Exam 2: A Users Guide to the Sky

What is an asterism?

The seasons are caused by Earth's orbit moving closer to or farther from the Sun.

Astrology is an example of _______________.

When can Sirius, a famous star of the Northern Hemisphere, be observed?

Figure 2-4 Review the accompanying figure (Figure 2-4) and identify point C.

Day and night cycles are caused by the ____ of Earth.

The sky appears to rotate eastward around Earth each day, but that is a consequence of the westward rotation of Earth.

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

Figure 2-4 Review the accompanying figure  (Figure 2-4) and identify point B.

Earth's rapid rotation makes its axis sweep out the shape of a cone, like a heavy top slowing down.  This motion is known as ____.

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

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?

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.

Because Earth's axis of rotation is inclined 23.4 degrees from vertical, the Sun moves into the northern sky in the spring and into the southern sky in the fall.

What is the Milankovitch hypothesis and what evidence is there to support this hypothesis?

Which is an example of an asterism?

In about 12,000 years, the star closest to the north celestial pole will be __________.

In a given constellation, the star designated with the Greek letter α  is always brighter than the star designated with the Greek letter   β .

Even though modern astronomers know that stars are scattered through space at different distances, they still use what scientific model to describe celestial locations in the sky?