Deck 2: Users Guide to the Sky: Patterns and Cycles

Question 1

Which of the following describes the magnitude scale?

A) It originated just after the telescope was invented.
B) It can be used to indicate the apparent brightness of a star.
C) It is no longer used today.
D) It was used to determine the rate of precession.

Answer 1

It can be used to indicate the apparent brightness of a star.

Question 2

Where is an observer's nadir?

A) the east point on the observer's horizon
B) the north point on the observer's horizon
C) the point directly opposite the observer's zenith
D) the point directly opposite the north celestial pole

Answer 2

the point directly opposite the observer's zenith

Question 3

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

A) δ Dra
B) α Cet
C) Nim
D) α CMa

Answer 3

α CMa

Question 4

What language is the source of most star names, such as Aldebaran and Betelgeuse?

A) Latin
B) Greek
C) Arabic
D) Italian

Question 5

If the apparent visual magnitude of star A is 3.1, and the apparent visual magnitude of star B is 0.5, how do star A and star B compare in terms of apparent brightness as seen from Earth?

A) Star A is fainter than star B.
B) Star A is much brighter than star B.
C) Star A is about the same brightness as star B.
D) Star A is only slightly brighter than star B.

Question 6

What causes the precession of Earth's rotation axis?

A) the force of gravity from the Sun and Moon on Earth's equatorial bulge
B) the force of gravity from the Sun and Jupiter on the Earth-Moon system
C) the magnetic field of Earth
D) the impacts of asteroids

Question 7

Which of the following definitions best describes a constellation?

A) a region of the sky containing a certain star pattern
B) a group of very bright stars
C) a group of very faint stars
D) a region of the sky containing a very high number of stars

Question 8

How many official constellations are there?

A) 98
B) 88
C) 13
D) 55

Question 9

What is the purpose of the magnitude scale?

A) It measures the apparent location of objects that appear in the sky.
B) It measures the apparent size of objects that appear in the sky.
C) It measures the apparent brightness of objects that appear in the sky.
D) It measures the apparent speed of objects that appear in the sky.

Question 10

How long would you have to wait to see a change in the pattern of stars in the night sky?

A) several decades
B) thousands of years
C) millions of years
D) forever, the pattern of stars will never change

Question 11

If the apparent visual magnitude of a star is 7.3, what does this tell us about the brightness of the star?

A) It is one of the brighter stars in the sky.
B) It is bright enough that it would be visible even during the day.
C) It is not visible with the unaided eye.
D) It appears faint because of its great distance from the Earth.

Question 12

What kind of letters are used to identify stars in a constellation?

A) Arabic letters
B) Italic letters
C) Latin letters
D) Greek letters

Question 13

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 the Earth. What does this information tell us about the two stars?

A) Together the two stars would have a magnitude of 4.9.
B) Vega must produce less energy per second than HR 4374.
C) Vega must produce more energy per second than HR 4374.
D) Vega will appear fainter to us than HR 4374.

Question 14

Which of the following best describes Ursa Major (the Great Bear)?

A) a constellation
B) another name for the Seven Sisters
C) an asterism
D) another name for the Big Dipper

Question 15

What aspect of an object depends on both the size of the object and the distance to the object?

A) apparent brightness
B) apparent magnitude
C) angular diameter
D) proper motion

Question 16

What do stars in the same constellation have in common?

A) They probably formed at the same time.
B) They must be part of the same cluster of stars in space.
C) They must have been discovered at about the same time.
D) They are in the same part of the sky as seen from the Earth.

Question 17

Refer to Table 2-1. Which star in the table would be invisible to the unaided eye of an observer on Earth?

A) δ Dra
B) α Cet
C) Nim
D) α CMa

Question 18

Which of the following statements correctly describes the relationship between stars and 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 19

Which of the following best describes the Big Dipper?

A) an asterism
B) a faint star near Polaris
C) the North Star
D) a constellation

Question 20

What is the apparent visual magnitude of a star a measure of?

A) the star's size as perceived by human eyes on Earth
B) the star's temperature as perceived by human eyes on Earth
C) the star's colour as seen by human eyes on Earth
D) the star's brightness as seen by human eyes on Earth

Question 21

Where is the zenith for an observer standing at a point on the Earth's equator?

A) directly overhead
B) near the horizon and towards the south
C) near the horizon and towards the west
D) the position depends on the time of day

Question 22

The Moon has an angular diameter of 0.5°. What is the Moon's angular diameter in minutes of arc?

A) 0.5
B) 30
C) 50
D) 1800

Question 23

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

A) the north celestial pole
B) the south celestial pole
C) the celestial equator
D) circumpolar constellations

Question 24

Seen from Yellowknife (latitude 62 degrees North), where is the star Polaris in the sky?

A) directly overhead
B) 62 degrees above the horizon
C) 28 degrees above the horizon
D) the position depends on the time of day

Question 25

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

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

Question 26

For an observer in New Delhi, India, at a latitude of 28° North, what is the angle between the northern horizon and the north celestial pole?

A) 5°
B) 28°
C) 40°
D) 62°

Question 27

For an observer in Pond Inlet, Nunavut, at a latitude of 73° North, what is the angle between the northern horizon and the north celestial pole?

A) 17°
B) 23.5°
C) 27°
D) 73°

Question 28

For an observer in Toronto, at a latitude of 44° North, what is the angle between the northern horizon and the north celestial pole?

A) 23.5°
B) 36°
C) 44°
D) 74°

Question 29

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

A) 0°
B) 45° N
C) 90° N
D) 90° S

Question 30

Which of the following is equivalent to 1/3600th of a degree?

A) 1/60 of an arc second
B) 1 arc second
C) 1 arc minute
D) 60 arc minutes

Question 31

For an observer in Valdivia, Chile, at a latitude of 39° South, what is the angle between the southern horizon and the south celestial pole?

A) 23.5°
B) 45°
C) 39°
D) 51°

Question 32

You point your finger toward the zenith right now, and then point there again six hours later. At both times, your finger was pointing in the same direction relative to one of the options below. Which one?

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

Question 33

If an observer travels north, toward higher latitudes, how does the number of circumpolar stars that he or she sees in the sky change?

A) remains constant
B) decreases
C) increases
D) also depends on the longitude of the observer

Question 34

For an observer in Oberon Bay, Australia, at a latitude of 39° South, what is the angle between the southern horizon and the south celestial pole?

A) 23.5°
B) 39°
C) 45°
D) 51°

Question 35

Seen from Winnipeg (latitude 50 degrees North), where is the star Polaris in the sky?

A) directly overhead
B) 40 degrees above the horizon
C) 50 degrees above the horizon
D) the position depends on the time of day

Question 36

If you were 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 37

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

A) 50° N
B) 50° S
C) 90° N
D) 90° S

Question 38

An observer in the northern hemisphere watches the sky for several hours. Due to the motion of the Earth, this observer notices that the stars near the north celestial pole appear to move. What pattern does this apparent movement follow?

A) clockwise around the celestial pole
B) counter-clockwise around the celestial pole
C) from left to right
D) from right to left

Question 39

For an observer in Lusaka, Zambia, at a latitude of 16° South, what is the angle between the southern horizon and the south celestial pole?

A) 16°
B) 23.5°
C) 74°
D) 164°

Question 40

What is the term for the point on the celestial sphere directly above an observer, no matter where on the Earth the observer is located?

A) north celestial pole
B) south celestial pole
C) zenith
D) nadir

Question 41

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) due north
B) due south
C) due east
D) due west

Question 42

Which of the following best defines the ecliptic?

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 43

If the Earth's rotational axis shifted to a position perpendicular to the ecliptic, what would happen to seasonal variations on the Earth?

A) They would be non-existent.
B) They would remain the same as they are now.
C) They would have the same severity but each season would last twice as long.
D) They would be much more severe.

Question 44

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) due south
B) due east
C) due west
D) straight up, directly overhead

Question 45

Which planet(s) in our solar system is (are) never visible to the naked eye?

A) Mercury and Neptune
B) Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune
C) Neptune
D) Mercury and Venus

Question 46

Around what date is the amount of solar energy per square metre that is incident upon the surface of the Earth in the northern hemisphere at its lowest level?

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

Question 47

In Brazil, in what month does the longest period of daylight occur?

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

Question 48

Through the year, the Sun moves eastward among the stars following a line called the

A) equator
B) horizon
C) ecliptic
D) zenith

Question 49

What is the ecliptic?

A) the centre line of the celestial sphere
B) the projection of the Earth's orbit on the sky
C) the apparent path of the Moon around the sky
D) the line between east and west, passing through the zenith

Question 50

You look at a time exposure photograph of the night sky taken in the northern hemisphere and notice that each circumpolar star traces one-eighth of a complete circle around Polaris. What was the exposure time for the photograph?

A) 1 hour
B) 3 hours
C) 4 hours
D) 8 hours

Question 51

If you see the Sun pass directly overhead on at least one day per year, then where are you on Earth?

A) within 23.5° latitude of the equator
B) within 66.5° latitude of the equator
C) exactly on the equator
D) could be anywhere, because this occurs at least once per year at any location on the Earth

Question 52

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

A) 20° N
B) 20° S
C) 70° N
D) 0°

Question 53

Why are Venus and Mercury often called "morning star" and "evening star"?

A) They look more like stars than the other planets do.
B) They both rotate quite slowly and have long mornings and evenings.
C) They are both reddish in colour, like the Sun near the horizon.
D) They are visible only just before sunrise or just after sunset.

Question 54

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) due north
B) due south
C) due west
D) straight up, directly overhead

Question 55

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) due north
B) due south
C) due east
D) straight up, directly overhead

Question 56

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) due north
B) due south
C) due east
D) due west

Question 57

What is the celestial equator?

A) the dividing line between the north and south celestial hemispheres
B) a line around the sky directly above the Earth's poles
C) the path that the Sun appears to follow on the celestial sphere as the Earth orbits the Sun
D) the path that the planets appear to follow in the sky

Question 58

How far, and in what direction, does the Sun appear to move on the celestial sphere per day? Stopped here

A) about one degree westward
B) about one degree eastward
C) about 360 degrees westward
D) about 360 degrees eastward

Question 59

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) due north
B) due south
C) due west
D) straight up, directly overhead

Question 60

Where in the sky would an observer at the Earth's equator see the celestial equator?

A) The celestial equator would be at 45 degrees above the northern horizon.
B) The celestial equator would be at 45 degrees above the southern horizon.
C) The celestial equator would coincide with the horizon.
D) The celestial equator would be directly overhead.

Question 61

What is the term for the point in the Earth's orbit where the Earth is closest to the Sun?

A) aphelion
B) perihelion
C) precession
D) the vernal equinox

Question 62

What is the angle between the noon Sun at the winter solstice and the southern horizon for an observer at a latitude of 38° North?

A) 28.5°
B) 38°
C) 52°
D) 75.5°

Question 63

The diagram shows three approximate locations of the Sun along the western horizon. Which number indicates the location of the Sun at sunset on June 21 (summer solstice) for an observer at a latitude of 77° North?

A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) The Sun will not set on June 21 at this latitude.

Question 64

The diagram shows three approximate locations of the Sun along the western horizon. Which number indicates the location of the Sun at sunset on June 21 (summer solstice) for an observer at a latitude of 37° North?

A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) The Sun will not set on June 21 at this latitude.

Question 65

On the vernal equinox (March 21), where is the Sun on the celestial sphere?

A) 23.5° north of the celestial equator
B) 23.5° south of the celestial equator
C) on the celestial equator and moving north with respect to the equator
D) on the celestial equator and moving south with respect to the equator

Question 66

At what two celestial locations do the celestial equator and the ecliptic coincide?

A) winter solstice and summer solstice
B) vernal equinox and autumnal equinox
C) north celestial pole and south celestial pole
D) zenith and east point

Question 67

At which of the following times would you find the Sun on the celestial equator?

A) vernal equinox and summer solstice
B) autumnal equinox and vernal equinox
C) summer solstice and winter solstice
D) autumnal equinox and winter solstice

Question 68

Relative to the stars, the Moon moves eastward in the sky each night. About how far does it move?

A) 1°
B) 13°
C) 27.3°
D) 29.5°

Question 69

On the autumnal equinox (Sept. 21), where is the Sun on the celestial sphere?

A) 23.5° north of the celestial equator
B) 23.5° south of the celestial equator
C) on the celestial equator and moving north with respect to the equator
D) on the celestial equator and moving south with respect to the equator

Question 70

The diagram shows three approximate locations of the Sun along the western horizon. Which number indicates the location of the Sun at sunset on autumnal equinox (Sept. 21) for an observer at a latitude of 45° North?

A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) The Sun will not set on the autumnal equinox at this latitude.

Question 71

What is the term for a set of beliefs that appears to be based on scientific ideas, but which fails to obey the most basic rules of science?

A) theory
B) hypothesis
C) pseudoscience
D) scientific model

Question 72

If you lived on the near side of the Moon, how often would the Earth set below your horizon?

A) every 24 hours
B) once a sidereal period (27.3 days)
C) once a synodic period (29.5 days)
D) never

Question 73

On a clear night, when an observer in Vancouver sees a first quarter Moon, what would an observer in St. John's see?

A) a new Moon
B) a first quarter Moon
C) a third quarter Moon
D) a full Moon

Question 74

The diagram shows three approximate locations of the Sun along the western horizon. Which number indicates the location of the Sun at sunset on the vernal equinox (March 21) for an observer at a latitude of 48° South?

A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) The Sun will not set on the vernal equinox at this latitude.

Question 75

If the perihelion of the Earth was significantly closer to the Sun than is currently the case, what would be the probable effect on the climate of the Southern Hemisphere?

A) The winter season would be much colder than at present.
B) The winter season would be much warmer than at present.
C) The summer season would be much colder than at present.
D) The summer season would be much warmer than at present.

Question 76

What determines the phase of the Moon on a particular night?

A) the speed of the Moon in its orbit
B) the relative positions of the Sun, the Earth, and the Moon
C) how the Earth's shadow hits the moon
D) the distance from the Earth to the Moon

Question 77

The diagram shows three approximate locations of the Sun along the western horizon. Which number indicates the location of the Sun at sunset on December 21st (winter solstice) for an observer at latitude 48° North?

A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) The Sun will not set on December 21st at this latitude.

Question 78

What is the term for the point in the Earth's orbit where the Earth is farthest from the Sun?

A) aphelion
B) perihelion
C) precession
D) the winter solstice

Question 79

When does the first quarter Moon rise?

A) at about noon
B) at sunset
C) at sunrise
D) at about midnight

Question 80

Why are Northern Hemisphere winters colder than Northern Hemisphere summers?

A) The Earth is closer to the Sun during the summer than it is during the winter.
B) The snow that falls in the northern latitudes cools the Earth during the winter.
C) The light from the Sun shines more directly on the Northern Hemisphere during the summer.
D) The period of sunlight is shorter during the summer than during the winter.