Question 1

What do astronomers mean by a constellation?

Accepted Answer

A)  A constellation is a region in the sky as seen from Earth. 
B)  A constellation is a group of stars related through an ancient story. 
C)  A constellation is any random grouping of stars in the sky. 
D)  A constellation is a group of stars that are all located in about the same place in space. 
A)  A constellation is a region in the sky as seen from Earth. 
B)  A constellation is a group of stars related through an ancient story. 
C)  A constellation is any random grouping of stars in the sky. 
D)  A constellation is a group of stars that are all located in about the same place in space.

Question 2

Which of the following best describes why we have seasons on Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  The tilt of Earth's axis causes different portions of the Earth to receive more or less direct sunlight at different times of year. 
B)  Earth's elliptical orbit means we are closer to the Sun and therefore receive more intense sunlight at some times of year than at others. 
C)  The tilt of Earth's axis causes the northern hemisphere to be closer to the Sun than the southern hemisphere in summer, and visa versa in winter. 
D)  The varying speed of Earth in its orbit around the Sun gives us summer when we are moving fastest and winter when we are moving slowest. 
A)  The tilt of Earth's axis causes different portions of the Earth to receive more or less direct sunlight at different times of year. 
B)  Earth's elliptical orbit means we are closer to the Sun and therefore receive more intense sunlight at some times of year than at others. 
C)  The tilt of Earth's axis causes the northern hemisphere to be closer to the Sun than the southern hemisphere in summer, and visa versa in winter. 
D)  The varying speed of Earth in its orbit around the Sun gives us summer when we are moving fastest and winter when we are moving slowest.

Question 3

What is a circumpolar star?

Accepted Answer

A)  a star that is close to the north celestial pole 
B)  a star that is close to the south celestial pole 
C)  a star that always remains above your horizon 
D)  a star that makes a daily circle around the celestial sphere 
E)  A star that is visible from the Arctic or Antarctic circles 
A)  a star that is close to the north celestial pole 
B)  a star that is close to the south celestial pole 
C)  a star that always remains above your horizon 
D)  a star that makes a daily circle around the celestial sphere 
E)  A star that is visible from the Arctic or Antarctic circles

Question 4

What effect or effects would be most significant if the Moon's orbital plane were exactly the same as the ecliptic plane?

Accepted Answer

A)  Solar eclipses would be much rarer. 
B)  Solar eclipses would be much more frequent. 
C)  Total solar eclipses would last much longer. 
D)  both A and C 
E)  both B and C 
A)  Solar eclipses would be much rarer. 
B)  Solar eclipses would be much more frequent. 
C)  Total solar eclipses would last much longer. 
D)  both A and C 
E)  both B and C

Question 5

If Earth's axis had no tilt, would we still have seasons? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

We would no longer have seasons, because

Question 6

Ancient people who knew the saros cycle could

Accepted Answer

A)  completely predict every lunar eclipse. 
B)  completely predict every solar eclipse. 
C)  predict what type of eclipse would occur. 
D)  predict when they'd see the next total solar eclipse in their area. 
E)  predict when an eclipse would happen, but not necessarily what type and where it would be visible. 
A)  completely predict every lunar eclipse. 
B)  completely predict every solar eclipse. 
C)  predict what type of eclipse would occur. 
D)  predict when they'd see the next total solar eclipse in their area. 
E)  predict when an eclipse would happen, but not necessarily what type and where it would be visible.

Question 7

Why is the Moon not completely invisible (it appears as a very deep red color) to the naked eye during a total lunar eclipse?

Accepted Answer

The Moon shines through reflected light

Question 8

The Moon's orbit around the Earth is tilted by about 5 degrees with respect to Earth's orbit around the Sun. As a result, the approximate number of solar eclipses that occur each year is approximately

Accepted Answer

A)  12. 
B)  2. 
C)  24. 
D)  0. 
A)  12. 
B)  2. 
C)  24. 
D)  0.

Question 9

What makes the North Star, Polaris, special?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is the brightest star in the sky. 
B)  It is the star straight overhead. 
C)  It appears very near the north celestial pole. 
D)  It is the star directly on your northern horizon. 
E)  It can be used to determine your longitude on Earth. 
A)  It is the brightest star in the sky. 
B)  It is the star straight overhead. 
C)  It appears very near the north celestial pole. 
D)  It is the star directly on your northern horizon. 
E)  It can be used to determine your longitude on Earth.

Question 10

It is possible to see the full moon rising just before sunrise.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

If our year were twice as long (that is, if Earth took twice as many days to complete each orbit around the Sun), but Earth's rotation period and axis tilt were unchanged, then ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  stars would take twice as long to rise and set 
B)  the cycle of precession would take 13,000 years instead of 26,000 years 
C)  the four seasons would each be twice as long as they are now 
D)  the Earth would not have seasons 
A)  stars would take twice as long to rise and set 
B)  the cycle of precession would take 13,000 years instead of 26,000 years 
C)  the four seasons would each be twice as long as they are now 
D)  the Earth would not have seasons

Question 12

At approximately what time would a first quarter moon rise?

Accepted Answer

A)  6 A.M. 
B)  9 A.M. 
C)  noon 
D)  6 P.M. 
E)  midnight 
A)  6 A.M. 
B)  9 A.M. 
C)  noon 
D)  6 P.M. 
E)  midnight

Question 13

By locating the north celestial pole (NCP) in the sky, how can you determine your latitude?

Accepted Answer

A)  The altitude of the NCP is the same as your latitude. 
B)  The altitude of the NCP is your angular distance from the North Pole. 
C)  The direction of the NCP is the same as your latitude. 
D)  The direction of the NCP is the angular distance from the North Pole. 
E)  The altitude of the NCP is the same as your distance from the North Pole. 
A)  The altitude of the NCP is the same as your latitude. 
B)  The altitude of the NCP is your angular distance from the North Pole. 
C)  The direction of the NCP is the same as your latitude. 
D)  The direction of the NCP is the angular distance from the North Pole. 
E)  The altitude of the NCP is the same as your distance from the North Pole.

Question 14

Which of these (hypothetical) modiﬁcations would cause lunar eclipses to happen once per month?

Accepted Answer

A)  Make the Moon orbit the Earth twice as fast. 
B)  Relocate the Moon to twice its current distance from the Earth. 
C)  Change the Moon's orbital plane so it tilts the opposite way. 
D)  Change the orbital plane of the Moon so it lies in the same plane as Earth's orbit around the Sun. 
A)  Make the Moon orbit the Earth twice as fast. 
B)  Relocate the Moon to twice its current distance from the Earth. 
C)  Change the Moon's orbital plane so it tilts the opposite way. 
D)  Change the orbital plane of the Moon so it lies in the same plane as Earth's orbit around the Sun.

Question 15

You can find the tilt of Earth's axis by measuring the angle between your horizon and the North Star.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

Consider the following statement, and explain whether or not it is sensible: If you had a very fast spaceship, you could travel to the celestial sphere in about 100 years.

Accepted Answer

This statement does not make s

Question 17

You observe a full moon rising at sunset. What will you see at midnight?

Accepted Answer

A)  A full moon high in the sky 
B)  A first quarter moon 
C)  A waning gibbous moon 
D)  A third quarter moon 
A)  A full moon high in the sky 
B)  A first quarter moon 
C)  A waning gibbous moon 
D)  A third quarter moon

Question 18

Cognitive Dissonance? You are talking to a friend who insists that the seasons are caused by a varying Earth-Sun distance over the course of a year. What other fact does your friend likely know that completely contradicts this view of how the seasons are caused? Can you think of other examples of two beliefs that many people feel are both true but which completely contradict each other? How does science view this situation?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance refers to the menta

Question 19

If the Moon is relatively far from Earth, so that its umbra does not reach Earth, someone directly behind the umbra will see

Accepted Answer

A)  a penumbral lunar eclipse. 
B)  a partial lunar eclipse. 
C)  a partial solar eclipse. 
D)  an annular eclipse. 
E)  no eclipse. 
A)  a penumbral lunar eclipse. 
B)  a partial lunar eclipse. 
C)  a partial solar eclipse. 
D)  an annular eclipse. 
E)  no eclipse.

Question 20

In addition to the conditions required for any solar eclipse, what must also be true in order for you to observe a total solar eclipse?

Accepted Answer

A)  Earth must lie completely within the Moon's umbra. 
B)  Earth must lie completely within the Moon's penumbra. 
C)  Earth must be near aphelion in its orbit of the Sun. 
D)  The Moon's umbra must touch the area where you are located. 
E)  The Moon's penumbra must touch the area where you are located. 
A)  Earth must lie completely within the Moon's umbra. 
B)  Earth must lie completely within the Moon's penumbra. 
C)  Earth must be near aphelion in its orbit of the Sun. 
D)  The Moon's umbra must touch the area where you are located. 
E)  The Moon's penumbra must touch the area where you are located.

What do astronomers mean by a constellation?

Which of the following best describes why we have seasons on Earth?

What is a circumpolar star?

What effect or effects would be most significant if the Moon's orbital plane were exactly the same as the ecliptic plane?

If Earth's axis had no tilt, would we still have seasons? Why or why not?

Ancient people who knew the saros cycle could

Why is the Moon not completely invisible (it appears as a very deep red color) to the naked eye during a total lunar eclipse?

The Moon's orbit around the Earth is tilted by about 5 degrees with respect to Earth's orbit around the Sun. As a result, the approximate number of solar eclipses that occur each year is approximately

What makes the North Star, Polaris, special?

It is possible to see the full moon rising just before sunrise.

If our year were twice as long (that is, if Earth took twice as many days to complete each orbit around the Sun), but Earth's rotation period and axis tilt were unchanged, then ________.

At approximately what time would a first quarter moon rise?

By locating the north celestial pole (NCP) in the sky, how can you determine your latitude?

Which of these (hypothetical) modiﬁcations would cause lunar eclipses to happen once per month?

You can find the tilt of Earth's axis by measuring the angle between your horizon and the North Star.

Consider the following statement, and explain whether or not it is sensible: If you had a very fast spaceship, you could travel to the celestial sphere in about 100 years.

You observe a full moon rising at sunset. What will you see at midnight?

If the Moon is relatively far from Earth, so that its umbra does not reach Earth, someone directly behind the umbra will see

In addition to the conditions required for any solar eclipse, what must also be true in order for you to observe a total solar eclipse?

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

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Exam 2: Discovering the Universe for Yourself

What do astronomers mean by a constellation?

Which of the following best describes why we have seasons on Earth?

What is a circumpolar star?

What effect or effects would be most significant if the Moon's orbital plane were exactly the same as the ecliptic plane?

If Earth's axis had no tilt, would we still have seasons? Why or why not?

Ancient people who knew the saros cycle could

Why is the Moon not completely invisible (it appears as a very deep red color) to the naked eye during a total lunar eclipse?

The Moon's orbit around the Earth is tilted by about 5 degrees with respect to Earth's orbit around the Sun. As a result, the approximate number of solar eclipses that occur each year is approximately

What makes the North Star, Polaris, special?

It is possible to see the full moon rising just before sunrise.

If our year were twice as long (that is, if Earth took twice as many days to complete each orbit around the Sun), but Earth's rotation period and axis tilt were unchanged, then ________.

At approximately what time would a first quarter moon rise?

By locating the north celestial pole (NCP) in the sky, how can you determine your latitude?

Which of these (hypothetical) modiﬁcations would cause lunar eclipses to happen once per month?

You can find the tilt of Earth's axis by measuring the angle between your horizon and the North Star.

Consider the following statement, and explain whether or not it is sensible: If you had a very fast spaceship, you could travel to the celestial sphere in about 100 years.

You observe a full moon rising at sunset. What will you see at midnight?

If the Moon is relatively far from Earth, so that its umbra does not reach Earth, someone directly behind the umbra will see

In addition to the conditions required for any solar eclipse, what must also be true in order for you to observe a total solar eclipse?

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