Question 1

-The diagram shows three approximate locations of the Sun along the western horizon. Which number indicates the location of the Sun at sunset on June 21 (summer solstice) for an observer at a latitude of 37° North?

Accepted Answer

A)  1 
B)  2 
C)  3 
D)  The Sun will not set on June 21 at this latitude.

Question 2

For an observer in Toronto, at a latitude of 44° North, what is the angle between the northern horizon and the north celestial pole?

Accepted Answer

A)  23.5° 
B)  36° 
C)  44° 
D)  74°

Question 3

The planets ____________ and _____________ are never visible near the eastern horizon at sunset.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The planets ____________ and _____________ are never...

Question 4

An observer in the northern hemisphere takes a time exposure photograph of the night sky. If the illustration depicts the photograph taken by the observer, which direction was the camera pointing?

Accepted Answer

A)  due north 
B)  due south 
C)  due west 
D)  straight up, directly overhead

Question 5

How much does the RA coordinate of the Sun change in 2 months?

Accepted Answer

A)  0 hours, it does not change 
B)  about 2 hours 
C)  about 4 hours 
D)  about 24 hours

Question 6

Why is it possible to view a total solar eclipse from Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  because the Sun and the Moon have nearly the same diameter 
B)  because the Sun and the Moon have nearly the same angular diameter when viewed from Earth 
C)  because the Sun and the Moon are at nearly the same distance from Earth 
D)  because the Moon orbits Earth in the same plane that Earth orbits the Sun

Question 7

How many official constellations are there?

Accepted Answer

A)  98 
B)  88 
C)  13 
D)  55

Question 8

Which planet(s) in our solar system is (are) never visible to the naked eye?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 9

If the Earth's rotational axis shifted to a position perpendicular to the ecliptic, what would happen to seasonal variations on the Earth?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 10

How much of the night sky lies north of the celestial equator?

Accepted Answer

A)  Less than half, because of the tilt of the equator to the ecliptic plane. 
B)  More than half, because of the precession of the poles. 
C)  Exactly half. 
D)  All of the night sky.

Question 11

The celestial equator always crosses the horizon at the east point and west point.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

If you see the Sun pass directly overhead on at least one day per year, then where are you on Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  within 23.5° latitude of the equator 
B)  within 66.5° latitude of the equator 
C)  exactly on the equator 
D)  could be anywhere, because this occurs at least once per year at any location on the Earth

Question 13

If the Sun were twice as large but remained at its current distance from Earth, which of the following changes would allow people on Earth to still experience a total solar eclipse?

Accepted Answer

A)  Double the size of the Moon and double the size of its orbit around Earth. 
B)  Keep the Moon at its current size but double the size of its orbit around Earth. 
C)  Keep the Moon at its current size but halve the size of its orbit around Earth. 
D)  Halve the size of the Moon and keep the size of its orbit around Earth the same.

Question 14

A total solar eclipse occurred in Brandon, Manitoba, on Feb. 26, 1979. At what other date was there (or will there be) the same eclipse visible at this location?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 15

What is the term for the Moon when it is visible above the western horizon a couple of hours before sunrise?

Accepted Answer

A)  the waning gibbous Moon 
B)  the waxing gibbous Moon 
C)  the waxing crescent Moon 
D)  the waning crescent Moon

Question 16

For a northern hemisphere observer, the _____________ ____________ Moon is visible in the south-eastern sky just after sunset.

Accepted Answer

The answer of For a northern hemisphere observer, the _____________...

Question 17

The path of totality for a solar eclipse is swept out by the tip of the Moon's umbra as the umbra moves over the Earth.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

Around what date is the amount of solar energy per square metre that is incident upon the surface of the Earth in the northern hemisphere at its lowest level?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 19

What kind of letters are used to identify stars in a constellation?

Accepted Answer

A)  Arabic letters 
B)  Italic letters 
C)  Latin letters 
D)  Greek letters

Question 20

For an observer in Oberon Bay, Australia, at a latitude of 39° South, what is the angle between the southern horizon and the south celestial pole?

Accepted Answer

A)  23.5° 
B)  39° 
C)  45° 
D)  51°

Exam 2: Users Guide to the Sky: Patterns and Cycles