Exam 2: A Users Guide to the Sky

What is the flux ratio of two stars whose difference in magnitude is 2.6?

Due to the cycle of precession, in 12,000 years, which star will replace Polaris as the guiding North Star?

If Earth rotated about its axis completely upright, what would we fail to experience?

Betelgeuse is the brightest star of which constellation?

From which language did the majority of star names originate?

Describe the magnitude scale and compare the ancient method to the current methodology used today.

The Sky Around You - Page 18 (For the following questions) Review the accompanying figure. Where does the celestial equator always meet the horizon?

Which is a unit used to measure angular distance?

The constellations are an ancient heritage handed down for thousands of years as ways to tell stories of mythical heroes and monsters.

Earth _______________ once a year around the Sun.

Earth's axis is tilted at an angle of _______________ degrees.

Describe the process of precession.

Which is an asterism of Pegasus?

What is the cause for the slow movement of reference marks, such as the celestial poles and equator, to move across the sky?

The Milankovitch hypothesis suggests that the shape of Earth's orbit, its precession, and tilted axis can influence climatic changes and thus cause _____.

Figure 2-6  The star Vega has a magnitude of 0.03. Using the accompanying figure, which object is brighter than Vega?

Why is Earth's orbit often referred to be a "nearly perfect circle" and not a true ellipse?

The Sky Around You - Page 18 (For the following questions) Review the accompanying figure and identify point C.

What is the apparent path of the Sun against the background of stars?

Earth spins completely upright like a giant top.