Deck 1: Discovering the Night Sky

Question 1

0.034 meter is

A) 3.4 mm.
B) 0.34 mm.
C) 340 mm.
D) 34 mm.

Answer 1

34 mm.

Question 2

The mass of the electron, 0.000,000,000,091 kg, can be written in scientific notation as

A) 0.91 × 10^-11 kg.
B) 9.1 × 10^-12 kg.
C) 9.1 × 10^-11 kg.
D) 9.1 × 10^-10 kg.

Answer 2

9.1 × 10^-11 kg.

Question 3

(0.5)³ =

A) 0.125
B) 125
C) 1.25 × 10^-2
D) 1.5

Answer 3

0.125

Question 4

(3 × 10⁴)⁴ =

A) 8.1 × 10¹⁷
B) 1.2 × 10¹⁷
C) 9 × 10¹⁶
D) 8.1 × 10¹⁶

Question 5

There are 1000 mm in 1 meter. This means that a distance of 10 mm is

A) 1 × 10^-4 m.
B) 1 × 10^-2 m.
C) 1 × 10^-1 m.
D) 1 × 10^-3 m.

Question 6

One-billionth divided by one-millionth is equal to

A) 10^-15
B) 10¹⁵
C) 10^-3
D) 10³

Question 7

(1/2)⁴ =

A) 0.5
B) 6.25 × 10^-2
C) 16
D) 0.125

Question 8

10⁴ × 10⁸ =

A) 10⁴
B) 10¹²
C) 10¹⁴
D) 10³²

Question 9

The diameter of the hydrogen atom, 0.000 000 000 11 m, can be written in scientific notation as

A) 1.1 × 10^-8 m.
B) 1.1 × 10^-10 m.
C) 1.1 × 10^-9 m.
D) 1.1 × 10^-11 m.

Question 10

10⁵/10⁵ =

A) 1
B) 10¹²
C) 0
D) 10

Question 11

10² × 10⁵ =

A) 1,000,000
B) 1,000,000,000
C) 10,000,000
D) 10,000

Question 12

10⁸/10⁹ =

A) 10¹
B) 10¹⁷
C) 10⁷²
D) 10^-1

Question 13

The mean distance of Saturn from the Sun, 1,427,000,000 km, can be written in scientific notation as

A) 1.427 × 10⁶ km.
B) 0.1427 × 10⁹ km.
C) 1.427 × 10⁷ km.
D) 1.427 × 10⁹ km.

Question 14

The average distance from Earth to the Sun, 149,600,000 km, can be written in scientific notation as

A) 1.496 × 10⁸ km.
B) 1.496 × 10⁶ km.
C) 1.496 × 10⁹ km.
D) 1.496 × 10⁷ km.

Question 15

(1.5 × 10⁴) × (1.5 × 10^-4) =

A) 1.5 × 10⁰
B) 21.25
C) 12.5
D) 3.0

Question 16

(8.0 × 10⁵)/(2.0 × 10³) =

A) 0.5 × 10² or 50
B) 400
C) 16 × 10¹⁵
D) 4 × 10^-2

Question 17

The number 50,000 is written in scientific notation as

A) 5 × 10⁴.
B) 5 × 10⁵.
C) (50) × 10^-3 = 5 × 10^-2.
D) 5 × 10³.

Question 18

10⁰ (10 to the power 0) =

A) 0
B) 10
C) undetermined; not a real number
D) 1

Question 19

Which one of these is NOT a recent astronomical discovery?

A) the discovery of life on other planets
B) the discovery of planets around other stars
C) sending a spacecraft through Saturn's rings
D) landing a spacecraft on an asteroid

Question 20

10^-3 × 10³ =

A) 1/100
B) 0
C) 10,000
D) 1

Question 21

If one follows the arc of the handle of the Big Dipper away from the dipper, the first moderately bright star one comes to is

A) Polaris, the North Star.
B) Spica, in Virgo.
C) Arcturus, in Bootes.
D) Vega, in Lyra.

Question 22

The bright stars Vega, Deneb, and Altair form

A) the summer triangle.
B) the winter triangle.
C) the Big Dipper.
D) Orion the Hunter.

Question 23

By what approximate factor, in scientific notation, is a human being (height about 2 m) larger than the nucleus of a hydrogen atom, or proton (diameter about 10^-15 m)?

A) 2 × 10¹³
B) 2 × 10³⁰
C) 2 × 10^-15
D) 2 × 10¹⁵

Question 24

If a person faces Polaris, the North Star, that person is facing north;

A) east is to their right and west is to their left, but only if they are in the northern hemisphere.
B) east is to their right and west is to their left, whether they are in the northern hemisphere or not.
C) west is to their right and east is to their left, but only if they are in the northern hemisphere.
D) west is to their right and east is to their left, whether they are in the northern hemisphere or not.

Question 25

The constellation Orion is

A) a pattern of stars commonly seen to depict an ancient hunter.
B) an entire region of the sky, bounded by Gemini, Taurus, Eridanus, Lepus, and Monoceros.
C) one of 125 regions into which the entire sky is divided.
D) an asterism.

Question 26

If the stars Polaris and Arcturus are seen to be 71° apart, as shown in Figure 1-5, how far away from Polaris is the closest star in Ursa Major?

A) 0.25°
B) 2.5°
C) 25°
D) 250°

Question 27

The summer triangle, a group of three bright stars in the summer sky, consists of Deneb, Altair, and

A) Betelgeuse.
B) Vega.
C) Pollux.
D) Polaris.

Question 28

If one follows a line through the "pointer stars" (the two stars in the bowl of the Big Dipper farthest from the handle) away from the open end of the dipper, the first moderately bright star the observer comes to is

A) Polaris, the North Star.
B) Spica, in Virgo.
C) Arcturus, in Bootes.
D) Vega, in Lyra.

Question 29

Are the constellations seasonal?

A) No. If a person waits long enough, that person can see all the constellations on any clear night of the year.
B) Yes. On a summer night all the constellations a person can see are different from the constellations that person can see on a winter night.
C) Yes. On a summer night many of the constellations a person can see are different from the constellations that person can see on a winter night. But there are some constellations the person can see all year long.
D) Yes. As the year progresses, the constellations change their positions with respect to each other, so every night brings a different mixture of summer and winter constellations.

Question 30

By how many powers of ten is the diameter of the Sun (1.4 × 10⁵ km) greater than the length of a beetle (14 mm)?

A) 10
B) 8
C) 11
D) 5

Question 31

(2 × 10³)³ =

A) 6 × 10⁶
B) 8 × 10⁶
C) 6 × 10⁹
D) 8 × 10⁹

Question 32

If one follows Orion's belt as it slopes down to the left, the first bright star one comes to is

A) Spica, in Virgo.
B) Polaris, the North Star.
C) Sirius, in Canis Major.
D) Vega, in Lyra.

Question 33

The constellations

A) are 88 in number and cover the entire sky.
B) that the ancients imagined are constantly being augmented by newly invented constellations as new stars are being discovered.
C) are of historical interest only and play no role at all in modern astronomy.
D) consist of groups of stars that are all about the same distance from us.

Question 34

The constellation whose stars are used as pointers to the north celestial pole in the northern hemisphere at this time in history is

A) Ursa Minor, the Little Bear, containing the bright star Polaris.
B) Leo the Lion, containing the bright star Regulus.
C) Bootes the Shepherd, containing the bright star Arcturus.
D) Ursa Major, the Big Dipper.

Question 35

In this age of space exploration, man has now traveled to the Moon. By approximately how many orders of magnitude (powers of ten) was the distance of this journey greater than that of Columbus when he traveled from the Old World to the Americas?

A) 21 orders of magnitude, or 10²¹
B) 6 orders of magnitude, or 10⁶
C) 10 orders of magnitude, or 10¹⁰
D) Less than one order of magnitude

Question 36

The constellation whose stars are used as pointers to the north celestial pole in the northern hemisphere is

A) Leo the Lion, containing the bright star Regulus.
B) Ursa Major, the Big Dipper.
C) Ursa Minor the Little Bear, containing the bright star Polaris.
D) Bootes the Shepherd, containing the bright star Arcturus.

Question 37

Polaris is the name for the bright star almost directly in line with the north polar axis of Earth. What is the name of the bright star almost directly in line with the south polar axis of Earth?

A) Fomalhaut
B) Canopus
C) Alpha Centauri
D) There is no bright star almost directly in line with Earth's south polar axis.

Question 38

What is 10¹⁶ divided by a million and multiplied by a hundred?

A) 10¹².
B) 10¹⁰.
C) 10^-6.
D) 10^-10.

Question 39

The bright star at the base of the backward question mark that forms the head of Leo the Lion is

A) Arcturus.
B) Regulus.
C) Rigel.
D) Fomalhaut.

Question 40

If there are about 6000 stars in the entire sky that can be seen by the unaided human eye, about how many stars would be seen at a particular instant on a given dark night from a single location with an uninterrupted distant horizon?

A) 3000
B) 6000
C) only a small fraction of the 6000, say 1000, because the rest are hidden by the Earth
D) It depends on the observer's latitude; observers at the poles will see 6000, while equatorial observers will see only one-half of this number, or 3000.

Question 41

A comet that is moving southward from the north celestial pole toward the equator can be described as having its

A) declination decrease with time.
B) right ascension decrease with time.
C) right ascension increase with time.
D) declination increase with time.

Question 42

If a star is described as being in the constellation Leo, a modern astronomer knows that it is

A) one of a few individual bright stars making up a crude picture (of a lion) in the sky.
B) in a specific region of the sky bounded by definite lines of right ascension and declination.
C) somewhere within the image of a lion in the sky, which itself is outlined by bright stars.
D) somewhere in a particular region of the sky, having definite boundaries.

Question 43

How do the alt-azimuth coordinates of a star compare with the R.A., Dec. coordinates of that same star?

A) Both sets of coordinates change over the course of a single night.
B) The R.A. and Dec. coordinates change over the course of a single night, but the alt-azimuth coordinates do not.
C) The alt-azimuth coordinates change over the course of a single night, but the R.A. and Dec. coordinates do not.
D) Neither set of coordinates changes over the course of a single night.

Question 44

The alt-azimuth coordinates measured for Polaris are 37°, 0°. From what latitude are observing?

A) 37° N
B) 37°, N or S
C) 53° N
D) It is not possible to determine the answer from the information given.

Question 45

Which of these statements correctly describes the relationship between stars and constellations?

A) Only stars close to the ecliptic (Earth's orbital plane) are located in constellations.
B) Every star is located in a constellation.
C) Only the brighter stars are in constellations.
D) Only those stars that were visible to the ancient Greeks are located in constellations.

Question 46

In modern astronomy, the constellations are

A) specific patterns of stars that point to certain directions that are useful for navigation.
B) 13 specific regions of stars through which the planets and Moon appear to move in the sky.
C) a small number of well-defined and separate groups of stars in the sky.
D) 88 nonoverlapping sky regions, covering the whole sky.

Question 47

The alt-azimuth coordinate system, as defined in the text, is useful

A) everywhere on Earth.
B) only in the northern hemisphere.
C) only in wintertime.
D) only in a planetarium, not in the real sky.

Question 48

The alt-azimuth coordinates an observer measures for Polaris are 37, 0. From what longitude was this observation made?

A) 37 N
B) 37, N or S
C) 53 N
D) It is not possible to determine the answer from the information given.

Question 49

The declination of a star in the sky is defined as the angle between the

A) position of the center of the Galaxy and the star, measured along the galactic plane.
B) celestial equator and the star, measured along a great circle passing through both celestial poles.
C) Sun and the star, measured along the ecliptic plane.
D) great circle passing through the star and both celestial poles and the equivalent great circle through the vernal equinox, measured along the celestial equator.

Question 50

Which of these directions does NOT always remain fixed in place relative to an observer's horizon?

A) one of the points where the celestial equator contacts the horizon
B) summer solstice
C) zenith
D) north celestial pole

Question 51

The right ascension of a star is one coordinate of its position, measured along the

A) observer's meridian.
B) celestial equator.
C) observer's horizon.
D) ecliptic.

Question 52

What are the alt-azimuth coordinates of Polaris, the North Star?

A) 0°, 0°
B) 90°, 0°
C) 90°, any azimuth
D) The answer depends on where the observer is on Earth.

Question 53

If a modern astronomer describes a faint star as being in the constellation Cygnus, the Swan, the star is

A) somewhere within a particular region of sky having definite boundaries.
B) inside the solar system.
C) in a distant galaxy located in a particular direction from Earth.
D) one of a set of stars that make up a particular "picture," in this case a swan, in the sky.

Question 54

How much of the overall sky is north of the celestial equator?

A) less than one-half because of the tilt of the equator to the ecliptic plane
B) more than one-half because of the precession of the poles
C) exactly one-half
D) all of it, by definition

Question 55

The celestial coordinate system of declination and right ascension

A) can be used to assign coordinates to any direction in the sky.
B) is an extension of the latitude-longitude system used on Earth. The celestial equator is an extension of Earth's equator, and the location for the zero of right ascension is an extension of the prime meridian through Greenwich, England.
C) rotates along with Earth.
D) is centered at the Sun rather than at Earth.

Question 56

Over what typical time scale will the particular pattern of stars in a specific constellation appear to change, as viewed from Earth, because of celestial motions?

A) a human lifetime, because of motions of individual stars
B) millions of years because stars move very slowly with respect to each other
C) a few hours because of Earth's rotation
D) a year because of Earth's orbital motion

Question 57

The celestial equator is defined as the

A) line in the sky that is perpendicular to Earth's spin axis.
B) line traced in the sky by the Moon each month against the background stars.
C) line traced in the sky by the Sun over 1 year against the background stars.
D) band of constellations through which the Sun and Moon move in the sky.

Question 58

From any location on Earth, the zenith defines a direction

A) vertically above the North Pole.
B) vertically above an observer.
C) toward the Sun at noon.
D) vertically above a point on the equator.

Question 59

Which of these points remains fixed in the sky relative to an observer's horizon over a time scale of 100 years?

A) direction to a distant star (e.g., Betelgeuse, in Orion)
B) north celestial pole
C) winter solstice
D) vernal equinox

Question 60

Which of these lines or points is always directly overhead, no matter the location on Earth?

A) celestial equator
B) ecliptic
C) zenith
D) 90° north declination

Question 61

If an observer could watch the Sun moving day by day against the background stars, it would follow

A) the ecliptic.
B) no specific or fixed path because Earth's tilt axis varies through the year, although it would remain within the zodiac.
C) the celestial equator.
D) a great circle crossing the celestial equator at right angles.

Question 62

Right ascension of a star is a measure of

A) the time of its rising in the eastern sky.
B) its position above the observer's horizon, measured from the horizon.
C) its position north or south of the celestial equator, along a great circle passing through the north and south celestial poles.
D) the great circle joining north and south celestial poles upon which it is located, the position of which is measured along the celestial equator.

Question 63

What is the Moon's approximate diameter if it subtends about 30 arcminutes in the sky and is at about 400,000 km from Earth at the time of observation?

A) 350 km
B) 35,000 km
C) 3500 km
D) 60 km

Question 64

The Sun's apparent path across the sky against the background stars (which would be seen if the sunlit sky were not light) is known as the

A) celestial meridian.
B) celestial equator.
C) great circle.
D) ecliptic.

Question 65

If an observer points toward the zenith today and points there again 45 days later, they will have pointed twice in the same direction relative to

A) the horizon.
B) the Sun.
C) the Moon.
D) the fixed stars.

Question 66

Two celestial coordinates that together describe a star's position precisely in the sky are

A) longitude and latitude.
B) sidereal time and latitude.
C) right ascension and declination.
D) right ascension and sidereal time.

Question 67

The zero point of the celestial coordinate known as right ascension (R.A.) is defined to be the

A) intersection of the Milky Way with the celestial equator.
B) point where the Sun crosses the celestial equator moving northward in its path across the sky.
C) point where the Sun crosses the celestial equator moving southward in its path across the sky.
D) intersection of the celestial equator with the projection of Earth's equator on the sky.

Question 68

Which of these directions remains fixed in the sky relative to an observer's horizon?

A) direction toward the Sun at noon, over 1 year
B) autumnal equinox
C) zenith
D) direction toward the Moon at noon, over 1 month

Question 69

The difference in declination angles between the north and south celestial poles is

A) variable, depending on the season.
B) 23.5°.
C) 90°.
D) 180°.

Question 70

If Earth lay on its side with its rotation in the plane of the ecliptic but rotated at the same rate it does now,

A) there would be points on the surface that would constantly receive sunlight.
B) there would still be equinox positions in Earth's orbit.
C) one pole would constantly experience summer while the other experienced perpetual winter.
D) there would be permanent ice caps.

Question 71

In which direction does the Sun appear to move along the ecliptic over the course of a year, relative to the background stars?

A) west
B) northwest
C) southwest
D) east

Question 72

The angle between zenith and horizon is

A) 57.3°.
B) 90°.
C) 45°.
D) 180°.

Question 73

The plane of the ecliptic intersects the celestial equator

A) everywhere because these are two different names for the same plane.
B) at two points, the summer and winter solstices.
C) at two points, the vernal and autumnal equinoxes.
D) along the prime meridian.

Question 74

In the system of celestial coordinates that matches latitude and longitude upon Earth, which is the coordinate that is equivalent to latitude?

A) precession
B) elongation angle
C) declination
D) right ascension

Question 75

In the system of celestial coordinates that matches latitude and longitude on Earth, which is the coordinate that is equivalent to longitude?

A) declination
B) elongation angle
C) precession
D) right ascension

Question 76

What is the equivalent angle along the celestial equator of 1 hour in the right ascension coordinate direction?

A) 30°
B) variable, depending on the declination of the star but not greater than 15°
C) 1°
D) 15°

Question 77

In angular measurements used in astronomy, the number of degrees in a semicircle is how many times the number of degrees in a right angle?

A) six
B) one
C) four
D) two

Question 78

The ecliptic can be defined as the

A) extension of Earth's equator onto the sky.
B) plane that is perpendicular to Earth's spin axis.
C) path traced out by the Moon in the sky in 1 month against the background stars.
D) path traced out by the Sun in the sky over 1 year against the background stars.

Question 79

The ecliptic crosses the celestial equator

A) at two points, known as equinoxes.
B) on the meridian.
C) at two points, known as solstices.
D) at one point only, known as the vernal equinox.

Question 80

If the Moon's diameter is approximately 3500 km, what angle will this diameter subtend if the Moon is observed when it is at a distance of about 400,000 km from Earth?

A) 0.009°
B) 30 arcminutes
C) 30°
D) 30 arcseconds