Astro1 Final Exam Question AND Answers
Historical records show that Chinese astronomers on Earth observed a supernova (an
exploding star) in 1054 AD. We now know that the distance to that supernova was (is) 6500
light years away. Therefore, the supernova actually occurred in the year... - ✔✔5446 BC
Proxima Centauri is a nearby star. Due to lookback time, we see it as it was 4.2 years in the
past. How far away is Proxima Centauri? Choose all correct answers. - ✔✔-(the speed of
light) x (4.2 years)
-4.2 Light Years
The top speed of the X-15 airplane -- the fastest piloted airplane on Earth -- was 7200 km/h,
or 2 km/s. (ref: to an external site.) If we could send this airplane to visit the Sun and back, a
round trip distance of 300 million km, how long would it take to make the trip? (Assume it
goes straight there and back without losing any time turning around. Also assume it could
fly outside Earth's atmosphere.) Express your answer in years.
Shortcut: there are 30 million seconds in a year. - ✔✔5 Years
If you walk 2.5 miles to class and it takes you 50 minutes, what is your average speed in
miles per hour (mph)? - ✔✔3 MPH
Refer to the figure below. Where in their sky would the observer look to see the star
indicated by the unlabeled vertical down-pointing arrow? - ✔✔High in the SouthEast
Refer to the Figure in the previous question. Match the cardinal directions (N, S, E, W) with
the direction they are for the observer in the picture. "Left" and "Right" mean toward the
left and right sides of the page as YOU are looking at it. All directions (up, down, left, right)
are in the plane of the page except "into page" and "out of page". - ✔✔-North (Left)
-South (Right)
-East (Into Page)
-West (Out of page)
Two students are having the following discussion regarding at what position(s) Star B rises
and sets (if any), from the figure above: (this is question 8 from the in-class worksheet
"Position" from your workbook)
,Student 1: Locations B1 and B3 are on my horizon because they are rising and setting just
like A1 and A3.
Student 2: Figure 1 shows that Star B is as low as it will get when it is just above the
northern horizon at B4. So Star B never goes below the horizon.Which student is correct, if
either? - ✔✔Only Student 2 is correct
Imagine you are standing in the Northern hemisphere, like the observer in the figure below.
Looking directly North, you see a star just above the horizon. Which star at which position
could it be?(Make sure you are referring to the figure below, and not the figure above,
which has the star positions numbered differently.) - ✔✔-Star B
-Position 3
Below is an examples of a "star trails" picture. What actually causes the stars to make these
streaks, or "trails" on the photographs? - ✔✔The Earth slowly rotates on its axis
How long was the exposure to make the star trails photograph in the previous question? -
✔✔About 2 hours
In the star trails photo above, assume that the camera was pointed directly up toward
zenith. What can you conclude about the latitude on Earth where the photo was taken? -
✔✔North or South Pole
Moon Phases - ✔✔new, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full, waning gibbous,
third quarter, waning crescent, new
becoming fuller, or appearing to grow bigger or more in extent - ✔✔waxing
becoming less full, diminishing, or appearing to become less in extent - ✔✔waning
a bulging shape; more than half full; humpbacked - ✔✔gibbous
a thin curved sliver shape; less than half full - ✔✔crescent
, these phases all have the white part appearing on the LEFT* side - ✔✔waning
these phases all have the white part appearing on the RIGHT* side (mnemonic "white on the
right") - ✔✔waxing
When left lights up is it waxing or waning? - ✔✔waning
When right lights up is it waxing or waning? - ✔✔waxing
Look at the table at the top of pg. 59. During what month is the Earth closest to the Sun? -
✔✔December
The Earth is 5 million km closer to the Sun at the closest part of its orbit, as compared to the
farthest. Express this as a percent change. Tip: Round the numbers so the calculation is
easier. - ✔✔About 3%
Consider the following discussion between two students about the cause of the seasons.
(This is question #5 in the workbook.)
Student 1: I know that it's hotter in the summer and colder in the winer, so Earth must be
closer to the Sun in the summer than in the winter.
Student 2: I disagree. Although the distance between Earth and the Sun does change
throughout the year, I don't believe that the seasons and changes in Earth's surface
temperature are caused the the distance between the Sun and Earth. If the seasons were
due to the Sun-Earth distance, then both hemispheres of Earth would have the same
seasons at the same time.Which student(s) is/are correct, if either? - ✔✔Only Student 2 is
correct
Look at the diagram at the top of the second page of the worksheet, showing that a location
on Earth in the hemisphere tipped toward the Sun is technically somewhat closer to the Sun
than a location in the hemisphere tipped away from the Sun. How much closer? Estimate by
eyeballing on the diagram. Consider that the diameter of Earth is about 12,000 km. - ✔✔a
few thousand km closer, which is about 3,000km / 150,000,000km = .00002 = .002% closer
Historical records show that Chinese astronomers on Earth observed a supernova (an
exploding star) in 1054 AD. We now know that the distance to that supernova was (is) 6500
light years away. Therefore, the supernova actually occurred in the year... - ✔✔5446 BC
Proxima Centauri is a nearby star. Due to lookback time, we see it as it was 4.2 years in the
past. How far away is Proxima Centauri? Choose all correct answers. - ✔✔-(the speed of
light) x (4.2 years)
-4.2 Light Years
The top speed of the X-15 airplane -- the fastest piloted airplane on Earth -- was 7200 km/h,
or 2 km/s. (ref: to an external site.) If we could send this airplane to visit the Sun and back, a
round trip distance of 300 million km, how long would it take to make the trip? (Assume it
goes straight there and back without losing any time turning around. Also assume it could
fly outside Earth's atmosphere.) Express your answer in years.
Shortcut: there are 30 million seconds in a year. - ✔✔5 Years
If you walk 2.5 miles to class and it takes you 50 minutes, what is your average speed in
miles per hour (mph)? - ✔✔3 MPH
Refer to the figure below. Where in their sky would the observer look to see the star
indicated by the unlabeled vertical down-pointing arrow? - ✔✔High in the SouthEast
Refer to the Figure in the previous question. Match the cardinal directions (N, S, E, W) with
the direction they are for the observer in the picture. "Left" and "Right" mean toward the
left and right sides of the page as YOU are looking at it. All directions (up, down, left, right)
are in the plane of the page except "into page" and "out of page". - ✔✔-North (Left)
-South (Right)
-East (Into Page)
-West (Out of page)
Two students are having the following discussion regarding at what position(s) Star B rises
and sets (if any), from the figure above: (this is question 8 from the in-class worksheet
"Position" from your workbook)
,Student 1: Locations B1 and B3 are on my horizon because they are rising and setting just
like A1 and A3.
Student 2: Figure 1 shows that Star B is as low as it will get when it is just above the
northern horizon at B4. So Star B never goes below the horizon.Which student is correct, if
either? - ✔✔Only Student 2 is correct
Imagine you are standing in the Northern hemisphere, like the observer in the figure below.
Looking directly North, you see a star just above the horizon. Which star at which position
could it be?(Make sure you are referring to the figure below, and not the figure above,
which has the star positions numbered differently.) - ✔✔-Star B
-Position 3
Below is an examples of a "star trails" picture. What actually causes the stars to make these
streaks, or "trails" on the photographs? - ✔✔The Earth slowly rotates on its axis
How long was the exposure to make the star trails photograph in the previous question? -
✔✔About 2 hours
In the star trails photo above, assume that the camera was pointed directly up toward
zenith. What can you conclude about the latitude on Earth where the photo was taken? -
✔✔North or South Pole
Moon Phases - ✔✔new, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full, waning gibbous,
third quarter, waning crescent, new
becoming fuller, or appearing to grow bigger or more in extent - ✔✔waxing
becoming less full, diminishing, or appearing to become less in extent - ✔✔waning
a bulging shape; more than half full; humpbacked - ✔✔gibbous
a thin curved sliver shape; less than half full - ✔✔crescent
, these phases all have the white part appearing on the LEFT* side - ✔✔waning
these phases all have the white part appearing on the RIGHT* side (mnemonic "white on the
right") - ✔✔waxing
When left lights up is it waxing or waning? - ✔✔waning
When right lights up is it waxing or waning? - ✔✔waxing
Look at the table at the top of pg. 59. During what month is the Earth closest to the Sun? -
✔✔December
The Earth is 5 million km closer to the Sun at the closest part of its orbit, as compared to the
farthest. Express this as a percent change. Tip: Round the numbers so the calculation is
easier. - ✔✔About 3%
Consider the following discussion between two students about the cause of the seasons.
(This is question #5 in the workbook.)
Student 1: I know that it's hotter in the summer and colder in the winer, so Earth must be
closer to the Sun in the summer than in the winter.
Student 2: I disagree. Although the distance between Earth and the Sun does change
throughout the year, I don't believe that the seasons and changes in Earth's surface
temperature are caused the the distance between the Sun and Earth. If the seasons were
due to the Sun-Earth distance, then both hemispheres of Earth would have the same
seasons at the same time.Which student(s) is/are correct, if either? - ✔✔Only Student 2 is
correct
Look at the diagram at the top of the second page of the worksheet, showing that a location
on Earth in the hemisphere tipped toward the Sun is technically somewhat closer to the Sun
than a location in the hemisphere tipped away from the Sun. How much closer? Estimate by
eyeballing on the diagram. Consider that the diameter of Earth is about 12,000 km. - ✔✔a
few thousand km closer, which is about 3,000km / 150,000,000km = .00002 = .002% closer
