AST 106 Exam #1
A star's path through your sky depends on your latitude and the star's: a) declination. b) right ascension. c) both declination and right ascension.
A
A television advertisement claiming that a product is light-years ahead of its time does not make sense because a) it uses "light-years" to talk about time, but a light-year is a unit of distance b) a light-year is an astronomically large unit, so a product could not possibly be so advanced c) light-years can only be used to talk about light d) it doesn't specify the number of light-years
A
As seen from Huntsville, how many hours will a star at DEC = -60 deg spend above the horizon? A) 0 hours B) 9 hours C) 12 hours D) 15 hours E) 24 hours
A
Beijing and Philadelphia have about the same latitude but very different longitudes. Therefore, tonight's night sky in these two places: a) will look about the same. b) will have completely different sets of constellations. c) will have partially different sets of constellations.
A
Compared to the distance to the Moon, how far away is the space shuttle (when in space) from the Earth? A) Very close to the Earth B) About ½ way to the Moon C) Very close to the Moon D) About twice as far as the Moon
A
Galileo challenged the idea that objects in the heavens were perfect by _________. a) observing sunspots on the Sun and mountains on the Moon b) showing that heavy objects fall at the same rate as lighter objects c) proving Kepler's laws were correct d) inventing the telescope
A
Galileo observed all of the following. Which observation offered direct proof of a planet orbiting the Sun? a) Phases of Venus b) Four moons of Jupiter. c) Patterns of shadow and sunlight near the dividing line between the light and dark portions of the Moon's face d) The Milky Way is composed of many individual stars.
A
How does a 12-month lunar calendar differ from our 12-month solar calendar? a) It has about 11 fewer days. b) It uses a 23-hour rather than a 24-hour day. c) It does not have seasons. d) Its new year always occurs in February instead of on January 1.
A
If we have a new moon today, when we will have the next full moon? a) in about 2 weeks b) in about a month c) in about 6 months d) in about 1 week
A
If you are located in the Northern Hemisphere, which of the following correctly describes a relationship between the sky and your location? a) The altitude of the north celestial pole equals your latitude. b) The altitude of the celestial equator equals your latitude. c) The altitude of the north celestial pole equals your longitude. d) The longitude of the north celestial pole is circumpolar, and therefore crosses your zenith at the meridian.
A
If you could count stars at a rate of about one per second, how long would it take to count all the stars in the Milky Way Galaxy? a) Several thousand years b) Several days c) Several years d) Several weeks
A
In winter, Earth's axis points toward Polaris. In spring, a) the axis also points toward Polaris b) the axis points toward Vega c) the axis points towards the Sun d) the axis points 23.5 deg from Polaris e) the axis points 47 deg from Polaris
A
In winter, Earth's axis points toward the star Polaris. In spring: a) the axis also points toward Polaris. b) the axis points toward Vega. c) the axis points toward the Sun.
A
Stars that never appear to set are called circumpolar. As you move from Earth's equator toward the North Pole, the number of circumpolar stars a) increases b) decreases c) stay the same
A
Suppose a comet orbits the Sun on a highly eccentric orbit with an average (semimajor axis) distance of 1 AU. How long does it take to complete each orbit, and how do we know? a) 1 year, which we know from Kepler's third law. b) Each orbit should take about 2 years because the eccentricity is so large. c) It depends on the eccentricity of the orbit, as described by Kepler's second law. d) It depends on the eccentricity of the orbit, as described by Kepler's first law.
A
Suppose it is full Moon. What phase of Earth would someone on the Moon see at this time? a) new Earth b) first-quarter Earth c) full Earth d) Earth does not go through phases as seen from the Moon.
A
Suppose we make a scale model of our solar system, with the Sun the size of a grapefruit. Which of the following best describes what the planets would look like? a) The planets are all much smaller than the Sun. Four planets are within about 20 meters of the Sun, whereas the rest planets are spread much farther apart. b) The planets are all much smaller than the Sun and are spread out evenly over a distance about the length of a large classroom. c) The planets are all much smaller than the Sun. Four planets are located within a few centimeters of the Sun, and four planets are located at distances ranging up to about a meter. d) The planets range in size from about the size of a marble to the size of a baseball. They are spread out over a region about the size of a football field.
A
Suppose you use the Southern Cross to determine that the south celestial pole appears 40 degrees above your horizon. Then you must be located at _________. a) latitude 40 degrees south b) latitude 50 degrees south c) longitude 40 degrees d) latitude 40 degrees north
A
The North Celestial Pole is 35 ∘ above your northern horizon. This tells you that: a) you are at latitude 35 ∘ N. b) you are at longitude 35 ∘ E. c) you are at latitude 35 ∘ S.
A
The Sun's path, as viewed from the equator, is highest in the sky on _________. a) the March and September equinoxes b) the day when Earth is closest to the Sun c) the June solstice d) the December solstice
A
The phase of the Moon at a lunar eclipse A) Is always full. B) Is always new. C) Is always waning crescent. D) Is always waxing gibbous. E) May be anything depending on the geometry
A
The term observable universe refers to a) that portion of the universe that we can see in principle, given the current age of the universe b) the portion of the universe that is not hidden from view by, for example, being below the horizon c) the portion of the universe that can be seen by the naked eye d) that portion of the universe that we have so far photographed through telescopes
A
Today, the evidence that we live in an expanding universe is extremely strong because astronomers have measured the motions of millions of galaxies. Nevertheless, in science, we must always remain open to the possibility that some future observation could call even our most strongly supported theories into question. Which of the following hypothetical observations would not be consistent with what we expect in an expanding universe? a) You discover an extremely distant galaxy that is moving toward us. b) You discover an extremely distant galaxy that is moving away from us at 90% of the speed of light. c) You discover a pair of distant galaxies that are colliding with one another.
A
What is the ecliptic? a) the path the Sun appears to trace around the celestial sphere each year b) a half-circle extending from your horizon due north, through your zenith, to your horizon due south c) the Sun's daily path from east to west in our sky d) the path traced by the Moon's shadow on Earth during a solar eclipse
A
When Copernicus first created his Sun-centered model of the universe, it did not lead to substantially better predictions of planetary positions than the Ptolemaic model. Why not? a) Copernicus used perfect circles for the orbits of the planets. b) Copernicus misjudged the distances between the planets. c) Copernicus placed the planets in the wrong order going outward from the Sun. d) Copernicus placed the Sun at the center but did not realize that the Moon orbits the Earth.
A
When it is summer in Australia, the season in the US is a) winter b) spring c) summer d) fall
A
Which of the following best describes why we have seasons on Earth? a) The tilt of Earth's axis causes different portions of Earth to receive more or less direct sunlight at different times of year. b) The tilt of Earth's axis causes the Northern Hemisphere to be closer to the Sun than the Southern Hemisphere in summer, and visa versa in winter. c) Earth's elliptical orbit means we are closer to the Sun and therefore receive more intense sunlight at some times of year than at others. d) The varying speed of Earth in its orbit around the Sun gives us summer when we are moving fastest and winter when we are moving slowest.
A
Which of the following claims can be tested by scientific means? a) People born when the Sun is in the constellation of Leo are more financially successful than other people. b) The final thoughts of Abraham Lincoln were about the fate of his country. c) God exists. d) Blue is the best color for walls.
A
Which of the following never goes in retrograde motion? a) the Sun b) Venus c) Mars d) Jupiter e) Saturn
A
Which of the following statements about an ellipse is NOT true? a) The focus of an ellipse is always located precisely at the center of the ellipse. b) An ellipse with a large eccentricity looks much more elongated (stretched out) than an ellipse with a small eccentricity. c) A circle is considered to be a special type of ellipse. d) The semimajor axis of an ellipse is half the length of the longest line that you can draw across an ellipse.
A
Which of the following statements about the celestial sphere is not true? a) The celestial sphere is another name for our universe. b) The Earth is placed at the center of the celestial sphere. c) When we look in the sky, the stars all appear to be located on the celestial sphere. d) The celestial sphere does not exist physically.
A
Which of the following statements does NOT use the term angular size or angular distance correctly? a) The angular distance between those two bright stars in the sky is about 2 meters. b) You can use your outstretched hand against the sky to estimate angular sizes and angular distances. c) The angular distance between those two houses in the distance is 30 degrees. d) The angular size of the Sun is about the same as that of the Moon.
A
Which statement about motion in the universe is not true? a) The mysterious dark matter is the fastest-moving material in the universe. b) Your speed of rotation around Earth's axis is faster if you live near the equator than if you live near the North Pole. c) Some stars in the Milky Way Galaxy are moving toward us and others are moving away from us. d) Except for a few nearby galaxies, all other galaxies are moving away from us.
A
You observe a full Moon rising at sunset. What will you see at midnight? a) A full moon high in the sky b) A waning gibbous moon c) A third-quarter moon d) A first-quarter moon
A
The south celestial pole appears on your meridian at an altitude of 30 degrees in the south. Where are you? a) latitude = 30 deg S b) latitude = 60 deg S c) latitude = 30 deg N d) latitude = 60 deg N e) the South Pole
A altitude on celestial pole = your latitude
According to Kepler's third law (p2 = a3), how does a planet's mass affect its orbit around the Sun? a) A more massive planet must have a larger semimajor axis. b) A planet's mass has no effect on its orbit around the Sun. c) More massive planets must have more circular orbits. d) More massive planets orbit the Sun at higher average speed.
B
According to current scientific estimates, when did the Big Bang occur? a) about 20 billion years ago b) about 14 billion years ago c) about 10 billion years ago d) about 4 1/2 billion years ago e) about 65 million years ago
B
All the following statements are true. Which one follows directly from Kepler's third law (p2 = a3)? a) Venus takes longer to rotate than it does to orbit the Sun. b) Venus orbits the Sun at a slower average speed than Mercury. c) Venus is more massive than Mercury. d) Venus has a thicker atmosphere than Mercury.
B
How would a star's parallax change as its distance from Earth increases? a) The parallax shift increases as the star's distance from Earth increases. b) The parallax shift decreases as the star's distance from Earth increases. c) The parallax shift does not change; it is independent of the star's distance from Earth.
B
If our year were twice as long (that is, if Earth took twice as many days to complete each orbit around the Sun), but Earth's rotation period and axis tilt were unchanged, then _________. a) the cycle of precession would take 13,000 years instead of 26,000 years b) the four seasons would each be twice as long as they are now c) stars would take twice as long to rise and set d) the Earth would not have seasons
B
In the northern hemisphere, the stars rise in the East, set in the West and revolve counter-clockwise around the North celestial pole. In the southern hemisphere the stars rise in the: a) East, set in the West and revolve ccw around the South celestial pole. b) East, set in the West and revolve cw around the South celestial pole. c) West, set in the East and revolve cw around the South celestial pole. d) West, set in the East and revolve ccw around the South celestial pole.
B
Our solar system consists of a) a few hundred billion stars, bound together by gravity b) the Sun and all the objects that orbit it c) the Sun and several nearby stars, as well as the planets and other objects that orbit these stars d) the Sun and the planets, and nothing else
B
On the cosmic calendar, which compresses the history of the universe into a single year, about when did life arise on Earth? a) in late January b) in mid-August c) in September d) in mid-December e) just a few hours before midnight on December 31
C
Only one of the statements that follow uses the term theory in its correct, scientific sense. Which one? a) I wrote a theory that is 152 pages long. b) Evolution is only a theory, so there's no reason to think it really happened. c) Einstein's theory of relativity has been tested and verified thousands of times. d) I have a new theory about the cause of earthquakes, and I plan to start testing it soon.
C
Polaris is 50°above your horizon, due north. Where are you? A) You are on the equator. B) You are at the North Pole. C) You are at latitude 50°N. D) You are at longitude 50°S. E) You are at latitude 50°N and longitude 50°E.
C
Relative to the age of the universe, how old is our solar system? a) It is nearly the same age as the universe. b) It is about 1% as old as the universe. c) It is about one third the age of the universe. d) It is between about 5 and 10% as old as the universe.
C
Stars that are visible in the local sky on any clear night of the year, at any time of the night, are called a) celestial b) seasonal c) circumpolar d) bright
C
Suppose you are facing north and you see the Big Dipper close to your northern horizon, with Polaris (and the Little Dipper) above it. Where will you see the Big Dipper in six hours? a) Still in the same place, below Polaris b) Directly above Polaris c) To the right of Polaris; that is, 90 degrees counterclockwise from its current position d) To the left of Polaris; that is, 90 degrees clockwise from its current position
C
Suppose you live on the Moon. How long is a day? a) 23 hours 56 minutes b) 24 hours c) a lunar month d) a year e) 18 years
C
Suppose you see a photo showing Jupiter half in sunlight and half in shadow (that is, a first-quarter Jupiter). This photo might have been taken by _________. a) the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico b) the Keck telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii c) the Galileo spacecraft that orbited Jupiter in the 1990s d) the Hubble Space Telescope (which orbits Earth)
C
The brightest stars in a constellation A) all belong to the same star cluster. B) all lie at about the same distance from Earth. C) may actually be quite far away from each other.
C
The celestial equator is: a) the path of the Sun compared to the stars. b) the path of the moon compared to the stars. c) always directly overhead at the Earth's equator. d) the average path of planets on a star chart. e) always along the horizon for people on Earth's equator.
C
The most distant spacecraft that we have is A) Much closer than Pluto B) About the same distance as Pluto C) Farther than Pluto but not nearly as far as the nearest stars D) About the same distance as the nearest stars E) Much farther than the nearest stars
C
The revolution epitomized by Copernicus that still dominates scientific thought could be described as having moved our view of mankind's place in the universe from a) the edge towards the Big Bang. b) the center to the edge. c) a special place to an average place. d) an average place to a special place.
C
To see the greatest number of stars possible throughout the period of one year, a person should be located at latitude: a) 90 degrees b) 45 degrees c) 0 degrees d) anywhere, since latitude makes no difference
C
We have discussed eclipses viewed from the Earth. If we live on the Moon, sometime Earth may enter the shadow of the Moon (earth eclipse). Which of the following statement about the Earth eclipse is true? A) It will be like lunar eclipse and the whole earth becomes dark for a few hours. B) It will be like solar eclipse and the whole earth becomes dark for a few minutes. C) Only a small portion of the Earth will be eclipsed. D) The Earth eclipse will be too weak to be noticed.
C
What cause(s) winter to be cooler than summer? a) The Earth is closer to the Sun in summer than in winter. b) The daylight period is longer than in summer. c) The Sun gets higher in the sky in summer. d) both a and c e) all of the above
C
What is the maximum altitude above the southern horizon of a star at a declination of 23 deg north as seen from Huntsville (35 deg N) A) 90 degrees B) 67 degrees C) 78 degrees D) 55 degrees E) 29 degrees
C
What was the Ptolemaic model? a) a Sun-centered model of planetary motion published by Ptolemy b) the first scientific model to successfully predict solar and lunar eclipses c) an Earth-centered model of planetary motion published by Ptolemy d) the Earth-centered model of the cosmos in which Earth was surrounded by seven perfect spheres, one each for the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn
C
The following statements describe ways in which the analogy might apply to the real universe. Which statements are correct? Check all that apply. a) The raisins stay roughly the same size as the cake expands, just as galaxies stay roughly the same size as the universe expands. b) Both the raisin cake and the universe have a well-defined inside and outside. c) The average distance increases with time both between raisins in the cake and between galaxies in the universe. d) An observer at any raisin sees more distant raisins moving away faster, just as an observer in any galaxy sees more distant galaxies moving away faster. e) The temperature starts low and ends high in both the raisin cake and the universe. f) Raisin 1 is near the center of the cake, just as our galaxy is near the center of the universe.
A, C, D
The best test of a scientific hypothesis is how a) well it explains all known observations b) well it agrees with known theories c) simply it explains all known observations d) well it predicts new observations e) easily it is transcribed into mathematical notation
A?
Suppose we look at two distant galaxies: Galaxy 1 is twice as far away as Galaxy 2. In that case _________. a) We are seeing Galaxy 1 as it looked at a later time in the history of the universe than Galaxy 2. b) We are seeing Galaxy 1 as it looked at an earlier time in the history of the universe than Galaxy 2. c) Galaxy 1 must be twice as big as Galaxy 2 d) Galaxy 2 must be twice as old as Galaxy 1
B
Suppose you live in the United States and you see a crescent moon in your evening sky tonight. What will a friend in South America see tonight? a) Your friend will see a gibbous moon. b) Your friend will also see a crescent moon. c) Your friend won't see the Moon tonight because it is up only in the morning. d) Your friend will see a first-quarter moon.
B
The Andromeda Galaxy is faintly visible to the naked eye in the constellation Andromeda. Suppose instead it were located in the same direction in space as the center of the Milky Way Galaxy (but still at its current distance). How would it appear to the eye in that case? a) It would look about the same, but it would be harder to pick out because its cloud-like appearance would make it blend in with the cloud-like appearance of the Milky Way in our sky. b) We could not see it at all. c) It would look about the same but would be in the constellation Sagittarius instead of Andromeda. d) It would be much brighter because it would be illuminated by the many stars in the center of our galaxy.
B
The fact that we always see the same face of the Moon tells us that A) The Moon does not rotate B) The Moon's rotation period is the same as its orbital period. C) The Moon looks the same on both sides. D) The far side of the Moon is always dark.
B
The phase of the moon at a solar eclipse a) is always full b) is always new c) is always waning crescent d) is always waxing gibbous
B
We cannot see a new moon in our sky because a) it is above the horizon during the daytime b) a new moon is quite near the Sun in the sky c) no sunlight is illuminating the Moon d) it is obscured by Earth's shadow
B
We never see a crescent Jupiter from Earth because Jupiter __________. a) shines with its own light b) is farther than Earth from the Sun c) does not go around Earth d) orbits the Sun in the same direction as Earth
B
What do astronomers mean by the Big Bang? a) the explosion of a massive star at the end of its life b) the event that marked the beginning of the expansion of the universe c) the event that marked the birth of our solar system d) a gigantic explosion that blew all the galaxies in the universe to smithereens
B
What effect would be most significant if the Moon's orbital plane were exactly the same as the ecliptic plane? a) solar eclipses would be much rarer b) solar eclipses would be much more frequent c) solar eclipses would last much longer d) both a and c e) both b and c
B
When traveling north from the United States into Canada, you'll see the North Star (Polaris) getting a) dimmer b) higher in the sky c) lower in the sky d) brighter
B
When we look at the most distant observable objects in the universe, we see them a) As they were about 1 billion years ago. b) as they were about 14 billion years ago. c) as they are now. d) as they were at some time in the past, depending on which direction we are looking.
B
Where is our solar system located within the Milky Way Galaxy? a) In the halo of the galaxy b) Roughly halfway between the center and the edge of the visible disk of the galaxy c) At the far edge of the galaxy's visible disk d) Very near the center of the galaxy
B
Which of the following statements about the ecliptic plane is not true? a) It is the plane of Earth's orbit around the Sun. b) It is the plane of the Moon's orbit around the Sun. c) During a solar eclipse, the Moon lies on the ecliptic plane. d) During a lunar eclipse, the Moon lies in the ecliptic plane. e) The nodes of the Moon's orbit lie in the ecliptic plane.
B
Why do the patterns of the stars in our sky look the same from year to year? a) Because the stars in the constellations are not moving. b) Because the stars in the constellations are so far away. c) Because the stars in the constellations move so slowly, typically about the speed of a snail, that their motions are not noticeable. d) Because the stars in the constellations all move at the same speeds and in the same directions, so they don't change their relative positions.
B
What is the maximum altitude above the southern horizon of a star at a declination of 35 deg north as seen from Boston (42 deg north latitude)? a) 90 deg b) 83 deg c) 55 deg d) 42 deg e) 35 deg
B (90-42) + 35
As seen from Huntsville, how many hours will a star on the equator (DEC=0 deg) spend above the horizon? A) 0 hours B) 9 hours C) 12 hours D) 15 hours E) 24 hours
C
During the time that a planet is in its period of apparent retrograde motion, a) the planet appears to rise in the west and set in the east, rather than the usual rising in the east and setting in the west b) the planet moves backwards (clockwise as viewed from above Earth's north pole) in its orbit of the Sun c) over many days or weeks, the planet moves westward relative to the stars, rather than the usual eastward relative to the stars d) the planet is getting closer to the Sun in its orbit
C
Earth is farthest from the Sun in July and closest to the Sun in January. During which Northern Hemisphere season is Earth moving fastest in its orbit? a) Spring b) Fall c) Winter d) Summer
C
For most of history, the lack of observable stellar parallax was interpreted to mean that _________. a) stars must all lie at the same distance from Earth, on the celestial sphere b) stars were too far away for parallax to be measured with available technology c) Earth is stationary at the center of the universe d) Galileo's theories of the universe were essentially correct
C
How are galaxies important to our existence? a) Without galaxies, there could not have been a Big Bang. b) Without galaxies, the universe could not be expanding. c) Galaxies recycle material from one generation of stars to the next, and without this recycling, we could not exist. d) Deep in their centers, galaxies created the elements from which we are made.
C
How did the Ptolemaic model explain the apparent retrograde motion of the planets? a) The planets resided on giant spheres that sometimes turned clockwise and sometimes turned counterclockwise. b) The planets sometimes stopped moving and then reversed to move backward along their circular orbits. c) The planets moved along small circles that moved on larger circles around the Earth. d) The model showed that apparent retrograde motion occurs as Earth passes by another planet in its orbit of the Sun.
C
How do the speeds at which we are moving with Earth's rotation and orbit compare to the speeds of more familiar objects? a) Earth's rotation carries most people around the axis at about the speed at which the Space Shuttle orbits Earth, and Earth's orbit carries us around the Sun at nearly the speed of light. b) Earth's rotation carries most people around the axis at about the speed of a commercial jet, and Earth's orbit carries us around the Sun at about the speed of a military jet. c) Earth's rotation carries most people around the axis faster than a commercial jet travels, and Earth's orbit carries us around the Sun faster than the Space Shuttle orbits Earth. d) Earth's rotation carries most people around the axis at about the speed of a car on the freeway, and Earth's orbit carries us around the Sun at about the speed of a commercial jet.
C
Huntsville is at 87 degrees west and 35 degrees north. If you dug a hole in Huntsville straight through the Earth, where would you come out? A) 87 degrees east, 35 degrees south B) 87 degrees east, 55 degrees south C) 93 degrees east, 35 degrees south D) 93 degrees east, 55 degrees south E) hell?
C
If the 14 billion year history of the universe were compressed to one year, and "now" is exactly midnight December 31, approximately how long ago were your grandparents born? a) 1 hour ago b) 1 second ago c) 0.15 second ago d) 1 minute ago
C
If the tilt of Earth's axis to its orbital plane was 40 degrees, instead of 23 ½, but its distance from the Sun remained the same, what would happen to the seasons? A) They wouldn't change much. B) They would become less extreme-winter and summer would be more alike. C) They would become more extreme-winter colder and summer warmer. D) All of Earth would get colder. E) All of Earth would get warmer.
C
If we imagine the history of the universe compressed into one year, dinosaurs became extinct _________. a) about 6 months ago b) about 3 weeks ago c) yesterday morning d) about an hour ago
C
If we live on the Moon, sometimes we will experience total solar eclipse on the Moon. Which of the following statements about the total solar eclipse on the Moon is correct? a) Like the total solar eclipse on Earth, typically it will only last a few minutes. b) Only a small portion of the Sun will be eclipsed. c) The total solar eclipse on the Moon will usually last a few hours. d) The total solar eclipse on the Moon will be too weak to be noticed.
C
If you were on the Moon, Earth would A) show no phases. B) show phases the same as the Moon (when it is full Moon it is full Earth, etc.). C) show phases opposite to the Moon (when it is full Moon it is new Earth, etc.).
C
Imagine a planet whose rotation axis is perpendicular to its orbital plane (so no axial tilt). How would you describe the seasons on that planet? a) shorter than those on Earth b) longer than those on Earth c) constant d) the same as those on Earth
C
Imagine you randomly select 100,000 twitter accounts and record the first digit of the number of their followers. For example, Donald Trump has 53.8 million followers at the time of writing. The first digit is "5". Prof. Sun has five followers so the first digit is also "5". What is the frequency of "1" in your record of 100,000 first digits? A) 10% B) 20% C) 30% D) 50%
C
In science, a broad idea that has been repeatedly verified so as to give scientists great confidence that it represents reality is called _________. a) a Ptolemaic model b) a hypothesis c) a theory d) a paradigm
C
It's 6 a.m. and the Moon is at its highest point in your sky (crossing the meridian). What is the Moon's phase? a) new b) full c) third quarter d) first quarter
C
It's 9 a.m. You look up in the sky and see a moon with half its face bright and half dark. What phase is it? A) first quarter B) waxing gibbous C) third quarter D) half moon
C
Knowing that the Sun and Moon "look" about the same size in the sky, what other piece of information do we need to determine the relative physical sizes of the Sun and Moon? a) the size of the Earth's shadow on the moon b) the relative sizes of Earth and the Moon c) the number of times farther away the Sun is than the moon d) the size that Earth would appear if viewed from the Moon
C
Which of the following is not part of a good scientific theory? a) A scientific theory must explain a wide variety of phenomena observed in the natural world. b) A scientific theory should be based on natural processes and should not invoke the supernatural or divine. c) A scientific theory cannot be accepted until it has been proven true beyond all doubt. d) A scientific theory must make testable predictions that, if found to be incorrect, could lead to its own modification or demise.
C
Which of the following lies in the ecliptic plane? a) A line connecting Earth's north and south poles b) Earth's equator c) Earth's orbital path around the Sun d) A line connecting Earth and Polaris
C
Which of these hypothetical observations (none of them are real) would force us to reconsider our modern, Sun-centered view of the solar system? a) We find that we are unable to measure any parallax for a distant galaxy. b) We discover an Earth-sized planet orbiting the Sun beyond the orbit of Pluto. c) We discover a small planet beyond Saturn that rises in the west and sets in the east each day. d) We discover that the universe is actually contracting, not expanding.
C
You go out tonight and see the brightest star in the constellation Orion rise at about 10pm. One week from now this star will rise at about a) 9:30pm b) 10pm c) 10:30pm d) 10am
C?
All the following statements are true. Which one explains the reason that there is not a solar eclipse at every new moon? a) The Moon goes through a complete cycle of phases about every 29 1/2 days. b) The Moon is only about one fourth as large as Earth in diameter. c) The nodes of the moon's orbit precess with an 18-year period. d) The orbital plane of the Moon is tilted slightly (by about 5 degrees) to the ecliptic plane.
D
An angle of 1 arcsecond is _________. a) slightly more than the width of a basketball held at arm's length b) about the width of a finger held at arm's length c) about the width of your fist held at arm's length d) less than the thickness of a human hair held at arm's length
D
Astronomers infer that the universe is expanding because distant galaxies all appear to _________. a) be made mostly of dark matter b) rotate rapidly c) be growing in size d) be moving away from us, with more distant ones moving faster
D
Based on what you've learned from the raisin cake analogy, which two properties of distant galaxies do astronomers have to measure to show that we live in an expanding universe? a) their distances and masses b) their ages and distances c) their ages and masses d) their distances and speeds
D
Consider the hypothetical observation "a planet beyond Saturn rises in west, sets in east." This observation is not consistent with a Sun-centered model, because in this model __________. a) there are no planets beyond Saturn b) planets beyond Saturn must orbit the Sun more slowly than closer-in planets c) all objects in space must orbit the Sun in the same direction d) the rise and set of all objects depends only on Earth's rotation
D
Could we see a galaxy that is 20 billion light-years away? (Assume that we mean a "lookback time" of 20 billion years.) a) Yes, we have already detected galaxies at that distance. b) No, because a galaxy could not possibly be that far away. c) Yes, if we had a big enough telescope. d) No, because it would be beyond the bounds of our observable universe.
D
During the period each year when we see Mars undergoing apparent retrograde motion in our sky, what is really going on in space? a) Earth and Mars are getting closer together. b) Mars is moving around the Sun in the opposite direction from which Earth is moving around the Sun. c) Earth and Mars are on opposite sides of the Sun. d) Earth is catching up with and passing by Mars in their respective orbits.
D
How does Earth's varying distance from the Sun affect our seasons? a) It is responsible for the fact that the seasons are opposite in the Northern and Southern hemispheres. b) It makes summer warmer in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere. c) It causes the seasons to be more extreme than they would be if the Earth's distance from the Sun were always the same. d) It doesn't; Earth's orbital distance plays no significant role in the seasons.
D
If our solar system were located at the exact opposite side of the galaxy, would we be able to see the Andromeda Galaxy? A) No,the stars in our galaxy would obscure Andromeda. B) No, Andromeda would then be so far away that its light would be too weak to detect. C) Yes, but we would see the other side of Andromeda. D) Yes, but it would appear in a different constellation. E) Yes, the night sky would appear exactly the same
D
In January, Earth's rotation axis points in the direction of the star Polaris. Where does it point in July? a) Toward a star 23 ½° away from Polaris b) Toward the star Sirius c) Toward a star 47° away from Polaris d) Toward the star Polaris
D
In any particular place on Earth, certain constellations are visible in the evening only at certain times of the year because _________. a) on any particular night, we can only see stars that are directly opposite (180 degrees away from) the Sun in the sky b) during some times of year, some constellations drop below the southern horizon c) some constellations are circumpolar d) our evening view of space depends on where Earth is located in its orbit around the Sun
D
Lunar eclipses can occur only during a a) third quarter moon b) new moon c) first quarter moon d) full moon
D
On a scale where the Sun is about the size of a grapefruit and the Earth is about 15 meters away, how far away are the nearest stars besides the Sun? a) about the distance across 50 football fields b) about the distance across the state of Delaware c) 100 meters d) about the distance across the United States
D
On the cosmic calendar, which compresses the history of the universe into a single year, about when did Earth form? a) very early in January b) in mid-February c) in June d) in early September e) in mid-December
D
Scientific thinking is a) a difficult process that only a handful of people can do well b) completely different from any other type of thinking c) an ancient mode of thinking first invented in Egypt d) based on everyday ideas of observation and trial-and-error experiments
D
Suppose Earth's axis tilt was significantly greater than its current 23.5 degrees, but Earth's rotation period and orbital period were unchanged. Which statement below would not be true? a) The region of Earth where the Sun does not rise on the winter solstice would be larger (extending farther south) than it is now. b) Polaris would not be our North star. c) Summers and winters would be more severe (for example, hotter and colder, respectively) than they are now. d) The length of each season (for example, the number of days from the summer solstice to the fall equinox) would be significantly longer than it is now.
D
The Sun is at one focus of the orbit of a planet. What is at the other focus? A) The Earth B) Another planet C) The planet itself D) Nothing E) Hell again?
D
The astrology practiced by those who cast predictive horoscopes can be tested by __________ a) asking astrologers if it works. b) polling people to find out what percentage believe their horoscopes to be accurate. c) counting how many times the predictions come true. d) comparing how often the predictions come true to what would be expected by pure chance.
D
The distance between zenith and Polaris a) is always 90 degrees b) is always 23.5 degrees c) is always 0 degrees d) varies with your latitude
D
The total number of stars in the observable universe is about _________. a) 100 billion b) the same as the number of atoms that make up the Earth c) the same as the number of grains of sand in a school sandbox d) the same as the number of grains of sand on all the beaches on Earth
D
Using the ideas discussed in your text, in what sense are we star "stuff"? a) Movie stars and other people are all made of the same stuff, so we all have the potential to be famous. b) The overall chemical composition of our bodies is about the same as that of stars. c) We could not survive without light from our star, the Sun. d) Nearly every atom from which we are made was once inside of a star.
D
What is the "Raisin Cake model" intended to explain? a) that the universe heats up as it expands, just like the raisin cake heats and expands b) that raisins, like galaxies, expand with the rest of the universe c) that all the raisins in the cake move away from one central raisin, just as all galaxies are moving away from one special galaxy (ours) d) that every raisin in a raisin cake moves farther away from every other raisin: there is no special central raisin (and no special central galaxy)
D
What is the difference between the word "theory" as used in everyday speech, and the word "theory" as used in science? a) A scientific theory must be thoroughly tested, while an everyday theory doesn't. b) A scientific theory must be discarded if it fails to explain what is observed in any experiment, while an everyday theory doesn't. c) A regular theory is more of a hypothesis than a proven explanation. d) all of the above
D
When did humans learn that the Earth is not the center of the universe? a) About 1,000 years ago. b) We haven't; there is still considerable scientific debate about whether Earth is the center of the universe. c) About 2,500 years ago d) Within the past 500 years
D
When someone on Earth observes the Moon in the first-quarter phase, someone on the Moon facing Earth observes Earth in the: a) new Earth phase b) first-quarter Earth phase c) crescent Earth phase d) third-quarter Earth phase e) full Earth phase
D
When we look at an object that is 1,000 light-years away we see it _________. a) as it is right now, but it appears 1,000 times dimmer b) as it was 1,000 light-years ago c) looking just the same as our ancestors would have seen it 1,000 years ago d) as it was 1,000 years ago
D
Which of the following best describes a set of conditions under which archaeoastronomers would conclude that an ancient structure was used for astronomical purposes? a) The structure has the same dome shape as modern astronomical observatories. b) The structure consists of lines in the desert that make patterns visible only from high above. c) They find that, looking out from the center of the building, there are two windows that align with the rise and set points of two bright stars. d) The structure has holes in the ceiling that allow viewing the passage of constellations that figure prominently in the culture's folklore, and many other structures built by the same culture have ceiling holes placed in the same way.
D
Which of the following best describes what we mean by the universe? a) our Milky Way Galaxy b) all the galaxies in all the superclusters c) a vast collection of stars that number as many as the grains of sand on all the beaches on Earth d) the sum total of all matter and energy
D
Which of the following is a general difference between a planet and a star? a) All planets are made of rock and all stars are made of gas. b) Planets are larger than stars. c) Planets are brighter than stars. d) Stars glow in infrared and visible light, while planets glow only in the infrared.
D
Which of the following is not consistent with the major hallmarks of science? a) Scientific explanations should be based solely on natural causes. b) A scientific model must make testable predictions. c) Science progresses through the creation and testing of models that explain observation as simply as possible. d) Science consists of proven theories that are understood to be true explanations of reality.
D
A rocket must be traveling 17,400 miles per hour to orbit the Earth. At what latitude should a launch site be located to take maximum advantage of the rotation of the Earth? A) North Pole (90 deg N) B) Arctic Circle (about 67 deg N) C) The latitude of central Florida (about 28 deg N) D) Tropic of Cancer (about 23 deg N) E) The equator (0 deg)
E
Because nearly all galaxies are moving away from us, we must be located at the center of the universe. A) Yes, it is impossible not to be at the center and have everything else move away from us. B) Yes, this was the astonishing discovery made by Hubble in the 1920s. C) Yes, if we were not at the center, our solar system would not survive the gravitational tug from other galaxies. D) No, the center of the universe is at the center of our galaxy. E) No, everything moves away from everything else in an expanding universe and there is no unique center.
E
Because of precession, someday it will be summer everywhere on Earth at the same time. A) Yes, precession will naturally circularize Earth's orbit. B) Yes, precession will eventually reduce Earth's axis tilt. C) Yes, precession will make summers occur at the same time, but in what is now the northern spring and southern fall. D) Yes, but it would take tens of thousands of years, longer than current human history, for this to occur. E) No, precession only changes the direction in which the North Pole points, and has nothing to do with the seasons.
E
On the cosmic calendar, which compresses the history of the universe into a single year, about when did early humans first walk on Earth? a) in June b) in September c) in mid-December d) on December 30 e) just a few hours before midnight on December 31
E
Suppose the planet Uranus were much brighter in the sky, so that it was as easily visible to the naked eye as Jupiter or Saturn. Which one of the following statements would most likely be true in that case? a) Its gravity would cause the tides to be much higher than they actually are. b) Its brightness would make it possible to read by starlight at night. c) The discovery that the Earth is a planet going around the Sun would have come hundreds of years earlier. d) Its slow motion through the sky would have led it to be named after the Goddess of Procrastination. e) A week would have 8 days instead of 7.
E
Which of the following celestial objects do NOT rise in the east and set in the west, as viewed from the Earth? (Assume that all of these objects are visible from your location on Earth, and that none of them are circumpolar.) a) the Moon b) stars c) galaxies d) the Sun e) All of these objects rise in the east and set in the west.
E
Why have more people seen an eclipse of the Moon than an eclipse of the Sun? A) Eclipses of the Sun are much rarer than eclipses of the Moon. B) The shadow of the Moon is smaller than the shadow of Earth. C) Anyone on the night side of Earth can see a total eclipse of the Moon. D) Anyone on the day side of Earth can see a total solar eclipse. E) B and C
E
