Question 1

Why is there a two day difference in the sidereal and synodic months?

Accepted Answer

A)  The Moon speeds up at perigee, and slows down at apogee. 
B)  The sidereal day is four minutes shorter than the solar day, and it adds up. 
C)  The Earth is closer to the Sun during the sidereal month. 
D)  The Earth is also revolving around the Sun, so the Moon must "catch up". 
E)  The Moslem lunar year is only 354 days long, on average. 
A)  The Moon speeds up at perigee, and slows down at apogee. 
B)  The sidereal day is four minutes shorter than the solar day, and it adds up. 
C)  The Earth is closer to the Sun during the sidereal month. 
D)  The Earth is also revolving around the Sun, so the Moon must "catch up". 
E)  The Moslem lunar year is only 354 days long, on average. D

Question 2

If new moon fell on March 2nd,what is the Moon's phase on March 14th?

Accepted Answer

A)  waxing crescent 
B)  first quarter 
C)  waxing gibbous 
D)  full 
E)  waning crescent 
A)  waxing crescent 
B)  first quarter 
C)  waxing gibbous 
D)  full 
E)  waning crescent C

Question 3

A ________ is a framework of ideas and assumption used to explain some set of observations and make predictions about the real world.

Accepted Answer

theory

Question 4

When the parallax angle of a star is measured to be 0.002",the distance to the star is ________ light-years.

Accepted Answer

The answer of When the parallax angle of a star...

Question 5

Pensacola,Florida lies at a latitude of 30 degrees north.Where is Polaris in its sky?

Accepted Answer

30 degrees

Question 6

From the South Pole,Polaris would appear directly overhead.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

What are some observable consequences of the Earth's revolution around the Sun in relation to the zodiacal constellations?

Accepted Answer

Month by month,our revolution

Question 8

Why can many more people witness a total lunar eclipse than a total solar eclipse?

Accepted Answer

For a total solar eclipse to be seen,the

Question 9

The four extra minutes in the solar day are due to our ________ around the Sun.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The four extra minutes in the solar...

Question 10

Why are summers hotter than winters? Relate this to the Sun's position in the celestial sphere and the length of the days.

Accepted Answer

The Sun is 47 degrees higher i

Question 11

What celestial line is a product of the Earth's orbit around the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A)  Ecliptic 
B)  Prime Meridian 
C)  Equator 
D)  Galactic Plane 
E)  Analemma 
A)  Ecliptic 
B)  Prime Meridian 
C)  Equator 
D)  Galactic Plane 
E)  Analemma

Question 12

The Sun's lowest position in the sky occurs at the ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Sun's lowest position in the sky...

Question 13

In what sense is our unique Earth just "ordinary" from a cosmic perspective?

Accepted Answer

We are not in the center of our solar sy

Question 14

Which of the following describes parallax?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is best measured over exactly one year intervals. 
B)  It is inversely proportional to the distance to the star. 
C)  It was first observed by Galileo with his new telescope. 
D)  It is only applicable to objects within the solar system. 
E)  It is more accurate as the distances to objects become greater. 
A)  It is best measured over exactly one year intervals. 
B)  It is inversely proportional to the distance to the star. 
C)  It was first observed by Galileo with his new telescope. 
D)  It is only applicable to objects within the solar system. 
E)  It is more accurate as the distances to objects become greater.

Question 15

The constellations of the zodiac fall along:

Accepted Answer

A)  the ecliptic. 
B)  the celestial equator. 
C)  lines of longitude. 
D)  lines of latitude. 
A)  the ecliptic. 
B)  the celestial equator. 
C)  lines of longitude. 
D)  lines of latitude.

Question 16

While watching a star,you see it moves 15 degrees across the sky.How long have you been watching it?

Accepted Answer

A)  1 hour 
B)  3 hours 
C)  15 minutes 
D)  15 seconds 
E)  1 minute 
A)  1 hour 
B)  3 hours 
C)  15 minutes 
D)  15 seconds 
E)  1 minute

Question 17

How long is the precession cycle?

Accepted Answer

A)  1 day 
B)  29.5 days 
C)  365.24 days 
D)  18 years, 11.3 days 
E)  26,000 years 
A)  1 day 
B)  29.5 days 
C)  365.24 days 
D)  18 years, 11.3 days 
E)  26,000 years

Question 18

What conditions are necessary for a total solar eclipse?

Accepted Answer

A)  new moon on ecliptic near perigee 
B)  full moon on ecliptic near aphelion 
C)  new moon on equator at perigee 
D)  full moon on equator at perigee 
E)  new moon on ecliptic near aphelion 
A)  new moon on ecliptic near perigee 
B)  full moon on ecliptic near aphelion 
C)  new moon on equator at perigee 
D)  full moon on equator at perigee 
E)  new moon on ecliptic near aphelion

Question 19

If the Moon rose tonight at 6 PM,then tomorrow it will rise about:

Accepted Answer

A)  the same time. 
B)  7 PM. 
C)  5 PM. 
D)  dawn. 
E)  midnight. 
A)  the same time. 
B)  7 PM. 
C)  5 PM. 
D)  dawn. 
E)  midnight.

Question 20

As it orbits the Earth,the Moon appears to move eastward about its own diameter every hour.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Exam 1: Charting the Heavens: The Foundations of Astronomy

Why is there a two day difference in the sidereal and synodic months?

If new moon fell on March 2nd,what is the Moon's phase on March 14th?

A ________ is a framework of ideas and assumption used to explain some set of observations and make predictions about the real world.

When the parallax angle of a star is measured to be 0.002",the distance to the star is ________ light-years.

Pensacola,Florida lies at a latitude of 30 degrees north.Where is Polaris in its sky?

From the South Pole,Polaris would appear directly overhead.

What are some observable consequences of the Earth's revolution around the Sun in relation to the zodiacal constellations?

Why can many more people witness a total lunar eclipse than a total solar eclipse?

The four extra minutes in the solar day are due to our ________ around the Sun.

Why are summers hotter than winters? Relate this to the Sun's position in the celestial sphere and the length of the days.

What celestial line is a product of the Earth's orbit around the Sun?

The Sun's lowest position in the sky occurs at the ________.

In what sense is our unique Earth just "ordinary" from a cosmic perspective?

Which of the following describes parallax?

The constellations of the zodiac fall along:

While watching a star,you see it moves 15 degrees across the sky.How long have you been watching it?

How long is the precession cycle?

What conditions are necessary for a total solar eclipse?

If the Moon rose tonight at 6 PM,then tomorrow it will rise about:

As it orbits the Earth,the Moon appears to move eastward about its own diameter every hour.

The Copernican Revolution: The Birth of Modern Science

Radiation: Information from the Cosmos

Spectroscopy: The Inner Workings of Atoms

Telescopes: The Tools of Astronomy

The Solar System: Comparative Planetology and Formation Models

Earth: Our Home in Space

The Moon and Mercury: Scorched and Battered Worlds

Venus: Earth's Sister Planet

Mars: A Near Miss for Life?

Jupiter: Giant of the Solar System

Saturn: Spectacular Rings and Mysterious Moons

Uranus and Neptune: The Outer Worlds of the Solar System

Solar System Debris: Keys to Our Origin

Exoplanets: Planetary Systems Beyond Our Own

The Sun: Our Parent Star

The Stars: Giants,Dwarfs,and the Main Sequence

The Interstellar Medium: Gas and Dust among the Stars

Star Formation: A Traumatic Birth

Stellar Evolution: The Life and Death of a Star

Stellar Explosions: Novae,Supernovae,and the Formation of the Elements

Neutron Stars and Black Holes: Strange States of Matter

The Milky Way Galaxy: A Spiral in Space

Galaxies: Building Blocks of the Universe

Galaxies and Dark Matter: The Large-Scale Structure of the Cosmos

Cosmology: The Big Bang and the Fate of the Universe

The Early Universe: Toward the Beginning of Time

Life in the Universe: Are We Alone?

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