Deck 1: Charting the Heavens: the Foundations of Astronomy

Question 1

At the equinoxes, the declination of the Sun must be zero degrees.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The celestial sphere is divided into 88 modern constellations.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

The vernal equinox marks the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

The sidereal day is determined by the Earth's rotation with respect to the stars.

Question 5

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

Question 6

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

Question 7

A tropical year is the same as a sidereal year.

Question 8

In general, the brightest star in a given constellation is designated as alpha.

Question 9

An hour of right ascension corresponds to 60 degrees in the sky.

Question 10

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

Question 11

Latitude and right ascension are coordinate systems used to find objects on the celestial sphere.

Question 12

Over 20,000 stars are visible to the naked eye on the darkest, clearest nights.

Question 13

As it orbits the Earth, the Moon appears to move its own diameter (0.5 degrees) eastward every hour against the background stars.

Question 14

At the solstices, the Sun's declination will be 23.5 degrees from the equator.

Question 15

A star with a right ascension of 2.6 hrs will rise 2.6 hours after the vernal equinox.

Question 16

The closest terrestrial analog to hours of right ascension is angle of longitude.

Question 17

Right ascension in the sky is very similar to latitude on the Earth.

Question 18

In the sky, declination is measured in degrees north or south of the celestial equator.

Question 19

The south celestial pole is located at a declination of - 90 degrees.

Question 20

There are 3,600 arc seconds in a degree.

Question 21

Drawing on Eratosthenes' method, if two observers are due north and south of each other and are separated by 400 km, what is the circumference of their spherical world if they see the same star on their meridian at altitudes of 23 degrees and 47 degrees respectively, and at the exact same time?

A) 2,000 km
B) 4,000 km
C) 6,000 km
D) 8,000 km
E) 12,000 km

Question 22

The greatest distance above or below the ecliptic the Moon can move is

A) 5.2 degrees.
B) 23.5 degrees.
C) 27.3 degrees.
D) 29.5 degrees.
E) 30 degrees.

Question 23

A total solar eclipse will only occur when the new moon is both on the ecliptic and at its greatest distance from Earth.

Question 24

If you are in the Earth's umbra on the Earth's surface, then

A) it is night time.
B) the Moon is always visible.
C) it must be a total solar eclipse.
D) it must be a lunar eclipse of some type.
E) the Sun is always visible.

Question 25

In the scientific method, it is not necessary to test your theory.

Question 26

The synodic month is

A) about two days shorter than the sidereal month.
B) based on the Moon's position relative to the stars.
C) caused by both the Earth's and Moon's rotations.
D) 29.5 days.
E) the basis of the year we use in our modern calendar.

Question 27

If the Moon appears half lit, and is almost overhead about 6:00 AM, its phase is

A) first quarter.
B) waxing crescent.
C) waning crescent.
D) full.
E) third quarter.

Question 28

The star Wolf 1061 has a parallax of 2.34 arc seconds, while the star Ross 652 has a parallax of 1.70 arc seconds. What can you correctly conclude?

A) Ross 652 must have a larger proper motion than Wolf 1061.
B) Wolf 1061 must have a larger proper motion than Ross 652.
C) Both stars are outside the Milky Way galaxy.
D) Wolf 1061 is closer to Earth than Ross 652.
E) Ross 652 is closer to Earth than Wolf 1061.

Question 29

If you are in the Moon's umbral shadow, then you are witnessing

A) a total solar eclipse.
B) nighttime.
C) some kind of lunar eclipse.
D) a partial solar eclipse.
E) a total lunar eclipse.

Question 30

A solar eclipse can only happen during a

A) full moon.
B) new moon.
C) solstice.
D) first quarter moon.
E) perihelion passage of the Sun.

Question 31

There is a solar eclipse of some kind every new moon.

Question 32

The larger the parallax shift, the closer an object is to us.

Question 33

What will occur when the full moon is on the ecliptic?

A) an annular lunar eclipse
B) a total solar eclipse
C) a partial lunar eclipse if the Moon is at perigee
D) a partial solar eclipse
E) a total lunar eclipse

Question 34

If new moon fell on March 2nd, what is the Moon's phase on March 14th?

A) waning crescent
B) waxing gibbous
C) first quarter
D) full
E) waxing crescent

Question 35

If we are the Moon's penumbra, then we will see a partial lunar eclipse.

Question 36

Increasing the baseline will increase the parallax angle.

Question 37

Eighteen days past new moon, the Moon's phase is waning gibbous.

Question 38

In an annular eclipse,

A) the Sun appears as a thin, bright ring.
B) the Moon appears as a thin, bright ring.
C) the Sun is totally blocked by the Moon.
D) the Sun is partially blocked by the Earth.
E) the Moon is totally blocked by the Earth.

Question 39

The parallax shift for all stars is very small.

Question 40

Only people in the Moon's umbral shadow can see a total solar eclipse.

Question 41

A star with a declination of +60.0 degrees will be

A) south of the celestial equator.
B) east of the vernal equinox.
C) west of the vernal equinox.
D) north of the celestial equator.
E) None of these answers is correct.

Question 42

The fact that the Earth has moved along its orbit in the time it took to rotate once is the reason for

A) Earth's 23.5- degree tilt.
B) the position of the Celestial Equator.
C) the difference between solar and sidereal time.
D) seasons.
E) precession.

Question 43

You note that a particular star is directly overhead. It will be directly overhead again in

A) 1 hour.
B) 12 hours.
C) 23 hours 56 minutes.
D) 24 hours.
E) 24 hours 4 minutes.

Question 44

From the horizon to the observer's zenith is an angle of

A) 90 degrees for everyone on the Earth.
B) 23.5 degrees for observers at the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.
C) 0.0 degrees for an observer at the Earth's north pole.
D) 66.5 degrees for everyone on the Earth.
E) 30 degrees for observers at a latitude of 30 degrees north.

Question 45

If Taurus is now rising at sunset, which constellation will rise at sunset next month?

A) Gemini
B) Aries
C) Scorpius
D) Pisces
E) Aquarius

Question 46

This diagram explains

A) precession.
B) the reason for the solstices.
C) the difference between solar time and sidereal time.
D) the sidereal day's relation to the seasons.
E) the solar day's relation to the Moon.

Question 47

The twelve constellations the solar system bodies move through are the

A) equatorial constellations.
B) stages of heaven.
C) signs of the zodiac.
D) galactic equator.
E) nodes of the ecliptic.

Question 48

If the Moon rises at sunset, then its phase must be

A) full.
B) new.
C) waning gibbous.
D) third quarter.
E) waxing crescent.

Question 49

A star with a right ascension of 1.0 hours will rise

A) 1.0 hours after the vernal equinox.
B) 13.0 hours before the vernal equinox.
C) 11.0 hours after the vernal equinox.
D) at the same time as the vernal equinox.
E) 1.0 hours before the vernal equinox.

Question 50

The star Thuban in Draco

A) lies halfway between the bowls of the Big and Little Dippers.
B) was an excellent north pole star in 3,000 BC.
C) is brighter than Polaris.
D) is used to locate the vernal equinox.
E) lies as the center of the precession cycle.

Question 51

That Polaris will not always be the pole star is due to

A) the Moon following the ecliptic, instead of the equator.
B) the Earth's revolution being slightly less than exactly 365.25 days.
C) the sidereal day being shorter than the solar day.
D) the Solar winds blowing the Earth farther away from the Sun.
E) precession shifting the celestial pole.

Question 52

Into how many constellations is the celestial sphere divided?

A) 12
B) 44
C) 57
D) 88
E) 110

Question 53

What are constellations?

A) ancient story boards, useless to modern astronomers
B) apparent groupings of stars and planets visible on a given evening
C) groups of stars making an apparent pattern in the celestial sphere
D) groups of stars gravitationally bound and appearing close together in the sky
E) groups of galaxies gravitationally bound and close together in the sky

Question 54

When the Moon is directly opposite the Sun in the sky, its phase is

A) full.
B) new.
C) first or third quarter.
D) waxing or waning crescent.
E) waxing or waning gibbous.

Question 55

The 26,000 year cycle that changes the poles and equinoxes is called

A) the Earth's rotation.
B) precession.
C) regression.
D) a retrograde loop.
E) revolution.

Question 56

The time for the Moon to orbit Earth, relative to the stars is

A) 23 hours, 56 minutes.
B) about 7 days.
C) 27.3 days.
D) 29.5 days.
E) 18 years, 11.3 days.

Question 57

If Scorpius is now prominent in the summer sky, in 13,000 years it will be best seen

A) at the same season; the heavens do not change.
B) in the winter sky.
C) in the spring sky.
D) in the autumn.
E) It will not be visible then at all. All of its stars will have vanished by then.

Question 58

The interval from new Moon to first quarter is about a(n)

A) hour.
B) day.
C) week.
D) month.
E) year.

Question 59

In general, what is true of the alpha star in a constellation?

A) It is the reddest star in the constellation.
B) It is the westernmost star in the constellation.
C) It is the star that is closest to Earth.
D) It is the brightest star in the constellation.
E) It is the easternmost star in the constellation.

Question 60

As you watch a star, you see it move 15 degrees across the sky. How long have you been watching it?

A) 1 hour
B) 1 minute
C) 15 minutes
D) 15 seconds
E) 3 hours

Question 61

How is right ascension similar to longitude on Earth?

Question 62

What are the minimum and maximum values for right ascension in the sky?

Question 63

The time for the Moon to orbit the Earth, relative to the distant stars is the .

Question 64

If the Moon is on the ecliptic, new, and at its farthest distance from Earth, we will get a(n) eclipse.

A) total solar
B) annual lunar
C) total lunar
D) partial solar
E) annular solar

Question 65

The apparent angular shift of any object across a distant background, when viewed from two different places, is called shift.

Question 66

The time interval of 365.242 days is defined as the .

Question 67

How are right ascension in the sky and longitude on Earth different?

Question 68

The twelve constellations through which the Sun passes are signs of the _ .

Question 69

Like latitude on Earth, in the sky is measured in degrees north and south of the equator.

Question 70

Define the celestial sphere.

Question 71

Our seasons are a consequence of the Earth's 23.5 degree .

Question 72

If one star has a parallax ten times larger than another's, the first star is _ than the second.

A) five times further
B) five times closer
C) ten times further
D) ten times closer

Question 73

Over the course of the year, the Sun's noon altitude varies by degrees.

A) 180
B) 90
C) 23.5
D) 47
E) 45

Question 74

What are the minimum and maximum values for declination in the sky for both north and south?

Question 75

That we do not get eclipses every new and full Moon is due to the _ degree tilt of the Moon's orbit, relative to the ecliptic.

Question 76

Sirius has a parallax of 0.38", while Alpha Centauri's is 0.77." Alpha Centauri is about
as Sirius.

Question 77

The apparent annual path the Sun takes through the sky is called the _ _.

Question 78

One of the requirements of the Scientific Method is that an experiment must be .

Question 79

What do both latitude on Earth and declination in the sky measure?

Question 80

If two observatories on opposite sides of the Earth were to measure the position of a star to calculate its parallax, then the diameter of the Earth would be the _ .