Astro 10 Exam 1 UPDATED ACTUAL Exam
Questions and CORRECT Answers
Constellations - CORRECT ANSWER - An officially recognized region of the sky (88
constellations cove the entire sky) ex.) Orion the hunter, Canis Major, the great dog, lepus the
hare.
Asterism - CORRECT ANSWER - An unofficial region of the sky. May be only a part or
span across multiple constellations. Ex.) Big Dipper, Summer Triangle, Orion's Belt
zenith - CORRECT ANSWER - the highest point; peak
Nadir - CORRECT ANSWER - the lowest point of something
Meridian - CORRECT ANSWER - line passing through zenith and connecting north and
south points on the horizon
Ecliptic - CORRECT ANSWER - The apparent line in the sky traced out by the sun
celestial equator - CORRECT ANSWER - The projection of the earth's equator onto the
celestial sphere
North and South Celestial Poles - CORRECT ANSWER - the points in the sky directly
above the Earth's North and South poles
Zodiac Constellations - CORRECT ANSWER - the 12 (or 13) constellations that lie along
the ecliptic
phases of the moon - CORRECT ANSWER - new, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing
gibbous, full, waning gibbous, third quarter, waning crescent
, What planets undergo retrograde motion and why? - CORRECT ANSWER - Mars,
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto and because of the different speeds and distances at
which they orbit the sun
How are seasons created? - CORRECT ANSWER - by the tilt of the earths axis
What are solstices? When do they occur? - CORRECT ANSWER - June Solstices occur
during the summer (June 21st)
December Solstices occur during the winter (December 21st).
What are equinoxes? - CORRECT ANSWER - the time or date (twice each year) at which
the sun crosses the celestial equator, when day and night are of equal length (about September 22
and March 20).
Declination - CORRECT ANSWER - A measure of how far north or south an object is
from the celestial equator "latitude"
Right Ascension - CORRECT ANSWER - the coordinate for measuring the east-west
positions of celestial bodies; the angle measured eastward along the celestial equator from the
vernal equinox to the hour circle passing through a body (the longitude)
Altitude - CORRECT ANSWER - How high up in the sky an object lies.
Measured from horizon at 0 degrees and runs from -90 (nadir) to +90 (zenith)
Azimuth - CORRECT ANSWER - How far around the sky an object lies.
Measured from 0 degree (due north)
What are the two main types of eclipses? - CORRECT ANSWER - Solar eclipse and lunar
eclipse
Questions and CORRECT Answers
Constellations - CORRECT ANSWER - An officially recognized region of the sky (88
constellations cove the entire sky) ex.) Orion the hunter, Canis Major, the great dog, lepus the
hare.
Asterism - CORRECT ANSWER - An unofficial region of the sky. May be only a part or
span across multiple constellations. Ex.) Big Dipper, Summer Triangle, Orion's Belt
zenith - CORRECT ANSWER - the highest point; peak
Nadir - CORRECT ANSWER - the lowest point of something
Meridian - CORRECT ANSWER - line passing through zenith and connecting north and
south points on the horizon
Ecliptic - CORRECT ANSWER - The apparent line in the sky traced out by the sun
celestial equator - CORRECT ANSWER - The projection of the earth's equator onto the
celestial sphere
North and South Celestial Poles - CORRECT ANSWER - the points in the sky directly
above the Earth's North and South poles
Zodiac Constellations - CORRECT ANSWER - the 12 (or 13) constellations that lie along
the ecliptic
phases of the moon - CORRECT ANSWER - new, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing
gibbous, full, waning gibbous, third quarter, waning crescent
, What planets undergo retrograde motion and why? - CORRECT ANSWER - Mars,
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto and because of the different speeds and distances at
which they orbit the sun
How are seasons created? - CORRECT ANSWER - by the tilt of the earths axis
What are solstices? When do they occur? - CORRECT ANSWER - June Solstices occur
during the summer (June 21st)
December Solstices occur during the winter (December 21st).
What are equinoxes? - CORRECT ANSWER - the time or date (twice each year) at which
the sun crosses the celestial equator, when day and night are of equal length (about September 22
and March 20).
Declination - CORRECT ANSWER - A measure of how far north or south an object is
from the celestial equator "latitude"
Right Ascension - CORRECT ANSWER - the coordinate for measuring the east-west
positions of celestial bodies; the angle measured eastward along the celestial equator from the
vernal equinox to the hour circle passing through a body (the longitude)
Altitude - CORRECT ANSWER - How high up in the sky an object lies.
Measured from horizon at 0 degrees and runs from -90 (nadir) to +90 (zenith)
Azimuth - CORRECT ANSWER - How far around the sky an object lies.
Measured from 0 degree (due north)
What are the two main types of eclipses? - CORRECT ANSWER - Solar eclipse and lunar
eclipse
