Question 1

While watching a star, you see it moves 15 degrees across the sky. How long have you beenwatching it?

Accepted Answer

A) 1 hour 
B) 3 hours 
C) 15 minutes 
D) 15 seconds 
E) 1 minute 
A) 1 hour 
B) 3 hours 
C) 15 minutes 
D) 15 seconds 
E) 1 minute

Question 2

What celestial line is a product of the Earth's orbit around the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A) Ecliptic 
B) Prime Meridian 
C) Equator 
D) Galactic Plane 
E) Analemma 
A) Ecliptic 
B) Prime Meridian 
C) Equator 
D) Galactic Plane 
E) Analemma

Question 3

A solar eclipse can only happen during a:

Accepted Answer

A) new Moon. 
B) solstice. 
C) first quarter Moon. 
D) full Moon. 
E) perihelion passage of the Sun. 
A) new Moon. 
B) solstice. 
C) first quarter Moon. 
D) full Moon. 
E) perihelion passage of the Sun.

Question 4

The Sun's lowest position in the sky occurs at the ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Sun's lowest position in the sky...

Question 5

If Sirius transits my local meridian tonight at 6:43 PM, when will it transit tomorrow?

Accepted Answer

At 6:39 PM tomorrow

Question 6

The place the Sun stops its northward motion along the ecliptic is the:

Accepted Answer

A) equator. 
B) prime meridian. 
C) summer solstice. 
D) vernal equinox. 
E) node of the ecliptic. 
A) equator. 
B) prime meridian. 
C) summer solstice. 
D) vernal equinox. 
E) node of the ecliptic.

Question 7

It was Aristotle who used the scientific method to show the Earth was a sphere.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

The distances to other stars is best measured in ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The distances to other stars is best...

Question 9

A(n)________ is a framework of ideas and assumption used to explain some set ofobservations and make predictions about the real world.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A(n)________ is a framework of ideas and...

Question 10

Astronomical objects are viewed against the background of the ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Astronomical objects are viewed against the background...

Question 11

An effective theory must:

Accepted Answer

A) have been proven. 
B) must have been around for centuries or longer. 
C) be continuously tested. 
D) include mathematical formulae. 
A) have been proven. 
B) must have been around for centuries or longer. 
C) be continuously tested. 
D) include mathematical formulae.

Question 12

What is the ecliptic?

Accepted Answer

The ecliptic is the

Question 13

Why are summers hotter than winters? Relate this to the Sun's position in the celestial sphereand the length of the days.

Accepted Answer

The Sun is 47 degrees higher i

Question 14

The star Wolf 1061 has a parallax of 2.34 arcseconds, while the star Ross 652 has a parallaxof 1.70 arcseconds. What can you correctly conclude?

Accepted Answer

A) Both stars are outside the Milky Way Galaxy. 
B) Wolf 1061 must have a larger proper motion than Ross 652. 
C) Ross 652 must have a larger proper motion than Wolf 1061. 
D) Ross 652 is closer to Earth than Wolf 1061. 
E) Wolf 1061 is closer to Earth than Ross 652. 
A) Both stars are outside the Milky Way Galaxy. 
B) Wolf 1061 must have a larger proper motion than Ross 652. 
C) Ross 652 must have a larger proper motion than Wolf 1061. 
D) Ross 652 is closer to Earth than Wolf 1061. 
E) Wolf 1061 is closer to Earth than Ross 652.

Question 15

What are constellations?

Accepted Answer

A) groups of galaxies gravitationally bound and close together in the sky 
B) groups of stars making an apparent pattern in the celestial sphere 
C) groups of stars gravitationally bound and appearing close together in the sky 
D) ancient story boards, useless to modern astronomers 
E) apparent groupings of stars and planets visible on a given evening 
A) groups of galaxies gravitationally bound and close together in the sky 
B) groups of stars making an apparent pattern in the celestial sphere 
C) groups of stars gravitationally bound and appearing close together in the sky 
D) ancient story boards, useless to modern astronomers 
E) apparent groupings of stars and planets visible on a given evening

Question 16

What conditions are necessary for a partial solar eclipse?

Accepted Answer

A) new Moon on ecliptic, with us in the penumbral shadow 
B) full Moon on equator, with us in the umbral shadow 
C) new Moon at perigee 
D) full Moon at apogee 
E) first or third quarter Moon at a node 
A) new Moon on ecliptic, with us in the penumbral shadow 
B) full Moon on equator, with us in the umbral shadow 
C) new Moon at perigee 
D) full Moon at apogee 
E) first or third quarter Moon at a node

Question 17

If intending to teach his students the constellations by season, why would an astronomyinstructor be advised to always assign the stars in the current western sky at the beginning ofeach term?

Accepted Answer

As the Earth revolves around t

Question 18

From Earth, the Sun and Moon have about the same angular diameter.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

The new Moon happens about once a month, and is often described as happening when theMoon passes between the Sun and the Earth. Why isn't there an eclipse during every new Moon?

Accepted Answer

A) The apparent size of the Moon is only occasionally large enough to block the Sun. 
B) The Moon is not actually directly between the Earth and the Sun during the new Moonbecause its orbit is tilted relative to the ecliptic plane. 
C) The Moon is not actually directly between the Earth and the Sun during the new Moonbecause its orbit is tilted relative to the celestial equator. 
D) The Moon can only block the Sun when it is furthest away from Earth, and most new Moonshappen when the Moon is at another place on its orbit. 
A) The apparent size of the Moon is only occasionally large enough to block the Sun. 
B) The Moon is not actually directly between the Earth and the Sun during the new Moonbecause its orbit is tilted relative to the ecliptic plane. 
C) The Moon is not actually directly between the Earth and the Sun during the new Moonbecause its orbit is tilted relative to the celestial equator. 
D) The Moon can only block the Sun when it is furthest away from Earth, and most new Moonshappen when the Moon is at another place on its orbit.

Question 20

From full Moon to third quarter Moon takes about a week.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Exam 1: Charting the Heavens: The Foundations of Astronomy

While watching a star, you see it moves 15 degrees across the sky. How long have you beenwatching it?

What celestial line is a product of the Earth's orbit around the Sun?

A solar eclipse can only happen during a:

The Sun's lowest position in the sky occurs at the ________.

If Sirius transits my local meridian tonight at 6:43 PM, when will it transit tomorrow?

The place the Sun stops its northward motion along the ecliptic is the:

It was Aristotle who used the scientific method to show the Earth was a sphere.

The distances to other stars is best measured in ________.

A(n)________ is a framework of ideas and assumption used to explain some set ofobservations and make predictions about the real world.

Astronomical objects are viewed against the background of the ________.

An effective theory must:

What is the ecliptic?

Why are summers hotter than winters? Relate this to the Sun's position in the celestial sphereand the length of the days.

The star Wolf 1061 has a parallax of 2.34 arcseconds, while the star Ross 652 has a parallaxof 1.70 arcseconds. What can you correctly conclude?

What are constellations?

What conditions are necessary for a partial solar eclipse?

If intending to teach his students the constellations by season, why would an astronomyinstructor be advised to always assign the stars in the current western sky at the beginning ofeach term?

From Earth, the Sun and Moon have about the same angular diameter.

The new Moon happens about once a month, and is often described as happening when theMoon passes between the Sun and the Earth. Why isn't there an eclipse during every new Moon?

From full Moon to third quarter Moon takes about a week.

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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