Deck 2: A Users Guide to the Sky

Question 1

An observer on Earth's equator would find

A) Polaris directly overhead.
B) Polaris 40 $\degree$ above the northern horizon.
C) that the celestial equator coincides with the horizon.
D) the celestial equator passing directly overhead.
E) that the ecliptic coincides with the horizon.

Answer 1

the celestial equator passing directly overhead.

Question 2

-Based on the information in Table 2-1,what is the ratio of the intensity of $\delta$ Dra to that of Nim?

A) 2.512
B) 5
C) 8.07
D) 11.14
E) 100

Answer 2

100

Question 3

Seen from the northern latitudes,the star Polaris

A) is never above the horizon during the day.
B) always sets directly in the west.
C) is always above the northern horizon.
D) is never visible during the winter.
E) is the brightest star in the sky.

Answer 3

is always above the northern horizon.

Question 4

Most of the constellations in use today originated in ____ mythology.

A) Greek.
B) Middle Eastern
C) Both answers (a)and (b)

Question 5

The apparent visual magnitude of a star is 7.3.This tells us that the star is

A) one of the brighter stars in the sky.
B) bright enough that it would be visible even during the day.
C) not visible with the unaided eye.
D) very close to Earth.

Question 6

Star A has an apparent visual magnitude of 13.4,and star B has an apparent visual magnitude of 15.4.Star A is ____ than star B.

A) 2 times fainter
B) 2 times brighter
C) 6.3 times fainter
D) 6.3 times brighter
E) 29.8 times fainter

Question 7

-Which star in Table 2-1 would appear the brightest to an observer on Earth?

A) ( $\alpha$ Cet)
B) ( $\alpha$ CMa)
C) Nim
D) ( $\rho$ Per)
E) ( $\delta$ Dra)

Question 8

Polaris is a second magnitude star,and Phi Pegasi is about 16 times fainter than Polaris.What is the approximate magnitude of Phi Pegasi?

A) 18
B) (-14)
C) 3
D) (-3)
E) 5

Question 9

The names of stars usually come from

A) ancient Arabic.
B) ancient English.
C) Latin.
D) Russian.
E) Chinese.

Question 10

An observer in the Northern Hemisphere watches the sky for several hours.Due to the motion of Earth,this observer notices that the stars near the north celestial pole appear to move

A) counter clockwise.
B) clockwise.
C) from left to right.
D) from right to left.
E) nearly vertically upward.

Question 11

-Which star in Table 2-1 would not be visible to the unaided eye of an observer on Earth?

A) ( $\alpha$ Cet)
B) ( $\alpha$ CMa)
C) Nim
D) ( $\rho$ Per)
E) ( $\delta$ Dra)

Question 12

A constellation must consist of a number of stars,all

A) at the same distance from the Earth.
B) at various different distances from the Earth.
C) within a boundary in the same general angular area of the sky.
D) Wrong! Constellations are made of planets only.

Question 13

____ is the brightest star in the constellation of Ursa Majoris.

A) ( $\beta$ Ursa Majoris)
B) ( $\gamma$ Ursa Majoris)
C) ( $\alpha$ Ursa Majoris)
D) Wrong! Ursa Majoris is the name of the brightest star.

Question 14

In one way of naming stars,a ____ letter indicates its brightness relative to the other stars in the constellation.

A) English
B) Arabic
C) Greek
D) Cyrillic

Question 15

The ____ is the point on the celestial sphere directly above any observer.

A) north celestial pole
B) south celestial pole
C) zenith
D) celestial equator
E) asterism

Question 16

The magnitude scale

A) originated just after the telescope was invented.
B) can be used to indicate the apparent intensity of a celestial object.
C) is used to measure the temperature of a star.
D) was used to determine the rate of precession.

Question 17

You live at a latitude of 73 $\degree$ N.What is the angle between the northern horizon and the north celestial pole?

A) 73 $\degree$
B) 27 $\degree$
C) 17 $\degree$
D)5 $\degree$

Question 18

The apparent visual magnitude of a star is a measure of the star's

A) size.
B) intensity.
C) distance.
D) color.
E) temperature.

Question 19

You live at a latitude of 39 $\degree$ S.What is the angle between the southern horizon and the south celestial pole?

A) 45 $\degree$
B) 23.5 $\degree$
C) 39 $\degree$
D) 51 $\degree$
E) The answer depends on the day of the year.

Question 20

The star Vega has an apparent visual magnitude of 0.03,and the star HR 4374 has an apparent visual magnitude of 4.87.It has been determined that both stars are at the same distance from Earth.What does this information tell us about the two stars?

A) Vega must be closer to Earth than HR 4374.
B) Vega must be farther from Earth than HR 4374.
C) Vega must produce less energy than HR 4374.
D) Vega must produce more energy than HR 4374.
E) Vega will appear fainter to us than HR 4374.

Question 21

You live at a latitude of 17 $\degree$ N.What is the angle between the southern horizon and the sun at noon at the winter solstice?

A) 17 $\degree$
B) 23.5 $\degree$
C) 96.5 $\degree$
D) 73 $\degree$
E) 49.5 $\degree$

Question 22

What is the approximate latitude of the observer in the diagram below?

A) 90 $\degree$ N
B) 90 $\degree$ S
C) 50 $\degree$ N
D) 50 $\degree$ S
E) 0 $\degree$

Question 23

You live at a latitude of 16 $\degree$ S.What is the angle between the southern horizon and the south celestial pole?

A) 74 $\degree$
B) 164 $\degree$
C) 16 $\degree$
D) 5 $\degree$

Question 24

The summer solstice (at the start of summer)is the point on the ecliptic where the sun

A) crosses the celestial equator moving north.
B) crosses the celestial equator moving south.
C) is farthest north of the celestial equator halting its northward movement.
D) is farthest south of the celestial equator halting its southward movement.

Question 25

An observer in the Southern Hemisphere takes a time exposure photograph of the night sky.If the illustration depicts the photograph taken by the observer,which direction was the camera pointing?

A) straight north
B) straight east
C) straight south
D) straight west
E) straight up,directly overhead

Question 26

What is the approximate latitude of the observer in the diagram below?

A) 20 $\degree$ N
B) 20 $\degree$ S
C) 70 $\degree$ N
D) 70 $\degree$ S
E) 0 $\degree$

Question 27

An observer in the Northern Hemisphere takes a time exposure photograph of the night sky.If the illustration depicts the photograph taken by the observer,which direction was the camera pointing?

A) straight north
B) straight east
C) straight south
D) straight west
E) straight up,directly overhead

Question 28

An observer in the Northern Hemisphere takes a time exposure photograph of the night sky.If the illustration depicts the photograph taken by the observer,which direction was the camera pointing?

A) straight north
B) straight east
C) straight south
D) straight west
E) straight up,directly overhead

Question 29

An observer in the Northern Hemisphere takes a time exposure photograph of the night sky.If the illustration depicts the photograph taken by the observer,which direction was the camera pointing?

A) straight north
B) straight east
C) straight south
D) straight west
E) straight up,directly overhead

Question 30

The sun moves ____ along the ecliptic among the stars.

A) eastward
B) westward
C) The sun does not appear to move.

Question 31

You live at a latitude of 61 $\degree$ N.What is the angle between the southern horizon and the sun at noon at the summer solstice?

A) 52.5 $\degree$
B) 23.5 $\degree$
C) 61 $\degree$
D) 29 $\degree$
E) 5.5 $\degree$

Question 32

At the time of the winter solstice (the start of winter)the sun is

A) farthest south of the celestial equator.
B) farthest north of the celestial equator.
C) on the celestial equator moving north.
D) on the celestial equator moving south.

Question 33

You live at a latitude of 28 $\degree$ N.What is the angle between the northern horizon and the north celestial pole?

A) 62 $\degree$
B) 28 $\degree$
C) 40 $\degree$
D) 5 $\degree$

Question 34

An observer in the Southern Hemisphere takes a time exposure photograph of the night sky.If the illustration depicts the photograph taken by the observer,which direction was the camera pointing?

A) straight north
B) straight east
C) straight south
D) straight west
E) straight up,directly overhead

Question 35

What causes summer here in the northern hemisphere? In the summer,at this point

A) the Earth is closer to the sun.
B) the Earth's northern hemisphere is tilted toward the sun.
C) the Earth's northern hemisphere is tilted away from the sun.

Question 36

If the north celestial pole appears on your horizon,what is your latitude?

A) 90 $\degree$ N
B) 90 $\degree$ S
C) 0 $\degree$
D) 45 $\degree$ N
E) The latitude of the observer cannot be determined from the information given.

Question 37

An observer in the Southern Hemisphere takes a time exposure photograph of the night sky.If the illustration depicts the photograph taken by the observer,which direction was the camera pointing?

A) straight north
B) straight east
C) straight south
D) straight west
E) straight up,directly overhead

Question 38

Which of the following causes seasons on the earth?

A) the earth being closer to the sun during our summer and farther during our winter
B) the sun's varying light output
C) the tilt of the earth's axis
D) the eleven-year sunspot cycle

Question 39

You live at a latitude of 32 $\degree$ N.What is the angle between the southern horizon and the sun at noon at the vernal equinox?

A) 45 $\degree$
B) 23.5 $\degree$
C) 32 $\degree$
D) 58 $\degree$
E) 81.5 $\degree$

Question 40

When it is winter in the northern hemisphere,it is ____ in the southern hemisphere.

A) winter
B) summer
C) spring
D) fall

Question 41

Which of the following statements correctly describes the relationship between stars and the modern boundaries of constellations?

A) Only stars close to the ecliptic (the Earth's orbital plane)are located in constellations.
B) Every star is located in a constellation.
C) Only the brighter stars are in constellations.
D) Only those stars that were visible to the ancient Greeks are located in constellations.

Question 42

Does the appearance of the constellations follow a seasonal pattern?

A) No,all of the constellations are on any clear night of the year.
B) Yes.As the year progresses,the constellations move to different areas of the sky.
C) Yes,during a winter night all the constellations you can see are different from the ones that appear during a summer night.
D) Yes,during a summer night many of the constellations you can see are different from those you can see on a winter night.However,there are some constellations that are visible all year long.

Question 43

For stars in the same constellation they

A) probably formed at the same time.
B) must be part of the same cluster of stars in space.
C) must have been discovered at about the same time.
D) may actually be very far away from each other.

Question 44

At the time of the winter solstice (the start of winter)the sunlight is at a lower angle and thus is ____ than(as)in the start of summer.

A) less intense
B) more intense
C) the same intensity

Question 45

In the Milankovitch theory,the elliptical shape of the Earth's orbit,its axis tilt,and axis precession vary with time.These combined at times to create ____ on Earth.

A) day and night
B) seasonal temperature variations
C) daily temperature variations
D) ice ages
E) the constellations

Question 46

If you are standing at the Earth's North Pole,which of the following would be located at the zenith?

A) The nadir
B) The star Vega
C) The celestial equator
D) The north celestial pole

Question 47

The inclination of the axis of the earth varies from 22 $\degree$ to 24 $\degree$ degrees taking ____ to complete a cycle.

A) 24 hours
B) 1 year
C) 499 years
D) 41,000 years
E) Wrong! The Earth's axis tilt is fixed at exactly 23.50 with no variation whatsoever.

Question 48

How much of the night sky is north of the celestial equator?

A) Less than one-half,because of the tilt of the equator to the ecliptic plane.
B) More than one-half,because of the precession of the poles.
C) Exactly one-half.
D) All of the night sky.

Question 49

If an observer walks north toward increasing latitude,the number of circumpolar stars would

A) remain constant.
B) decrease.
C) increase.
D) Unknown unless you also state the longitude of the observer.

Question 50

A sketch of the Earth with its north and south poles and equator is shown.The zenith is located in the sky over your head if you are at...

A) Earth's equator
B) Earth's North Pole
C) Earth's South Pole
D) any of these

Question 51

If the Sun passes directly overhead on at least one day per year,then

A) you are at or withinlatitude of the equator.
B) you must be exactly on the equator.
C) you could be anywhere because this occurs at least once per year at any location on the Earth.

Question 52

If the Earth's period of rotation doubled,but the period of revolution stayed the same

A) the night would be twice as long.
B) the night would be half as long.
C) the year would be half as long.
D) the year would be twice as long.
E) the length of the day would be unchanged

Question 53

If you point toward the zenith right now and then point there again 6 hours later,you will have pointed twice in the same direction relative to

A) your horizon.
B) the Sun.
C) the Moon.
D) the fixed stars.

Question 54

If you were standing on the Earth's equator,which of the following points in the sky would pass through your zenith at some time during one full day (24 hours)?

A) The north celestial pole
B) The summer solstice
C) The vernal equinox
D) The ecliptic pole

Question 55

During the month of June the north celestial pole points approximately toward Polaris but during the month of December it points

A) far north of Polaris.
B) far south of Polaris.
C) towards the star Vega.
D) towards the star Thuban.
E) still towards Polaris.

Question 56

The elliptical shape of the Earth's orbit varies with time and takes about ____ to complete a cycle.

A) 24 hours
B) one year
C) 26 years
D) 260 years
E) 100,000 years

Question 57

Precession of the rotation axis of Earth takes ____ to complete a cycle.

A) 24 hours
B) one year
C) 260 years
D) 26,000 years
E) 260,000 years

Question 58

As seen from the earth,the sun appears to move ____ along the ____ among the stars.

A) eastward,celestial equator
B) westward,celestial equator
C) eastward,ecliptic
D) westward,ecliptic
E) Wrong! The sun does not appear to move among the stars.

Question 59

In Brazil,the longest period of daylight occurs during the month of

A) December.
B) March.
C) September.
D) June.

Question 60

Precession of the rotation axis of Earth is caused by

A) the force of gravity from the sun and moon on Earth's equatorial bulge.
B) the force of gravity from Neptune and Jupiter on the Earth-moon system.
C) the magnetic field of Earth.
D) the formation and subsequent melting of glaciers during the ice-ages.
E) the impact of asteroids.

Question 61

The vernal equinox is the point on the sky where the sun crosses the ____________ going north and east..

A) north celestial pole
B) south celestial pole
C) celestial equator
D) horizon

Question 62

The celestial equator always crosses the horizon at the east point and west point.

Question 63

Navigators can find their latitude by measuring the angle from the northern horizon to the north celestial pole.

Question 64

The moon and visible planets are always within a few degrees of the ecliptic.

Question 65

The Greek-letter plus constellation designation conveys information about a star's location and brightness.

Question 66

Precession of Earth's axis causes the date at which perihelion of Earth's orbit occurs to slowly change.

Question 67

As seen from the Earth's southern hemisphere,the celestial equator passes...

A) north of overhead.
B) south of overhead.
C) through the north celestial pole.
D) through the south celestial pole.

Question 68

The ____________________ is the point on the celestial sphere directly above an observer,regardless of where the observer is located on Earth.

Question 69

Hipparchus devised the magnitude system in the late 1700's.

Question 70

At the Earth's north pole,the north celestial pole is directly overhead and stars near the horizon travel in straight lines...

A) straight up from the horizon
B) straight up from the horizon slanting toward the right
C) straight up from the horizon slanting toward the left
D) parallel to the horizon

Question 71

Earth's rotation axis ____________________ slowly so that in a few thousand years Polaris will no longer be the North Star.

Question 72

Polaris has always been the star nearest the north celestial pole.

Question 73

The Greeks created all the constellations.

Question 74

During one day and night in the mid-northern hemisphere,the stars near the north celestial pole...

A) rise in the east.
B) set in the west.
C) circle the north celestial pole counter-clockwise.
D) circle the north celestial pole clockwise.

Question 75

A 3^rd magnitude star is 3 times brighter than a 1^st magnitude star.

Question 76

The celestial equator always passes directly overhead.

Question 77

____________________ is a measure of the light energy that hits one square meter in one second.

Question 78

As Earth rotates,circumpolar stars appear to move counterclockwise around the north celestial pole.

Question 79

A second magnitude star in Ursa Major is brighter than a fourth magnitude star in Orion.

Question 80

____________________ is the point in Earth's orbit when Earth is closest to the sun.