Astronomy test prep chapters 1-6

Which of the following has your "cosmic address" in the correct order? -you, Earth, solar system, Milky Way Galaxy, Local Group, Local Supercluster -you, Earth, solar system, Local Group, Milky Way Galaxy, Local Supercluster -you, Earth, solar system, Local Group, Local Supercluster, Milky Way Galaxy

-you, Earth, solar system, Milky Way Galaxy, Local Group, Local Supercluster

When we see Saturn going through a period of apparent retrograde motion, it means -saturn and earth are on opposite sides of sun -Earth is passing sun in orbit, with both planets on same side of sun -Saturn is temporarily moving backward in its orbit of sun

-Earth is passing sun in orbit, with both planets on same side of sun

Which of the following conditions lead you to see an absorption line spectrum from a cloud of gas in interstellar space? -The cloud is extremely hot. -The cloud is visible primarily because it reflects light from nearby stars. -The cloud is cool and lies between the observer and a continuos blackbody source. -The cloud is cool and very dense, so that you cannot see any objects that lie behind it.

-The cloud is cool and lies between the observer and a continuos blackbody source.

Has Polaris always been the "North Star"? -no because it's too young -yes because stars are unchanging -no earth's axis slowly changes the direction it points -no because Milky way blocked our site

-no earth's axis slowly changes the direction it points

Where is our solar system located within the Milky Way Galaxy? -in the halo of the galaxy -at the far edge of the galaxy's visible disk -roughly halfway between the center and the edge of the visible disk of the galaxy -very near the center of the galaxy

-roughly halfway between the center and the edge of the visible disk of the galaxy

A week after full moon, the Moon's phase is: -1st qtr -3rd qtr -new

3rd qtr

What is the difference between a bound orbit and an unbound orbit around the Sun? A bound orbit is circular, while an unbound orbit is elliptical. An object on a bound orbit follows the same path around the Sun over and over, while an object on an unbound orbit approaches the Sun just once and then never returns. A bound orbit is an orbit allowed by the universal law of gravitation, and an unbound orbit is not. An object on a bound orbit has a gravitational attraction to the Sun, while an object on an unbound orbit does not.

An object on a bound orbit follows the same path around the Sun over and over, while an object on an unbound orbit approaches the Sun just once and then never returns.

His model put the Sun in the center, but was not very accurate because the orbits were perfect circles. Kepler Tycho Newton Copernicus Galileo

Copernicus

He discovered that Jupiter has moons. Tycho Brahe Ptolemy Aristotle Kepler Galileo

Galileo

He discovered that the orbits of planets are ellipses. Kepler Tycho Brahe Ptolemy Galileo Copernicus

Kepler

this person realized that Tychos data, with 1 arc minute uncertainties, could not fit the predictions of circular orbits, which missed the actual star positions by 8 arc minutes. So his model was the first to consider elliptical orbits

Kepler

Which of the following conditions must exist for a solar eclipse to occur? The only condition is that the phase of the Moon must be new. Moon phase is full, and the Moon is passing through the Earth's orbital plane. The only condition is that the phase of the Moon must be full. Moon phase is new, and the Moon is passing through the Earth's orbital plane.

Moon phase is new, and the Moon is passing through the Earth's orbital plane.

Using the ideas discussed in your textbook, in what sense are we "star stuff"? Nearly every atom from which we are made was once inside of a star. We could not survive without light from our star, the Sun. The overall chemical composition of our bodies is about the same as that of stars. Movie stars and other people are all made of the same stuff, so we all have the potential to be famous.

Nearly every atom from which we are made was once inside of a star.

Compare the force of gravity on the Moon due to the Earth, and the force of gravity on the Earth due to the Moon. The forces are equal and opposite. The force on the Earth is greater than the force on the Moon. The force on the Moon is greater than the force on the Earth.

The forces are equal and opposite because the moon has a larger acceleration than the earth because of it's smaller mass

Consider the elliptical orbit of a comet around the Sun. Where in its orbit is the comet moving the fastest? When it is farthest from the Sun. It is always moving at the same speed. When it is closest to the Sun.

When it is closest to the Sun.

During which season is earth moving fastest in orbit

Winter

Which of the following statements about X rays and radio waves is not true? -X rays have higher frequency than radio waves. -X rays and radio waves are both forms of light, or electromagnetic radiation. -X rays travel through space faster than radio waves. -X rays have shorter wavelengths than radio waves.

X Rays travel through space faster than radio waves

A galaxy is ________. another name for the universe a system consisting of one or a few stars orbited by planets, moons, and smaller objects a large, glowing ball of gas powered by nuclear energy a collection of a few hundred million to a trillion or more stars, bound together by gravity a name for the great variety of stars.

a collection of a few hundred million to a trillion or more stars, bound together by gravity

You observe a full moon rising at sunset. What will you see 6 hours later? a full moon on or near your meridian a third quarter moon a first quarter moon a waning gibbous moon

a full moon on or near your meridian

What was the Ptolemaic model? the Earth-centered model of the cosmos in which Earth was surrounded by seven perfect spheres, one each for the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn a Sun-centered model of planetary motion published by Ptolemy an Earth-centered model of planetary motion published by Ptolemy the first scientific model to successfully predict solar and lunar eclipses

an Earth-centered model of planetary motion published by Ptolemy

Astronomers infer that the universe is expanding because distant galaxies all appear to _________.

be moving away from us, with more distant ones moving faster

Tycho Brahe's contribution to astronomy included: inventing the telescope. proving that Earth orbits the Sun. collecting data that enabled Kepler to discover the laws of planetary motion.

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

A typical super cluster contains no more than 10,000 stars

false

At midnight it is sometimes possible to observe a crescent moon high in the sky

false

Copernicus's model of the solar system gave much better predictions than the model of Ptolemy. True False

false

Newton's Laws completely replaced the incorrect work of Kepler.

false

Tycho used his high accuracy observations to conclude that the Earth revolves around the sun. True False

false

During a lunar eclipse the Moon's phase must be 3rd quarter. 1st quarter. full. new.

full

A car is accelerating when it is traveling on a straight, flat road at 50 miles per hour. going around a circular track at a steady 100 miles per hour. traveling on a straight uphill road at 30 miles per hour.

going around a circular track at a steady 100 miles per hour.

When Copernicus first created his Sun-centered model of the universe, it did not lead to substantially better predictions of planetary positions than the Ptolemaic model. Why not?

he used perfect circles for the orbits of the planets

Newton showed that Kepler's laws are ________. seriously in error the key to proving that Earth orbits our Sun actually only three of seven distinct laws of planetary motion natural consequences of the law of universal gravitation

natural consequences of the law of universal gravitation

could we see a galaxy that are 50 billion light years away ?

no because it is beyond the bounds of our observable universe

standing on Earths equator which direction is the North Star Polaris? -on northern horizon -30 degrees up due west -directly overhead -answer depends on season answer depends on time of night

on northern horizon

Place the 4 by actual size smallest to greatest: -Solar System -star -planet -galaxy

planet, star. solar system, galaxy

How does a planets mass affect its orbit around the sun? -more massive planets have more circular orbit -planets mass has no effect of orbit around sun -more massive planets orbit sun faster -more massive planets have larger semi major axis

planets mass has no effect of orbit around sun

Rank the following 4 from how long it takes for light reach us from these ojects from shortest to longest: -sun -milky way center -Andromeda Galaxy -pluto

pluto, sun, milky way center, Andromeda Galaxy

The celestial equator is defined as the

projection into space of Earth's equator onto the celestial sphere

Which describes motions of stars within disk of MW -random -stars orbiting center of galaxy in circular paths -stars move randomly w/ respect to each other, but drift in same orbital direction about center of galaxy -all moving towards center of galaxy as it slowly collapses

stars move randomly w/ respect to each other, but drift in same orbital direction about center of galaxy

the gravitational force that the earth exerts on the moon is equal and opposite to that which the moon exerts on the Earth. Therefore, according to Newtons 2nd law, -the earth has a larger acceleration than the moon, because it has a larger mass -the moon has a larger acceleration than the earth, because it has a smaller mass -the moon and the earth both have equal accelerations, because the forces are equal

the moon has a larger acceleration than the earth, because it has a smaller mass

What is the ecliptic? a half-circle extending from your horizon due north, through your zenith, to your horizon due south the Sun's daily path from east to west in our sky the path the Sun appears to trace around the celestial sphere each year the path traced by the Moon's shadow on Earth during a solar eclipse

the path the Sun appears to trace around the celestial sphere each year

which of the following would be true if the Earths axis tilt was more extreme -the year would be longer -the lunar cycle would be longer -solar eclipses would no longer occur -the seasons would be more extreme

the seasons would be more extreme

If the Moon is setting at noon, the phase of the Moon must be -full -waning crescent -first qtr -third qtr -new

third qtr

Why did Ptolemy have the planets orbiting Earth on "circles upon circles" in his model of the universe?

to explain the fact that planets sometimes appear to move westward, rather than eastward, relative to the stars in our sky

To measure the mass of an astronomical object, one can observe the orbital period and distance of an orbiting satellite

true

The point directly over your head is called ________. the zenith the north celestial pole the North Star the meridian

zenith