantities?

Accepted Answer

A) the object's actual size and its mass 
B) the object's distance from us and its brightness 
C) the object's actual size and its distance from us 
D) the objects brightness and its mass 
A) the object's actual size and its mass 
B) the object's distance from us and its brightness 
C) the object's actual size and its distance from us 
D) the objects brightness and its mass

Question 12

What phase is the Moon in when it rises around noon?

Accepted Answer

A) full 
B) new 
C) first quarter 
D) third quarter 
E) None of the above because the Moon always rises around sunset. 
A) full 
B) new 
C) first quarter 
D) third quarter 
E) None of the above because the Moon always rises around sunset.

Question 13

If you are in the Moon's umbral shadow, then you will witness:

Accepted Answer

A) nighttime. 
B) a total solar eclipse. 
C) a total lunar eclipse. 
D) a partial solar eclipse. 
E) some kind of lunar eclipse. 
A) nighttime. 
B) a total solar eclipse. 
C) a total lunar eclipse. 
D) a partial solar eclipse. 
E) some kind of lunar eclipse.

Question 14

The constellations of the zodiac fall along:

Accepted Answer

A) the ecliptic. 
B) the celestial equator. 
C) lines of longitude. 
D) lines of latitude. 
A) the ecliptic. 
B) the celestial equator. 
C) lines of longitude. 
D) lines of latitude.

Question 15

Aristotle's hypothesis was that:

Accepted Answer

A) lunar eclipses were created by our shadow. 
B) only a spherical Earth would always cast a circular shadow on the Moon. 
C) lunar eclipses would have to happen every full Moon. 
D) the Sun lay at the center of the planet orbits. 
E) the Moon orbited the Earth. 
A) lunar eclipses were created by our shadow. 
B) only a spherical Earth would always cast a circular shadow on the Moon. 
C) lunar eclipses would have to happen every full Moon. 
D) the Sun lay at the center of the planet orbits. 
E) the Moon orbited the Earth.

Question 16

There are 3,600 arc seconds in a degree.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

Only at the equator are all the stars visible over the course of the year.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

If your astrological sign is Aries, the Sun should be in the constellation Aries on yourbirthday. The dates, according to astrological tradition, during which the Sun is in theconstellation Aries are March 21 to April 20th. In which constellation is the Sun actually in,during this time period?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 19

How far above or below the ecliptic can the Sun move?

Accepted Answer

The Sun follows the

Question 20

The totality of all space, time, matter and energy is the:

Accepted Answer

A) solar system. 
B) galaxy. 
C) universe. 
D) scientific theory. 
A) solar system. 
B) galaxy. 
C) universe. 
D) scientific theory.

Exam 1: Charting the Heavens: The Foundations of Astronomy

When the Sun rises, it is located in the constellation Gemini. When the Sun sets later thatsame day, it will be:

This diagram explains:

Where would you be if the Sun sets for six continuous months, beginning on September23rd?

Where on Earth would you be if Polaris were at your zenith?

The full Moon rises around sunrise, and sets around sunset.

The parallax shift of a star would be greater if viewed from Mars than from Earth.

The Earth's circumference was first determined by:

The Milky Way Galaxy contains about ________ stars.

Which statement about the length of a day is FALSE?

The angular size of an object depends on which two quantities?

What phase is the Moon in when it rises around noon?

If you are in the Moon's umbral shadow, then you will witness:

The constellations of the zodiac fall along:

Aristotle's hypothesis was that:

There are 3,600 arc seconds in a degree.

Only at the equator are all the stars visible over the course of the year.

If your astrological sign is Aries, the Sun should be in the constellation Aries on yourbirthday. The dates, according to astrological tradition, during which the Sun is in theconstellation Aries are March 21 to April 20th. In which constellation is the Sun actually in,during this time period?

How far above or below the ecliptic can the Sun move?

The totality of all space, time, matter and energy is 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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