Exam 2: User's Guide to the Sky

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?

If you were standing at the Earth's North Pole,which of the following would be located at the zenith?

Around what date is the amount of solar energy per square metre that is incident upon the surface of the Earth in the northern hemisphere at its lowest level?

What languages do the standard constellation names come from?

If the Earth's rotational axis shifted to a position perpendicular to the ecliptic,what would happen to seasonal variations on the Earth?

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

On the autumnal equinox (Sept.21),where is the Sun on the celestial sphere?

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

The seasons are caused by the precession of the Earth's axis.

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?

Seen from Winnipeg (latitude 50 degrees North),where is the star Polaris in the sky?

Do the constellations visible in the sky at a particular time of night (say 9 p.m.)follow a seasonal pattern?

How does the Moon's appearance change during a total lunar eclipse?

The third quarter Moon rises at noon.

When does a solar or lunar eclipse occur?

An observer in the northern hemisphere takes a time exposure photograph of the night sky.If the illustration depicts the photograph taken by the observer,which direction was the camera pointing?

What is the approximate latitude of the observer in the diagram?

In which direction does the daily motion of the Moon occur in the sky,against the background stars,when viewed from the Earth?

If you see the Sun pass directly overhead on at least one day per year,then where are you on Earth?

____________________ is a measure of the light energy that hits one square metre in one second.