ASTRONOMY STUDY GUIDE

Let’s say we have a third quarter moon. It rises:

midnight

The full moon rises at:

sunset

Which moon hangs over the western horizon in the morning for an hour or two immediately after sunrise?

waning gibbous

Which moon can be seen rising in the afternoon hours just before sunset?

waxing gibbous

When there is a thin crescent moon, the dark unlit portion of the moon seems to glow softly. This phenomenon is called:

earthshine

Which moon rises before dawn and graces the eastern sky at first light?

waning crescent

Eclipses of the moon happen at which phase?

full

Total eclipses of the sun occur at which moon phase?

new

Which is the most important step when watching a total eclipse of the sun?

use appropriate filters to see the partial phases

Let’s say there’s predicted to be a penumbral eclipse of the moon tonight. Who can see it?

Anywhere it’s night time

Which deep sky object can be described as a birthplace for newborn stars?

diffuse nebula

The stars in an open star cluster emerge from a:

diffuse nebula

What object can be described as a dead star in the process of recycling its matter back into space?

planetary nebula

Surrounding the spiral galaxies, in their “galactic halos,” you find:

globular star clusters

What “powers” the stars?

nuclear fusion

About how different has clock time been from true sun time throughout the first half of this fall semester?

hour and a half

What is the imaginary line which runs up from due south through the zenith, past the north celestial pole, and down to due north?

meridian

Which is easiest to determine by celestial observation?

your latitude

Which naked-eye planet is visible above the southeastern horizon after sunset right now, and has been all semester so far?

Saturn

The stars all around us can be pictured as white specks painted on the inside of a big black plastic ball completely surrounding us at an infinity distance. This idea is called:

the celestial sphere

Where did the constellations first get invented?

bored shepherds everywhere

Which are the stars of the “summer triangle?”

Vega, Deneb, and Altair

Which stars are impossible to see from anywhere in Ohio?

Southern Cross (Crux)

Which kind of telescope has the objective lens out at the end of a long tube, and the eyepiece at the other end, and the observer looks straight through the tube?

Refractor

Which planet have we seen through the telescope this fall?

Saturn

Which planet exhibits the same movement pattern as Venus?

Mercury

When Venus first emerges into the evening sky, it is a:

waning gibbous

When Venus is last seen in the morning sky, it is a:

waxing gibbous

When Venus is at greatest Evening Elongation, it is:

farthest from the sun

Which phase will the moon be in the night of the exam?

full moon

When does a waning gibbous Venus set?

after sunset

The disintegration of which kind of object gives rise to meteor showers?

comets

When does the waning crescent moon rise?

before dawn

When does the third quarter moon cross the meridian?

dawn

Where should you be to see an eclipse of the sun?

on the path of totality

What phenomenon is the moon directly responsible for?

tides

Which is the most important task for an astronomical telescope?

make faint things brighter

Which word refers to the telescope part which first gathers incoming light?

objective

Which is the term for the “raw size” of the telescope?

aperture

What do you call a telescope where the main mirror is at the bottom of the tube, and a diagonal secondary mirror is up close to the top, and the eyepiece is mounted at right angles to the tube facing in toward the secondary?

Newtonian

If you have an 8-inch f/10 telescope, what magnifying power would you get with a 12.5 mm eyepiece?

160x

What kind of telescope mounting features a square box holding the bottom of the tube, which allows the scope to move up/down and left/right?

dobsonian mounting

What object contains the most stars between these four: globular cluster, open cluster, galaxy, diffuse nebula

galaxy

What does a star become in its old age, just before it runs out of hydrogen fuel?

red giant

What happens to hydrogen in stars?

fusion combines atoms to make new heavier elements

The formally recognized star patterns are called:

constellations

The informal star patterns include:

Big Dipper

Which star is brightest?

Sirius

The small “+” sign in the middle of a star map is:

zenith

If you follow the curve of the Big Dipper’s handle away from the bowl, you come to:

Arcturus

Follow a line through the Big Dipper’s “pointer stars” on the end of the bowl, you come to:

North Star

Which outer planet makes the fastest progress through the constellations?

Mars

When is the Earth closest to Jupiter?

at opposition

The middle of the retrograde loop occurs when:

outer planet is at opposition

What phase will the moon be in when it next has a conjunction with Venus?

waxing crescent

The scientist who used the telescope to prove the sun-centered universe theory was:

Galileo

When the moon is in the southern house, and Jupiter aligns with Mars, and peace will guide the planets, and love will steer the stars, it’s time for:

Age of Aquarius