Astronomy Exam 1
The length of a sidereal month is 27 days. The time from one full Moon to the next is closest to A) 29.5 days. B) 32 days. C) 27 days. D) 24.5 days
A) 29.5 days.
Which of the following statements is falsifiable? A) Passenger pigeons are extinct. B) Passenger pigeons are not extinct. C) Passenger pigeons taste good. D) Passenger pigeons taste terrible. E) Passenger pigeons were pests.
A) Passenger pigeons are extinct.
Einstein's Theory of Relativity has passed every observational test for over 100 years. Cliff has analyzed a large family of alternative theories and figured out what each one predicts for the results of observational tests. Cliff presents his analysis at a scientific meeting as a way to evaluate such observational tests. Which of the following would be the most likely reaction of the scientists at the meeting to this new development? A) There is great interest because the analysis suggests new tests that could prove that Relativity is wrong, so lots of scientists come to Cliff's talk to congratulate him. B) There is great hostility because the alternative theories challenge the established theory, so lots of scientists come to Cliff's talk to debate the issue. C) There is great disinterest because there is no need to replace a theory that has passed every observational test. Nobody at all comes to Cliff's talk.
A) There is great interest because the analysis suggests new tests that could prove that Relativity is wrong, so lots of scientists come to Cliff's talk to congratulate him.
In the falsificationist philosophy of science that we have been discussing, all but one of the following types of statements are possible. Which one is NOT possible? A) Well-tested and proven to be true. B) Well-tested and proven to be false. C) Untested and true. D) Untested and false.
A) Well-tested and proven to be true.
The ancient Greeks concluded that the Sun is larger than the Moon because A) a total solar eclipse happens over a very small part of the Earth. B) a total lunar eclipse happens only over a very small part of the Earth. C) total lunar eclipses never happen. D) a total solar eclipse happens everywhere on Earth at once. E) a total lunar eclipse happens everywhere on Earth at once.
A) a total solar eclipse happens over a very small part of the Earth.
If you are looking down over the south pole of the Earth, you will see the Earth rotate A) clockwise. B) counterclockwise. C) upward. D) downward.
A) clockwise.
Copernicus said that the rotation of the Earth on its axis caused the A) daily motions in the heavens. B) phases of the Moon. C) retrograde motion of the planets. D) eclipses of the Moon E) motion of the Sun along the ecliptic.
A) daily motions in the heavens.
There are 365.242199 solar days in a year. From this fact, you can conclude that, relative to the distant stars, earth rotates closest to A) 365.242199 times in a year B) 366.242199 times in a year C) 364.242199 times in a year D) a number of times in a year that cannot be determined from the information given
B) 366.242199 times in a year
Which of the following statements is falsifiable? A) There are green fish in Lake Nyak. B) All of the fish in Lake Nyak are green. C) All of the fish in Lake Nyak are beautiful.
B) All of the fish in Lake Nyak are green.
You would expect to see a waning crescent Moon A) Setting in the West right after the Sun. B) Rising in the East just before the Sun. C) Setting in the East right after the Sun. D) Rising in the West just before the Sun. E) In the North at around midnight.
B) Rising in the East just before the Sun.
The Earth is farther from the Sun than Mercury. Which of the following statements is true A) The Earth takes more time to go around the Sun but moves faster than Mercury because it has farther to go B) The Earth takes more time to go around the Sun and also moves slower than Mercury C) The Earth takes less time to go around the Sun and moved slower than Mercury D) The Earth takes less time to go around the Sun and moves a lot faster than Mercury
B) The Earth takes more time to go around the Sun and also moves slower than Mercury
The motion of the Moon around the Earth causes A) Daily motions in the Heavens. B) The phases of the Moon. C) The seasons. D) Meteor Showers. E) Dandruff.
B) The phases of the Moon.
The sun usually sets in the A) East B) West C) North D) South E) Ocean
B) West
In addition to being accurate, Tycho Brahe's observations focused on measuring the positions of the planets A) during the solstices B) all the time C) when they were in retrograde motion D) near the horizon E) during conjunction
B) all the time
From the way that lunar eclipses happen, the Ancient Greeks were able to A) conclude that the Sun is farther from the Earth than the Moon. B) calculate the distance from the Earth to the Moon. C) calculate the distance from the Earth to the Sun.
B) calculate the distance from the Earth to the Moon.
Copernicus said that the retrograde motion of the planets was caused by the A) earth turning on its axis. B) earth and the planets orbiting the Sun. C) planets turning on their axes. D) planets speeding up and slowing down. E) planets moving on epicycles.
B) earth and the planets orbiting the Sun.
One property of a model such as the shape of the Earth is the number of adjustable parameters is has - the number of numbers that are needed to determine the model. For a model to be regarded as "elegant", this number A) does not really matter B) should be small C) should be large so that the model can fit all kinds of measurements
B) should be small
Eratosthenes of Cyrene is generally credited with using the angle of the noon Sun at Alexandria and Syene to determine the A) size of the Sun B) size of the Earth C) distance from the Earth to the Sun D) time of the summer solstice E) length of a solar year
B) size of the Earth
The idea that a worthwhile model of a situation must predict what is actually observed seems to have started A) only in modern times, since the Renaissance in Europe B) with ancient Greek philosophers C) with the ancient Egyptians and Babylonians
B) with ancient Greek philosophers
Which of the following computer programs is the most likely to be considered a scientific model? A) An animated screen-saver that shows waves crashing on the beach. B) A simulation game in which people can spend a day at the beach. C) A simulation,using well-tested physical laws, of waves crashing on the beach.
C) A simulation,using well-tested physical laws, of waves crashing on the beach.
You read in an Astronomy book that our Milky Way Galaxy consists of about 200 billion stars. How do you suppose this number was determined? A) By using a computer and a large telescope to count them all. B) By counting the stars in our immediate neighborhood and assuming that to be typical of every neighborhood. C) By using a model of the galaxy that correctly accounts for everything that has been measured so far. D) By picking a number more or less at random since nobody could ever check it.
C) By using a model of the galaxy that correctly accounts for everything that has been measured so far.
Which of the following statements is the most likely to be a reproducible observation? A) I saw the Sun set at 4:55 pm B) I saw the Sun set at 4:55 pm in Richmond, VA C) I saw the Sun set at 4:55 pm on Dec 22 in Richmond, VA D) I saw the Sun set 12 hours after it rose
C) I saw the Sun set at 4:55 pm on Dec 22 in Richmond, VA
The Ptolemaic System continued to be accepted long after such people as Aristarchus and Copernicus had proposed alternatives. All of the following reasons why it lasted so long are at least partly true. Which reason is the one that would be stressed by the philosophy of science that we have been discussing? A) Church authorities supported it and did not want it replaced. B) It was easier to understand and people do not like to learn new things. C) It correctly predicted what was observed and thus did not need to be replaced.
C) It correctly predicted what was observed and thus did not need to be replaced.
The statement that the orbit of each planet is an ellipse with the Sun at one focus is due to A) Copernicus B) Galileo C) Kepler D) Newton
C) Kepler
The closest star to the North Celestial Pole that is visible to the naked eye is A) Sirius B) Altair C) Polaris D) Alcor E) Mizar
C) Polaris
Sven, a well-known Loch Ness Monster fanatic, often reports seeing the monster but is usually ignored. Finally, he persuades a local university to sends a biologist to the Loch with a truckload of cameras when the monster is supposed to appear. The cameras record nothing but waves and seagulls. Sven's observations are ignored by the scientific community because A) Sven was a fisherman and did not belong to the scientist club B) Scientists would not believe the Loch Ness could support a large monster C) Sven's observations were not reproduced by others D) Sven was a sloppy observer
C) Sven's observations were not reproduced by others
Which of Kepler's Laws governs how a particular planet speeds up and slows down A) The Period-Radius Relation B) Orbits are Ellipses C) The Equal Area Law D) The Law of Inertia E) The Law of Averages
C) The Equal Area Law
The Celestial Sphere is A) the surface of the Earth B) the Sun C) a map of the stars D) an orbiting basketball
C) a map of the stars
Tycho Brahe's work at Uraniborg was A) a small operation for its time B) funded from Tycho's personal fortune C) funded by a large fraction of the national budget of Denmark
C) funded by a large fraction of the national budget of Denmark
One reason that the Copernican System failed to fit Tycho's observations was that A) it placed the Earth at the center of the universe B) it used elliptical orbits instead of circles C) it used circular orbits instead of ellipses D) it placed the Sun at the center of the system
C) it used circular orbits instead of ellipses
The stars that form the Big Dipper ( in England it is called the Plough) are A) all at nearly the same distance from the Earth B) all at very different distances from the Earth C) mostly at nearly the same distance from the Earth, but with exceptions
C) mostly at nearly the same distance from the Earth, but with exceptions
The observation that there are constellation that can be seen from Egypt but not from Greece convinced the ancient Greeks that A) starts hang close to the Earth B) the Earth is flat C) the Earth is round
C) the Earth is round
The time when the noon sun is highest in the sky is called A) the Spring Equinox B) the Winter Solstice C) the Summer Solstice
C) the Summer Solstice
By measuring the angle between the Sun and the Moon when the Moon was in its first or third quarter, the ancient Greeks were able to calculate A) the size of the Moon. B) the distance from the Earth to the Moon. C) the distance from the Earth to the Sun.
C) the distance from the Earth to the Sun.
The ecliptic is A) the path of the Moon on the Celestial Sphere B) an image of the Earth's equator C) the path of the Sun on the Celestial Sphere D) halfway between the North and South Celestial Poles E) the set of points with zero right ascension
C) the path of the Sun on the Celestial Sphere
Retrograde Motion refers to the A) eastward motion of the Sun relative to the stars. B) westward motion of the Moon relative to the horizon. C) westward motion of the planets relative to the stars. D) westward motion of the planets relative to the horizon.
C) westward motion of the planets relative to the stars.
One advantage of the spherical Earth model is that it completely explains A) what causes the Sun to rise and set B) the retrograde motion of the planets C) what holds up the surface of the Earth D) the existence of oceans
C) what holds up the surface of the Earth
Most of the ancient Greek astronomers believed that the Earth was fixed at the center of the universe. There was at least one, however, who thought that the Sun was fixed and a rotating Earth moved around the Sun. That was A) Aristole B) Eristarchus of Syene C) Plato D) Aristarchus of Samos E) Ptolemy
D) Aristarchus of Samos
Sarah reports that she saw a green star close to the star Betelgeuse. She really saw it and was quite surprised. The most likely outcome of her report is that A) Nobody bothers to check her observation and she becomes famous as the discoverer of the first green star B) Nobody bothers to check her observation and nobody believes her either C) Other people look near Betelgeuse. They do not see the green star and attack her report as a mistake or a fraud D) Other people look near Betelgeuse. They see the star and confirm her report. She becomes famous as the discoverer of the first green star.
D) Other people look near Betelgeuse. They see the star and confirm her report. She becomes famous as the discoverer of the first green star.
Which of these was the Solar System model that assumed the Earth is fixed and the Sun, Moon, and planets all move on epicycles that, in turn move on circular orbits around the Earth? A) Copernican model B) Tychonic model C) Keplerian model D) Ptolemaic model
D) Ptolemaic model
You see the Moon almost directly in the south at 10pm. What phase is it? A) New. B) Waxing crescent. C) Waxing quarter. D) Waxing gibbous. E) Full.
D) Waxing gibbous.
A star that is named Epsilon Eridani is most likely A) the brightest star in the constellation Eridanus B) the brightest star in the constellation Cepheus C) a fairly dim star in the constellation Cepheus D) a fairly dim star in the constellation Eridanus
D) a fairly dim star in the constellation Eridanus
The newspaper says that the Moon was full last night. That statement is most likely A) an unsupported opinion of the newspaper editor B) an actual observation of the natural world C) a proven mathematical theorem D) based on some authoritative references such as the U.S. Naval Observatory
D) based on some authoritative references such as the U.S. Naval Observatory
Aristarchus measured the angle between the Sun and the Moon when exactly half of the Moon was illuminated. If the Sun were actually just two or three times as far away as the Moon, he would have found that angle to be A) greater than 90 degrees. B) exactly 90 degrees. C) less than 90 degrees by an amount too small for him to measure. D) less than 90 degrees by an amount that was easy for him to measure.
D) less than 90 degrees by an amount that was easy for him to measure.
The patent for inventing the telescope was obtained by A) Galileo. B) Newton. C) someone in the Netherlands. D) nobody because it was too simple an idea to patent.
D) nobody because it was too simple an idea to patent.
The first major failure of the Ptolemaic Theory to predict the results of observations was A) the retrograde motion of the planets. B) the Moons of Jupiter. C) the mountains of the Moon. D) the phases of Venus.
D) the phases of Venus.
In the picture that we used in class, with the Sun above the top of the picture and the Earth shown with its North Pole facing you, the part of the Earth that is experiencing sunrise would be A) below the North Pole in the picture. B) above the North Pole in the picture. C) to the left of the North Pole in the picture. D) to the right of the North Pole in the picture.
D) to the right of the North Pole in the picture.
Which of the following phases of the Moon would be seen high in the south at dawn? A) waxing crescent. B) waning crescent. C) waxing quarter. D) waning quarter. E) full.
D) waning quarter.
At 8PM, you see that the pointer stars of the Big Dipper and the star Polaris are arranged in a vertical line, at what time, give or take a minute or so, would you see them arranged at 45 degrees to the vertical? A) It will never happen B) 8PM the next day C) 10PM the same day D) 2AM the next day E) 11PM the same day
E) 11PM the same day
As seen from North America, the constellation Ursa Major A) sets in the east B) sets in the west C) sets in the north D) sets in the south E) never sets
E) never sets