ASTR 100 Lessons 1-3

If tonight the phase of the moon is full when it rises, what will be the phase 4 days from now? Select one: a. full b. waning gibbous c. third quarter d. waxing gibbous e. new

b. waning gibbous

The ecliptic is defined as the Select one: a. band of constellations through which the Sun and Moon move in our sky. b. line in the sky that is perpendicular to Earth's spin axis. c. line traced in our sky by the Moon each month against the background stars. d. line traced in our sky by the Sun over one year against the background stars

d. line traced in our sky by the Sun over one year against the background stars

The phase of the Moon at the time of solar eclipse is Select one: a. third quarter. b. any phase; new, quarter, or full. c. full. d. new.

d. new.

Which of the following phases of the Moon is most easily seen during the daytime (mid-morning or mid-afternoon, not near sunrise or sunset)? Select one: a. The Moon is never visible in daylight. b. new c. full d. quarter

d. quarter

Earth has a radius of about 6400 km, the sun has a radius of about 7.01105 km, and a rubber ball has a radius of 6.4 cm. If you were to construct a scale model of the solar system using the rubber ball to represent the earth, what is the radius of a ball needed to represent the sun in your model?

700cm

A distant asteroid is discovered that takes 50 years to orbit the Sun once. According to Kepler's third law, what is the average distance of this asteroid from the Sun? Select one: A. 13.6 AU (cube root of 2500) B. 353 AU (square root of 125,000) C. 2500 AU D. 50 AU

A. 13.6 AU (cube root of 2500)

Halley's Comet returns to the Sun's vicinity approximately every 76 years in an elliptical orbit. According to Kepler's third law, what will be the semi-major axis of this orbit? Select one: A. 17.9 AU B. 1 AU C. 0.59 AU D. 50.000 AU

A. 17.9 AU

The largest telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory is the Mayall 4-meter Telescope. The two Keck telescopes in Hawaii each have a diameter of 10 meters. How much greater is the light-gathering power of one Keck telescope than that of the Mayall telescope? Select one: A. 6.25 times greater B. 2.5 times greater C. 10 times greater D. 1.6 times greater

A. 6.25 times greater

In which order (from earliest to latest) did the following people make their major contributions to astronomy? Select one: A. Copernicus, Brahe, Kepler, Newton B. Brahe, Copernicus, Newton, Kepler C. Kepler, Copernicus, Brahe, Newton D. Copernicus, Kepler, Brahe, Newton

A. Copernicus, Brahe, Kepler, Newton

Consider a comet in a long, thin elliptical orbit with a semi-major axis of 1 AU. What can you say about the orbital period of this comet? Select one: A. It will be one year. B. It is not possible to determine the comet's sidereal period without knowing the eccentricity of its orbit. C. It will be more than one year. D. It will be less than one year.

A. It will be one year.

Which of the following would cause the Earth's gravitational force on the Moon to increase by the largest amount? Select one: A. Move the moon to half its current distance from the Earth. B. Double the mass of the Moon. C. Due to Newton's third law, the Moon's force on Earth will always be the same size as the Earth's force on the Moon so none of the changes listed in the other choices could cause the force to increase. D. Double the mass of Earth.

A. Move the moon to half its current distance from the Earth.

The Copernican system for planetary motions is Select one: A. Sun-centered, with the planets moving in perfect circles around the Sun. B. Earth-centered, with the planets, the Sun, and the stars mounted on crystal spheres, pivoted to allow the correct motions around the Earth. C. Sun-centered, with the planets moving in elliptical orbits, the Sun being at one focus of the ellipse. D. Earth-centered, with the planets moving in epicycles around the Earth.

A. Sun-centered, with the planets moving in perfect circles around the Sun.

What path would a planet (like the Earth!) take if the force of gravity from the Sun were to be suddenly removed? Select one: A. The planet would move in a straight line tangential to its present orbit. B. The planet would move in a straight line outward, directly away from the Sun's position. C. The planet would stop moving altogether because there would be no gravity acting on it. D. The planet would begin to move in a long ellipse with the Sun at one focus.

A. The planet would move in a straight line tangential to its present orbit.

An electrical spark, such as lightning, generates electromagnetic radiation over a wide range of wavelengths. How much longer will a pulse of radio energy take to travel between two detector stations 100 m apart than a pulse of ultraviolet radiation from the same spark? Select one: A. The time will be identical because both pulses travel at the speed of light. B. Just a little longer because the high frequency UV radiation will travel faster than the low frequency radio waves C. Much shorter because long wavelength radiations will travel faster D. Much longer because radio waves have much longer wavelengths and therefore will travel more slowly

A. The time will be identical because both pulses travel at the speed of light.

The two ranges of electromagnetic radiation for which the Earth's atmosphere is reasonably transparent are Select one: A. Visible and radio radiation. B. UV and radio waves. C. Visible and far infrared radiation. D. X-rays and visible radiation.

A. Visible and radio radiation.

What is the relationship between color and wavelength for light? Select one: A. Wavelength increases from violet to red. B. Wavelength depends only on brightness and is independent of color. C. Wavelength increases from violet to yellow-green, then decreases again to red. D. Wavelength decreases from violet to red.

A. Wavelength increases from violet to red.

If an object has an orbit around the Sun that has an eccentricity of 0.8, then the orbit is Select one: A. a long, thin ellipse. B. a straight line. C. almost circular, but not quite. D. exactly circular.

A. a long, thin ellipse.

Mars moves in an elliptical orbit around the Sun. The location of the Sun relative to this ellipse is Select one: A. at the focus that is closer to the point where Mars moves the fastest. B. at one end of the major axis of the ellipse. C. at the exact center of the ellipse. D. at the focus that is closer to the point where Mars is moving the slowest.

A. at the focus that is closer to the point where Mars moves the fastest.

Our present understanding of the nature of light is that it Select one: A. displays behavior of both waves and particles. B. behaves only as a particle. C. is completely different from both waves and particles. D. behaves only as a wave.

A. displays behavior of both waves and particles.

The direction of retrograde motion for a planet as seen by an observer on the Earth is Select one: A. from east to west relative to the background stars. B. from west to east relative to objects on the person's horizon. C. from east to west relative to objects on the person's horizon. D. from west to east relative to the background stars.

A. from east to west relative to the background stars.

The word "planet" is derived from a Greek term meaning Select one: A. wanderer. B. astrological sign. C. non-twinkling star. D. bright nighttime object.

A. wanderer.

Which of the following lists of different types of electromagnetic radiation is correctly ordered in wavelength, from shortest to longest? Select one: A. Radio, infrared, ultraviolet, gamma rays B. Gamma rays, ultraviolet, infrared, radio C. Gamma rays, ultraviolet, radio, infrared D. Radio, ultraviolet, infrared, gamma rays

B. Gamma rays, ultraviolet, infrared, radio

Where would you look to see a planet rise when it is in retrograde motion? Select one: A. Near the western horizon B. Near the eastern horizon

B. Near the eastern horizon

The greatest inaccuracy in Copernicus' theory of the solar system was that Select one: A. he assumed that the planets move in elliptical orbits with constant speeds rather than variable speeds. B. he placed the planets in circular orbits. C. he placed the planets on epicycles, the centers of which followed orbits around the Sun. D. he did not allow for retrograde motion.

B. he placed the planets in circular orbits.

The epicycle, in the Greek planetary model, is Select one: A. the circle centered on the Earth about which the center of the smaller circular motion moves. B. the small circle through which the planet moves as the center of this circle orbits the Earth. C. the focus of the ellipse that is the orbit of the planet around the Earth. D. the off-center point in the planetary system occupied by the Earth.

B. the small circle through which the planet moves as the center of this circle orbits the Earth.

A space probe is put into a circular orbit around the Sun at a distance of exactly 4 AU from the Sun. According to Kepler's third law, how long will it take this probe to orbit the Sun once? Select one: A. 2.5 years B. 16 years C. 8 years D. 4 years

C. 8 years

Which of the following statements CORRECTLY states the significance of Galileo's observation that Jupiter has satellites (moons)? Select one: A. It showed that Jupiter must orbit the Sun, not the Earth. B. It was interesting but had no other particular significance. C. It showed that bodies can orbit an object other than the Earth. D. It showed that Jupiter must be four times the size of the Earth (because Jupiter has four moons and the Earth has one).

C. It showed that bodies can orbit an object other than the Earth.

A beam of light of which of the following pure colors is made up of photons of the lowest energy? Select one: A. Yellow B. Green C. Red D. Blue

C. Red

Two spaceships that have different masses but rocket engines of identical force are at rest in space. If they fire their rockets at the same time, which ship will speed up faster? Select one: A. The one with the higher mass B. They will not speed up at all, but move at a constant speed because they are in space and the rocket has nothing against which to push. C. The one with the lower mass D. They will increase speed at the same rate because they have identical rocket engines.

C. The one with the lower mass

To which point in a planetary orbit does the word "aphelion" refer? Select one: A. The "other" focus (the one not occupied by the Sun) B. The point closest to the Sun C. The point farthest from the Sun D. The precise center of the orbit

C. The point farthest from the Sun

The person who compiled the large set of accurate observations of planetary positions that formed the basis for proving that planets move in elliptical orbits around the Sun was Select one: A. Galileo B. Kepler C. Tycho D. Copernicus

C. Tycho

A person orbiting the Earth in the Space Shuttle feels weightless because Select one: A. no forces act on her. B. her mass is zero in space, and weight requires mass. C. only one force (gravity) acts on her, but gravity also accelerates the Shuttle, so the Shuttle does not push up on her to create the feeling of weight. D. two equal forces are acting on her in opposite directions - the forces therefore cancel each other out.

C. only one force (gravity) acts on her, but gravity also accelerates the Shuttle, so the Shuttle does not push up on her to create the feeling of weight.

In the Greek era, it was almost universally believed that Select one: A. the Sun was at the center of the universe. B. the pole star represented the center of the universe about which the Earth and all other objects revolved. C. the Earth was at the center of the universe. D. the Milky Way represented the observable universe, with its center being the center of the universe.

C. the Earth was at the center of the universe.

According to Newton's laws, a force must be acting whenever Select one: A. an object moves with some speed. B. time passes. C. the direction of an object's motion changes. D. an object's position changes.

C. the direction of an object's motion changes.

In the simplified version of Kepler's third law, P2 = a3, the units of the orbital period P and the semi-major axis of the ellipse a must be, respectively, Select one: A. seconds and meters. B. years and light-years. C. years and astronomical units. D. years and meters.

C. years and astronomical units.

The asteroid Ceres orbits the Sun at an average distance of 2.8 AU. What is Ceres' orbital period around the Sun? Select one: A. 1.99 years B. 2.8 years C. 46.8 years D. 4.68 years

D. 4.68 years

A particular photon has a wavelength of 450 nm and a second one has a wavelength of 580 nm. Which of the following statements is true for the energies of these two photons? Select one: A. All photons have the same energy, regardless of wavelength. B. The 580-nm photon has the higher energy. C. The photon from the higher-intensity light source has the higher energy (regardless of wavelength). D. The 450-nm photon has the higher energy.

D. The 450-nm photon has the higher energy.

Which of the following characteristics of an astronomical telescope is the most important for determining the angular resolution? Select one: A. The focal length of the objective lens or mirror B. The focal length of the eyepiece C. The magnifying power of the telescope D. The diameter of the objective lens or mirror

D. The diameter of the objective lens or mirror

Venus shows changes in angular size and also shows phases similar to those of the Moon. According to Galileo, who first saw this, these observations showed that Select one: A. Venus does not rotate on its axis. B. Venus orbits the Earth in an elliptical orbit. C. Venus moves in epicycles. D. Venus orbits the Sun.

D. Venus orbits the Sun.

An object orbiting the Sun in an ellipse can be said to be Select one: A. moving under the action of equal and opposite forces. B. weightless. C. moving at a constant velocity. D. always accelerating.

D. always accelerating.

X-rays and visible light Select one: A. are different because X-rays are made up of waves, whereas light is made up of particles. B. are the same thing except that X-rays have longer wavelengths than visible light. C. are different because X-rays are made up of particles, whereas light is made up of waves. D. are the same thing except that X-rays have shorter wavelengths than visible light.

D. are the same thing except that X-rays have shorter wavelengths than visible light.

A scientist observes a new phenomenon that disagrees with his explanation or hypothesis. Following the scientific method, he should Select one: A. reject those observations that do not agree with the theory. B. wait until someone develops an adequate explanation before announcing his observation. C. discard the observation as erroneous. D. modify his hypothesis.

D. modify his hypothesis.

The purpose of describing planetary orbits in terms of epicycles and deferents was to account for Select one: A. the general motion of all objects toward the west in the sky each day. B. the fact that a planet's speed in its orbit is fastest when it is closest to the Sun. C. the observed pattern of phases, like the Moon's. D. the pattern of alternating prograde and retrograde motion.

D. the pattern of alternating prograde and retrograde motion.

The mass of the Sun is about 333,000 times the mass of the Earth. Therefore, the gravitational force with which the Sun pulls on the Earth is Select one: A. about 333,000 times the gravitational force with which the Earth pulls on the Sun. B. not determined from the masses alone because many other factors are involved. C. about 577 (i.e., the square root of 333,000) times the gravitational force with which the Earth pulls on the Sun. D. the same as the gravitational force with which the Earth pulls on the Sun.

D. the same as the gravitational force with which the Earth pulls on the Sun.

The major reason why astronomers seek funds to build larger telescopes is Select one: A. to bring stars closer to the Earth. B. to measure a wider spectrum of light from stars. C. to provide magnified images of stars. D. to collect more light from distant objects.

D. to collect more light from distant objects.

What is astronomy?

Study of the objects that lie beyond our planet Earth and the processes by which these objects interact with one another

A person standing in the Moon's penumbra will see a Select one: a. partial solar eclipse. b. partial lunar eclipse. c. total solar eclipse. d. total lunar eclipse.

a. a partial solar eclipse

If tonight the phase of the moon is full when it rises, what will be the phase when the moon sets? Select one: a. full b. waning gibbous c. third quarter d. waxing gibbous e. new

a. full

The diagram below illustrates the geometry of lunar phases with the moon shown in 8 positions in its orbit. Which numbered position with a waning gibbous moon? Select one: a. 1 b. 2 c. 3 d. 4 e. 5

a. 1

If Saturn takes about 30 years to orbit the Sun, and its rings were seen edge-on in 2009, when will they appear edge-on next? Select one: a. 2024 b. 2019 c. 2012 d. 2039 e. 2015

a. 2024

What is Eris? Select one: a. An icy object that orbits in the Kuiper belt about the same size as Pluto b. A moon of Pluto c. The largest known asteroid d. An extrasolar planet ejected by another solar system and captured by ours

a. An icy object that orbits in the Kuiper belt about the same size as Pluto

Of the four gases CO2, H2O, N2, and O2, which are greenhouse gases? Select one: a. CO2 and H2O b. All four c. Only CO2 d. All except O2 e. CO2 and N2

a. CO2 and H2O

When the northern hemisphere is experiencing winter Select one: a. Earth is closer to the Sun than it is during northern summer. b. Earth is farther from the Sun than it is during the northern summer. c. Earth is the same distance from the Sun as it is the rest of the year because Earth's orbit is circular with the Sun in the center. d. the southern hemisphere is experiencing winter also.

a. Earth is closer to the Sun than it is during northern summer.

Which moon is considered likely to have a deep, subsurface ocean of liquid water? Select one: a. Europa b. Io c. Triton d. Miranda

a. Europa

What do we mean by the frost line when we discuss the formation of planets in the solar nebula? Select one: a. It is a circle at a particular distance from the Sun, beyond which the temperature was low enough for ices to condense. b. It is the altitude in a planet's atmosphere at which snow can form. c. It is another way of stating the temperature at which water freezes into ice. d. It marks the special distance from the Sun at which hydrogen compounds become abundant; closer to the Sun, there are no hydrogen compounds.

a. It is a circle at a particular distance from the Sun, beyond which the temperature was low enough for ices to condense.

The planet in our solar system with the highest average surface temperature is ________. Select one: a. Venus b. Neptune c. Mercury d. Earth

a. Venus

An observer in the Northern Hemisphere takes a time exposure photograph of the night sky. If the illustration depicts the photograph taken by the observer, which direction was the camera pointing? Select one: a. straight north b. straight east c. straight south d. straight west e. straight up, directly overhead

a. straight north

Which of the following parameters will dictate whether a particular solar eclipse appears as a total or an annular eclipse to an observer? Select one: a. the distance of the Moon from Earth at the time of eclipse b. the distance of Earth from the Sun at the time of eclipse c. the phase of the Moon (whether it is new, quarter, or full) d. the time of day or night

a. the distance of the Moon from Earth at the time of eclipse

Orion is visible on winter evenings but not summer evenings because of Select one: a. the location of Earth in its orbit. b. the tilt of Earth's axis. c. interference from the full moon. d. the orbit of the Solar System through the Galaxy.

a. the location of Earth in its orbit.

When we see a region of a planet that is not as heavily cratered as other regions, we conclude that Select one: a. the surface in the region is younger than the surface in more heavily cratered regions. b. the planet is rotating very slowly and only one side was hit by impactors. c. there is little volcanic activity to create craters. d. the surface in the region is older than the surface in more heavily cratered regions. e. the planet formed after the age of bombardment and missed out on getting hit by leftover planetesimals.

a. the surface in the region is younger than the surface in more heavily cratered regions.

In the picture below, the phase of the moon is ... Select one: a. waxing gibbous b. waxing crescent c. full d. third quarter e. waning gibbous

a. waxing gibbous

The two most important processes in heating the interiors of the terrestrial worlds are: Select one: a. (1) volcanism; (2) tectonics. b. (1) heat deposited by the process of formation; (2) heat released by radioactive decay. c. (1) heat from convection; (2) heat from thermal radiation. d. (1) heat deposited by the process of formation; (2) heat that came from the gravitational potential energy of incoming planetesimals.

b. (1) heat deposited by the process of formation; (2) heat released by radioactive decay.

Why do asteroids and comets differ in composition? Select one: a. Asteroids and comets formed at different times. b. Asteroids formed inside the frost line, while comets formed outside. c. Asteroids are much larger than comets. d. Comets formed from the jovian nebula, while asteroids did not. e. Comets are much larger than asteroids.

b. Asteroids formed inside the frost line, while comets formed outside.

Where are most of the known asteroids found? Select one: a. Between the orbits of the terrestrial planets b. Between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter c. Between the orbits of the jovian planets d. In the Oort cloud e. In the Kuiper belt

b. Between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter

What is the primary cause of Earth's seasons? Select one: a. The orbit of Earth is an ellipse, so Earth is not always the same distance from the Sun. b. Earth's rotation axis is tilted with respect to the plane of its orbit around the Sun. c. Earth's rotation axis precesses (wobbles). d. Earth moves faster during parts of its orbit around the Sun and more slowly during other parts.

b. Earth's rotation axis is tilted with respect to the plane of its orbit around the Sun.

In the picture below, the phase of the moon is ... Select one: a. new moon b. waning crescent c. waxing crescent d. waxing gibbous e. chesire moon

b. waning crescent

What are the main constituents of the jovian planets? Select one: a. Nitrogen and methane b. Hydrogen and helium c. Rocky minerals and water, as on Earth d. Ammonia and methane e. Ammonia and water

b. Hydrogen and helium

In which of the following physical characteristics are the Earth and Mars most similar to each other? Select one: a. Planetary diameter b. Length of solar day c. Number of moons d. Total mass

b. Length of solar day

Which of the following best describes the lunar maria? Select one: a. Mountainous regions on the Moon b. Relatively smooth, flat plains on the Moon c. Frozen oceans of liquid water on the Moon d. Densely cratered regions on the Moon

b. Relatively smooth, flat plains on the Moon

Olympus Mons is ________. Select one: a. a great canyon on Mars b. a huge shield volcano on Mars c. a huge stratovolcano on Venus d. a large lava plain on the Moon

b. a huge shield volcano on Mars

One astronomical unit, or one AU is defined as the Select one: a. distance traveled by light in one year. b. average distance between the Sun and Earth. c. distance from which Earth-Sun distance will subtend an angle of one arcsecond. d. distance traveled by light in one second.

b. average distance between the Sun and Earth.

Why do some scientists think that comets aren't solely responsible for giving the earth it's oceans or drinking water? Select one: a. it's impossible for a comet to hit earth b. deuterium isotopes in the water of comets are different from the water found on Earth. c. Comets are not ice-water rich. d. There aren't enough comets in the solar system to give us enough water.

b. deuterium isotopes in the water of comets are different from the water found on Earth.

If an observer on Earth sees the Moon to be full, than at the same time an observer on the Moon would see Earth to be at what phase? You may want to sketch a diagram to work this out. Select one: a. full b. new c. third quarter d. Earth does not appear to go through phases when observed from the Moon.

b. new

What type of lunar eclipse would be seen by observers on the night side of the Earth in the diagram below? Select one: a. total lunar eclipse b. partial lunar eclipse c. penumbral lunar eclipse d. no eclipse at all

b. partial lunar eclipse

If the nearest star is 4.2 light-years away, then Select one: a. the star is 4.2 million AU away. b. the light we see left the star 4.2 years ago. c. the star must have formed 4.2 billion years ago. d. the star must be very young. e. the star must be very old.

b. the light we see left the star 4.2 years ago.

The average age of the surface of Venus has been determined primarily from Select one: a. radio-isotope analysis of rocks brought back from Venus by space probes. b. the number of impact craters per unit area of surface. c. soil analysis by Russian landers. d. the amount of weathering of lava flows imaged by the Magellan radar mapper.

b. the number of impact craters per unit area of surface.

Where on Earth would you have to be to observe a particular partial solar eclipse? Select one: a. within 3000 km of Earth's equator b. within a narrow and specific strip of Earth's surface less than 6000 km wide c. on the dark side of Earth d. always within 23.5° of the equator (i.e., in the tropics)

b. within a narrow and specific strip of Earth's surface less than 6000 km wide

The diagram below illustrates the geometry of lunar phases with the moon shown in 8 positions in its orbit. Which numbered position with a first quarter moon? Select one: a. 1 b. 2 c. 3 d. 4 e. 5

c. 3

The diagram below illustrates the geometry of lunar phases with the moon shown in 8 positions in its orbit. Which numbered position with a waxing crescent moon? Select one: a. 1 b. 2 c. 3 d. 4 e. 5

c. 3

At approximately what time does the waning gibbous moon rise? Select one: a. 3 pm b. 6 pm c. 9 pm d. midnight e. 3 am

c. 9 pm

At approximately what time does the waxing gibbous moon set? Select one: a. 3 pm b. 6 pm c. 9 pm d. midnight e. 3 am

c. 9 pm

A solar eclipse occurs on Earth when the Select one: a. Sun passes in front of the Moon. b. Moon passes behind the Sun. c. Moon casts a shadow on Earth. d. Earth casts a shadow on the Moon.

c. Moon casts a shadow on Earth.

The nightly motion of objects across our the sky is caused by the Select one: a. revolution of Earth around the Sun. b. rotation of the whole celestial sphere of stars around the fixed Earth. c. rotation of Earth on its axis. d. motion of the solar system around the galaxy.

c. rotation of Earth on its axis.

At which time of the year in Urbana, IL will your shadow in sunlight at midday be shortest? Select one: a. midwinter, or early January b. midsummer, or about August 5 c. the first day of summer, or about June 21 d. the first day of spring, or about March 21

c. the first day of summer, or about June 21

A lunar eclipse does not occur at every full moon because Select one: a. a lunar eclipse cannot occur after sunset. b. the orbit of the Moon is not a perfect circle. c. the plane of the Moon's orbit is at an angle to the plane of Earth's orbit. d. the path of the Sun is inclined at an angle of 5° to the ecliptic

c. the plane of the Moon's orbit is at an angle to the plane of Earth's orbit.

In what region of Earth would you have to be to have the Sun pass through your zenith at some time during the year? Select one: a. within the Arctic Circle or Antarctic Circle b. at any latitude - at noon every day c. within +/- 23.5° of the equator (i.e., in the tropics) d. only on the equator, nowhere else

c. within +/- 23.5° of the equator (i.e., in the tropics)

Astronomers sometimes announce they have discovered a new solar system beyond our own, or a new galaxy beyond our own. Which choice correctly describes the terms "solar system" and "galaxy"? Select one: a. A solar system is a large assemblage of stars similar to the Sun, whereas a galaxy is much larger and consists of all different types of stars. b. A solar system consists of an immense number of stars (i.e., suns), and a galaxy is a cluster of many such systems. c. A galaxy consists of planets and other objects orbiting around a single star, whereas a solar system is a system consisting of an immense number of stars (i.e., suns). d. A solar system consists of planets and other objects orbiting around a star, whereas a galaxy is a system consisting of an immense number of stars.

d. A solar system consists of planets and other objects orbiting around a star, whereas a galaxy is a system consisting of an immense number of stars.

Suppose you view the solar system from high above Earth's North Pole. Which of the following statements about planetary orbits will be true? Select one: a. The inner planets orbit the Sun clockwise while the outer planets orbit the Sun counterclockwise. b. The inner planets orbit the Sun counterclockwise while the outer planets orbit the Sun clockwise. c. All the planets except Uranus orbit the Sun counterclockwise; Uranus orbits in the opposite direction. d. All the planets orbit counterclockwise around the Sun.

d. All the planets orbit counterclockwise around the Sun.

Which of the following statements correctly describes the relationship between stars and constellations? Select one: a. Only those stars that were visible to the ancient Greeks are located in constellations. b. Only the brighter stars are in constellations. c. Only stars within the zodiac close to the ecliptic, Earth's orbital plane, are located in constellations. d. Every star is located in a constellation.

d. Every star is located in a constellation.

The Huygens probe took numerous pictures as it descended to Titan's surface in 2005. What did the pictures show? Select one: a. Lava flows of molten basalt b. A densely cratered surface c. Primitive life forms d. Features or erosion, including what appeared to be dry river valleys and lakebeds

d. Features or erosion, including what appeared to be dry river valleys and lakebeds

Which two geological processes appear to have been most important in shaping the present surface of Venus? Select one: a. Impacts and tectonics b. Volcanoes and erosion c. Tectonics and erosion d. Volcanoes and tectonics correct e. Impacts and volcanoes

d. Volcanoes and tectonics correct

What do we mean when we say that the terrestrial worlds underwent differentiation? Select one: a. Their surfaces show a variety of different geological features resulting from different geological processes. b. The five terrestrial worlds all started similarly but ended up looking quite different. c. They lost interior heat to outer space. d. When their interiors were molten, denser materials sank toward their centers and lighter materials rose toward their surfaces.

d. When their interiors were molten, denser materials sank toward their centers and lighter materials rose toward their surfaces.

According to current evidence, Pluto is best explained as ________. Select one: a. a very small jovian planet b. an escaped moon of Jupiter or Saturn c. a terrestrial planet that is surprisingly far from the Sun d. a large member of the Kuiper belt

d. a large member of the Kuiper belt

The ____ is the point on the celestial sphere directly above any observer. Select one: a. north celestial pole b. south celestial pole c. celestial equator d. zenith e. asterism

d. zenith

At approximately what time is the waxing crescent moon highest in the sky? Select one: a. 3 am b. 6 am c. 9 am d. noon e. 3 pm

e. 3pm

The diagram below illustrates the geometry of lunar phases with the moon shown in 8 positions in its orbit. Which numbered position with a new moon? Select one: a. 1 b. 2 c. 3 d. 4 e. 5

e. 5

Which of the following is not a characteristic of the inner planets? Select one: a. Their orbits are relatively closely spaced. b. They are relatively smaller than the outer planets. c. They have very few, if any, satellites. d. They all have solid, rocky surfaces. e. They all have substantial atmospheres.

e. They all have substantial atmospheres.

In the picture below, the phase of the moon is ... Select one: a. waning gibbous b. half moon c. waxing crescent d. first quarter e. third quarter

e. third quarter

A lunar eclipse does not occur at every full moon because

the plane of the Moon's orbit is at an angle to the plane of Earth's orbit.

Where on Earth would you have to be to observe a particular total solar eclipse?

within a narrow and specific strip of Earth's surface less than 270 km wide