Question 1

During the period each year when we see Mars undergoing apparent retrograde motion in our sky,what is really going on in space?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mars is moving around the Sun in the opposite direction from which Earth is moving around the Sun.
B)  Earth and Mars are getting closer together.
C)  Earth is catching up with and passing by Mars in their respective orbits.
D)  Earth and Mars are on opposite sides of the Sun.

Question 2

What conditions are required for a solar eclipse?

Accepted Answer

A)  The phase of the Moon must be new,and the nodes of the Moon's orbit must be nearly aligned with Earth and the Sun.
B)  The phase of the Moon must be full,and the nodes of the Moon's orbit must be nearly aligned with Earth and the Sun.
C)  The phase of the Moon can be new or full,and the nodes of the Moon's orbit must be nearly aligned with Earth and the Sun.
D)  The phase of the Moon must be new,and the Moon's orbital plane must lie in the ecliptic.
E)  The phase of the Moon must be full,and the Moon's orbital plane must lie in the ecliptic.

Question 3

When are eclipse seasons?

Accepted Answer

A)  in the spring and fall
B)  in the summer and winter
C)  when the nodes of the Moon's orbit are nearly aligned with the Sun
D)  when Earth and the Sun are aligned with one another
E)  during an eclipse

Question 4

If you are located in the Northern Hemisphere,which of the following correctly describes a relationship between the sky and your location?

Accepted Answer

A)  The altitude of the north celestial pole equals your latitude.
B)  The altitude of the celestial equator equals your latitude.
C)  The altitude of the north celestial pole equals your longitude.
D)  The longitude of the north celestial pole is circumpolar,and therefore crosses your zenith at the meridian.

Question 5

Which of the following statements about circumpolar stars is true at all latitudes?

Accepted Answer

A)  They are the stars close to the north celestial pole.
B)  They always remain above your horizon.
C)  They make relatively small circles,traveling clockwise around the north celestial pole.
D)  Like all other stars,they rise in the east and set in the west.
E)  You cannot see them from the Southern Hemisphere.

Question 6

Which of the following statements about stellar parallax is true?

Accepted Answer

A)  We observe all stars to exhibit at least a slight amount of parallax.
B)  Stellar parallax was first observed by ancient Greek astronomers.
C)  The amount of parallax we see depends on how fast a star is moving relative to us.
D)  It takes at least 10 years of observation to measure a star's parallax.
E)  The closer a star is to us,the more parallax it exhibits.

Question 7

Suppose you live on the Moon.How long is a day (i.e. ,from sunrise to sunrise) ?

Accepted Answer

A)  23 hours 56 minutes
B)  24 hours
C)  a lunar month
D)  a year
E)  about 18 years

Question 8

Suppose you lived on the Moon near the center of the face that we see from Earth.At what phase of the Moon would you see sunset? What phase of Earth would you see at this time?

Accepted Answer

Sunset would occur at the Moon...

Question 9

In which direction does a quarter Moon rise?

Accepted Answer

A)  north
B)  south
C)  east
D)  west
E)  The Moon becomes a quarter Moon only after it has risen and changed phase.

Question 10

For most of history,the lack of observable stellar parallax was interpreted to mean that

Accepted Answer

A)  stars must all lie at the same distance from Earth,on the celestial sphere.
B)  stars were too far away for parallax to be measured with available technology.
C)  Earth is stationary at the center of the universe.
D)  Galileo's theories of the universe were essentially correct.

Question 11

Ashen light (or earthshine) is

Accepted Answer

A)  sunlight reflected by Earth that illuminates the "dark" portion of the Moon.
B)  the sunlight that shines on the face of the Moon that we never see.
C)  the light from the Moon that illuminates Earth's surface at night.
D)  the light we see at dawn just before the Sun rises.
E)  the light we see at dusk just after the Sun sets.

Question 12

If we have a new Moon today,when we will have the next full Moon?

Accepted Answer

A)  in about 2 weeks
B)  in about 1 week
C)  in about a month
D)  in about 6 months

Question 13

What is a circumpolar star?

Accepted Answer

A)  a star that is close to the north celestial pole
B)  a star that is close to the south celestial pole
C)  a star that always remains above your horizon and appears to rotate around the celestial pole
D)  a star that makes a daily circle around the celestial sphere
E)  a star that is visible from the Arctic or Antarctic circles

Question 14

Which of the following correctly describes the meridian in your sky?

Accepted Answer

A)  a half-circle extending from your horizon due east,through your zenith,to your horizon due west
B)  a half-circle extending from your horizon due north,through your zenith,to your horizon due south
C)  a half-circle extending from your horizon due east,through the north celestial pole,to your horizon due west
D)  the point directly over your head
E)  the boundary between the portion of the celestial sphere you can see at any moment and the portion that you cannot see

Question 15

The Big Dipper will look different 100,000 years from now than it does today.

Accepted Answer

A)  Earth rotates once each day.
B)  Earth revolves around the Sun once each year.
C)  The direction of Earth's axis in space precesses with a period of 26,000 years.
D)  Stars appear to move randomly in the local solar neighborhood
E)  The universe is expanding.

Question 16

In South Africa,it's usually quite warm around the time of the Northern Hemisphere winter solstice and quite cool around the time of the summer solstice.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

If the Moon is setting at 6 A.M. ,the phase of the Moon must be

Accepted Answer

A)  first quarter.
B)  third quarter.
C)  full.
D)  new.
E)  waning crescent.

Question 18

If the Moon is rising at midnight,the phase of the Moon must be

Accepted Answer

A)  full.
B)  first quarter.
C)  third quarter.
D)  waning crescent.
E)  waxing crescent.

Question 19

The Moon rises in the east and sets in the west.

Accepted Answer

A)  Earth rotates once each day.
B)  Earth revolves around the Sun once each year.
C)  The direction of Earth's axis in space precesses with a period of 26,000 years.
D)  Stars appear to move randomly in the local solar neighborhood
E)  The universe is expanding.

Question 20

What would you see if you were on the Moon during a lunar eclipse?

Accepted Answer

During a lunar eclipse,you wou...

Exam 2: Discovering the Universe for Yourself

During the period each year when we see Mars undergoing apparent retrograde motion in our sky,what is really going on in space?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What is a circumpolar star?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

For most of history,the lack of observable stellar parallax was interpreted to mean that

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Suppose you live on the Moon.How long is a day (i.e. ,from sunrise to sunrise) ?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In South Africa,it's usually quite warm around the time of the Northern Hemisphere winter solstice and quite cool around the time of the summer solstice.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following statements about stellar parallax is true?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following correctly describes the meridian in your sky?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Ashen light (or earthshine) is

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

When are eclipse seasons?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Suppose you lived on the Moon near the center of the face that we see from Earth.At what phase of the Moon would you see sunset? What phase of Earth would you see at this time?

Correct AnswerverifiedSunset would occur at the Moon...View AnswerShow Answer

If we have a new Moon today,when we will have the next full Moon?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What would you see if you were on the Moon during a lunar eclipse?

Correct AnswerverifiedDuring a lunar eclipse,you wou...View AnswerShow Answer

If the Moon is rising at midnight,the phase of the Moon must be

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The Big Dipper will look different 100,000 years from now than it does today.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In which direction does a quarter Moon rise?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

If the Moon is setting at 6 A.M. ,the phase of the Moon must be

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following statements about circumpolar stars is true at all latitudes?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The Moon rises in the east and sets in the west.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What conditions are required for a solar eclipse?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

If you are located in the Northern Hemisphere,which of the following correctly describes a relationship between the sky and your location?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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Sunset would occur at the Moon...
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During a lunar eclipse,you wou...
View Answer

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