Question 1

Which of these men formulated the Law of Universal Gravitation?

Accepted Answer

A) Sir Isaac Newton 
B) Galileo 
C) Tycho Brahe 
D) Nicolaus Copernicus 
E) Johannes Kepler 
A) Sir Isaac Newton 
B) Galileo 
C) Tycho Brahe 
D) Nicolaus Copernicus 
E) Johannes Kepler

Question 2

The star Vega will be the North Star in a few thousand years.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 3

At first quarter it is approximately ________ week(s)until the new moon.

Accepted Answer

A) 1 
B) 2 
C) 3 
D) 4 
A) 1 
B) 2 
C) 3 
D) 4

Question 4

In the Ptolemaic (Greek)model of the universe,the ________.

Accepted Answer

A) earth was flat 
B) earth was in the center of the universe 
C) Sun was in the center of the solar system 
D) earth rotated on its axis to produce night and day 
A) earth was flat 
B) earth was in the center of the universe 
C) Sun was in the center of the solar system 
D) earth rotated on its axis to produce night and day

Question 5

Galileo Aristotle Kepler Newton

Accepted Answer

The answer of Galileo Aristotle Kepler Newton...

Question 6

The North Star (Polaris)will always be in this position in the night sky.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

The first scientist to use a telescope for astronomical purposes was ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The first scientist to use a telescope...

Question 8

When Earth is the farthest from the Sun,it is said to be in the perihelion position.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

The first modern astronomer to propose a Sun-centered universe was ________.

Accepted Answer

A) Sir Isaac Newton 
B) Galileo 
C) Tycho Brahe 
D) Nicolaus Copernicus 
A) Sir Isaac Newton 
B) Galileo 
C) Tycho Brahe 
D) Nicolaus Copernicus

Question 10

Which astronomer developed the three laws of planetary motion?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which astronomer developed the three laws of...

Question 11

Patterns or configurations of stars named in honor of mythological characters are called perturbations.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

Tycho Brahe used a telescope to accurately record the position of the planet Mars.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

Earth hits its perihelion position in January.Solar radiation is proportional to the distance squared between the sun and the earth,so why isn't it hot in "winter" at perihelion?

Accepted Answer

A) It is; it is called summer in the Southern Hemisphere,and there is just a time lag for the Northern Hemisphere. 
B) Precession modifies the effect as the earth wobbles on its axis. 
C) The ellipticity of the orbit is small,so the affect is small; seasons are caused by tilt of the earth's orbit. 
D) None of these is correct. 
A) It is; it is called summer in the Southern Hemisphere,and there is just a time lag for the Northern Hemisphere. 
B) Precession modifies the effect as the earth wobbles on its axis. 
C) The ellipticity of the orbit is small,so the affect is small; seasons are caused by tilt of the earth's orbit. 
D) None of these is correct.

Question 14

What is the modern explanation for "guest stars" that appear in the night sky and then disappear?

Accepted Answer

A) unusually bright planets produced when they pass closest to earth 
B) comets passing close to Earth 
C) stars that go Nova or Supernova and appear as bright objects during the event 
D) alignments of stars that make them suddenly appear bright 
A) unusually bright planets produced when they pass closest to earth 
B) comets passing close to Earth 
C) stars that go Nova or Supernova and appear as bright objects during the event 
D) alignments of stars that make them suddenly appear bright

Question 15

The concept that the earth maintained a circular orbit around the Sun was dogma during the middle ages.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

The average distance from Earth to the Sun is called the ________ unit.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The average distance from Earth to the...

Question 17

The apparent westward "drift" of the planets compared to the background stars is called ________.

Accepted Answer

A) Ptolemaic motion 
B) occultation 
C) precession 
D) retrograde motion 
A) Ptolemaic motion 
B) occultation 
C) precession 
D) retrograde motion

Question 18

Astrology is the folklore that arose from watching alignments in the night sky and the belief that these "celestial events" controlled human events.A 1960's folk song,"The Age of Aquarius" has numerous astrology references that relate to the positions of objects in the sky.The song has a line: "When the moon is in the 7th house,and Jupiter aligns with Mars,then peace will guide the planet..." From your knowledge of the stellar constellations and the celestial coordinate system,what does this line mean?

Accepted Answer

A) When Jupiter and Mars align in the sky,and the moon is in the 7th constellation of the zodiac,then   
B) When Jupiter and Mars align with the sun,and it is the 7th full moon of the year,then peace… 
C) When the moon crosses the zodiac in the 7th month of the year,and Jupiter and Mars align with the moon,then peace… 
D) It is just a nonsense line with no meaning. 
A) When Jupiter and Mars align in the sky,and the moon is in the 7th constellation of the zodiac,then   
B) When Jupiter and Mars align with the sun,and it is the 7th full moon of the year,then peace… 
C) When the moon crosses the zodiac in the 7th month of the year,and Jupiter and Mars align with the moon,then peace… 
D) It is just a nonsense line with no meaning.

Question 19

Think about the correlation of the celestial coordinate system,the tilt of the earth's axis,and the positions on Earth.If you are an observer in the Southern Hemisphere,2 degrees north of the Tropic of Capricorn,What time of year will you be able to see the North Star?

Accepted Answer

A) Never; you can never see the North star from the Southern Hemisphere. 
B) on the Southern Hemisphere vernal equinox 
C) on the Southern Hemisphere summer solstice,around Dec.21 
D) at the Northern Hemisphere summer solstice,around June 21 
A) Never; you can never see the North star from the Southern Hemisphere. 
B) on the Southern Hemisphere vernal equinox 
C) on the Southern Hemisphere summer solstice,around Dec.21 
D) at the Northern Hemisphere summer solstice,around June 21

Question 20

Briefly discuss the various motions of Earth.What motion is often mistakenly credited for causing seasons here on Earth? How are these motions related (if at all)to the modern calendar that we use today?

Accepted Answer

The two primary motions of Earth are rot

Exam 21: Origin of Modern Astronomy

Which of these men formulated the Law of Universal Gravitation?

The star Vega will be the North Star in a few thousand years.

At first quarter it is approximately ________ week(s)until the new moon.

In the Ptolemaic (Greek)model of the universe,the ________.

Galileo Aristotle Kepler Newton

The North Star (Polaris)will always be in this position in the night sky.

The first scientist to use a telescope for astronomical purposes was ________.

When Earth is the farthest from the Sun,it is said to be in the perihelion position.

The first modern astronomer to propose a Sun-centered universe was ________.

Which astronomer developed the three laws of planetary motion?

Patterns or configurations of stars named in honor of mythological characters are called perturbations.

Tycho Brahe used a telescope to accurately record the position of the planet Mars.

Earth hits its perihelion position in January.Solar radiation is proportional to the distance squared between the sun and the earth,so why isn't it hot in "winter" at perihelion?

What is the modern explanation for "guest stars" that appear in the night sky and then disappear?

The concept that the earth maintained a circular orbit around the Sun was dogma during the middle ages.

The average distance from Earth to the Sun is called the ________ unit.

The apparent westward "drift" of the planets compared to the background stars is called ________.

Think about the correlation of the celestial coordinate system,the tilt of the earth's axis,and the positions on Earth.If you are an observer in the Southern Hemisphere,2 degrees north of the Tropic of Capricorn,What time of year will you be able to see the North Star?

Briefly discuss the various motions of Earth.What motion is often mistakenly credited for causing seasons here on Earth? How are these motions related (if at all)to the modern calendar that we use today?

Introduction to Earth Science

Matter and Minerals

Rocks: Materials of the Solid Earth

Weathering, soil, and Mass Wasting

Running Water and Groundwater

Glaciers, deserts, and Wind

Plate Tectonics: a Scientific Revolution Unfolds

Earthquakes and Earths Interior

Volcanoes and Other Igneous Activity

Crustal Deformation and Mountain Building

Geologic Time

Earths Evolution Through Geologic Time

The Ocean Floor

Ocean Water and Ocean Life

The Dynamic Ocean

The Atmosphere: Composition,structure,and Temperature

Moisture, clouds, and Precipitation

Air Pressure and Wind

Weather Patterns and Severe Weather

World Climates and Global Climate Change

Touring Our Solar System

Light,astronomical Observations,and the Sun

Beyond Our Solar System

Filters