ASTRONOMY FINAL REVIEW

What is the distance between Earth and the closest star to Earth? a. 1 Astronomical Unit b. 10 000 miles c. 7 light years d. 100 000 light years

a. 1 Astronomical Unit

Use the diagram and labels below to answer the next question. Which of the waves pictured above has the shortest wavelength? a. A b. B c. C d. D

a. A

The Kepler satellite observes stars in our galaxy, searching for planetary transits that indicate the presence of expolanets. Why are planets that are far away from their host star very difficult to the Kepler satellite to discover? a. Astronomers have to watch a long time before they repeat their orbits. b. They will never block any of the light from the star. c. Very few of these planets exist. d. They are harder to see against the bright light of the star. none of the other choices are correct: planets that are far away from their host dar are not actually very difficult to discover

a. Astronomers have to watch a long time before they repeat their orbits.

Assume that the three regions labeled A, B and C all have the same area. During how many labeled portions of the planets orbit (A, B or C) would the planet be speeding up the entire time? a. During only one of the portions shown. b. During two of the portions shown. c. During all three of the portions shown. d. During none of the portions shown.

a. During only one of the portions shown

The time-lapse star trails photo below was taken in Crater Lake, Oregon. Which direction is the photographer looking, and are the stars rising or setting? a. East, rising b. West, setting c. East, setting d. West, rising

a. East, rising

The graph provided below shows the position of a planet over many days compared to the locations of background stars (circles). Key dates are indicated with arrows. On which date would the planet shown in the graph in the previous question appear to rise in the west? a. Never b. April 5 c. March 31 d. March 1 e. April 12

a. Never

Galileo observed all of the following. Which observation offered direct proof of a planet orbiting the Sun? a. Phases of Venus b. The Milky Way is composed of many individual stars. c. Patterns of shadow and sunlight near the dividing line between the light and dark portions of the Moon's face d. Four moons of Jupiter

a. Phases of Venus

Stars located near what appear to move in circles when viewed from Earth? a. Polaris b. the Moon c. the Sun d. Orion

a. Polaris

A star appears on the north point of the horizon. Using the diagram below, where would the star appear to be in 18 hours? a. Position B b. Position D c. Position C d. Position A

a. Position B

Which lettered position (a-e), in the image below, best represents the location on Earth that is experiencing winter in the Southern Hemisphere? a. Position E b. Position A c. Position C d. Position B e. Position D

a. Position E

Where could the sun be located in the following diagram of an asteroid's orbit around the sun, seen from directly above the orbital plane? a. Positions 1 or 3 b. Position 3 c. Positions 1, 2, or 3 d. Position 2 e. Position 1

a. Positions 1 or 3

You observe two stars over the course of a year (or more) and find that Star A has a parallax angle of 0.2 arcseconds, while Star B has a parallax angle of 0.1 arcseconds. How do the distances to the stars compare? a. Star B is farther away than star A. b. Star A is farther away than star B. c. Both the stars are at the same distance. d. It is impossible to tell which star is farther away without making more observations.

a. Star B is farther away than star A.

Why is Europa considered a good candidate for the possible existence of life? a. Strong evidence suggests that it has a deep, subsurface ocean of liquid water. b. It is located within our Sun's habitable zone. c. The Galileo spacecraft found strange seasonal changes on its surface that look like they could be due to life. d. It has a thick atmosphere with a surface pressure greater than that on Earth.

a. Strong evidence suggests that it has a deep, subsurface ocean of liquid water.

In this Earth-Sun system drawing we have indicated the direction of both the daily rotation of Earth about its own axis and its annual orbit about the Sun. Imagine you are the observer shown on Earth in the northern hemisphere. For the time of year shown, which constellation would be highest in the sky at midnight? a. Taurus b. Scorpius c. Leo d. Libra e. Aquarius

a. Taurus

Use the drawing to answer the next question. If you could see stars during the day, the drawing above shows what the sky would look like at noon on a given day. The Sun is near the stars of the constellation Taurus. Near which constellation would you expect the Sun to be located at sunset on this day? a. Taurus b. Gemini c. Pisces d. Aries e. Cancer

a. Taurus

How did the Ptolemaic model explain the apparent retrograde motion of the planets? a. The planets moved along small circles that moved on larger circles around the Earth. b. The model showed that apparent retrograde motion occurs as Earth passes by another planet in its orbit of the Sun. c. The planets sometimes stopped moving and then reversed to move backward along their circular orbits. d. The planets resided on giant spheres that sometimes turned clockwise and sometimes turned counterclockwise.

a. The planets moved along small circles that moved on larger circles around the Earth.

Which of the following is not a true statement about infrared light? a. The world would look basically the same if you could see infrared light instead of visible light b.Infrared light has a wavelength longer than what human eyes can sense c. Infrared light is the first kind of light that humans can't see that was discovered d. Humans and animals emit infrared light

a. The world would look basically the same if you could see infrared light instead of visible light

Which of the following is not a place in our solar system where scientists think there might be or might have been life? a. Venus b. Mars c. Europa, a moon of Jupiter d. Titan, a moon of Saturn

a. Venus

Which of the following best describes why the Moon goes through phases? a. We see only part of the lit-up face of the Moon depending on its position relative to Earth and the Sun. b. The sunlight reflected from Earth lights up the Moon but is less effective when the Moon is lower in the sky than when it is higher in the sky. c. Earth's clouds cover potions of the Moon at various times resulting in the changing phases that we see. d. Earth's shadow falls on different parts of the Moon at different times. d. The Moon is somewhat flattened and disk-like, and appears more or less round depending on the precise angle from which we see it.

a. We see only part of the lit-up face of the Moon depending on its position relative to Earth and the Sun.

The star Betelgeuse is about 425 light years away. If it explodes tonight in an extremely bright supernova explosion: a. We won't know about it until 425 years from now. b. We'll know immediately. c. We won't know about it until 425 light years from now.

a. We won't know about it until 425 years from now.

Does your observation of Venus in the phase shown below prove that the Ancient Greek Ptolemaic model of the Solar System is wrong? a. Yes b. No

a. Yes

Copernicus' model of the solar system destroyed many of the concepts of the heavens held by the ancient Greeks. However, one feature of Greek astronomy that his model retained was that a. all celestial orbits are circles. b. the Earth is at the center of the Universe. c. the Sun controls all motions of the planets. d. epicycles were used to explain retrograde motion.

a. all celestial orbits are circles.

A sodium street light uses electricity to heat up sodium gas (vapor), and this gas produces yellow light. What type of spectrum does the hot Sodium gas produce? a. an emission spectrum with bright emission lines in the yellow part of the spectrum b. an absorption spectrum with more dark absorption lines in the blue and red parts of the spectrum c. a continuous spectrum that is brighter at yellow wavelengths than it is at d. blue and red wavelengths none of the other choices are correct

a. an emission spectrum with bright emission lines in the yellow part of the spectrum

What kind of spectrum is given off by a red colored, neon ``OPEN'' sign? a. an emission spectrum with more bright emission lines at the red end of the spectrum b. an absorption spectrum with more dark absorption lines in the blue part of the spectrum c. a continuous spectrum that is brighter in the red than the blue d. a spectral curve with a peak in the red part of the spectrum

a. an emission spectrum with more bright emission lines at the red end of the spectrum

An electron in an atom moves from a higher energy level to a lower energy level. At the same time, the atom a. emits a photon b. absorbs a photon c. emits a continuous spectrum d. absorbs a continuous spectrum

a. emits a photon

If the Earth were tilted at 44 degrees (rather than 23.5 degrees) then during summer you would a. experience warmer temperatures b. experience cooler temperatures c. experience no significant change in temperatures

a. experience warmer temperatures

The habitable zone around a star is the region around a star where a. liquid water can exist on planetary surfaces b. humans can survive c. rocket planets can form d. ultraviolet radiation is too weak to destroy biological organisms

a. liquid water can exist on planetary surfaces

You are standing on Earth's equator. Which way is Polaris, the North Star? You are standing on Earth's equator. Which way is Polaris, the North Star? a. on the northern horizon b. 30 degrees up, due North c. The answer depends on whether it's winter or summer d. directly overhead e. The answer depends on what time of day (or night) it is

a. on the northern horizon

In any particular place on Earth, certain constellations are visible in the evening only at certain times of the year because: a. our evening view of space depends on where Earth is located in its orbit around the Sun. b. some constellations are circumpolar and others are not. c. the stars in the Milky Way that we see are orbiting the Galactic center. d. during some times of year, some constellations drop below the southern horizon.

a. our evening view of space depends on where Earth is located in its orbit around the Sun.

Which of the following rankings is correct for the size (diameter) of the following objects from smallest to largest? a. planet, star, solar system, galaxy, universe b. star, planet, solar system, galaxy, universe c. star, solar system, planet, galaxy, universe d. planet, star, galaxy, solar system, universe

a. planet, star, solar system, galaxy, universe

The point directly over your head is called a. the zenith b. Polaris c. the meridian d. the north celestial pole

a. the zenith

In Kepler's third law, how are the orbital period P (measured in Earth years) and the semi-major axis a (measured in AUs) related? a. semi-major axis * semi-major axis = period (a^2 = P) b. (semi-major axis x semi-major axis x semi-major axis) = period x c. period (a^3 = P^2) d. semi-major axis = period * period (a = P^2) e. semi-major axis = period (a = P)

b. (semi-major axis x semi-major axis x semi-major axis) = period x c. period (a^3 = P^2)

Use both drawings to answer the next question. The drawing on the bottom shows the motion of Star B in the sky and labels Star B's position at 9 PM. At what time will Star B be located high in the north-eastern sky? a. 6:00 AM b. 1:00 PM c. 6:00 PM d. 9:00 PM e. 1:00 AM

b. 1:00 PM

The table below shows the orbital distances, orbital periods, and masses for the six planets closest to the Sun. Jupiter is the most massive of these planets at 318 times the mass of the Earth and Mercury is the least massive of these planets at 0.06 times the mass of the Earth. The dwarf planet Ceres has a mass of 0.00015 Earths and a semi-major axis of 2.76 AU. Using the data from the table above, Ceres will have an orbital period of about a. 1.28 years b. 4.60 years c. 18.3 years d. 0.17 years

b. 4.60 years

The figure below shows the same star, but each shows a different planet orbiting the star. The diagrams are all scaled the same (the tick marks along the line that passes through the sun and the nearest and farthest points in the orbit represent distance in astronomical units (AU)). Rank the planets based on the amount of time it takes each to complete one orbit, from longest to shortest. a. 1 = 2 = 3 = 4 = 5 b. 5 > 3 > 2 > 4 > 1 c. 5 > 2 > 4 > 1 > 3 d. 3 > 5 > 2 = 4 > 1 e. 1 > 4 > 3 > 2 > 5

b. 5 > 3 > 2 > 4 > 1

The Hubble telescope is capable of making observation of stars, passing the light through a prism and making plots of their spectra. The graph below shows the brightness of the light at different wavelengths seen by the Hubble telescope when it looks at the Quasar PKS 0405-123. This Quasar is a dense, hot object in a distant galaxy. The light from the quasar passes through the intergalactic medium, a diffuse, cool gas. What type of spectrum does Hubble observe when looking at Quasar PKS 0405-123? a. Thermal spectrum b. Absorption spectrum c. Emission spectrum d. None of the other answers is correct

b. Absorption spectrum

How much time is there between when a star rises and when it sets? a. About 12 hours b. It depends on the star c. More than 12 hours d. Less than 12 hours

b. It depends on the star

A planet moving in normal (prograde) motion. Over the course of several nights, how will the planet move relative to the background stars? a. It will move from east to west. b. It will move from west to east. c. It will move randomly, as planets move differently to the stars. d. It will not move at all, as planets move with the stars.

b. It will move from west to east

Halley's comet orbits the Sun every 76.0 years. The comet's orbit is very eccentric, so that at perihelion it is only about 0.6 A.U. from the Sun but at aphelion it is more than 35 A.U. from the Sun. Where does Halley's comet spend most of its time? a. It spends equal time at each distance. b. Near its aphelion c. About halfway between aphelion and perihelion. d. Near its perihelion

b. Near its aphelion

What is the Moon's phase immediately before a Solar Eclipse? Third Quarter a. Full b. New c. Waxing Crescent d. Waning Gibbous

b. New

Assume that the three regions labeled A, B and C all have the same area. During which part of the planet's orbit is the planet moving fastest? a. Part C b. Part A c. It travels at the same speed through all three parts. d. Part B

b. Part A

Which of the following best describes the motion of the planets? a. Planets rise in the west and set in the east. Over the course of several months, they appear to drift from west to east with respect to the distant stars. b. Planets rise in the west and set in the east. Over the course of several months, they appear to drift from east to west with respect to the distant stars. c. Planets rise in the east and set in the west. Over the course of several months, they appear to drift from west to east with respect to the distant stars. d. Planets rise in the east and set in the west. Over the course of several months, they appear to drift from east to west with respect to the distant stars.

b. Planets rise in the west and set in the east. Over the course of several months, they appear to drift from east to west with respect to the distant stars.

Which of the following experiences the smallest change in the amount of sunlight it receives over the course of a year? a. The South Pole b. The Equator c. The North Pole d. None of the other choices is correct.

b. The Equator

One light-year is: a. The time it takes light to travel from the Sun to the Earth b. The distance light travels in one year. c. The amount of light we receive from the Sun in one year.

b. The distance light travels in one year.

Suppose you are facing north and you see the Big Dipper close to your northern horizon, with Polaris above it. Where will you see the Big Dipper in six hours? a. Still in approximately the same place, below Polaris. b. To the right of Polaris; that is, 90 degrees counterclockwise from its current position. c. To the left of Polaris; that is, 90 degrees clockwise from its current position. d. Directly above Polaris

b. To the right of Polaris; that is, 90 degrees counterclockwise from its current position

Use both drawings to answer the next question. The drawing on the bottom shows the motion of Star B in the sky and labels Star B's position at 9 PM. In what direction is Star B moving at 3pm? a. Away from the horizon (up) b. Toward the horizon (down) c. West (to the left) d. East (to the right)

b. Toward the horizon (down)

What do we call the day(s) of the year when the Sun makes it shortest path through the sky in Fullerton? a. Equinoxes b. Winter Solstice c. Summer Solstice d. Circumpolar e. Celestial

b. Winter Solstice

The image below shows a particular configuration of the Earth, Moon, and Sun (not to scale). What type of eclipse would this produce for the observer indicated? a. a penumbral lunar eclipse b. a total solar eclipse c. a partial solar eclipse d. a partial lunar eclipse e. a total lunar eclipse

b. a total solar eclipse

The reasons the planets always appear to be near the ecliptic (the path of the sun through the celestial sphere) is that a. the planets come much nearer to us than does the sun. b. all the planets orbit around the sun in nearly the same plane. c. compared to the stars, the planets are near the sun. d. the ecliptic is only tilted 23.5 degrees from the celestial equator

b. all the planets orbit around the sun in nearly the same plane.

If you analyze the light from a hot but low density object (such as a cloud of interstellar gas), which type of spectrum do you see? a. dark line absorption spectrum b. bright line emission spectrum c. continuous spectrum

b. bright line emission spectrum

Where would you look to see a planet rise on an evening when it is undergoing apparent retrograde motion? a. on the western horizon b. on the eastern horizon

b. on the eastern horizon

The Kepler satellite observes stars in our galaxy, searching for planetary transits that indicate the presence of expolanets. The larger the decrease in measured brightness as the planet transits in front of a star, _________________ . a. the larger the size of the planet's orbit. b. the larger the size of the planet. c. the larger the distance to the star. d. the larger the size of the star.

b. the larger the size of the planet.

Which of the following sequences of moon phases will occur in the listed order, one after another? a. new, waxing crescent, full, waxing gibbous b. third quarter, waning crescent, new, waxing crescent c. third quarter, waning gibbous, full, waxing crescent d. new, waning crescent, first quarter, waxing crescent

b. third quarter, waning crescent, new, waxing crescent

An astronomer calculates the likelihood of the Kepler mission detecting various extrasolar planets around a particular nearby star. Which of the following possibilities - all assumed to be in circular orbits viewed edge-on - is most likely to result in a Kepler detection in a few years time? a. An Earth-like planet in a 1 AU radius orbit b. An Earth-like planet in a 10 AU radius orbit c. A Jupiter-like planet in a 1 AU radius orbit d. A Jupiter-like planet in a 10 AU radius orbit e. All of the other answers are equally likely

c. A Jupiter-like planet in a 1 AU radius orbit

In this Earth-Sun system drawing we have indicated the direction of both the daily rotation of Earth about its own axis and its annual orbit about the Sun. Imagine you are the observer shown on Earth in the northern hemisphere. What constellation will be highest in the sky at noon, three months after the time shown? a. Libra b. Taurus c. Aquarius d. Scorpius e. Leo

c. Aquarius

Use the drawing to answer the next question. Which constellation will be highest in the sky 2 hours before the time shown in the drawing above? a. Gemini b. Cancer c. Aries d. Taurus e. Pisces

c. Aries

You look at the leaf of a plant, and it looks green. Why does the leaf look green? a. Because it emits green light. b. Because it absorbs green light. c. Because it reflects green light. d. Because it transmits green light.

c. Because it reflects green light.

How does the speed of x-rays compare with the speed of radio waves? a. x-rays travel faster than radio waves. b.Radio waves travel faster than radio waves. c. Both x-rays and radio waves travel at the same speed

c. Both x-rays and radio waves travel at the same speed

Which of the planets orbits is most like the Earth's orbit around the Sun? a. B b. A c. C

c. C

In Fullerton, California, where in the night sky would be the best place to look to find planets that are in our solar system? a. None of ABCD are correct b. C c. D d. B e. A

c. D

During how many labeled portions of the planets orbit (A, B or C) would the planet experience an increase in speed for at least one moment? a. During only one of the portions shown. b. During all three of the portions shown. c. During two of the portions shown. d. During none of the portions shown.

c. During two of the portions shown.

What do we call the day(s) of the year when the Sun rises directly in the East and sets directly in the West? a. Celestial b. Circumpolar c. Equinoxes d. Solstices

c. Equinoxes

When Galileo looked at Jupiter with his telescope, he discovered 4 moons orbiting Jupiter. Galileo named them the "Medicean Stars", but today we call them IO, Europa, Callisto, and Ganymede. How did this discovery help convince people that the Ptolemaic, geocentric model of the solar system was incorrect? a. It showed that Jupiter's moons had phases, just like Earth's moon b. It showed that Jupiter's moons had craters, just like Earth's moon c. It showed objects in space orbiting something other than Earth d. It showed that Jupiter's orbit didn't involve epicycles

c. It showed objects in space orbiting something other than Earth

Which of the following is a way for a space telescope to detect exoplanets around other stars? a. Observing a star carefully enough to notice that it is experiencing a gravitational tug caused by an unseen planet. b. Identifying spectral lines that look like what we expect to see from a planet rather than a star. c. Obtaining high-resolution photographs of other star systems.

c. Obtaining high-resolution photographs of other star systems.

Which Moon position (a-e), shown in the first diagram, best corresponds to the moon phase shown in the photograph below? a. Position B b. Position C c. Position E d. Position D e. Position A

c. Position E

Which of the following would be true about comparing gamma rays and radio waves? a. Radio waves would have a higher energy and would travel slower than gamma rays. b. Gamma rays would have a shorter wavelength and a lower energy than radio waves. c. Radio waves would have a longer wavelength and travel the same speed as gamma rays. d. Gamma rays would have a higher energy and would travel faster than radio waves. e. Radio waves would have a shorter wavelength and higher energy than gamma rays.

c. Radio waves would have a longer wavelength and travel the same speed as gamma rays.

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon is positioned directly between the Earth and the Sun along our line of sight. How often does this happen? a. Never. b. Every full moon. c. Rarely, because the Moon's orbit is inclined at about 5 degrees to the ecliptic plane. d. Every new moon.

c. Rarely, because the Moon's orbit is inclined at about 5 degrees to the ecliptic plane.

Which of the following statements about an ellipse is NOT true? a. A circle is considered to be a special type of ellipse. b. The semimajor axis of an ellipse is half the length of the longest line that you can draw across an ellipse. c. The focus of an ellipse is always located precisely at the center of the ellipse. d. An ellipse with a large eccentricity looks much more elongated (stretched out) than an ellipse with a small eccentricity.

c. The focus of an ellipse is always located precisely at the center of the ellipse.

Which of the following is not considered a potential solution to Fermi's Paradox, the question of why we lack any evidence of a galactic civilization? a. The galactic civilization is deliberately avoiding contact with us. b. There is no galactic civilization because all civilizations destroy themselves before they achieve the ability to colonize the galaxy. c. The galactic civilization is undetectable because they operate under different laws of physics from the ones we know. d. Because we are the first species ever to achieve the technology required to communicate with other planets and travel through space.

c. The galactic civilization is undetectable because they operate under different laws of physics from the ones we know.

Which of the following statements is true about the location of the Sun at sunset in Fullerton during the middle of summer? a. The sun will set south of west. b. The sun will set south of east. c. The sun will set north of west. d. The sun will set north of east. e. None of the other choices is correct.

c. The sun will set north of west.

Which of the following lettered locations corresponds to the phase of Venus shown below (as viewed from the location of the Earth marked on the diagram)? a. b b. e c. a d. c e. d

c. a

At present, what is the primary way that astronomers carry out SETI programs (that is, search for extraterrestrial intelligence)? a. by searching for planets around distant stars b. by analyzing the spectra of extra-solar planets in an attempt to detect oxygen c. by using radio telescopes to search for signals from extraterrestrial civilizations d. by using X-ray telescopes to search for signals from extraterrestrial civilizations e. by analyzing high-resolution images of nearby stars in search of artificial structures

c. by using radio telescopes to search for signals from extraterrestrial civilizations

If you traveled north from Fullerton CA to Vancouver Canada, you would see the North Star (polaris) getting a. brighter b. dimmer c. higher in the sky d. lower in the sky

c. higher in the sky

In the figure below parallel beams of sunlight illuminate Earth. Notice that the Earth's rotation axis is slightly tilted. As the Earth spins, locations A through E spend part of the 24 hour day in sunlight, and part of the day in darkness (as indicated by the shaded region). Which letter labels the location that spends the largest number of hours in sunlight during each 24 hour period? a.Position A b.Position B c. Position C d. Position D e.Position E

c. position c

If the mass of Jupiter were halved, but it continued to orbit the sun and the semi-major axis of its orbit were kept the same, its orbital period would a. quadruple b. double c. stay the same d. halve e. quarter

c. stay the same

In which organizational category below would the planet Venus most appropriately belong? a. the Milky Way Galaxy b. the Local Group c. the Solar System d. the Universe

c. the Solar System

In winter, Earth's axis points toward the star Polaris. In spring: a. the axis points toward the Sun. b. the axis points toward Vega. c. the axis also points toward Polaris

c. the axis also points toward Polaris

Which of the following has the most energy? a. radio waves b. visible light c. x-rays d. Infrared light e. all of the other choices have the same energy

c. x-rays

The graph provided below shows the position of a planet over many days compared to the locations of background stars (circles). Key dates are indicated with arrows. For how many days was this planet in retrograde motion? a. 9 days b. 16 days c. 32 days d. 12 days e. 44 days

d. 12 days

The table below shows the orbital distances, orbital periods, and masses for the six planets closest to the Sun. Jupiter is the most massive of these planets at 318 times the mass of the Earth and Mercury is the least massive of these planets at 0.06 times the mass of the Earth. a. 0.10 years b. 0.93 years c. 1.25 years d. 5.56 years e. 13.6 years

d. 5.56 years

In what phase and location described below will the Moon be when a lunar eclipse occurs? a. New phase and below the plane of Earth's orbit. b. Full phase and below the plane of the Earth's orbit. c. New phase and crossing the Earth's orbital plane. None of the other choices are the correct phase and location for the Moon when a lunar eclipse occurs. d. Full phase and crossing Earth's orbital plane.

d. Full phase and crossing Earth's orbital plane.

Kepler's third law states that a planet's orbital period is related to its semi-major axis. Which of the following statements describe a characteristic of the solar system that is explained by Kepler's third law? a. Earth is slightly closer to the Sun on one side of its orbit than on the other side. b. The Sun is located slightly off-center from the middle of each planet's orbit. c. Pluto moves faster when it is closer to the Sun than when it is farther from the Sun. d. Planets closer to the Sun orbit the Sun at higher speed than planets that are farther from the Sun. e. All the planets orbit the Sun in nearly the same plane.

d. Planets closer to the Sun orbit the Sun at higher speed than planets that are farther from the Sun

Which of the following statements about the celestial sphere is NOT true? a. When we look at the sky, the stars all appear to be located on the celestial sphere. b. The celestial sphere does not exist physically. c. Earth is placed at the center of the celestial sphere. d. The "celestial sphere" is another name for our universe.

d. The "celestial sphere" is another name for our universe

Which of the following best describes why we have seasons on Earth? a. 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. b. 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. 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 tilt of Earth's axis causes different portions of the Earth to receive more or less direct sunlight at different times of year.

d. The tilt of Earth's axis causes different portions of the Earth to receive more or less direct sunlight at different times of year.

When we see the planet Venus undergoing apparent retrograde motion it means that, a. Earth and Venus must be on opposite sides of the Sun. b. Venus is temporarily moving backwards in its orbit. c. Earth is temporarily moving backwards in its orbit. d. Venus is passing Earth in its orbit with both planets on the same side of the Sun.

d. Venus is passing Earth in its orbit with both planets on the same side of the Sun.

What is a circumpolar star? a. a star that is close to the south celestial pole b. a star that makes a daily circle around the celestial sphere c. a star that is visible from the Arctic or Antarctic circles d. a star that always remains above your horizon e. a star that is close to the north celestial pole

d. a star that always remains above your horizon

Tycho Brahe's contribution to astronomy included: a. developing the law of gravitation. b. proving that Earth orbits the Sun. c. inventing the telescope. d. collecting data that enabled Kepler to discover the laws of planetary motion.

d. collecting data that enabled Kepler to discover the laws of planetary motion.

During the new moon phase, how much of the Moon's surface is being lit up by the sun? a. less than half b. none of it c. all of it d. half e. more than half

d. half

A person in Fullerton observes the planet Saturn just above the eastern point of the horizon right after sunset. Six hours later, Saturn will be... a. low in the western sky b. not visible c. almost directly overhead d. high in the southern sky e. low in the southern sky

d. high in the southern sky

Star A rises above the horizon at 6:00 pm. At what time would Star A be highest in the southern sky? a. 9:00 PM b. 3:00 PM c. 3:00 AM d. midnight e. 9:00 AM

d. midnight

On Earth, the parallax angle measured for the star Regulus is 0.04 arcseconds. If you were to measure the parallax angle of Regulus from Pluto, what would it be? Note: Pluto has a much larger semi-major axis (and therefore much larger average distance from the sun) than Earth does. a. zero arcseconds (no parallax) b. 0.04 arcseconds c. less than 0.04 arcseconds d. more than 0.04 arcseconds

d. more than 0.04 arcseconds

Galileo challenged the idea that objects in the heavens were perfect by a. proving Kepler's laws were correct. b. showing that heavy objects fall at the same rate as lighter objects. c. inventing the telescope. d. observing sunspots on the Sun and mountains on the Moon.

d. observing sunspots on the Sun and mountains on the Moon

How often is the sun directly over Earth's equator? a. once a year b. once a day c. once a month d. once every six months

d. once every six months

Which of the following correctly ranks the four objects by their distance from Earth, from nearest to farthest? a. our Moon, the Sun, a star in the Andromeda Galaxy, the center of the Milky Way b. the Sun, our Moon, a star in the Andromeda Galaxy, the center of the Milky Way c. the Sun, our Moon, center of the Milky Way, a star in the Andromeda Galaxy d. our Moon, the Sun, the center of the Milky Way, a star in the Andromeda Galaxy

d. our Moon, the Sun, the center of the Milky Way, a star in the Andromeda Galaxy

Which of the following is not a form of light? a. radio waves are not a form of light b. microwaves are not a form of light c. x-rays are not a form of light d. radio waves, microwaves, and x-rays are all forms of light e. radio waves are not a form of light, microwaves are not a form of light, and x-rays are not a form of light

d. radio waves, microwaves, and x-rays are all forms of light

The constellation Orion is visible from Fullerton on winter evenings but not on summer evenings. This is because of a. precession of the Earth's axis. b. interference from the full moon. c. the tilt of the Earth's axis. d. the location of Earth in its orbit.

d. the location of Earth in its orbit.

Which of the following has the highest frequency? a. infrared light b. radio waves c. visible light d. x-rays e. all of the other answers have the same frequency

d. x-rays

Which of the planets shown would experience the greatest change in speed over the course of an orbit? a. B b. A, B, and C all experience the same change in speed over the course of an orbit c. C d. None of A, B, and C experience any change in speed over the course of an orbit e. A

e. A

The figure below shows the evening sky as it would appear for an observer in the northern hemisphere. Notice that Polaris, the North Star, appears fairly high in the sky while other stars (labeled A-D) appear to slowly move around the North Star. Which of the following is the best ranking for the amount of time that each of the stars shown above (A-D), will be above the horizon during a 24 hour period, from greatest amount of time to least a. A > B = C > D b. Stars A, B, C, D all spend the same amount of time above the horizon. c. D > B > C > A d. A > B > C > D e. D > B = C > A

e. D > B = C > A

The image below shows a particular configuration of the Earth, Moon, and Sun (not to scale). What type of eclipse would this produce? a. a total solar eclipse b. a penumbral lunar eclipse c. a partial solar eclipse d. a partial lunar eclipse e. a total lunar eclipse

e. a total lunar eclipse