astronomy exam 1

NEW MOON

Suppose you saw a full Earth in your sky. What phase of the Moon would people on Earth see?

NEW EARTH

Suppose people on Earth see a full moon phase. What phase would you see for the Earth?

WANING CRESCENT

Suppose people on Earth see a waxing gibbous moon. What phase would you see for Earth?

SOLAR ECLIPSE

Suppose people on Earth see a total Lunar Eclipse. What would you see from the Moon?

ARISTOTLE

Created a model with a stationary Earth surrounded by a set of nested ; spheres

GAILILEO

Observed moons of Jupiter with a telescope

KELPER

Determined planets have elliptical orbits going around the Sun

PTOLEMY

Used epicycles (smaller circles) to explain retrograde motion of planets

NEWTON

Showed the same laws of physics that describe motion on Earth, will ; also work to describe motion in the heavens.

TYCHO BRAHE

Measured planetary positions with an accuracy of 1 arcminute (1/60 degree)

GAILILEO

Observed the phases of Venus through a telescope

COPERNICUS

Proposed a model where Earth, and all the other planets, move around the Sun

NO

Our solar system is bigger than some galaxies.

NO

The Universe is billions of light years in age.

NO

Astronomers discover a moon that is not in orbit around a planet.

NO

NASA plans to launch a spaceship that will photograph our Milky Way from beyond its halo.

YES

The observable universe is bigger today than it was a few billion years ago.

YES

Photographs of distant galaxies show them as the were when they were much younger than they are today.

NO

At a nearby park, I built a scale model of the solar system in which I used a basketball to represent the Earth.

NO

Because all distant galaxies are moving away from us, we must be located in the exact center of the Universe.

NO

The constellation Orion didn't exist when my grandfather was a child.

NO

Last night the moon was so big, it stretched a mile across the sky.

YES

I live in the United States, and during a trip to Argentina I saw many constellations I've never seen before.

NO

Although all know stars rise in the East and set in the West, we might someday discover a star that will rise in the West and set in the East.

NO

If Earth's orbit were a perfect circle, then we would not have seasons.

NO

Because of precession, one day it will summer everywhere on Earth at the same time.

YES

This morning, I saw the full moon setting in the West at about the same time the Sun was rising in the East.

NO

I've never been to space, so I've never experienced weightlessness.

YES

Suppose you were in a vacuum chamber on Earth ( a chamber with no air in it). Inside this chamber a feather would fall at the same rate as a rock.

YES

I used Newton's version of Kepler's 3rd law to find the mass of Saturn by observing the properties of a moon orbiting around it.

YES

If the Sun were replaced by a giant rock with the same mass, then Earth's orbit wouldn't change.

NO

needs to be right distance and right velocity

YES

When I drive my car at 30 mph it has more kinetic energy than it does at 10 mph.

A Earth, Solar System, Milky Way, Local Group, Local Supercluster, Observable Universe

Which of the following correctly lists our cosmic address from smallest to largest? ; A Earth, Solar System, Milky Way, Local Group, Local Supercluster, Observable Universe ; B Earth, Solar system, Local Group, Local Supercluster, Milky Way, Observable Universe ; C Earth, Milky Way, Solar System, Local Group, Local Supercluster, Observable Universe

B Earth's average distance from the Sun

An Astronomical Unit is ; A Any planet's average distance from the Sun ; B Earth's average distance from the Sun ; C the distance to the closest star from the Sun

C We won't know about it until 600 years from now

The star Betelgeuse is about 600 light years away. If it explodes tonight, ; A We will know because it will be brighter than the full moon ; B We will know because debris from the explosion will rain down on Earth ; C We won't know about it until 600 years from now

B about 100 Suns

Roughly how many Suns would you have to line up end to end to reach the distance from the Earth to the Sun? ; A about 3 Suns ; B about 100 Suns ; C about 3,000 Suns

B The average distance between galaxies is betting bigger over time

When we say the universe is expanding, we mean that ; A Everything is growing in size ; B The average distance between galaxies is betting bigger over time ; C the Universe is getting older

C We would not exist because we are made of material recycled in galaxies

If stars existed, but galaxies did not, ; A We would probably still exist anyway ; B We would not exist because life on Earth depends on light from galaxies ; C We would not exist because we are made of material recycled in galaxies

B No, because it would be beyond the bounds of the observable universe

Could we see a galaxy that is 50 billion light years away from us? ; A Yes, if we had a big enough telescope ; B No, because it would be beyond the bounds of the observable universe ; C No, because nothing can exist at such a great distance

A 1/3 the age of the universe

The age of our solar system is about ; A 1/3 the age of the universe ; B ¾ the age of the Universe ; C about 1 billion years less than the age of the Universe

A the Universe is expanding

The fact that all distant galaxies are moving away from us and the more distant a galaxy, the faster it is moving, helped us to determine that ; A the Universe is expanding ; B galaxies repel each other like magnets ; C Our galaxy is in the exact center of the universe

C may actually be very far away from each other

Two stars in the same constellation ; A Must be part of the same star cluster in space ; B Must both have been discovered at about the same time ; C may actually be very far away from each other

B Earth is passing by Saturn with both planets on the same side of the Sun

When we see Saturn going through a period of retrograde motion, it means ; A Saturn is temporarily orbiting the Sun in the opposite direction ; B Earth is passing by Saturn with both planets on the same side of the Sun ; C Earth and Saturn are on exact opposite sides of the Sun

B The planets actually goes backwards in its orbit around Earth

In the Greek geocentric model, the retrograde motion of a planet occurs when ; A Earth is about to pass a planet in its orbit around the Sun ; B The planets actually goes backwards in its orbit around Earth ; C The planet is aligned with the Moon in the sky

A It makes much better predictions about planet's position in the sky

Which of the following is not a major advantage of Copernicus's Sun centered model over the Ptolemaic model? ; A It makes much better predictions about planet's position in the sky ; B It offered a natural explanation for retrograde motion ; C It allows the calculation of the relative distances from the Sun to the

C making observations with a telescope that challenged the accepted worldview of the time

Galileo's contribution to astronomy included ; A Discovering the laws of planetary motion ; B Discovering the law of gravity ; C making observations with a telescope that challenged the accepted worldview of the time

C A theory is basically an educated guess

Which of the following is NOT true about a scientific theory? ; A theory must explain a wide range of observations. ; B Even the strongest theories could be proven wrong by some future ; observation ; C A theory is basically an educated guess

A look about the same

Beijing and Philadelphia are both at the same latitude on Earth. Therefore, the night sky in these two places will ; A look about the same ; B have completely different constellations ; C have about half of the same constellations and half different

B Earth travels fastest in its orbit in January

Earth is closer to the Sun in January than it is in July. Therefore, in accord with Kepler's second law ; A Earth travels fastest in its orbit in July ; B Earth travels fastest in its orbit in January ; C it is summer in July

C It has an orbit where some parts are very close to the sun, and other parts are very far away

When we say a planet has a highly eccentric orbit, we mean that ; A It is spiraling into the Sun ; B It is an elliptical orbit ; C It has an orbit where some parts are very close to the sun, and other parts are very far away

C collecting very accurate planetary position data

Tycho Brahe's contribution to astronomy included ; A Inventing the telescope ; B Proving the Earth orbits the Sun ; C collecting very accurate planetary position data

C determining 3 laws of motion and a law of gravity that account for the orbits of the planets

What is Newton's contribution to Astronomy? ; A Inventing the telescope ; B Proposing a geocentric model of the solar system ; C determining 3 laws of motion and a law of gravity that account for the orbits of the planets

C it's orbit would remain the same

What would happen to Earth if the Sun were replaced by a giant rock that had the same mass as the Sun? ; A it would move away in a straight line ; B it would slowly spiral into the rock ; C it's orbit would remain the same

A it would move away in a straight line

What would happen to the Earth if the Sun completely disappeared? ; A it would move away in a straight line ; B it would slowly spiral away from the center of the solar system ; C it's orbit would remain the same

A mass would be the same, but weight would be different

Compared to their values on Earth, on another planet your ; A mass would be the same, but weight would be different ; B mass would be different, but weight would be the same ; C mass and weight would both be different

A completely false

Consider the statement "There is no gravity in space." This statement is ; A completely false ; B false if you are close to a planet, but true if you are far from one ; C completely true

B fire an engine to shoot gas out to the right

To make a rocket turn left, you need to ; A fire an engine to shoot gas out to the left ; B fire an engine to shoot gas out to the right ; C spin the rocket clockwise

A Polaris

In the winter Earth's axis of rotation points toward the star Polaris. In the spring, the axis is pointed toward ; A Polaris ; B Vega ; C the Sun

B Winter

When it is summer in Australia, the season in the United States is ; A Summer ; B Winter ; C Spring

B it must be the day of either the Spring or Fall equinox

If the Sun rises precisely due East on the horizon, then ; A you must be located on Earth's equator ; B it must be the day of either the Spring or Fall equinox ; C it must be the day of the Summer solstice

B Third quarter

A week after a full moon, the Moon's phase is ; A First quarter ; B Third quarter ; C New moon

C the Moon's phase is full

If there is going to be a total lunar eclipse tonight, then you know that ; A Earth must be unusually close to the Moon ; B the Moon's phase is new ; C the Moon's phase is full

A higher than they are now

If the Moon were closer to Earth, then high tides would be ; A higher than they are now ; B lower than they are now ; C would happen three times per day instead of two.

C a moon orbiting around Jupiter

Which of the following objects is accelerating? ; A A balloon floating stationary in mid air ; B A car traveling at a constant 60 mph due East ; C a moon orbiting around Jupiter

C Earth , Solar system, Milky Way, Local Group

Which correctly lists the objects from smallest to largest? ; A Solar System, Earth, Milky Way, Local Group ; B Earth, Local Group, Solar system, Milky way ; C Earth , Solar system, Milky Way, Local Group

B Earth's average distance from the Sun

What is an Astronomical Unit? ; A Any planet's distance from the Sun ; B Earth's average distance from the Sun ; C The distance to the nearest star other than the Sun

A Distance: how far light would travel in one year of time

What is a light year? ; A Distance: how far light would travel in one year of time ; B Time: How long it takes light to reach us from the Sun ; C Distance: the distance to the nearest star other than the Sun

C we would not exist because we are made of material recycled in galaxies

If stars existed, but galaxies did not,, ; A we would probably exist anyway ; B we would not exist because Earth depends on the light from galaxies ; C we would not exist because we are made of material recycled in galaxies

A 1/3 the age of the Universe

The age of our solar system is about ; A 1/3 the age of the Universe ; B ¾ the age of the Universe ; C the same age as the Universe

A 35 degrees N latitude

You see the star Polaris at 35 degrees above your northern horizon. Where are you on Earth? ; A 35 degrees N latitude ; B 35 degrees W Longitude ; C 35 degrees S latitude

A Polaris

In winter the Earth's axis points toward the star Polaris. In the summer, the axis points toward… ; A Polaris ; B the Sun ; C Vega

C will be about the same overall

Columbus and Beijing are about 40 degrees north of Earth's equator. Therefore, tonight's sky in these two places ; A will have completely different constellations visible ; B will have about half of the same constellations and half different ; C will be about the same overall

B low in the Western sky

Tonight at midnight in Columbus, you notice a star close to the Zenith. Where would you look to see that same star 6 hours later? ; A low in the Eastern sky ; B low in the Western sky ; C still near the Zenith

FALSE

TRUE or FALSE One day we might discover a planet that rises in the West and sets in the East.