Exploring the Universe
NAME____________________________
Test #1 Fall 1997
Using the answer sheet provided indicate the best answer to the following
questions. All questions are worth 2 points unless noted otherwise.
1. On the celestial sphere, the circle which is located 90 degrees from the
zenith is the
(a) horizon
(b) equator
(c) ecliptic
(d) meridian
2.
Local noon corresponds to the time when the Sun is at the
(a) zenith
(b) meridian
(c) nadir
(d) ecliptic
3.
The point directly over an observer's head is that observer's
(a) equator
(b) pole
(c) zenith
(d) node
4.
The north-south line that passes directly overhead is the
(a) ecliptic
(b) meridian
(c) horizon
(d) azimuth
(e) zenith
5.
6.
The occurrence of seasons on the Earth is due to
(a) the Earth being closer to the Sun in summer
(b) the Earth changing its rotation rate during the year
(c) the Earth's axis pointing in different directions during the year
(d) the Earth's axis being inclined to the ecliptic
(e) the solar wind particles in the Earth's upper atmosphere
What planet is currently a "Evening Star" in the Western sky at sunset?
a) Mars
b) Venus
c) Jupiter
d) Mercury
7.
If I observe that the North Celestial Pole is on my Northern horizon and
the South Celestial Pole is on my Southern horizon, what must be my location?
a) North Pole
b) South Pole
c) Equator
d) cannot tell from this information alone.
8.
At approximately what time does the new moon rise?
a) sunrise
b) sunset
c) noon
d) midnight
9.
In the course of a year, how much of the universe could you see from the
North pole
a) about one fourth
b) one half
c) about three fourths
d) all of it
10.
The
a)
b)
c)
d)
special thing about the North star is that
it is located in a constellation which makes a "N" in the sky
it is one of the brightest stars in the sky
it is deep red in color
it is near the north celestial pole
11. When an observer on the Earth sees the moon in its "New" phase, what would
an observer on the moon see as the Earth's phase?
a) New
b) 1st Quarter
c) Full
d) 3rd Quarter
12.
The moon appears to be 1/2 degree in size. If the moon changed its
distance so that now it appears to be 1/4 degree in size, what can we say about
the change in distance?
a) it is twice as far away
b) it is half as far away
c) it is the same distance but moves twice as fast
d) cannot tell from this information
13.
14.
was
Eratosthenes's method for determining the size of the Earth was
a) see how fast the Earth's shadow sweeps across the Moon
b) see how fast the Moon's shadow sweeps across the Earth
c) measure the curvature of the Earth from a mountain
d) measure the shadow length of a stick at two different locations
One of the most difficult observations for the geocentric model to explain
a)
b)
c)
d)
retrograde motion
the seasons
the diurnal motion
eclipses
15.
Kepler's third law which states "equal area in equal times" really is a
restatement of
a) what goes round goes round
b) the conservation of ellipses
c) the Pythagorean theorem
d) the conservation of angular momentum
16.
A planet in a highly elliptical orbit has its greatest speed when
a) it is closest to the Sun
b) when it is furthest from the Sun
c) when the Sun is on the equator
d) when the Sun is on the solstice
17.
Which astronomer is known as the great observer
a) Galileo
b) Cobb
c)
d)
18.
Brahe
Copernicus
Parallax is
a) a laxative used in ancient times
b) a constellation containing a pair of two laxes
c) the apparent shift in position of an object due to a real shift of the
observer
d) the movement of the sun from South to North of the equator during the
change of seasons
19.
An
a)
b)
c)
d)
astronomical unit is
a period of time corresponding to approximately 100 centuries
a unit of measure on a really big meter stick
the average distance from the Earth to the Sun
the average distance of the Sun to the nearest star
20.
If the Earth were inclined more on its axis than it currently is, what
would be the consequences?
a) more drastic seasons
b) a longer year
c) more global warming
d) no solstices or equinoxes
21.
Which constellation contains stars which "point" to the north star
a) Big Dipper
b) Orion
c) Little Dipper
d) Northern Cross
22.
The projection of the Earth's equator onto the celestial sphere defines the
a) circumpolar region
b) celestial equator
c) the Right Ascension
d) sidereal time
23. I have determine that the North Celestial Pole is about 35 degrees above
the Northern horizon. What can I say about my location?
a) you are at the equator
b) you are at the North Pole
c) you are at a latitude of 35 degrees north of the equator
d) you are at a latitude of 55 degrees north of the equator
24. I wake up in the middle of the night and notice that it is 12:00 midnight
and that the Moon is on my meridian. What is the phase of the Moon that I see?
a) new Moon
b) first quarter
c) full Moon
d) third quarter
25.
Which of the following astronomers had a golden nose and died from a
ruptured bladder
a) Isaac Newton
b) Tycho Brahe
c) Copernicus
d) Galileo
26.
The
a)
b)
c)
d)
apparent path the Sun takes through the stars is called the
celestial equator
constellation
meridian
ecliptic
27. When an ice skater brings his/her arms in during a spin and increases the
rate of spin, which physical principle are they demonstrating
a) conservation of angular momentum
b) conservation of energy
c) conservation of elliptical motion
d)
conservation of
entropy
28. If the Earth's equator was in the plane of the ecliptic, which of the
following phenomena would
not occur?
(a) day and night
(b) the appearance of different constellations at different times of year
(c) the seasons
(d) the appearance of the planet Mercury in the sky
29. Which of the following is one of Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion?
(a) planets move on elliptical orbits with the Sun at one focus
(b) gravitational force between two objects decreases with the distance
squared
(c) an object in motion remains in motion
(d) inner planets orbit in a different direction than outer ones
30. A shift in the direction of an object caused by a change in the position of
an observer is called
(a) parallax
(b) precession
(c) the Coriolis effect
(d) epicycle motion
31.
What happens to the angular momentum of a planet as it orbits the Sun?
(a) it increases steadily with time
(b) it gradually drops to zero
(c) it increases and decreases as the planet changes speed
(d) it remains constant
32. Copernicus did not endorse the heliocentric model of the solar system
because
(a) his religious belief prevented it
(b) he could not detect parallax motion in the stars
(c) he had thought the current model was accurate enough
(d) he was close friends with Ptolemy
33.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
The reason we have seven days in a week is because
ancient peoples had a number system based on seven instead of ten
there were seven seasons in the old days
there were seven movable celestial objects
seven was a magic number
34.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
The reason we have 12 months in a year is
ancient peoples had a number system based on 12 instead of 10
there are about 12 cycles of the Moon in a year
the king of the time had 12 fingers
a "dozen" was considered a magic amount
36. From a latitude of 40o about how great an angular separation is it between
sunrise on the winter and summer solstices.
(a) 10o
(b) 20o
(c) 30o
(d) 60o
37.
What do we call the event when the Sun is located on the celestial equator.
(a) solstices
(b)
(c)
(d)
equinox
day of noons
solar eclipse
38. What do we call the event when the Sun is located 23.5o north and south of
the celestial equator.
(a) solstices
(b) equinox
(c) day of dawns
(d) solar eclipses
39. Even though the geocentric model could reproduce some aspects of retrograde
motions it could not
(a) predict the times of retrograde
(b) predict which planet would have retrograde motion
(c) predict the different shapes of retrograde motion
(d) predict the speed of retrograde motions
41.
(10 points) Galileo used the telescope to make observations of the Sun,
Moon, Stars, Jupiter, and Venus. Briefly describe the significance of each of
these observations.
42. (10 points)
the planets is.
Explain, with drawings if necessary, what retrograde motion of