Exam 21: Our Solar System and Beyond

The ecliptic plane doesn't lie parallel to the celestial equator because Earth's axis of rotation has a _________ tilt relative to the plane of Earth's orbit around the Sun.

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Question 1

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Why is it difficult for someone to witness a total solar eclipse in their lifetime?

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Question 2

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How does an astronomer use Cepheid variables to determine distance in space?

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Measurements of brightness can determine stellar distances up to about 10,000 parsecs. Measurements of even greater distances come from the study of special kinds of stars that pulsate, meaning that they expand and contract periodically. When a pulsating star expands, it has a larger surface area, but its temperature doesn't change, so its apparent brightness increases. Henrietta Leavitt discovered that one class of pulsating stars, known as Cepheid variables, display a predictable relationship between true brightness variation and the periodicity of their pulsations. So, if astronomers know the periodicity of a Cepheid variable star's pulsations, they also know its true brightness. Then, by comparing this true brightness with the apparent brightness of the star, astronomers can calculate the star's distance. If a Cepheid variable star is within a distant galaxy, the distance from Earth to the galaxy can be measured by examining the brightness of that star.

What problem with the geocentric model led Ptolemy to invent epicycles?

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Question 4

How can astronomers determine the surface temperature of a star?

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Question 5

A reflecting telescope operates by containing a(n)

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Question 6

At polar latitudes during the _____ solstice, the Sun is above the horizon for _ hours. This is in contrast to the _ solstice, where the Sun is slightly above the southern horizon at _____.

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Question 7

Planets will sometimes follow a loop that takes the path of the planet a short distance backward from west to east across the sky relative to the stars. This movement is called _________ motion.

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Question 8

Describe the positions of Earth, its moon, and the Sun during a solar eclipse.

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Question 9

Hubble's law is used to

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Question 10

Astronomers use the geometric parallax by precisely measuring the angles at which a star's position changes, astronomers use trigonometry to calculate the _ nearby stars less than _ away from Earth.

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Question 11

The primary difference between a total solar eclipse and a partial solar eclipse is that a _ solar eclipse occurs when Earth passes through the Moon's umbra and the Sun becomes _ obscured.

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Question 12

Compared with the orientations of the orbital planes of other planets, Earth's _ contains the _ of Earth's orbit.

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Question 13

After examining the Ptolemy model, Nicolaus Copernicus published a book on his deathbed arguing against Ptolemy's epicycles, stating that they could not be real. The Copernicus model later became known as the _________ model.

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Question 14

An astronomical unit represents the average distance from the

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Question 15

A space telescope can detect _________, whereas a radio telescope cannot.

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Question 16

In relationship to Earth's orbit, the ecliptic plane can be visualized as a(n) _ surface that contains the _.

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Question 17

A geometric parallax is the apparent displacement of a foreground object relative to a background object when an observer's position changes and can be used to calculate the

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Question 18

Outline Newton's Laws of Physics.

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Question 19

A simple example of the Doppler effect in everyday experience is a(n)

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Question 20

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Exam 21: Our Solar System and Beyond

The ecliptic plane doesn't lie parallel to the celestial equator because Earth's axis of rotation has a _________ tilt relative to the plane of Earth's orbit around the Sun.

Why is it difficult for someone to witness a total solar eclipse in their lifetime?

How does an astronomer use Cepheid variables to determine distance in space?

What problem with the geocentric model led Ptolemy to invent epicycles?

How can astronomers determine the surface temperature of a star?

A reflecting telescope operates by containing a(n)

At polar latitudes during the _________ solstice, the Sun is above the horizon for _________ hours. This is in contrast to the _________ solstice, where the Sun is slightly above the southern horizon at _________.

Planets will sometimes follow a loop that takes the path of the planet a short distance backward from west to east across the sky relative to the stars. This movement is called _________ motion.

Describe the positions of Earth, its moon, and the Sun during a solar eclipse.

Hubble's law is used to

Astronomers use the geometric parallax by precisely measuring the angles at which a star's position changes, astronomers use trigonometry to calculate the _________ nearby stars less than _________ away from Earth.

The primary difference between a total solar eclipse and a partial solar eclipse is that a _________ solar eclipse occurs when Earth passes through the Moon's umbra and the Sun becomes _________ obscured.

Compared with the orientations of the orbital planes of other planets, Earth's _________ contains the _________ of Earth's orbit.

After examining the Ptolemy model, Nicolaus Copernicus published a book on his deathbed arguing against Ptolemy's epicycles, stating that they could not be real. The Copernicus model later became known as the _________ model.

An astronomical unit represents the average distance from the

A space telescope can detect _________, whereas a radio telescope cannot.

In relationship to Earth's orbit, the ecliptic plane can be visualized as a(n) _________ surface that contains the _________.

A geometric parallax is the apparent displacement of a foreground object relative to a background object when an observer's position changes and can be used to calculate the

Outline Newton's Laws of Physics.

A simple example of the Doppler effect in everyday experience is a(n)

The Earth in Context

The Way the Earth Works: Plate Tectonics

Patterns in Nature: Minerals

Up From the Inferno: Magma and Igneous Rocks

A Surface Veneer: Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks

A Process of Change: Metamorphism and the Rock Cycle

Crags, Cracks, and Crumples: Crustal Deformation and Mountain Building

A Violent Pulse: Earthquakes

Deep Time: How Old Is Old

A Biography of Earth

Riches in Rock: Energy and Mineral Resources

Shaping the Earths Surface: Landscapes, the Hydrologic Cycle, and Mass Wasting

Freshwater: Streams, Lakes, and Groundwater

Extreme Realms: Desert and Glacial Landscapes

Ocean Waters: the Blue of the Blue Marble

Marine Geology: the Study of Ocean Basins and Coasts

The Air We Breathe: Introducing Earths Atmosphere

Winds of the World: the Earths Major Weather Systems

Thunderstorms, Tornadoes, and Local Weather Systems

Climate and Climate Change

Our Neighborhood in Space

The Sun, Stars, and Deep Space

Prelude: Welcome to Earth Science

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At polar latitudes during the _____ solstice, the Sun is above the horizon for _ hours. This is in contrast to the _ solstice, where the Sun is slightly above the southern horizon at _____.

Astronomers use the geometric parallax by precisely measuring the angles at which a star's position changes, astronomers use trigonometry to calculate the _ nearby stars less than _ away from Earth.

The primary difference between a total solar eclipse and a partial solar eclipse is that a _ solar eclipse occurs when Earth passes through the Moon's umbra and the Sun becomes _ obscured.

Compared with the orientations of the orbital planes of other planets, Earth's _ contains the _ of Earth's orbit.

In relationship to Earth's orbit, the ecliptic plane can be visualized as a(n) _ surface that contains the _.