Origin of Modern Astronomy- Test
When Earth is the farthest from the Sun it is said to be in the
Aphelion position
In the Ptolemaic (Greek) model of the universe the stars are attached to the
Celestial sphere
The angular distance north and south of the celestial equator is called
Declination
Light year
Distance light travels in one Earth-year
In the Ptolemaic (Greek) model of the universe
Earth was in the center of the universe
In the Ptolemaic (Greek) model of the universe, the
Earth was in the center of the universe
The apparent path of the Sun upon the celestial sphere is called the
Ecliptic
One of the discoveries which led to the modern view of the solar system was that the orbits of the planets are
Ellipses
In the Ptolemaic system, planets orbited in small circles called ___ while revolving along large circles called
Epicycles, deferents
This scientist was the first to use the telescope in astronomy.
Galileo
The proposal that contends that Earth is in the center of the universe is called the ______ view.
Geocentric
The planets stay in orbit around the Sun because of a balance between
Gravity and inertia
The proposal that contends that the Sun is in the center of the universe is called the
Heliocentric view
Earth is closest to the Sun in
January
The true shape of the planetary orbits was discovered by
Johannes Kepler
Three laws of planetary motion were discovered by
Johannes Kepler
The law of universal gravitation was formulated by
Newton
The first modern astronomer to propose a Sun-centered universe was
Nicolaus Copernicus
Any variance in the orbit of a planet from its predicted path is referred to as
Perturbation
A very slow motion of Earth's axis that requires 26,000 years to complete is called
Precession
The apparent westward "drift" of the planets compared to the background stars is called
Retrograde motion
The two primary motions of the Earth are
Rotation and revolution
According to the Ptolemaic (Greek) model of the universe, how many "heavenly" bodies could be observed wandering along the background of stars?
Seven
The period of time required for the Moon to complete a revolution is called the _______ month.
Sidereal
This scientist determined the nature of the forces that kept the planets in their orbits.
Sir Isaac Newton
The apparent shift in the position of a nearby star when viewed from extreme points in Earth's orbit six months apart is called
Stellar parallax
The period of time required for the Moon to complete a cycle of phases is called the _______ month.
Synodic
According to the Ptolemaic (Greek) system, the planets have circular orbits.
T
Galileo believed in a Sun-centered view of the universe.
T
Galileo discovered that the Sun has "blemishes," which we call sunspots.
T
Johannes Kepler discovered the three laws of planetary motion.
T
Patterns or configurations of stars named in honor of mythological characters are called constellations.
T
The cycle of phases of the Moon is the basis for our month.
T
The period of the Moon's rotation is equal to its period of revolution.
T
The planets maintain elliptical orbits around the Sun.
T
The same side of the Moon is always visible from Earth.
T
The length of daylight on the Moon is about
Two weeks
This astronomer spent 20 years plotting the position of the planet Mars.
Tycho Brahe
