Deck 21: Origin of Modern Astronomy

Question 1

This astronomer is credited with "opening the door" to the era of modern astronomy.

A) Sir Isaac Newton
B) Galileo
C) Tycho Brahe
D) Nicolaus Copernicus
E) Johannes Kepler

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The first successful attempt to establish the size of Earth is credited to ________.

A) Aristotle
B) Ptolemy
C) Aristarchus
D) Eratosthenes
E) Hipparchus

Answer 2

D

Question 3

This scientist's discovery was used to predict the next coming of Halley's Comet.

A) Sir Isaac Newton
B) Galileo
C) Tycho Brahe
D) Nicolaus Copernicus
E) Johannes Kepler

Answer 3

A

Question 4

This scientist determined the nature of the forces that kept the planets in their orbits.

A) Sir Isaac Newton
B) Galileo
C) Tycho Brahe
D) Nicolaus Copernicus

Question 5

This scientist was the first to use the telescope in astronomy.

A) Sir Isaac Newton
B) Galileo
C) Tycho Brahe
D) Nicolaus Copernicus

Question 6

The apparent westward drift of the planets as compared to the background stars is called ________.

A) Ptolemaic motion
B) occultation
C) precession
D) perturbation
E) retrograde motion

Question 7

According to the Ptolemaic (Greek) model of the universe, how many "heavenly" bodies could be observed wandering along the background of stars?

A) one
B) two
C) five
D) seven

Question 8

This scientist wrote a book that compared the Earth-centered system with the Sun-centered system entitled Dialogue of the Great World Systems.

A) Sir Isaac Newton
B) Galileo
C) Tycho Brahe
D) Nicolaus Copernicus
E) Johannes Kepler

Question 9

The Earth-centered system of the universe that was accepted for nearly seventeen centuries was presented in a treatise called the Almagest that was written by ________.

A) Aristotle
B) Ptolemy
C) Aristarchus
D) Eratosthenes
E) Hipparchus

Question 10

In the Ptolemaic (Greek) model of the universe, the ________.

A) Earth was flat
B) Earth was in the center of the universe
C) Sun was in the center of the solar system
D) Earth rotated on its axis to produce night and day

Question 11

Which of these men formulated the Law of Universal Gravitation?

A) Sir Isaac Newton
B) Galileo
C) Tycho Brahe
D) Nicolaus Copernicus
E) Johannes Kepler

Question 12

Who wrote the book entitled Of the Revolutions of Celestial Spheres (De Revolutionibus)?

A) Sir Isaac Newton
B) Galileo
C) Tycho Brahe
D) Nicolaus Copernicus
E) Johannes Kepler

Question 13

The belt of constellations through which all the planets move is called the ________.

A) Planetoid
B) Parallax
C) Cosmos
D) Zodiac
E) Milky Way

Question 14

Galileo observed several features using the telescope. Which one of the following did he NOT discover?

A) sunspots
B) phases of Venus
C) Jupiter's four largest moons
D) the two moons of Mars

Question 15

Three laws of planetary motion were discovered by ________.

A) Johannes Kepler
B) Galileo
C) Tycho Brahe
D) Nicolaus Copernicus

Question 16

The apparent westward "drift" of the planets compared to the background stars is called ________.

A) Ptolemaic motion
B) occultation
C) precession
D) retrograde motion

Question 17

The true shape of the planetary orbits was discovered by ________.

A) Sir Isaac Newton
B) Galileo
C) Tycho Brahe
D) Nicolaus Copernicus
E) Johannes Kepler

Question 18

This astronomer spent 20 years plotting the position of the planet Mars.

A) Sir Isaac Newton
B) Galileo
C) Tycho Brahe
D) Nicolaus Copernicus
E) Johannes Kepler

Question 19

The first modern astronomer to propose a Sun-centered universe was ________.

A) Sir Isaac Newton
B) Galileo
C) Tycho Brahe
D) Nicolaus Copernicus

Question 20

One of the discoveries which led to the modern view of the solar system was that the orbits of the planets are ________.

A) circles
B) ellipses
C) hyperbolas
D) parabolas

Question 21

Galileo believed in a Sun-centered view of the universe.

Question 22

Earth is closest to the Sun in January.

Question 23

The period of time required for the Moon to complete a revolution is called the ________ month.

A) equinox
B) sidereal
C) synodic
D) zodiacal
E) Julian

Question 24

Word Analysis. Examine the words and/or phrases for each question below and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option which does not fit the pattern.
A. rotation B. revolution C. precession D. declination

Question 25

The period of time required for the Moon to complete a cycle of phases is called the ________ month.

A) equinox
B) sidereal
C) synodic
D) zodiacal
E) Julian

Question 26

Tycho Brahe discovered the three laws of planetary motion.

Question 27

Earth is closest to the Sun in July.

Question 28

The planets maintain circular orbits around the Sun.

Question 29

Word Analysis. Examine the words and/or phrases for each question below and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option which does not fit the pattern.
A. Galileo B. Aristotle C. Kepler D. Newton

Question 30

Word Analysis. Examine the words and/or phrases for each question below and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option which does not fit the pattern.
A. synodic B. penumbra C. eclipse D. umbra

Question 31

The length of daylight on the Moon is about ________.

A) 24 hours
B) 48 hours
C) two weeks
D) one month
E) one year

Question 32

Galileo discovered Jupiter's four largest moons.

Question 33

The days of the week are named after the five planets visible to the unaided eye, the Sun, and Moon.

Question 34

The apparent path of the Sun upon the celestial sphere is called the ________.

A) parallax
B) ecliptic
C) precession
D) declination
E) sidereal

Question 35

The ancient Greeks proposed an Earth-centered view of the universe.

Question 36

Any variance in the orbit of a planet from its predicted path is referred to as ________.

A) Ptolemaic motion
B) occultation
C) precession
D) perturbation
E) retrograde motion

Question 37

A very slow motion of Earth's axis that requires 26,000 years to complete is called ________.

A) Ptolemaic motion
B) occultation
C) precession
D) perturbation
E) retrograde motion

Question 38

Word Analysis. Examine the words and/or phrases for each question below and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option which does not fit the pattern.
A. declination B. right ascension C. perihelion D. equatorial system

Question 39

In the Ptolemaic (Greek) model of the universe, the stars are attached to the ________.

A) celestial sphere
B) zodiac
C) plane of the ecliptic
D) deferent
E) stadia

Question 40

Galileo discovered that the Sun has "blemishes," which we call sunspots.

Question 41

The planets maintain elliptical orbits around the Sun.

Question 42

The distance from Earth to the Sun is used to measure distances in the solar system and is called a light year.

Question 43

According to the Ptolemaic (Greek) system, the planets have circular orbits.

Question 44

Tycho Brahe used a telescope to accurately record the position of the planet Mars.

Question 45

When Earth is the farthest from the Sun, it is said to be in the perihelion position.

Question 46

An eclipse of the Moon can be seen by anyone on the side of Earth facing the Moon.

Question 47

Galileo believed in a Sun-centered view of the universe.

Question 48

Patterns or configurations of stars named in honor of mythological characters are called perturbations.

Question 49

The length of daylight on the Moon is about one month.

Question 50

Sir Isaac Newton was convicted of heresy for supporting the Sun-centered view of the universe.

Question 51

Using the telescope, Galileo discovered that the planet Mars had polar ice caps not unlike those on Earth.

Question 52

The period of the Moon's rotation is equal to its period of revolution.

Question 53

The same side of the Moon is always visible from Earth.

Question 54

The apparent annual path of the Sun upon the celestial sphere is called the ecliptic.

Question 55

It takes about 27 days for the Moon to go around Earth, which is also the time required to complete the phases of the Moon.

Question 56

The angular distance north and south of the celestial equator is called right ascension.

Question 57

Tycho Brahe discovered the three laws of planetary motion.

Question 58

A total eclipse of the Sun can be seen only along a narrow zone.

Question 59

The cycle of phases of the Moon is the basis for our month.

Question 60

Lunar eclipses last longer than solar eclipses.

Question 61

The Law of Universal Gravitation was formulated by ________.

Question 62

The proposal that contends that Earth is in the center of the universe is called the ________ view.

Question 63

Patterns or configurations of stars named in honor of mythological characters are called ________.

Question 64

When Earth is closest to the Sun, its location is referred to as the ________ position.

Question 65

Any variance in the orbit of a planet from its predicted path is called a(n) ________.

Question 66

The first modern astronomer to propose a Sun-centered universe was ________.

Question 67

The proposal that contends that the Sun is in the center of the universe is called the ________ view.

Question 68

The planets, Moon, and the Sun lie along nearly the same plane and therefore move along the same region of the sky that is called the ________.

Question 69

The first scientist to use a telescope for astronomical purposes was ________.

Question 70

When Earth is farthest from the Sun, its location is referred to as the ________ position.

Question 71

Earth is closest to the Sun in the month of ________.

Question 72

One of the discoveries that led to the modern view of the solar system was that the orbits of the planets are ________.

Question 73

Solar eclipses are more common than are lunar eclipses.

Question 74

The average distance from Earth to the Sun is called the ________ unit.

Question 75

The two primary motions of the Earth are ________ and ________.

Question 76

The planets stay in orbit around the Sun because of a balance between ________ and ________.

Question 77

In the Ptolemaic system, planets orbited in small circles called ________ while revolving along large circles called ________.

Question 78

The apparent shift in the position of a nearby star when viewed from extreme points in Earth's orbit six months apart is called ________.

Question 79

The law of universal gravitation was formulated by ________.

Question 80

The apparent westward drift of the planets as compared to the background stars is called ________ motion.