Study Guide for Astronomy Exam 1
Focus on these things for the exam (not necessarily an all-encompassing list, but a
general guide):
Know the 8 planets
Know the 7 classical planets
Know Kepler’s Laws
Know Newton’s Laws
Why are planets called “wanderers”?
What does it mean for a theory to be falsifiable?
Know the electromagnetic spectrum in order of wavelength
Know the basic facts we discussed about Galileo
Solar eclipses only happen at what phase?
Lunar eclipses only happen at what phase?
Why don’t we have eclipses every month?
What causes lunar phases?
Know the lunar phases
What are equinoxes?
What are solstices?
What is g? What number is it on Earth? How does it affect weight?
What is synchronous rotation of the Moon?
How are wavelength, frequency and speed of a wave related?
What is wavelength? What is frequency?
What is a photon?
Does gravity work between any two masses?
What is the ecliptic?
Know the 13 zodiac constellations
When does the winter solstice occur in DeKalb? What would this day be like in
Australia?
Where do stars rise (east or west)?
Why does Earth experience seasons?
Put in order of size: AU, light year, parsec, mile, inch, meter
Does the Sun pass through the zenith in DeKalb?
Does the Sun pass through the zenith in Ecuador?
What is declination? What is right ascension?
What are electromagnetic waves made of?
What is a scientific theory?
The brightest star is?
Charges at rest produce:
Moving charges produce:
Accelerating charges produce:
What is a constellation? Name a few
What did Copernicus do?
What did Ptolemy do?
What did Aristarchus do?
What did Tycho do?
What did Kepler do?
Why do most stars have Arabic names?
What is an ellipse?
What is the semi-major axis of an ellipse?
What is eccentricity of an ellipse?
What is a reflecting telescope? Does it use a mirror or a lens as the primary? What kind?
What is a refracting telescope? Does it use a mirror or a lens as the primary? What kind?
Which one is used professionally these days?
Where is the largest reflecting telescope in America?
Where is the largest refracting telescope?
Is Hubble the largest telescope?
Why are some telescopes put in space?
What is a real image? What is a virtual image?
How do sound waves and electromagnetic waves compare?
What kinds of waves travel at the speed of light?
Be able to identify a lunar phase from a sketch from above.
About what time does the Moon rise and set at each phase?
How long does it take the Moon to orbit the Earth?
How long is one tropical year?
What is the Gregorian calendar?
When is the Sun closest to the Earth?
What is pseudoscience?
What is science?
Put these in order of size: Galaxy, universe, solar system, planet, star, nebula, galaxy
cluster
What is the most distant place that humans have traveled to?
What causes the northern lights?