Name: __________________________ Date: _____________
Section C
2. The celestial equator is defined as the
A) line in the sky that is perpendicular to Earth's spin axis.
B) line traced in the sky by the Moon each month against the background stars.
C) line traced in the sky by the Sun over one year against the background stars.
D) band of constellations through which the Sun and Moon move in our sky.
5. The ecliptic can be defined as the
A) extension of the Earth's equator onto the sky.
B) plane that is perpendicular to the Earth's spin axis.
C) path traced out by the Moon in our sky in one month against the background stars.
D) path traced out by the Sun in our sky over one year against the background stars.
9. The center, or fixed point, of the Greek model of the universe was
A) the center of the galaxy.
B) a point midway between the Earth and the Sun.
C) the Sun's center.
D) close to the Earth's center.
10. Retrograde motion of a planet when viewed from the Earth is caused by the fact that the
A) planet's orbit is inclined at an angle to the Earth's orbit.
B) planet's orbit is elliptical.
C) Sun is moving.
D) Earth is moving.
11. Ptolemy's model for the solar system was
A) Earth-centered, with the Sun, the Moon, and the planets moving in ellipses in the
sky.
B) Sun-centered, with elliptical planetary orbits.
C) Sun-centered, with the planets moving in circles around it.
D) Earth-centered, with planetary orbits composed of deferents and epicycles.
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22. To what does planetary differentiation refer?
A) large-scale convection of molten rock in the mantle of a planet, which on Earth
causes continental drift
B) sinking of heavier elements toward the center of a planet and the floating of lighter
elements toward the surface
C) circulation of iron in the core of a planet, resulting in the generation of a magnetic
field
D) formation of rocky planets in the hotter, inner solar system and gas giants in the
colder, outer regions
23. The internal structure of Earth is a
A) core of solid rock extensively enriched in iron, surrounded by a solid mantle of
pure rock.
B) large, solid iron core surrounded by a thick, flexible mantle of rock.
C) core of rock and iron, surrounded by a mantle of liquid hydrogen.
D) large core of iron, partly solid and partly molten, surrounded by a thick, flexible
mantle of rock.
24. The magnetic field of Earth is thought to be caused by
A) a magnetized solid iron core in Earth's interior.
B) the flow of solar wind particles around and within Earth's outer atmospheric region,
the magnetosphere, which produces an equivalent electric current.
C) electric currents flowing in the electricity-conducting liquid core of Earth.
D) localized magnetic anomalies, frozen into place in the crust near Earth's surface.
25. Auroras on Earth are caused by
A) reflection of sunlight from the Arctic and Antarctic ice into the polar skies.
B) electrons accelerated by electric currents in the ionosphere and then deposited into
Earth's atmosphere.
C) high-energy charged particles from the magnetosphere guided by Earth's magnetic
field into polar regions of the atmosphere.
D) ultraviolet radiation from the Sun exciting and ionizing atoms in Earth's upper
atmosphere to emit characteristic colors of light.
27. Maria are
A) ancient riverbeds, now dry.
B) uplifted regions surrounding large volcanoes.
C) heavily cratered highland regions.
D) ancient lava floodplains.
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28. Major maria on the Moon exist
A) uniformly over the surface.
B) only on the Earth-facing side.
C) only in a band close to the equator.
D) only in the northern hemisphere.
29. What is the lunar regolith?
A) part of the lunar surface that is not covered with lava flows
B) lunar crust and mantle together
C) deeper part of the lunar crust that has not been extensively cracked by impacts
D) layer of fine powder covering the lunar surface
32. How many times does the Moon rotate on its axis each time it orbits around Earth?
A) zero because the Moon does not rotate on its axis at all
B) exactly once
C) anywhere from 3 4 to 1 1 4 times, depending on the time of year
D) twice
38. The main reason for the very high temperature (750 K) on the surface of the planet
Venus is thought to be
A) chemical reactions between constituents of the atmosphere, particularly sulfuric
acid.
B) radiation from hot lava, produced by intense and continuous volcanic action.
C) continuous bombardment of the surface by solar wind particles and meteoroids.
D) absorption of visible radiation by the Venusian surface and the subsequent trapping
of infrared radiation emitted by the surface by the atmosphere and clouds.
47. What is the Great Red Spot?
A) dark, polar hood in the clouds of Titan, a satellite of Saturn
B) large, anticyclonic storm on Neptune discovered by the Voyager spacecraft
C) lava lake on Io, a satellite of Jupiter
D) large and long-lived, possibly permanent storm on Jupiter
51. Which characteristic of Jupiter's satellite Io makes it different from any other known
satellite in the solar system?
A) Io has a permanent, dense atmosphere.
B) Io is volcanically active, with gas plumes and lava flows.
C) Io has geyserlike plumes of nitrogen gas.
D) Io's surface is broken into heavily cratered and lightly cratered regions in a pattern
similar to plate tectonics.
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Section B
1. In the system of celestial coordinates that matches latitude and longitude on the Earth,
which is the coordinate that is equivalent to longitude?
A) declination
B) elongation angle
C) precession
D) right ascension
3. The pattern of stars that is visible from one position on the Earth gradually shifts from
east to west across the sky over one night. This shift is caused by
A) the motion of the Earth around the Sun.
B) the rotation of the Earth about its own north-south axis.
C) individual motions of the stars themselves with respect to the more distant galaxies.
D) precession of the spin axis of the Earth.
8. In applying the scientific method to the study of our natural surroundings, scientists are
A) discovering by observation the absolute truth about limited areas of science and are
therefore slowly building up the correct view of the universe.
B) slowly amassing a vast bank of observations of nature that at some time in the
future will be assembled into the correct description of the universe.
C) formulating hypotheses or models that describe the present observations of nature
and that predict possible further tests for these models.
D) developing a theoretical view of the universe that incorporates all previous ideas
and myths as part of an overall philosophy.
26. Which of the following processes has played the greatest role in shaping the surface of
the Moon?
A) impacts of interplanetary bodies of all sizes
B) motions of tectonic plates, producing mountain ranges wherever they collide
C) erosion by wind and atmospheric gases
D) recent volcanic activity, producing large numbers of craterlike volcanic calderas
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34. Which of the following statements about the similarities of Mercury and our Moon is
NOT true?
A) Both Mercury and the Moon have heavily cratered surfaces.
B) Both Mercury and the Moon have very dark surfaces, or low reflectivity, or
albedos.
C) Both Mercury and the Moon have large, circular, and relatively flat basins, or
maria, on parts of their surfaces.
D) Mercury and the Moon have no atmospheres.
Section A
4. Where would you have to be to see the south celestial pole on your horizon?
A) about 1° away from the South Pole, to allow for the Earth's precession
B) at the South Pole of Earth
C) at the North Pole of Earth
D) on the equator
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