Deck 3: Cycles of the Sun and Moon

Question 1

A solar eclipse may occur

A) when the Moon is first quarter phase.
B) when the Moon is 3rd quarter phase.
C) when the Moon is full.
D) when the Moon is new.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

An eclipse season is the period of time during which the

A) Moon crosses a node in its orbit.
B) Sun crosses a node in the Moon's orbit.
C) line of nodes crosses the Moon's orbit.
D) Moon is new or full.
E) Moon is visible during the day.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

On the autumnal equinox the Sun is

A) 23.4° north of the celestial equator.
B) 23.4° south of the celestial equator.
C) on the celestial equator and moving north with respect to the equator.
D) on the celestial equator and moving south with respect to the equator.
E) closest to the north celestial pole.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

A lunar eclipse may occur

A) when the Moon is first quarter phase.
B) when the Moon is 3rd quarter phase.
C) when the Moon is full.
D) when the Moon is new.

Question 5

The ecliptic is

A) the centerline of the zodiac.
B) the projection of Earth's orbit on the sky.
C) the apparent path of the Sun around the sky.
D) the centerline of the zodiac, the projection of Earth's orbit on the sky, and the apparent path of the Sun around the sky.
E) None of the other choices are correct.

Question 6

A(n) ____ is a set of beliefs that appears to be based on scientific ideas, but which fails to obey the most basic rules of science.

A) theory
B) hypothesis
C) pseudoscience
D) allegory
E) scientific model

Question 7

At what two celestial locations do the celestial equator and ecliptic coincide?

A) winter solstice and summer solstice
B) vernal equinox and autumnal equinox
C) They coincide at all points because they are the same.
D) north celestial pole and south celestial pole
E) zenith and east point

Question 8

The sidereal period of the Moon is

A) about 27.32 days long.
B) the period of time for the Moon to orbit Earth once with respect to the stars.
C) the period of time between successive eclipses at a given location on Earth.
D) the period of time from when the Moon rises until the Moon rises again the next night.
E) about 27.32 days long and the period of time for the Moon to orbit Earth once with respect to the stars.

Question 9

The point in Earth's orbit where Earth is farthest from the Sun is known as

A) aphelion.
B) perihelion.
C) precession.
D) the winter solstice.
E) a and d.

Question 10

The planet(s) of our solar system that are usually or never visible to the naked eye are

A) Mars.
B) Mercury and Neptune.
C) Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
D) Uranus and Neptune.
E) Mercury and Venus.

Question 11

Diagram 3-1
Diagram 3-1 shows three approximate locations of the setting Sun along the western horizon. Which number indicates the location of the Sun at sunset on December 21 (winter Sun) for an observer at a latitude of 48° north of the equator? Choose the best answer.

A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) The Sun will set in the east for an observer in the southern hemisphere.
E) The Sun will not set on December 21 at this latitude.

Question 12

The ____ of the Moon is the period of time for the Moon to complete a cycle of the lunar phases and is approximately 29.5 days long.

A) sidereal period
B) Saros cycle
C) synodic period
D) eclipse season
E) umbral period

Question 13

____ is the point in Earth's orbit where Earth is closest to the Sun.

A) Aphelion
B) Perihelion
C) Precession
D) The winter solstice
E) a and d

Question 14

The observed amount of difference between the perihelion of Earth in early January and aphelion in early July results in the northern hemisphere being _____.

A) cold in January and hot in July
B) hot in January and cold in July
C) equally cold in both January and July
D) equally hot in bot January and July
E) Wrong! The seasonal differences in northern hemisphere temperatures is not caused by differences in distance from the Sun.

Question 15

The synodic period of the Moon is

A) about 27.32 days long.
B) the period of time for the Moon to orbit Earth once with respect to the stars.
C) the period of time between successive eclipses at a given location on Earth.
D) the period of time from when the Moon rises until the Moon rises again the next night.
E) None of the other choices are correct.

Question 16

A solar or lunar eclipse may occur when the line of nodes (The line connecting the points of the Moon's orbit that intersects the plane of the Earth's orbit around the Sun)

A) points at the Sun.
B) is 90 degrees to the Sun's direction.
C) Wrong! The line of intersection is irrelevant.

Question 17

Northern hemisphere winters are colder than northern hemisphere summers because

A) Earth is closer to the Sun during the summer than it is during the winter.
B) the snow that falls in the northern latitudes cools Earth during the winter.
C) the light from the Sun shines more directly on the northern hemisphere during the summer.
D) the period of sunlight is longer during the summer than during the winter.
E) the light from the Sun shines more directly on the northern hemisphere during the summer and the period of sunlight is longer during the summer than during the winter.

Question 18

Relative to the stars in the sky, the Sun moves

A) about one degree westward each day.
B) about one degree eastward each day.
C) about 360 degrees westward each day.
D) about 360 degrees eastward each day.
E) along the celestial equator.

Question 19

The Sun is on the celestial equator at the times of the

A) vernal equinox and the summer solstice.
B) autumnal equinox and the vernal equinox.
C) summer solstice and the winter solstice.
D) autumnal equinox and the winter solstice.
E) Sun is on the ecliptic and is never on the celestial equator.

Question 20

On the vernal equinox the Sun is

A) 23.4° north of the celestial equator.
B) 23.4° south of the celestial equator.
C) on the celestial equator and moving north with respect to the equator.
D) on the celestial equator and moving south with respect to the equator.
E) closest to the north celestial pole.

Question 21

At sunset, the ____ Moon phase will be highest above the southern horizon for an observer in the Northern Hemisphere.

A) new
B) waxing crescent
C) first quarter
D) full
E) third quarter

Question 22

During a total lunar eclipse,

A) the Moon must be new.
B) the observer must be in the path of totality.
C) the Moon's color will be affected by Earth's atmosphere.
D) the Moon must be at about its greatest distance from Earth.
E) it must be near the time of one of the equinoxes.

Question 23

A solar eclipse that occurs when the Moon's umbra does not reach Earth's surface is called

A) a total solar eclipse.
B) a partial solar eclipse.
C) an annular solar eclipse.
D) a penumbral solar eclipse.
E) an umbral solar eclipse.

Question 24

A solar eclipse that occurs when the Moon's umbra reaches Earth's surface is called

A) a total solar eclipse.
B) a partial solar eclipse.
C) an annular solar eclipse.
D) a penumbral solar eclipse.
E) an umbral solar eclipse.

Question 25

A lunar eclipse that occurs when the Moon moves completely into Earth's umbral shadow is called

A) a total solar eclipse.
B) a partial solar eclipse.
C) an annular eclipse.
D) a penumbral lunar eclipse.
E) a total lunar eclipse.

Question 26

The ____ Moon is visible above the western horizon a couple of hours before sunrise.

A) waning gibbous
B) waxing gibbous
C) waxing crescent
D) waning crescent
E) new

Question 27

The Moon has an angular diameter of 0.5°. What is the Moon's angular diameter in minutes of arc?

A) 0.5
B) 30
C) 50
D) 1800
E) 60.5

Question 28

Which of the following is not visible during totality of a total solar eclipse?

A) the corona of the Sun
B) the chromosphere of the Sun
C) prominences
D) the photosphere of the Sun
E) All of the other choices are correct.

Question 29

Typically, the new Moon's shadow _______ a solar eclipse

A) passes north of Earth so as NOT to produce
B) passes south of Earth so as NOT to produce
C) passes either north or south of Earth so as NOT to produce
D) touches the Sun so as to produce
E) touches Earth so as to produce

Question 30

A totally eclipsed Moon glows coppery red because

A) the M oon's surface is made of iron ore which is red in color.
B) red light is cooler than blue light.
C) during a lunar eclipse the Sun is cooler than normal and its light is more red.
D) only red light is able to pass completely through Earth's atmosphere and reach the Moon.
E) the Moon appears red during a total solar eclipse, not a total lunar eclipse.

Question 31

A waxing crescent Moon is visible

A) near the eastern horizon just before sunrise.
B) near the eastern horizon just after sunset.
C) near the western horizon just before sunrise.
D) near the western horizon just after sunset.
E) from sunset until sunrise.

Question 32

The first-quarter Moon rises

A) at about noon.
B) at sunset.
C) at sunrise.
D) at about midnight.
E) during the second week of each calendar month.

Question 33

A total lunar eclipse is

A) visible only from the path of totality.
B) visible only during a new Moon.
C) visible to all observers on the side of Earth from which the Moon would be visible at that time.
D) an opportunity to study the corona of the Sun.
E) None of the other choices are correct.

Question 34

The ____ Moon is visible above the eastern horizon a couple of hours before sunrise.

A) waning gibbous
B) waxing gibbous
C) waxing crescent
D) waning crescent
E) new

Question 35

During a total lunar eclipse, which of the following are true?
I) The photosphere of the Sun is obscured by the Moon.
II) The Moon is in Earth's umbra.
III) The Moon is new.
IV) The Moon is full.

A) I, III
B) II, IV
C) I, II, III
D) II, III
E) I, II, III, IV

Question 36

The Saros cycle

A) was used in ancient times to predict eclipses.
B) is 18 years, 11 days long.
C) accounts for the tides seen on Earth.
D) was used in ancient times to predict eclipses and is 18 years and 11 days long,
E) None of the other choices are correct.

Question 37

A third-quarter Moon is visible

A) near the eastern horizon just before sunrise.
B) near the eastern horizon just after sunset.
C) in the southern sky at sunrise.
D) in the southern sky at sunset.
E) from sunset until sunrise.

Question 38

A marble has a diameter of 2 cm. At what distance would the marble have an angular diameter of 1 arc second?

A) 4.1 cm
B) 4.1 miles
C) 4.1 m
D) 4.1 ft
E) 4.1 km

Question 39

Total lunar eclipses always occur

A) at the time of new Moon.
B) at the time of full Moon.
C) during either equinox.
D) during either solstice.
E) at the time that the Sun is directly overhead.

Question 40

Relative to the stars, the Moon moves about ____ eastward in the sky each night.

A) 1°
B) 5°
C) 13°
D) 27.3°
E) 29.5°

Question 41

If the plane of the Earth's equator were not tilted with respect to the ecliptic plane,

A) the daylight period of Earth would be the same year-round.
B) there would be no seasonal changes.
C) Earth's poles would not experience six-month-long nights.
D) All of the above.

Question 42

The phase of the Moon on a particular night is determined by

A) the season of the year.
B) the speed of the Moon in is orbit.
C) the relative positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon.
D) how the Earth's shadow hits the Moon.
E) the distance from the Earth to the Moon.

Question 43

If the Sun passes directly overhead on at least one day per year, then

A) you are within 23.4° latitude of the equator.
B) you are within 66.6° latitude of the equator.
C) you must be exactly on the equator.
D) you could be anywhere because this occurs at least once per year at any location on the Earth.

Question 44

In which direction does the daily motion of the Moon occur in the sky, against the background stars, when viewed from the Earth?

A) toward the west
B) toward the east
C) toward the north celestial pole in the summer and the south celestial pole in the winter
D) No predictable pattern can be discerned.

Question 45

Which of the following causes seasons on Earth?

A) Earth being closer to the Sun during our summer and farther during our winter
B) the Sun's varying light output
C) the tilt of Earth's axis
D) the eleven-year sunspot cycle

Question 46

Assume all else is unchanged, and the Earth's rotational axis is perpendicular to the ecliptic. As a result, seasonal variations on the Earth would

A) be practically non-existent.
B) remain the same as they are at now.
C) have the same severity but each season would last twice as long.
D) be much more severe.

Question 47

In the summer in the northern hemisphere,

A) the Earth is closer to the Sun.
B) the Earth's northern hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun.
C) the Earth's northern hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun.

Question 48

The ecliptic can be defined as

A) the plane that is perpendicular to the Earth's axis of rotation.
B) the projection of the Earth's equator onto the sky.
C) the path traced out by the Moon in our sky in one month against the background stars.
D) the path traced out by the Sun in our sky over one year against the background stars.

Question 49

If the Moon's orbital plane was aligned with the celestial equator we could

A) have eclipses every month.
B) never have eclipses.
C) have eclipses only at solstice.
D) have eclipses only at the equinoxes.

Question 50

The ____ is 18 years and 11 days long.

A) sidereal period
B) synodic period
C) eclipse season
D) Saros cycle
E) eclipse year

Question 51

Earth doesn't experience a solar eclipse every month because

A) of unpredictable weather patterns.
B) the Moon always keeps its same side toward the Earth.
C) the Moon's orbit plane is not aligned with the Earth's orbit plane.
D) its sometimes nighttime when the eclipse occurs.
E) sometimes the Moon is too far away.

Question 52

A dime is 1.8 cm in diameter. At what distance from your eye would you have to hold a dime so that it has the same angular diameter as the full Moon?

A) 2 m
B) 2 cm
C) 2 km
D) 2 inches
E) 2 ft

Question 53

A full Moon always occurs

A) on the 15th of every month.
B) when the Moon is at right angles to the direction of the Sun.
C) when the Moon is closer to Sun than the Earth is.
D) when the Moon is directly opposite the position of the Sun.

Question 54

In Brazil, the longest period of daylight and the start of summer occurs during the month of

A) December.
B) March.
C) September.
D) June.

Question 55

Assume you lived on the Moon and noticed the Earth high in the sky. From that location, how often would the Earth set below your horizon?

A) every 24 hours
B) once a sidereal period (27.3 days)
C) once a synodic period (29.5 days)
D) every year
E) never

Question 56

A total solar eclipse occurred in Wolf Point, Montana, on Feb. 26, 1979. When was (will) an eclipse like this eclipse next (be) visible again in Montana? Hint: A Saros is 18 years and 11 1/3 days. Twice a Saros is 36 years 22 2/3 days. Three times a Saros is 56 years 34 days. So the best choice answer of these listed will be late ______.

A) August of 1979
B) March of 2033
C) March of 1997
D) March of 1979
E) January of 2000

Question 57

The Moon's angular diameter in our sky as observed from Earth is measured to be 0.5°. From this, we can find the diameter of the Moon in kilometers if we also know the Moon's

A) distance from the Earth.
B) element composition
C) distance from the Sun.

Question 58

The lowest amount of solar energy per square meter is incident upon the surface of Earth in the northern hemisphere on or about

A) December 21, the winter solstice.
B) March 21, the vernal equinox.
C) September 21, the autumnal equinox.
D) June 21, the summer solstice.

Question 59

When it is winter in the northern hemisphere, it is ____ in the southern hemisphere.

A) winter
B) summer
C) spring
D) fall

Question 60

On a clear night when an observer in Los Angeles sees a first-quarter Moon, an observer in London would see

A) a full Moon.
B) a first-quarter Moon.
C) a new Moon.
D) a third-quarter Moon.
E) any of the other choices; it depends on the time of day.

Question 61

​
In the above picture, Sagittarius and Scorpius are above the southern horizon. Where is the ecliptic in the picture?

A) below the horizon
B) above Sagittarius and Scorpius and above the picture
C) above Sagittarius and Scorpius but still in the picture
D) through Sagittarius and Scorpius

Question 62

A solar or lunar eclipse will occur

A) when the Sun is near the line of nodes of the Moon, and the Moon is new or full.
B) any time the Moon is new or full.
C) when the Sun is near the solstice, and the Moon is new or full.
D) half-way through an eclipse year.
E) when the Sun is near the equinox, and the Moon is new or full.

Question 63

In the Milankovitch theory, the elliptical shape of the Earth's orbit, its axis tilt, and axis precession vary with time. These combined at times to create ____ on Earth.

A) day and night
B) seasonal temperature variations
C) daily temperature variations
D) ice ages
E) the constellations

Question 64

A dime is 1.8 cm in diameter. Earth's Moon is 3.844 × 10¹⁰ cm from Earth and has a diameter of 3.76 × 10⁸ cm. At what distance from your eye would you have to hold a dime so that it has the same angular diameter as the full Moon?

A) 200 cm
B) 2 cm
C) 0.2 cm
D) 2 AU
E) 2 LY

Question 65

The inclination of the axis of the Earth varies from 22 ° to 24 ° degrees taking ____ to complete a cycle. This is a factor in the Milankovitch hypothesis of ice ages.

A) 24 hours
B) 1 year
C) 499 years
D) 41,000 years
E) Wrong! The Earth's axis tilt is fixed at exactly 23.50 with no variation whatsoever.

Question 66

The ________ cycle of the phases of the Moon is due to the Moon's spherical shape and the ______ shining on it from different directions.

A) monthly; Earth
B) yearly; Earth
C) monthly; S un
D) yearly; Sun

Question 67

The summer solstice (at the start of summer) is the point on the ecliptic where the Sun

A) crosses the celestial equator moving north.
B) crosses the celestial equator moving south.
C) is farthest north of the celestial equator halting its northward movement.
D) is farthest south of the celestial equator halting its southward movement.

Question 68

An eclipse of the Moon (lunar eclipse) as seen from Earth, happens when

A) the hot luminous Moon suddenly cools and stops emitting light.
B) the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun.
C) the Earth is between the Moon and the Sun.
D) the Moon is 90 degrees from the direction of the Sun.

Question 69

​
The solar corona is shown as white lines streaming from the Sun and you are viewing it from Earth. Which eclipse are you observing?

A) annular eclipse
B) total solar eclipse
C) total lunar eclipse
D) partial solar eclipse

Question 70

The highest atmospheric layer in the Sun is the _______

A) photosphere
B) corona
C) chromosphere
D) prominence

Question 71

The most distant point in the Moon's orbit is called _________________.

A) apogee
B) perigee
C) perihelion
D) aphelion

Question 72

The time for the Moon to repeat its cycle of phases is equal to

A) its sidereal period.
B) one day.
C) one hour.
D) one year.
E) its synodic period.

Question 73

The figure shows the ______ and _____ Moon phases.
​

A) crescent; first-quarter
B) new; new
C) crescent; full
D) first-quarter; full

Question 74

At the time of the winter solstice (the start of winter) the sunlight is at a lower angle and thus is ____ than(as) in the start of summer in the northern hemisphere.

A) less intense
B) more intense
C) the same intensity

Question 75

The vernal equinox is the point on the sky where the Sun crosses the ____________ going north and east.

A) north celestial pole
B) south celestial pole
C) celestial equator
D) horizon

Question 76

For a first-quarter Moon, approximately what is the angle eastward from the Sun to the Moon?

A) 30 °
B) 90 °
C) 180 °
D) 360 °
E) 0 °

Question 77

If the Earth's period of rotation were halved, but the period of revolution about the Sun stayed the same,

A) the night would be twice as long.
B) the night would be half as long.
C) the year would be half as long.
D) the year would be half as long.
E) the length of the day would be unchanged.

Question 78

At the time of the winter solstice (the start of winter), the Sun is

A) farthest south of the celestial equator.
B) farthest north of the celestial equator.
C) on the celestial equator moving north.
D) on the celestial equator moving south.

Question 79

What is the phase of the Moon shown in the above image?

A) waxing gibbous
B) third quarter
C) waning gibbous
D) first quarter

Question 80

The elliptical shape of the Earth's orbit varies with time and takes about ____ to complete a cycle. This is a factor in the Milankovitch theory of ice ages.

A) 24 hours
B) one year
C) 26 years
D) 260 years
E) 100,000 years