Exam 2: A Users Guide to the Sky

Within the Northern Hemisphere, the vernal equinox marks the start of ____.

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

The International Astronomical Union established 88 constellations that represent a defined area of the sky.

If two stars have a magnitude difference of 5, what is their flux ratio?

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

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

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

Which is an asterism of Pegasus?

Arc seconds are _______________th of an arc minute.

Flux is a measure of the light energy from a star that hits a collecting area of one square meter in one second.

In 1928, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) established _______________ official constellations with carefully defined boundaries that together include every part of the sky.

On the day of summer solstice, explain the position of Earth and the light received by each of the hemispheres.

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

If star A is 14.5 times brighter than star B, then what is their magnitude difference?

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

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

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

From which language did the majority of star names originate?

Why can someone in the United States almost always be able to observe the constellations such as Ursa Major, Cassiopeia, and Perseus?

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