Question 1

At midnight it is sometimes possible to observe the crescent moon on the meridian.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  False

Question 2

The point directly over your head is called ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  the meridian 
B)  the zenith 
C)  the north celestial pole 
D)  the North Star 
A)  the meridian 
B)  the zenith 
C)  the north celestial pole 
D)  the North Star B

Question 3

Suppose you are facing north and you see the Big Dipper close to your northern horizon, with Polaris (and the Little Dipper) above it. Where will you see the Big Dipper in six hours?

Accepted Answer

A)  To the right of Polaris; that is, 90 degrees counterclockwise from its current position 
B)  To the left of Polaris; that is, 90 degrees clockwise from its current position 
C)  Directly above Polaris 
D)  Still in the same place, below Polaris 
A)  To the right of Polaris; that is, 90 degrees counterclockwise from its current position 
B)  To the left of Polaris; that is, 90 degrees clockwise from its current position 
C)  Directly above Polaris 
D)  Still in the same place, below Polaris A

Question 4

Consider the following statement, and explain whether or not it is sensible: If you lived on the Moon, you'd see full Earth when we see new moon.

Accepted Answer

This is True, because at full

Question 5

It's 6 a.m. and the Moon is at its highest point in your sky (crossing the meridian). What is the Moon's phase?

Accepted Answer

A)  New 
B)  First quarter 
C)  Full 
D)  Third quarter 
A)  New 
B)  First quarter 
C)  Full 
D)  Third quarter

Question 6

What conditions are required for a solar eclipse?

Accepted Answer

A)  The phase of the Moon must be new, and the nodes of the Moon's orbit must be nearly aligned with Earth and the Sun. 
B)  The phase of the Moon must be full, and the nodes of the Moon's orbit must be nearly aligned with Earth and the Sun. 
C)  The phase of the Moon can be new or full, and the nodes of the Moon's orbit must be nearly aligned with Earth and the Sun. 
D)  The phase of the Moon must be new, and the Moon's orbital plane must lie in the ecliptic. 
E)  The phase of the Moon must be full, and the Moon's orbital plane must lie in the ecliptic. 
A)  The phase of the Moon must be new, and the nodes of the Moon's orbit must be nearly aligned with Earth and the Sun. 
B)  The phase of the Moon must be full, and the nodes of the Moon's orbit must be nearly aligned with Earth and the Sun. 
C)  The phase of the Moon can be new or full, and the nodes of the Moon's orbit must be nearly aligned with Earth and the Sun. 
D)  The phase of the Moon must be new, and the Moon's orbital plane must lie in the ecliptic. 
E)  The phase of the Moon must be full, and the Moon's orbital plane must lie in the ecliptic.

Question 7

When we look into the band of light in our sky that we call the Milky Way, can we see distant galaxies? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

A)  Yes, they appear as small, fuzzy patches on the other side of our galaxy. 
B)  Yes, there are many other galaxies that we see inside the Milky Way. 
C)  No, because the stars, gas, and dust of the Milky Way block us from seeing them. 
D)  No, because there are only galaxies above and below the plane of the Milky Way. 
A)  Yes, they appear as small, fuzzy patches on the other side of our galaxy. 
B)  Yes, there are many other galaxies that we see inside the Milky Way. 
C)  No, because the stars, gas, and dust of the Milky Way block us from seeing them. 
D)  No, because there are only galaxies above and below the plane of the Milky Way.

Question 8

The Sidereal Day: Using your wristwatch and observations of the night sky over the course of a few weeks, how can you demonstrate to a friend that 24 hours cannot be the true rotation period of the Earth (often called the sidereal day)? What assumptions do you make in this argument?

Accepted Answer

To demonstrate to a friend that 24 hours

Question 9

Orion is visible on winter evenings but not summer evenings because of

Accepted Answer

A)  interference from the full moon. 
B)  the tilt of Earth's axis. 
C)  the location of Earth in its orbit. 
D)  the precession of Earth's axis. 
E)  baseball on television. 
A)  interference from the full moon. 
B)  the tilt of Earth's axis. 
C)  the location of Earth in its orbit. 
D)  the precession of Earth's axis. 
E)  baseball on television.

Question 10

Your friend tells you that last night, they saw Mars high in the sky at midnight. You conclude that

Accepted Answer

A)  Mars must be in retrograde. 
B)  your friend must be mistaken: Mars can never be seen at midnight. 
C)  Mars must be at its farthest distance from the Earth. 
D)  Mars must be at its closest distance from the Sun. 
A)  Mars must be in retrograde. 
B)  your friend must be mistaken: Mars can never be seen at midnight. 
C)  Mars must be at its farthest distance from the Earth. 
D)  Mars must be at its closest distance from the Sun.

Question 11

During a lunar eclipse the Moon's phase must be:

Accepted Answer

A)  full. 
B)  new. 
C)  1st quarter. 
D)  3rd quarter. 
A)  full. 
B)  new. 
C)  1st quarter. 
D)  3rd quarter.

Question 12

Scientific Reasoning: The scientific method requires that we put any hypothesis about how the universe works to the test by conducting observations of the natural world. Consider the Greek reaction to the idea of a heliocentric (Sun-centered) solar system. Why did most Greeks reject this hypothesis in favor of the geocentric (Earth-centered) model? Do you think that the Greeks were following a scientific form of reasoning to reach this conclusion? Does the fact that the Greeks reached the wrong conclusion affect your answer?

Accepted Answer

The Greeks rejected the heliocentric mod

Question 13

The Milky Way can be seen only from the Northern Hemisphere.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

In South Africa, it's usually quite warm around the time of the winter solstice and quite cool around the time of the summer solstice.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

Suppose you see a photo showing Jupiter half in sunlight and half in shadow (that is, a first quarter Jupiter). This photo might have been taken by ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  the Galileo spacecraft that orbited Jupiter in the 1990s 
B)  the Hubble Space Telescope (which orbits Earth) 
C)  the Keck telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii 
D)  the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico 
A)  the Galileo spacecraft that orbited Jupiter in the 1990s 
B)  the Hubble Space Telescope (which orbits Earth) 
C)  the Keck telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii 
D)  the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico

Question 16

Which of the following statements about parallax is not true?

Accepted Answer

A)  You can demonstrate parallax simply by holding up a finger and looking at it alternately from your left and right eyes. 
B)  The existence of stellar parallax is direct proof that Earth orbits the Sun. 
C)  Measurement of stellar parallax allows us to determine distances to nearby stars. 
D)  The technique of stellar parallax was used by Hubble to determine that the Andromeda Galaxy (M 31) is about 2 million light-years away. 
E)  Ancient astronomers were unable to measure parallax and used the absence of observed parallax as an argument in favor of an Earth-centered universe. 
A)  You can demonstrate parallax simply by holding up a finger and looking at it alternately from your left and right eyes. 
B)  The existence of stellar parallax is direct proof that Earth orbits the Sun. 
C)  Measurement of stellar parallax allows us to determine distances to nearby stars. 
D)  The technique of stellar parallax was used by Hubble to determine that the Andromeda Galaxy (M 31) is about 2 million light-years away. 
E)  Ancient astronomers were unable to measure parallax and used the absence of observed parallax as an argument in favor of an Earth-centered universe.

Question 17

The seasons on Earth are caused by its elliptical orbit around the Sun.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

Which of the following statements does not use the term angular size or angular distance correctly?

Accepted Answer

A)  The angular distance between those two houses in the distance is 30 degrees. 
B)  The angular distance between those two bright stars in the sky is about 2 meters. 
C)  The angular size of the Sun is about the same as that of the Moon. 
D)  You can use your outstretched hand against the sky to estimate angular sizes and angular distances. 
A)  The angular distance between those two houses in the distance is 30 degrees. 
B)  The angular distance between those two bright stars in the sky is about 2 meters. 
C)  The angular size of the Sun is about the same as that of the Moon. 
D)  You can use your outstretched hand against the sky to estimate angular sizes and angular distances.

Question 19

Suppose you lived on the Moon near the center of the face that we see from Earth. During the phase of full moon, what phase would you see for Earth? Would it be day or night at your home?

Accepted Answer

During the full moon

Question 20

What do we mean when we talk about the Milky Way in our sky?

Accepted Answer

A)  The patchy band of light that outlines the plane of the Milky Way Galaxy as seen from Earth. 
B)  The whitish patch of light we see when we look toward the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. 
C)  The spiral-shaped galaxy in which we live. 
D)  The bright stars of the constellations that lie along the ecliptic in our sky. 
A)  The patchy band of light that outlines the plane of the Milky Way Galaxy as seen from Earth. 
B)  The whitish patch of light we see when we look toward the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. 
C)  The spiral-shaped galaxy in which we live. 
D)  The bright stars of the constellations that lie along the ecliptic in our sky.

At midnight it is sometimes possible to observe the crescent moon on the meridian.

The point directly over your head is called ________.

Suppose you are facing north and you see the Big Dipper close to your northern horizon, with Polaris (and the Little Dipper) above it. Where will you see the Big Dipper in six hours?

Consider the following statement, and explain whether or not it is sensible: If you lived on the Moon, you'd see full Earth when we see new moon.

It's 6 a.m. and the Moon is at its highest point in your sky (crossing the meridian). What is the Moon's phase?

What conditions are required for a solar eclipse?

When we look into the band of light in our sky that we call the Milky Way, can we see distant galaxies? Why or why not?

The Sidereal Day: Using your wristwatch and observations of the night sky over the course of a few weeks, how can you demonstrate to a friend that 24 hours cannot be the true rotation period of the Earth (often called the sidereal day)? What assumptions do you make in this argument?

Orion is visible on winter evenings but not summer evenings because of

Your friend tells you that last night, they saw Mars high in the sky at midnight. You conclude that

During a lunar eclipse the Moon's phase must be:

The Milky Way can be seen only from the Northern Hemisphere.

In South Africa, it's usually quite warm around the time of the winter solstice and quite cool around the time of the summer solstice.

Suppose you see a photo showing Jupiter half in sunlight and half in shadow (that is, a first quarter Jupiter). This photo might have been taken by ________.

Which of the following statements about parallax is not true?

The seasons on Earth are caused by its elliptical orbit around the Sun.

Which of the following statements does not use the term angular size or angular distance correctly?

Suppose you lived on the Moon near the center of the face that we see from Earth. During the phase of full moon, what phase would you see for Earth? Would it be day or night at your home?

What do we mean when we talk about the Milky Way in our sky?

Our Place in the Universe

The Science of Astronomy

Making Sense of the Universe: Understanding Motion, Energy, and Gravity

Light: the Cosmic Messenger

Formation of Planetary Systems: Our Solar System and Beyond

Earth and the Terrestrial Worlds

Jovian Planet Systems

Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets: Their Nature, Orbits, and Impacts

Our Star

Surveying the Stars

Star Stuff

Bizarre Stellar Graveyard

Our Galaxy

Galaxies and the Foundation of Modern Cosmology

Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe

The Beginning of Time

Life in the Universe

Filters

Exam 2: Discovering the Universe for Yourself

At midnight it is sometimes possible to observe the crescent moon on the meridian.

The point directly over your head is called ________.

Suppose you are facing north and you see the Big Dipper close to your northern horizon, with Polaris (and the Little Dipper) above it. Where will you see the Big Dipper in six hours?

Consider the following statement, and explain whether or not it is sensible: If you lived on the Moon, you'd see full Earth when we see new moon.

It's 6 a.m. and the Moon is at its highest point in your sky (crossing the meridian). What is the Moon's phase?

What conditions are required for a solar eclipse?

When we look into the band of light in our sky that we call the Milky Way, can we see distant galaxies? Why or why not?

The Sidereal Day: Using your wristwatch and observations of the night sky over the course of a few weeks, how can you demonstrate to a friend that 24 hours cannot be the true rotation period of the Earth (often called the sidereal day)? What assumptions do you make in this argument?

Orion is visible on winter evenings but not summer evenings because of

Your friend tells you that last night, they saw Mars high in the sky at midnight. You conclude that

During a lunar eclipse the Moon's phase must be:

The Milky Way can be seen only from the Northern Hemisphere.

In South Africa, it's usually quite warm around the time of the winter solstice and quite cool around the time of the summer solstice.

Suppose you see a photo showing Jupiter half in sunlight and half in shadow (that is, a first quarter Jupiter). This photo might have been taken by ________.

Which of the following statements about parallax is not true?

The seasons on Earth are caused by its elliptical orbit around the Sun.

Which of the following statements does not use the term angular size or angular distance correctly?

Suppose you lived on the Moon near the center of the face that we see from Earth. During the phase of full moon, what phase would you see for Earth? Would it be day or night at your home?

What do we mean when we talk about the Milky Way in our sky?

Our Place in the Universe

The Science of Astronomy

Making Sense of the Universe: Understanding Motion, Energy, and Gravity

Light: the Cosmic Messenger

Formation of Planetary Systems: Our Solar System and Beyond

Earth and the Terrestrial Worlds

Jovian Planet Systems

Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets: Their Nature, Orbits, and Impacts

Our Star

Surveying the Stars

Star Stuff

Bizarre Stellar Graveyard

Our Galaxy

Galaxies and the Foundation of Modern Cosmology

Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe

The Beginning of Time

Life in the Universe

Filters