Question 1

Circumpolar stars are near the north or south celestial pole and do not appear to rise or set from the perspective of people in the northern or southern hemispheres,respectively.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

Why are you much more likely to see a total lunar eclipse over a total solar eclipse?

Accepted Answer

A total lunar eclipse can be s...

Question 3

People in which of the following cities in North America experience sunset first each day?

Accepted Answer

A)   Chicago
B)   Denver
C)   Los Angeles
D)   New York

Question 4

New stars appear to be formed in

Accepted Answer

A)   nebulae.
B)   supernovae.
C)   black holes.
D)   pulsars.

Question 5

The term "synodic month" refers to the

Accepted Answer

A)   time from one lunar eclipse to the next.
B)   time from new moon to new moon.
C)   month containing Easter,as defined by the ecclesiastical calendar.
D)   time over which the Moon completes one orbit around Earth,relative to the stars.

Question 6

The equinoxes are located at the intersections of the

Accepted Answer

A)   ecliptic and the horizon.
B)   ecliptic and the celestial equator.
C)   ecliptic and the Moon's orbit.
D)   horizon and the celestial equator.

Question 7

To witness an eclipse we must wait until which one of the following conditions is met?

Accepted Answer

A)   Earth must be on the ecliptic plain.
B)   The Sun must be on the ecliptic plain.
C)   The Moon must be on the ecliptic plain.
D)   The Moon must be on the ecliptic plain and the line of nodes must point in the general direction of the Sun.

Question 8

What basic pattern do stars seem to trace out in our sky if you watch (or photograph) stars near the north celestial pole for a period of several hours?

Accepted Answer

A)   Circles,with the north celestial pole at the center
B)   Spirals,as the stars move while Earth rotates
C)   Almost straight lines,rising from the horizon toward the zenith
D)   Ellipses,with the north pole at one focus

Question 9

What is the approximate inclination of the Moon's orbit to the ecliptic plane?

Accepted Answer

A)   5°
B)   23.5°
C)   17°
D)   0°

Question 10

To observers on Earth,the Moon shows

Accepted Answer

A)   its whole surface once per year as Earth moves around the Sun.
B)   its whole surface once per month as it rotates.
C)   only one side to Earth at all times.
D)   only the sunlit side at all times.

Question 11

If you use a commercial firm to name a star for a fee,professional astronomers will recognize that star by your given name.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

The nightly motion of objects across our sky is caused by the

Accepted Answer

A)   revolution of Earth around the Sun.
B)   rotation of the whole celestial sphere of stars around the fixed Earth.
C)   rotation of Earth on its axis.
D)   motion of the solar system around the Galaxy.

Question 13

In summer,increased heating occurs because sunlight is

Accepted Answer

A)   more concentrated and the days are longer.
B)   more concentrated and the days are shorter.
C)   less concentrated and the days are longer.
D)   less concentrated and the days are shorter

Question 14

The ecliptic crosses the celestial equator at

Accepted Answer

A)   two points,known as solstices.
B)   one point only,known as the vernal equinox.
C)   the meridian.
D)   two points,known as equinoxes.

Question 15

How much of the total surface of the Moon is illuminated by the Sun when it is at crescent phase?

Accepted Answer

A)   One-quarter
B)   Very little
C)   All of it
D)   One-half

Question 16

One required condition for seasons to occur is that a planet's

Accepted Answer

A)   spin axis be tilted with respect to the perpendicular to its orbital plane.
B)   axis be perpendicular to its orbital plane.
C)   atmosphere be thick.
D)   distance from the Sun vary.

Question 17

Astronomers living north of the Arctic Circle around the time of summer solstice will experience which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)   24 hours of sunlight
B)   Continuous observation of the full moon for several weeks
C)   A period of several weeks during which the Moon does not appear,allowing uninterrupted views of faint objects in the background sky
D)   24 hours of continuous darkness

Question 18

It is warmer in summer than winter because

Accepted Answer

A)   the Sun is higher in the sky and the days are shorter.
B)   the Sun is lower in the sky and sunlight passes through more atmosphere,thereby warming it more during summer.
C)   Earth is closer to the Sun in summer.
D)   the Sun is higher in the sky and the days are longer.

Question 19

In modern astronomy,the constellations are

Accepted Answer

A)   clusters of stars that are held together by the mutual gravitational attractions of the individual stars in the cluster.
B)   nearby galaxies to which astronomers have given specific names.
C)   12 regions of sky through which the Sun,Moon,and planets move as seen from Earth.
D)   88 regions of sky,covering the entire sky.

Question 20

The winter triangle,a group of three bright stars in the winter sky,consists of Sirius,Procyon,and

Accepted Answer

A)   Betelgeuse.
B)   Vega.
C)   Castor.
D)   Polaris.

Exam 1: Predicting the Motions of the Stars, Sun, and Moon

The winter triangle,a group of three bright stars in the winter sky,consists of Sirius,Procyon,and

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The ecliptic crosses the celestial equator at

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One required condition for seasons to occur is that a planet's

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To observers on Earth,the Moon shows

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To witness an eclipse we must wait until which one of the following conditions is met?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The equinoxes are located at the intersections of the

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

If you use a commercial firm to name a star for a fee,professional astronomers will recognize that star by your given name.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Why are you much more likely to see a total lunar eclipse over a total solar eclipse?

Correct AnswerverifiedA total lunar eclipse can be s...View AnswerShow Answer

Circumpolar stars are near the north or south celestial pole and do not appear to rise or set from the perspective of people in the northern or southern hemispheres,respectively.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Astronomers living north of the Arctic Circle around the time of summer solstice will experience which of the following?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In summer,increased heating occurs because sunlight is

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

New stars appear to be formed in

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The nightly motion of objects across our sky is caused by the

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

It is warmer in summer than winter because

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In modern astronomy,the constellations are

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The term "synodic month" refers to the

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

How much of the total surface of the Moon is illuminated by the Sun when it is at crescent phase?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What basic pattern do stars seem to trace out in our sky if you watch (or photograph) stars near the north celestial pole for a period of several hours?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

People in which of the following cities in North America experience sunset first each day?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What is the approximate inclination of the Moon's orbit to the ecliptic plane?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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A total lunar eclipse can be s...
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