Question 1

The full moon rises around sunrise,and sets around sunset.

Accepted Answer

The full moon rises around sunset and sets around sunrise, as it is opposite the sun in the sky.

Question 2

The distances to bodies in the solar system are a few light minutes to light hours.

Accepted Answer

The distances to bodies in the solar system are measured in light minutes (for example, the distance from the Sun to Mercury is about 5 light minutes) up to a few light hours (the distance from the Sun to Pluto is about 5.5 light hours).

Question 3

The parallax shift of a star would be greater if viewed from Mars than from Earth.

Accepted Answer

The parallax shift of a star depends on the baseline, which is the distance between the two observing points (in this case, Earth and Mars). Since the distance between Earth and Mars is greater than the distance between Earth and a star, the baseline for observing the parallax shift is longer from Mars. This means that the parallax shift would be greater if viewed from Mars than from Earth.

Question 4

It was Aristotle who used the scientific method to show the Earth was a sphere.

Accepted Answer

Aristotle used his observations of the Earth's shadow during a lunar eclipse to conclude that the Earth was curved, and therefore a sphere. He also noted that different constellations could be seen from different parts of the Earth, further supporting the idea of a spherical Earth.

Question 5

From the South Pole,Polaris would appear directly overhead.

Accepted Answer

Polaris is located very close to the North Pole, so from the South Pole it would be below the horizon and not visible. From the South Pole, Polaris would not be visible at all as it would be below the horizon.

Question 6

An effective theory must:
A) have been proven.
B) must have been around for centuries or longer.
C) be continuously tested.
D) include mathematical formulae.

Accepted Answer

An effective theory must be continuously tested in order to ensure its validity and accuracy. Options A and B are incorrect because a theory cannot be "proven" in the strict sense, and it does not have to be around for centuries to be effective. Option D is also incorrect because while mathematical formulae can be useful in developing and testing a theory, they are not an absolute requirement for a theory to be effective.

Question 7

If a star rises about 9 PM tonight,and with the sidereal day being four minutes less than the solar one,then in a month it will rise about 7 PM.

Accepted Answer

Since the sidereal day is 4 minutes less than the solar day, the star will rise about 4 minutes earlier each night. In a month, there are approximately 30 days, so the star will rise about 120 minutes (2 hours) earlier in the month. Therefore, if it rises at 9 PM tonight, it will rise around 7 PM in a month.

Question 8

Constellations are close clusters of stars,all at about the same distance from the Sun.

Accepted Answer

Constellations are actually groups of stars that appear close to each other in the sky from our viewpoint on Earth, but they can actually be vastly different distances from the Sun.

Question 9

Over the course of a night,Polaris moves less than any other visible star in the sky.

Accepted Answer

Polaris is located very close to the North Celestial Pole and therefore appears to be almost stationary in the sky while all the other stars appear to move around it.

Question 10

The first quarter moon will rise about noon,and set about midnight.

Accepted Answer

The first quarter moon is halfway between the new moon and full moon, and typically rises around midday and sets around midnight.

Question 11

From full moon to third quarter moon takes about a week.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. The lunar cycle typically takes about 29.5 days to complete, and from a full moon to a third quarter moon is roughly one week.

Question 12

Only at the equator are all the stars visible over the course of the year.

Accepted Answer

This is because the celestial equator passes directly overhead at the equator, meaning that all stars above the equator are visible at some point throughout the year. However, at higher latitudes, some stars near the celestial poles never rise above the horizon.

Question 13

Which of the choices below correctly lists things in order from largest to smallest?
A) Local Group, Solar System, Milky Way, Universe
B) Universe, Milky Way, Local Group, Solar System
C) Solar System, Local Group, Universe, Milky Way
D) Universe, Local Group, Milky Way, Solar System
E) Milky Way, Universe, Solar System, Local Group

Accepted Answer

The Universe is the largest entity, followed by the Local Group (which includes our Milky Way), then the Milky Way itself, and finally the Solar System.

Question 14

From Earth,the Sun and Moon have about the same angular diameter.

Accepted Answer

The Sun and Moon appear to have the same angular diameter from Earth, which means they appear to be the same size in the sky. However, this is only an optical illusion, as the Sun is actually much larger than the Moon.

Question 15

At apogee,the Moon is at its farthest from Earth and thus appears smaller than normal.Because of this it can produce only annular solar eclipses,but not total solar eclipses.

Accepted Answer

At apogee, the Moon is too far away from Earth to completely block out the Sun, resulting in only annular solar eclipses. It is not possible for a total solar eclipse to occur during apogee.

Question 16

Modern scientific theories are NOT:
A) testable.
B) continuously tested.
C) simple.
D) perfect.
E) elegant.

Accepted Answer

Modern scientific theories are not perfect because they are always subject to revision and improvement as new evidence becomes available. They are testable, continuously tested, and often strive for simplicity and elegance, but perfection is not achievable due to the evolving nature of scientific understanding.

Question 17

As it orbits the Earth,the Moon appears to move eastward about its own diameter every hour.

Accepted Answer

This is true because the Moon orbits the Earth in a counterclockwise direction, completing one orbit roughly every 27.3 days. As it does so, it appears to move eastward across the sky by about its own diameter (which is roughly 0.5 degrees) every hour. This is due to both its orbital motion and the rotation of the Earth.

Question 18

There are 3,600 arc seconds in a degree.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. There are 60 arc minutes in a degree and 60 arc seconds in an arc minute, so the total number of arc seconds in a degree is 60 x 60 = 3,600.

Question 19

A light-year is a measurement of time.

Accepted Answer

A light-year is actually a measurement of distance, specifically the distance light travels in one year. It is equal to approximately 5.88 trillion miles or 9.46 trillion kilometers.

Question 20

Aristotle's hypothesis was that:
A) lunar eclipses were created by our shadow.
B) only a spherical Earth would always cast a circular shadow on the Moon.
C) lunar eclipses would have to happen every full moon.
D) the Sun lay at the center of the planet orbits.
E) the Moon orbited the Earth.

Accepted Answer

Aristotle's hypothesis was that only a spherical Earth would always cast a circular shadow on the Moon during lunar eclipses. This supported his belief that the Earth was a sphere, as he observed that the shape of the Earth's shadow on the Moon during eclipses was always circular.

Quiz 1: Charting the Heavens: The Foundations of Astronomy