Deck 4: Earth, Moon, and Sky

Question 1

Typically, astronomers express the right ascension of a star on the sky in what units?

A) kilometers
B) hours, minutes, and seconds
C) light years
D) meters squared
E) quarters

Answer 1

hours, minutes, and seconds

Question 2

The number of degrees of arc that your location is north or south of the Earth's equator is called your:

A) latitude
B) longitude
C) declination
D) meridian
E) Yankee quotient

Answer 2

latitude

Question 3

A very rich, very shady international banker (with residences all over the globe, including Bayonne, New Jersey) mysteriously disappears. Someone later mails a wide-angle photo of his body to a London newspaper, taken on June 22, showing the Sun exactly overhead at noon. What can the police deduce from this photograph about where on Earth the body is located?

A) at the North Pole
B) at the equator
C) on the Antarctic circle (67⁰ S)
D) at the South pole
E) on the Tropic of Cancer (23⁰ N)

Answer 3

on the Tropic of Cancer (23⁰ N)

Question 4

Why is there a 4-minute difference between the solar day and the sidereal day?

A) because the Earth's rotation is variable, due to the pull of the Moon
B) because the stars slowly change their orientations in the Galaxy
C) because the Earth is going around the Sun in the course of a year
D) because the Earth's axis is tilted by about 23 degrees
E) no one knows the reason; we just have to accept the difference as an unsolved mystery

Question 5

If you want to locate someone precisely on the surface of the Earth, you specify her exact latitude and longitude. If you want to locate a star precisely on the sky, you need to specify its exact:

A) meridian and great circle
B) constellation
C) north and east point
D) right ascension and declination
E) solstice and equinox

Question 6

What would you have to change about the Earth to stop our planet from having significantly different seasons?

A) its distance from the Sun
B) its diameter
C) the amount of water on its surface
D) the tilt of its axis
E) the orbit of the Moon around it

Question 7

In Australia (in the Southern Hemisphere), when are the days the shortest and the nights the longest?

A) in late December
B) in late March
C) in late June
D) in late April
E) days and nights are pretty much the same length throughout the year in Australia

Question 8

If there really were a Santa Claus at the North Pole, what would the cycle of the seasons be like for him and Mrs. Claus?

A) pretty much the same as in the continental United States
B) six months of light, followed by six months of darkness (or at least dark twilight)
C) pretty much the reverse of the seasons in the continental U.S., with winter in June, and summer in December
D) the North Pole is always in darkness (it never sees the Sun, which is blocked by the Earth's equator)
E) the Sun only shines there during the two weeks before and after the Christmas holidays

Question 9

Some college students decide to form a secret society that would meet each year after graduation at a time when the day and night were the same length. Which of the following would be a time they could meet?

A) January 1
B) December 22
C) September 23
D) June 22
E) they can meet at any of the above times; day and night are always roughly the same length

Question 10

At which of the following locations on Earth is the direction we call East not clearly defined?

A) the latitude of Greenwich, England
B) the coast of the U.S. which borders on the Atlantic Ocean
C) the North Pole
D) the equator
E) the International Date Line

Question 11

The "prime meridian" (where longitude equals zero) passes through:

A) Paris
B) New York
C) the Pacific Ocean, away from all land
D) Beijing
E) Greenwich, England

Question 12

The latitude of the Earth's equator is

A) 180 degrees
B) 90 degrees
C) 0 degrees
D) 12 hours
E) undefined (by international agreement)
Section 4.2: The Seasons

Question 13

The Earth is closest to the Sun in which month of the year?

A) July
B) June
C) January
D) March
E) September

Question 14

An eccentric billionaire wants to build a mansion in a location on Earth where the effect of the seasons is the least pronounced -- where summer and winter are not that different. Where should his personal astronomer advise him to build?

A) at the equator
B) at the North Pole
C) at the South Pole
D) at the Tropic of Cancer (23⁰ N)
E) in Bayonne, New Jersey

Question 15

Taking astronomy in college ruins you for having any kind of ordinary job, so after graduation you decide to become the leader of a new religious cult. You decide to hold a big religious festival around the time that the days are shortest and the nights are longest in the United States. At what time of year will these celebrations be held?

A) in late August
B) in late December
C) in late June
D) in late March
E) in late September
Section 4.3: Keeping Time

Question 16

In what location on Earth could an eager math student NOT use her solar-powered calculator at any time at all during the course of a day in June?

A) the North Pole
B) the equator
C) the South Pole
D) anywhere on the International Date Line
E) none of the above

Question 17

In locating objects on the celestial sphere, we call the number of degrees east or west that something is from Greenwich, England its:

A) latitude
B) longitude
C) declination
D) meridian
E) seasonal displacement

Question 18

The time it takes for the Sun to return to the same place in our sky after the Earth has rotated once is called:

A) a solar day
B) a sidereal day
C) the ante meridian time
D) a year
E) an equinox period

Question 19

Which of the following is an important part of the reason it is hotter in summer in North America than in winter?

A) the Earth is closer to the Sun in summer
B) the Sun's rays hit the Earth more directly in the Summer, and spread out less
C) the cloud cover over the entire surface of the Earth is much less in summer
D) the nights are much longer in summer, allowing temperatures to stabilize
E) we see the full Sun in summer, instead of one of its partial phases

Question 20

A "New Age" bride and groom, who are enchanted by the Sun, want to get married on the day when it gets to be highest in the sky. If they live in the United States, around what day of the year will the wedding take place?

A) winter solstice
B) spring equinox
C) autumnal equinox
D) summer solstice
E) you can't fool me, the Sun's maximum height in the sky is roughly the same throughout the year

Question 21

A serial killer from a strange cult only kills his victims when the Moon is full. He leaves a note on the body of his latest victim, explaining that the murder was committed when the Moon was rising. What time of day did the murder take place?

A) roughly around sunset
B) roughly around sunrise
C) roughly about midnight
D) roughly around noon
E) we don't have enough information to answer this question

Question 22

During what phase of the Moon is the Moon up only during the night hours and all night long?

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

Question 23

Why does the Moon show phases in the course of a month?

A) clouds get in the way of the Moon's light and cover up parts of it
B) the Earth's shadow falls on the Moon to different degrees as the Moon goes around
C) the angle the Moon makes with the Sun changes and we see differing amounts of reflected sunlight
D) more or less light from the Earth is reflected as the Moon turns around it
E) the Moon glows from the inside, and its various continents glow different amounts

Question 24

The period of the moon's rotation on its axis is

A) much longer than its revolution around the Earth
B) much shorter than its revolution around the Earth
C) the same as its revolution around the Earth
D) longer or shorter depending on what part of the year we are in
E) zero

Question 25

You and some friends decide (during a wild party held at the time of the Full Moon) that you cannot live without having the secret recipe for the veggie burger they serve in the college cafeteria. So you decide to plan a break-in to steal the recipe from the chef's office. So that you don't get caught, you want to carry out your plan when there is no moonlight in the evening. What is the next phase of the Moon with no evening moonlight (i.e. when the Moon rises roughly at midnight or later)?

A) new moon
B) the next full moon
C) first quarter
D) a very slim waxing crescent
E) third quarter

Question 26

The terms "a.m." and "p.m." (as in see you at the movies at 8:30 p.m.) derive from what astronomical idea?

A) the Sun passes through the meridian in roughly the middle of the day
B) the Moon's phases change on a monthly cycle, getting fuller and then getting smaller
C) The apparent solar time differs from the mean solar time by a much greater amount in the first half of the day than the second half
D) The seasons in the northern hemisphere are backward from the seasons in the southern hemisphere
E) Putting the prime meridian in Greenwich, England required the approval of the prime minister. We think of time measurements as being either before or after that approval.
Section 4.4: The Calendar

Question 27

A dashing Romanian count asks his sweetheart to marry him. She says she will give her reply when the Moon is full. If he asked when the Moon was at first quarter, how long will he have to wait?

A) about a month
B) about a week
C) about a day
D) about three weeks
E) about a year minus a week

Question 28

A friend of yours (who has not had the benefit of an astronomy course) tells you about a report he has read in a tabloid newspaper. They claim that on the dark side of the Moon, which is never in sunlight, there is a secret base of aliens who cannot stand light, and who send UFO's to Earth under the cover of darkness. Ignoring the UFO claim for a moment, what is the scientific error in this story?

A) all sides of the Moon are illuminated by sunlight in the course of a month; there is no dark side
B) sunlight cannot reach any side of the Moon, so every side of it is always looks the same
C) the dark side of the Moon is the one that faces the Earth and our telescopes would have spotted such a base
D) since the moon is turning, we see all sides of it from Earth in the course of a month
E) there are no scientific problems with that story

Question 29

Why was the problem of devising a workable yearly calendar so difficult on Earth?

A) the Earth's rotation period does not divide evenly into the Earth's period of revolution
B) The day is based on what the Sun does, but the year is based on what the Moon does
C) The length of the Earth's year varies from year to year
D) The calendar only works at Greenwich, England, and it gets further and further off as you move eastward in longitude
E) Various Popes of the Catholic Church disagreed about how long the day should be

Question 30

If you could see the new moon, at what time of day (roughly) would it rise?

A) at sunset
B) at about noon
C) at midnight
D) at sunrise
E) a new moon can rise at any time of day, depending on what part of the year we are in

Question 31

The seven days of the week are named after:

A) the seven phases of the Moon
B) the seven main constellations through which the Moon is seen to pass in the sky
C) the seven "wandering" objects in the Sky that were visible to the ancients
D) the seven time zones of the Roman Empire
E) seven members of Julius Ceasar's family

Question 32

Which statement about the solar month and the sidereal month is correct?

A) The solar month is the same length as the sidereal month
B) The solar month is more than two days longer than the sidereal month
C) The solar month is more than two days shorter than the sidereal month
D) Because of the synchronous rotation of the Moon, both the solar month and the sidereal month change in length during the course of a year
E) The solar month is used in our calendars during the summer season, while the sidereal month is used only during the winter season
Section 4.6: Ocean Tides and the Moon

Question 33

During the period we have daylight savings time, we

A) keep our clocks the same, but adopt shorter hours
B) add one hour to local standard time
C) add an additional time zone to the ones in the United States
D) subtract four minutes from the length of the day
E) put some of the sunshine into a special bank, so we can use it during the colder months

Question 34

A friend of yours who takes her astronomy class very seriously challenges you to a contest to find the thinnest crescent moon you can find just after new moon? What time of day is best for looking for this very thin crescent?

A) midnight
B) noon
C) late morning
D) 3 to 4 am
E) just as the sun is setting, or just after

Question 35

Which of the following statements about the International Date Line is correct?

A) It runs through Greenwich, England
B) When crossing from west to east, you must decrease the date by one day
C) It is the only place on Earth where the standard time always equals mean solar time
D) The time there is measured with respect to the Moon and not the Sun
E) It is a telephone service for meeting single people from other countries

Question 36

If you could somehow return to the Earth in many millions of years, which of the following will be different?

A) the length of the year
B) the fact that the Moon shows phases
C) the fact that the Earth has seasons
D) the length of the month
E) none of the above

Question 37

When England and the American colonies finally adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1752, what dramatic change had to be made?

A) all the names of the months had to be changed
B) the time zones had to start in England
C) 12 days had to be dropped to bring the date and the seasons back into accord
D) the number of hours in the day had to be changed
E) everyone named Gregory had to spend almost two weeks in jail
Section 4.5: Phases and Motions of the Moon

Question 38

A writer of mystery novels wants to portray something gruesome happening just as the full moon is at its highest point in the sky. What time of day will the gruesome event occur?

A) roughly noon
B) roughly midnight
C) roughly at sunset
D) roughly at sunrise
E) that depends on the season of the year

Question 39

The Julian calendar made the significant advance of:

A) using the Moon's motion to simplify the way the length of the year was calculated
B) dropping 12 days from the year that was in use before it
C) defining time zones for the first time in the history of the world
D) introducing the leap year, so that every fourth year had an extra day
E) allowing everyone to sleep late on Saturdays

Question 40

How did the world's countries solve the problem that mean solar time varies continuously as a traveler's longitude changes?

A) they outlawed traveling long distances
B) they offered a reward and thus helped spur the invention of clocks and watches that can change the time they keep as you change longitude
C) an international convention adopted a single time zone for the entire world, so we can all be on the same time
D) the world was divided into 24 time zones, with all communities within a time zone keeping the same mean standard time
E) you can't fool me, this problem has not been solved yet

Question 41

How does the Sun influence the tides that we experience on Earth?

A) The Sun also raises tides on Earth, but its effect is smaller than that of the Moon
B) The Sun is much too far away to any significant tides on our planet
C) The Sun has a much greater mass than the Moon, so its tides on Earth are much larger than the tides raised by the Moon
D) The Sun's tides are exactly equal to those of the Moon, but sometimes they add to the Moon's tides, while sometimes they cancel out the Moon's tides, so we see no tides
E) The Sun's tides depend on what season we are in, and are very different in winter than in summer
Section 4.7: Eclipses of the Sun and the Moon

Question 42

Which of the following statements about eclipses of the Sun is true?

A) An eclipse of the Sun is visible somewhere on Earth each month.
B) When a total eclipse of the Sun is visible, it can be seen over half the Earth each time
C) During a total eclipse of the Sun, the Sun moves into the Earth's shadow
D) The ancient Greeks and Romans could not see eclipses of the Sun, they are a modern sight that's only become visible to us recently
E) For a total eclipse of the Sun to happen, the Moon must get directly in front of the Sun, as seen from Earth

Question 43

From a particular location on Earth, why can we see many more total eclipses of the Moon than total eclipses of the Sun?

A) the line-up of the Earth, Moon, and Sun needed for a lunar eclipse happens many, many times more often than the line-up needed for a solar eclipse
B) the Moon is much bigger in the sky than the Sun
C) the Moon is always in the same place in our sky, while the Sun moves around the sky
D) a total lunar eclipse is visible over a much larger part of the Earth's surface than a total solar eclipse
E) you can't fool me, we always see exactly the same number of total lunar and total solar eclipses from any one location on Earth

Question 44

What phase of the Moon must it be to have a solar eclipse?

A) full moon
B) new moon
C) first quarter
D) third quarter
E) it can be any phase as long as the orbits are lined up

Question 45

What phase of the Moon must it be to have a lunar eclipse?

A) full moon
B) new moon
C) first quarter
D) third quarter
E) it can be any phase as long as the orbits are lined up

Question 46

Recently, the media, always trying to make things sound sensational, have started to call totally eclipsed moon "the blood moon." Why does the Moon look reddish to us when there is a total lunar eclipse?

A) The media have it right. During a total eclipse, it gets so cold on the Moon all the animals that live on the Moon start bleeding
B) During a total eclipse of the Moon, we see the Sun's faint corona, and because it is red, the Moon looks red too
C) The red color is an optical illusion. Our eyes, used to seeing the full moon, have a "memory" of all the light, and the red color is the one the lasts the longest
D) All the total eclipses of the Moon are annular eclipses, where a ring of moonlight still remains around the Moon during the eclipse. This ring is red.
E) The Earth's atmosphere bends different colors of light to a different degree. During a total lunar eclipse, the red light of the Sun, filtering through the Earth's atmosphere colors the Moon red

Question 47

When the Sun and Moon are lined up and pull together, the tides they raise are called:

A) neap tides
B) spring tides
C) low tides
D) differential tides
E) prolate tides