Astronomy Chapters 1&2

The celestial sphere turns once around each day because a. the planet on which we live is rotating b. the Earth is going around the Sun c. the phases of the Moon d. precession e. everything in the universe turns around the Earth

a. the planet on which we live is rotating

Which ancient Greek thinker suggested (long before Copernicus) that the Earth is moving around the Sun? a. Aristotle b. Aristarchus c. Eratosthenes d. Hipparchus e. Zorba

b. Aristarchus

A star is 230 light years away. The light we see tonight from that star left it a. one year ago b. 2.3 years ago c. 23 years ago d. 230 years ago e. the time depends on which part of the sky the star is in

d. 230 years ago

The slow tipping of the Earth's axis in a circle with a period of about 26,000 years is called: a. precession b. ecliptic motion c. retrograde motion d. deferential motion e. revolution

a. precession

The 88 sectors into which astronomers today divide the celestial sphere (the whole sky) are called: a. zodiacs b. constellations c. asterisms d. epicycles e. celestial states

b. constellations

Which of the following is NOT an argument for showing that the Earth must be round: a. during an eclipse of the Moon, the shadow of the Earth is always seen to be round b. when ships travel a large distance away, we see their hulls disappear first and their masts disappear last c. the height of the North Star changes as we travel to different latitudes d. photographs of the Earth from space always show a round body e. the Sun is seen blocking different constellations in the course of a year

e. the Sun is seen blocking different constellations in the course of a year

When it comes to our place in the solar system today, which model do we accept? a. geocentric b. heliocentric c. Ptolemaic d. Aristotelean e. self-centered (Trumpian)

b. heliocentric

The star that provides energy for life on Earth is a. the Moon b. the Sun c. Alpha Centauri d. the Milky Way star e. Beyonce

b. the Sun

Let's say we find a star that is located on the points or circles in the sky listed in the answer choices below. Then, on the same night, we move to a location on Earth that is some significant distance from our first location. There will now be a different star at or on: a. the celestial north pole b. the zenith c. the celestial equator d. the celestial south pole e. all of the above

b. the zenith

How did Eratosthenes measure the size of the Earth? a. by walking about one-quarter of the way around its circumference b. by measuring the times of sunrise in each of the four seasons c. by determining the parallax of the Moon and finding the size of its orbit d. by measuring the height of the Sun in the sky on the same day in two cities at different latitudes e. by asking Aristotle who knew everything

d. by measuring the height of the Sun in the sky on the same day in two cities at different latitudes

The Renaissance astronomer who wrote the pioneering book that suggested the Earth probably orbits the Sun (instead of the other way around) was: a. Newton b. Ptolemy c. Eratosthenes d. Halley e. Copernicus

e. Copernicus

Based on the scientific and statistical tests of astrological predictions, which of the following statements is the most reasonable? a. astrology has passed every test with flying colors and scientists now agree that the positions of celestial objects are very important in determining our personalities and future b. astrology has not passed any clear scientific or statistical test and, as a result, most scientists are very doubtful that it can predict anything meaningful about our lives c. astrology has passed about half of the tests that have been devised for it, and it is very controversial; about half the scientists think it works, and the other half do not d. no one has ever tested astrology, so it is not possible to say whether it is a useful predictive tool e. because it was Ptolemy who wrote the books on which modern astrology is based, most scientists believe it must be correct, no matter what any tests reveal

b. astrology has not passed any clear scientific or statistical test and, as a result, most scientists are very doubtful that it can predict anything meaningful about our lives

The point in the sky directly above your head at any given time is called the a. nadir b. zenith c. celestial pole d. horizon point e. bald spot

b. zenith

The great astronomer of ancient times who summarized and improved a system of circles upon circles to explain the complicated motions of the planets (and published the system in a book now called The Almagest) is: a. Hipparchus b. Copernicus c. Ptolemy d. Pythagoras e. Alfonso the Wise

c. Ptolemy

The location of the Earth in the Milky Way Galaxy is a. in the center of the Galaxy b. on the edge of the Galaxy as far from the center as you can measure c. a little less than 30,000 LY from the center d. something astronomers have not yet measured e. this is a trick question: the Earth is not located in the Milky Way Galaxy

c. a little less than 30,000 LY from the center

Within a constellation, a smaller, recognizable pattern of stars is often called: a. a Dipper b. a zodiac c. an asterism d. an ecliptic e. a cameo

c. an asterism

The way scientists know that a hypothesis in astronomy is a reasonable description of nature is to: a. take a vote of astronomers around the world b. consult with the oldest experts in the field c. do experiments and observations about the predictions of the hypothesis d. count how many scientific papers have been written about it e. look it up in Wikipedia

c. do experiments and observations about the predictions of the hypothesis

What problem has precession caused for many of the schools of astrology? a. Because of precession, the stars making up the constellation figures (like Leo the Lion) have moved so far apart, they no longer look like their names b. Because of precession, Mars no longer shows retrograde motion and so all the horoscopes done using Mars turn out to be wrong c. Because of precession, some of the planets that astrologers use to construct horoscopes no longer orbit the Sun d. Because of precession, the constellations are no longer lined up with the astrological signs that are named after them; since astrology was set up, the two have slipped one sign apart e. You can't fool me, precession has not affected anything about astrology

d. Because of precession, the constellations are no longer lined up with the astrological signs that are named after them; since astrology was set up, the two have slipped one sign apart

A light year is a. the time it takes light travel between the Sun and the furthest planet b. the time it takes a beam of light to go completely around the Earth's orbit c. the distance between the Sun and the next star d. the distance that light travels in one year e. how long it takes a Friday afternoon class in college to get finished

d. the distance that light travels in one year

In Ptolemy's system the planets orbit the Earth and not the Sun. How did the system explain the retrograde motion of planets like Jupiter? a. the planets were not moving along the ecliptic but all over the celestial sphere b. the planets moved in very elongated ellipses, and their speed in orbit changed radically over the course of a year c. the Sun moved among the planets, and pulled them out of their circular orbits d. the planets moved on a small circle whose center, in turn, circled a point near the Earth e. you can't fool me, Ptolemy's system did not include ANY explanation of retrograde motion

d. the planets moved on a small circle whose center, in turn, circled a point near the Earth