Exam 2: A User S Guide to the Sky

Most individual star names come from Latin and have been altered through passing centuries.

Explain why it is difficult to see Mercury in the night sky.

Explain why we have seasons and compare/contrast the cycle of seasons for both hemispheres.

Many of the ancient astronomers applied astrology alongside astronomy, but that no longer holds true for modern astronomers. Explain why astrology is no longer considered useful to the modern scientist.

What did the IAU establish in 1928?

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

When the Earth is at ________, it is at its closest point to the Sun in its orbit.

What is the name of constellations that appear to never rise or set?

The scale of apparent visual magnitudes extends into negative numbers to represent the faintest objects in the sky.

Earth _______________ once a year around the Sun.

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

Which ancient astronomer recorded the magnitude of stars in his star catalog and was used successfully by astronomers for generations?

Figure 2-4 Review the accompanying figure  (Figure 2-4) . Where does the celestial equator always meet the horizon?

We are living in one of Earth's ice ages.

Why do many people think stars are not in the sky during the daytime?

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

On the day of the _______________ in late June, Earth's Northern Hemisphere is inclined toward  the Sun.

From which language did the majority of star names originate?

Astrology is an example of _______________.