Question 1

The star delta Cephei has a declination of about +58.5 degrees.Which observer will see it above their horizon for the longest fraction of one night?

Accepted Answer

A) an observer in Valdivia, Chile, at a latitude of 39° S 
B) an observer in Windhoek, Namibia, at a latitude of 22.5° S 
C) an observer in Zacatecas, Mexico, at a latitude of 22.5° N 
D) an observer in Edmonton, Canada, at a latitude of 53.5° N

Question 2

How far,and in what direction,does the Sun appear to move on the celestial sphere per day?

Accepted Answer

A) about one degree westward 
B) about one degree eastward 
C) about 360 degrees westward 
D) about 360 degrees eastward

Question 3

Which of the following is 18 years and 11-1/3 days long?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 4

Why are penumbral eclipses less obvious than partial eclipses?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why are penumbral eclipses less obvious than...

Question 5

A(n)____________________ eclipse occurs when the Moon is at its greatest distance from the Earth,and the Moon is new.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A(n)____________________ eclipse occurs when the Moon is...

Question 6

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

Accepted Answer

A) winter solstice and summer solstice 
B) vernal equinox and autumnal equinox 
C) north celestial pole and south celestial pole 
D) zenith and east point

Question 7

If the perihelion of the Earth was significantly closer to the Sun than is currently the case,what would be the probable effect on the climate of the Southern Hemisphere?

Accepted Answer

A) The winter season would be much colder than at present. 
B) The winter season would be much warmer than at present. 
C) The summer season would be much colder than at present. 
D) The summer season would be much warmer than at present.

Question 8

What causes the precession of the Earth's rotation axis?

Accepted Answer

A) the force of gravity from the Sun and Moon on the Earth's equatorial bulge 
B) the force of gravity from the Sun and Jupiter on the Earth-Moon system 
C) the magnetic field of the Earth 
D) the impacts of asteroids

Question 9

How is a constellation different from an asterism?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How is a constellation different from an...

Question 10

If the apparent visual magnitude of a star is 7.3,what does this tell us about the brightness of the star?

Accepted Answer

A) It is one of the brighter stars in the sky. 
B) It is bright enough that it would be visible even during the day. 
C) It is not visible with the unaided eye. 
D) It appears faint because of its great distance from the Earth.

Question 11

-The diagram shows three approximate locations of the Sun along the western horizon.Which number indicates the location of the Sun at sunset on the vernal equinox (March 21)for an observer at a latitude of 48° South?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 12

What is the Saros cycle?

Accepted Answer

A) the pattern of repetition of solar and lunar eclipses 
B) the time between annular eclipses at a particular location 
C) the number of full Moons in a year 
D) the pattern of events that happen in a single eclipse

Question 13

What is the celestial equator?

Accepted Answer

A) the dividing line between the north and south celestial hemispheres 
B) a line around the sky directly above the Earth's poles 
C) the path that the Sun appears to follow on the celestial sphere as the Earth orbits the Sun 
D) the path that the planets appear to follow in the sky

Question 14

For an observer in Lusaka,Zambia,at a latitude of 16° South,what is the angle between the southern horizon and the south celestial pole?

Accepted Answer

A) 16° 
B) 23.5° 
C) 74° 
D) 164°

Question 15

What causes precession,and why does it move the celestial equator?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What causes precession,and why does it move...

Question 16

The Earth's rotation axis ____________________ slowly so that in a few thousand years Polaris will no longer be the North Star.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Earth's rotation axis ____________________ slowly so...

Question 17

Why does the Moon glow coppery red during a total lunar eclipse?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why does the Moon glow coppery red...

Question 18

The full Moon has an angular diameter of approximately ____________________ arc minutes for an observer located on the surface of the Earth.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The full Moon has an angular diameter...

Question 19

A total solar eclipse will be visible from the same location on Earth one Saros cycle later.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

Why have more people seen total lunar eclipses than total solar eclipses?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why have more people seen total lunar...

Exam 2: User's Guide to the Sky