Exam 2: A Users Guide to the Sky

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.

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

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

Earth spins completely upright like a giant top.

Betelgeuse is the brightest star of which constellation?

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

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

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