Deck 3: Cycles of the Moon

Question 1

During a total lunar eclipse,which of the following are true?

A) I,III
B) II,IV
C) I,II,III
D) II,III
E) I,II,III,IV

Answer 1

II,IV

Question 2

If the moon enters Earth's shadow but does not reach the umbra,the eclipse is termed

A) partial.
B) umbral.
C) penumbral.
D) total.
E) annular.

Answer 2

penumbral.

Question 3

The time for the moon to repeat its cycle of phases is equal to

A) its sidereal period.
B) one day.
C) one hour.
D) one year.
E) its synodic period.

Answer 3

its synodic period.

Question 4

A waxing crescent moon is visible

A) near the eastern horizon just before sunrise.
B) near the eastern horizon just after sunset.
C) near the western horizon just before sunrise.
D) near the western horizon just after sunset.
E) from sunset until sunrise.

Question 5

When will the full moon be highest above the southern horizon for an observer in the Northern Hemisphere?

A) at midnight near the summer solstice
B) at midnight near the vernal equinox
C) at midnight near the winter solstice
D) The angle between the southern horizon and the full moon at midnight does not change with the seasons.

Question 6

The phases of the moon are caused by its _____ and _____.

A) spherical shape; orbital motion around the sun
B) cubical shape; orbital motion around the sun
C) cubical shape; orbital motion around Earth
D) spherical shape; orbital motion around Earth

Question 7

A totally eclipsed moon glows coppery red because

A) the moon' surface is made of iron ore which is red in color.
B) red light is cooler than blue light.
C) during a lunar eclipse the sun is cooler than normal,and its light is more red.
D) red light is better able to pass completely through Earth's atmosphere and reach the moon.
E) The moon appears red during a total solar eclipse,not a total lunar eclipse.

Question 8

During an annular eclipse,the moon's umbral shadow is too

A) bright to produce a total solar eclipse.
B) faint to produce a total solar eclipse.
C) wide to produce a total solar eclipse.
D) long to produce a total solar eclipse.
E) short to produce a total solar eclipse.

Question 9

During a total lunar eclipse

A) the moon must be new.
B) the observer must be in the path of totality.
C) the moon will glow a coppery red.
D) the moon must be at its greatest distance from Earth.
E) the date must be near the date of one of the equinoxes.

Question 10

An eclipse season is the period of time during which the

A) moon crosses a node in its orbit.
B) sun crosses a node in the moon's orbit.
C) line of nodes crosses the moon's orbit.
D) moon is new or full.
E) moon is visible during the day.

Question 11

The synodic period of the moon

A) is about 27.32 days long.
B) is the period of time for the moon to orbit Earth once with respect to the stars.
C) is the period of time between successive eclipses at a given location on Earth.
D) is the period of time from when the moon rises until the moon rises again the next night.
E) none of the above

Question 12

The _____ moon is visible above the western horizon a couple of hours before sunrise.

A) waning gibbous
B) waxing gibbous
C) waxing crescent
D) waning crescent
E) new

Question 13

A solar or lunar eclipse will occur

A) when the sun is near the line of nodes of the moon,and the moon is new or full.
B) any time the moon is new or full.
C) when the sun is near the solstice,and the moon is new or full.
D) half-way through an eclipse year.
E) when the sun is near the equinox,and the moon is new or full.

Question 14

A total lunar eclipse is

A) visible only from the path of totality.
B) visible only during a new moon.
C) visible to all observers on the side of Earth from which the moon would be visible at that time.
D) an opportunity to study the corona of the sun.
E) none of the above

Question 15

The moon moves about ____ eastward in the sky each night making a complete cycle about the Earth in about 27 days.

A) 1 $\degree$
B) 5 $\degree$
C) 13 $\degree$
D) 27.3 $\degree$
E) 29.5 $\degree$

Question 16

Total lunar eclipses always occur

A) during the time of new moon.
B) during the time of full moon.
C) on either the vernal or autumnal equinox.
D) on either the summer or winter solstice.
E) when the moon is near one of the solstice points.

Question 17

The first quarter moon rises

A) at about noon.
B) at sunset.
C) at sunrise.
D) at about midnight.
E) during the second week of each calendar month.

Question 18

A dime is 1.8 cm in diameter.Earth's moon is 3.844*10¹⁰ cm from Earth and has a diameter of 3.76*10⁸ cm.At what distance from your eye would you have to hold a dime so that it has the same angular diameter as the full moon?

A) 200 cm
B) 2 cm
C) 0.2 cm
D) 2 AU
E) 2 LY

Question 19

A lunar eclipse occurs when

A) the sun passes between Earth and Earth's moon.
B) Earth passes between the Earth's moon and the sun.
C) the Earth's moon passes between Earth and the sun.

Question 20

For a first quarter moon,apoximately what is the angle eastward from the sun to the moon?

A) 30 $\degree$
B) 90 $\degree$
C) 180 $\degree$
D) 360 $\degree$
E) 0 $\degree$

Question 21

The third quarter moon rises at noon.

Question 22

Which of the following is not visible during the totality of a total solar eclipse?

A) the corona of the sun
B) the chromosphere of the sun
C) prominences
D) the photosphere of the sun
E) all of the above

Question 23

The figure shows the ______ and _____ moon phases..

A) crescent; first quarter
B) new; new
C) crescent; full
D) first quarter; full

Question 24

A solar eclipse that occurs when the moon's umbra does not reach Earth's surface is called

A) a total solar eclipse.
B) a partial solar eclipse.
C) an annular solar eclipse.
D) a penumbral solar eclipse.
E) an umbral solar eclipse.

Question 25

Earth doesn't experience a solar eclipse every month because

A) of unpredictable weather patterns.
B) the moon always keeps its same side toward the Earth
C) the moon's position is not aligned with the Earth's orbit.
D) its sometimes nighttime when the eclipse occurs.
E) sometimes the moon is too far away.

Question 26

An eclipse of the moon (lunar eclipse)as seen from the earth,happens when ...

A) the hot luminous moon suddenly cools and stops emitting light.
B) the moon passes between the earth and the sun.
C) the earth is between the moon and the sun.
D) the moon is 90 degrees from the direction of the sun.

Question 27

The full Moon always occurs

A) on the 15th of ever month.
B) when the Moon is at right angles to the direction of the Sun.
C) when the Moon is closer to Sun than the Earth is.
D) when the Moon is directly opposite the position of the Sun.

Question 28

The ________ cycle of the phases of the moon is due to its spherical shape and the ______ shining on it from different directions..

A) monthly; Earth
B) yearly; Earth
C) monthly; sun
D) yearly; sun

Question 29

A total solar eclipse occurred in Wolf Point,Montana,on Feb.26,1979.When would this eclipse again be visible in Montana?

A) within 3 days of August 26,1979
B) within 3 days of March 29,2033
C) within 3 days of March 9.1997
D) within 3 days of March 13,1979
E) within 3 days of Jan.1,2000

Question 30

The phase of the Moon on a particular night is determined by

A) The season of the year
B) The speed of the Moon in is orbit
C) The relative positions of the Sun,Earth,and Moon
D) How the Earth's shadow hits the Moon
E) The distance from the Earth to the Moon

Question 31

A marble has a diameter of 2 cm.At what distance would the marble have an angular diameter of 1 arc second? Here one radian is 57.3 degrees,and one arc second is 1/3600 of a degree.

A) 4.1 cm
B) 4.1 miles
C) 4.1 m
D) 4.1 ft
E) 4.1 km

Question 32

The ecliptic can be defined as

A) the plane that is perpendicular to the Earth's axis of rotation.
B) the projection of the Earth's equator onto the sky.
C) the path traced out by the Moon in our sky in one month against the background stars.
D) the path traced out by the Sun in our sky over one year against the background stars.

Question 33

The Moon's angular diameter in our sky is measured to be 0.5 $\degree$ .From this,we can find

A) the mass density of the Moon if we know its distance from the Earth.
B) diameter of the Moon if we know the Moon's distance.
C) diameter of the Moon with no other information about the Moon.
D) distance to the Moon with no other information about the Moon.

Question 34

The ____ is 18 years and days long.

A) sidereal period
B) synodic period
C) eclipse season
D) saros cycle
E) eclipse year

Question 35

If the Moon's orbital plane was aligned with the celestial equator we could

A) have eclipses every month.
B) never have eclipses.
C) have eclipses only at solstice.
D) have eclipses only at the equinoxes.

Question 36

On a clear night when an observer in Los Angeles sees a first quarter Moon an observer in London would see

A) a full moon.
B) a first quarter moon.
C) a new moon.
D) a third quarter moon.
E) any of the above,depends on the time

Question 37

A solar eclipse occurs when

A) the sun passes between Earth and Earth's moon.
B) Earth passes between the Earth's moon and the sun.
C) the Earth's moon passes between Earth and the sun.

Question 38

The saros cycle

A) was used in ancient times to predict eclipses.
B) is 18 years,days long.
C) comes from a Greek word that means repetition.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 39

During a month,in which direction does the motion of the Moon occur in the sky,against the background stars,when viewed from the Earth?

A) Toward the west
B) Toward the east
C) Toward the north celestial pole in the summer and the south celestial pole in the winter
D) No predictable pattern can be discerned

Question 40

The lowest amount of solar energy per square meter is incident upon the surface of Earth in the northern hemisphere on or about

A) December 21,the winter solstice.
B) March 21,the vernal equinox.
C) September 21,the autumnal equinox.
D) June 21,the summer solstice.

Question 41

The umbra of the moon's shadow is the region from which no part of the photosphere of the Sun is visible.

Question 42

A lunar eclipse can only occur during the full phase.

Question 43

The totally eclipsed moon may glow coppery red because sunlight reaches the moon's surface after passing through Earth's atmosphere.

Question 44

The Moon's synodic period is longer than its sidereal period.

Question 45

As the Earth's moon orbits around the Earth,the tip of the moon's umbra which touches the Earth sweeps out the path for observers to see a total solar eclipse..

Question 46

A(n)____________________ moon is visible in the southeastern sky just after sunset.

Question 47

A(n)____________________ moon rises in the eastern sky approximately as sun sets..

Question 48

A total lunar eclipse is visible only from the path of totality where the shadow touches the Earth..

Question 49

The ____________________ month is the period of revolution of the moon around Earth with respect to the stars.

Question 50

The ____________________ of the sun is not visible during a total solar eclipse.

Question 51

If you were on the moon during a total lunar eclipse,the sun would be hidden behind Earth.

Question 52

The complete cycle of lunar phases takes 29.53 days,also known as the Moon's ____________________ period.

Question 53

An eclipse season is the interval during which the sun crosses a node of the moon's orbit.

Question 54

A total solar eclipse will be visible from the same location on Earth one saros cycle later.

Question 55

During an annular eclipse of the sun,the corona of the sun is visible.

Question 56

A(n)____________________ eclipse occurs when the moon is at its greatest distance from Earth,and the moon is new.