ASTRO 2ND EDITION SHOHINI GHOSE - Test Bank

1. 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. the dividing line between the north and south celestial hemispheres ANSWER: a 2. How many official constellations are there? a. 98 b. 88 c. 13 d. 55 ANSWER: b 3. 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 ANSWER: a 4. 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. ANSWER: d 5. 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 ANSWER: a 6. What languages do the standard constellation names come from? a. Greek and Latin b. Latin and Arabic c. Greek and Arabic d. Arabic and Sanskrit ANSWER: a 7. 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. ANSWER: b 8. What language is the source of most star names, such as Aldebaran and Betelgeuse? a. Latin b. Greek c. Arabic d. Italian ANSWER: c 9. 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. ANSWER: c 10. 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. ANSWER: c 11. 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 intensity of a celestial object. c. It is no longer used today. d. It was used to determine the rate of precession. ANSWER: b 12. 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 ANSWER: d 13. What kind of letters are used to identify stars in a constellation? a. Arabic letters b. Italic letters c. Latin letters d. Greek letters ANSWER: d 14. 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. ANSWER: a 15. What is the purpose of the magnitude scale? a. It measures the apparent location of celestial objects in the sky. b. It measures the apparent size of a celestial object. c. It measures the apparent brightness of a celestial object. d. It measures the apparent speed of a celestial object. ANSWER: c Magnitude Table 2-1 Star Name Apparent Visual Magnitude δ Dra 3.07 α Cet 2.53 Nim 8.07 α CMa −1.46 16. 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: d 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 ANSWER: c 18. What causes the precession of the Earth’s rotation axis? a. the force of gravity from the Sun and Moon on the Earth's equatorial bulge b. the force of gravity from the Sun and Jupiter on the Earth–Moon system c. the magnetic field of the Earth d. the impacts of asteroids ANSWER: a 19. 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: c 20. 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 ANSWER: c 21. Which of the following is equivalent to one-3,600th of a degree? a. precession b. second of arc c. minute of arc d. angular diameter ANSWER: b 22. 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 ANSWER: c 23. 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 ANSWER: a 24. 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 ANSWER: b 25. 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 ANSWER: b 26. 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 ANSWER: a 27. 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 ANSWER: c 28. 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 ANSWER: d 29. 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. ANSWER: c 30. 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 ANSWER: c 31. 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 ANSWER: c 32. 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 ANSWER: b 33. 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° ANSWER: d 34. 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° ANSWER: c 35. 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° ANSWER: b 36. 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° ANSWER: a 37. 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° ANSWER: c 38. 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° ANSWER: b 39. If the north celestial pole appears on your horizon, what is your latitude? a. 0° b. 45° N c. 90° N d. 90° S ANSWER: a 40. What is the approximate latitude of the observer in the diagram? a. 50° N b. 50° S c. 90° N d. 90° S ANSWER: a 41. What is the approximate latitude of the observer in the diagram? a. 20° N b. 20° S c. 70° N d. 0° ANSWER: b 42. 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 ANSWER: b 43. 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 ANSWER: c 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 ANSWER: a 45. 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 ANSWER: c 46. 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 ANSWER: a 47. 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 ANSWER: d 48. 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. ANSWER: d 49. 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 ANSWER: a 50. How far, and in what direction, does the Sun appear to move on the celestial sphere per day? a. about one degree westward b. about one degree eastward c. about 360 degrees westward d. about 360 degrees eastward ANSWER: b 51. 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 ANSWER: d 52. 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 ANSWER: b 53. 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 ANSWER: c 54. 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 ANSWER: a 55. Through the year, the Sun moves eastward among the stars following a line called the a. equator b. horizon c. ecliptic d. zenith ANSWER: c 56. In Brazil, in what month does the longest period of daylight occur? a. March b. June c. September d. December ANSWER: d 57. 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 ANSWER: a 58. 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. ANSWER: a 59. 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. ANSWER: d 60. 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 ANSWER: a 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 ANSWER: b 62. 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 ANSWER: c 63. 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 ANSWER: d 64. 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 ANSWER: b 65. 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 ANSWER: b Horizon 1 66. 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. ANSWER: a Horizon 2 67. 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. ANSWER: b Horizon 3 68. 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. ANSWER: b Horizon 4 69. 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. ANSWER: c Horizon 5 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 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. ANSWER: d 71. 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. ANSWER: c 72. 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° ANSWER: c 73. 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 ANSWER: c 74. 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 only visible just before sunrise or just after sunset. ANSWER: d 75. 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 ANSWER: b 76. 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 ANSWER: d 77. 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 ANSWER: b 78. When does the first quarter Moon rise? a. at about noon b. at sunset c. at sunrise d. at about midnight ANSWER: a 79. 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° ANSWER: b 80. What is the term for the Moon when it is visible above the western horizon a couple of hours before sunrise? a. the waning gibbous Moon b. the waxing gibbous Moon c. the waxing crescent Moon d. the waning crescent Moon ANSWER: a 81. What is the term for the Moon when it is visible above the eastern horizon a couple of hours before sunrise? a. the waning gibbous Moon b. the waxing gibbous Moon c. the waxing crescent Moon d. the waning crescent Moon ANSWER: d 82. When and where is a waxing crescent Moon visible? a. near the eastern horizon just before sunrise b. near the eastern horizon just after sunset c. near the western horizon just before sunrise d. near the western horizon just after sunset ANSWER: d 83. When and where is a third quarter Moon visible? a. near the eastern horizon just after sunset b. in the southern sky at sunrise c. in the southern sky at sunset d. from sunset until sunrise ANSWER: b 84. If someone on Earth observes the Moon in the third quarter phase, what phase would someone on the Moon facing Earth observe Earth in? a. the full Earth phase b. the third quarter Earth phase c. the first quarter Earth phase d. the new Earth phase ANSWER: c 85. If the Moon is setting at 6 a.m., what phase must the Moon be in? a. full b. new c. third quarter d. first quarter ANSWER: a 86. When and where is a first quarter Moon visible? a. near the eastern horizon just after sunset b. in the southern sky at sunrise c. in the southern sky at sunset d. from sunset until sunrise ANSWER: c 87. If the Moon is setting at noon, what phase must the Moon be in? a. first quarter b. new c. third quarter d. waxing crescent ANSWER: c 88. When does the full Moon occur? a. on the 15th of every month b. when the Moon is at right angles to the direction of the Sun c. when the Moon is closer to Sun than the Earth is d. when the Moon is directly opposite the position of the Sun ANSWER: d 89. In which direction does the daily motion of the Moon occur in the sky, against the background stars, when viewed from the Earth? a. toward the west b. toward the east c. toward the north celestial pole in the summer and the south celestial pole in the winter d. No predictable pattern can be discerned. ANSWER: b 90. What is the term for a solar eclipse in which the Moon's umbra reaches the Earth's surface? a. a total solar eclipse b. a partial solar eclipse c. a penumbral solar eclipse d. an umbral solar eclipse ANSWER: a 91. When does a solar or lunar eclipse occur? a. when the Sun is near the plane of the Moon’s orbit, and the Moon is new or full b. any time the Moon is new or full c. halfway through an eclipse year d. when the Sun is near the equinox and the Moon is new or full ANSWER: a 92. What is the term for a solar eclipse in which the Moon's umbra does not reach the Earth's surface? a. a partial solar eclipse b. an annular solar eclipse c. a penumbral solar eclipse d. an umbral solar eclipse ANSWER: b 93. What is the term for a lunar eclipse in which the Moon moves completely into the Earth’s umbral shadow? a. a partial lunar eclipse b. an annular eclipse c. a penumbral lunar eclipse d. a total lunar eclipse ANSWER: d 94. How does the Moon’s appearance change during a total lunar eclipse? a. The Moon goes from new to full. b. The Moon disappears. c. The Moon turns a dark red colour. d. The Moon’s far side is visible. ANSWER: c 95. Which of the following is 18 years and 11-1/3 days long? a. sidereal period b. synodic period c. eclipse season d. Saros cycle ANSWER: d 96. What is the Saros cycle? a. the pattern of repetition of solar and lunar eclipses b. the time between annular eclipses at a particular location c. the number of full Moons in a year d. the pattern of events that happen in a single eclipse ANSWER: a 97. Why does a totally eclipsed Moon glow coppery red? a. Only red light can pass through the Earth’s shadow and reach the Moon. b. During a lunar eclipse the Moon reflects only red light from the Sun. c. During a lunar eclipse the Sun is cooler than normal, so its light is redder. d. Only red light is able to pass completely through the Earth's atmosphere and reach the Moon. ANSWER: d 98. The Moon’s umbral shadow usually does not produce a total solar eclipse. Why not? a. shadow is too bright b. shadow is too faint c. shadow is too long d. shadow is too short ANSWER: d 99. Where is a total lunar eclipse visible? a. It is visible only from the path of totality. b. It is visible only to observers who can see the new Moon. c. It is visible to all observers on the side of the Earth facing the Moon. d. It is visible only from the Earth’s equator. ANSWER: c 100. When do total lunar eclipses always occur? a. at the time of new Moon b. at the time of full Moon c. during either equinox d. during either solstice ANSWER: b 101. If the Moon’s orbital plane was aligned with the celestial equator, when would eclipses occur? a. every month b. never c. only at solstices d. only at the equinoxes ANSWER: d 102. Why doesn’t the Earth experience a solar eclipse every month? a. Unpredictable weather patterns obscure the Moon. b. The Moon always keeps its same side toward the Earth. c. The Moon’s orbit is not aligned with the Earth’s orbit. d. Sometimes the Moon is too far away. ANSWER: c 103. A total solar eclipse occurred in Brandon, Manitoba, on Feb. 26, 1979. At what other date was there (or will there be) the same eclipse visible at this location? a. March of 1979 b. August of 1979 c. January of 2000 d. March of 2033 ANSWER: d 104. During a total lunar eclipse, where is the Moon? a. in the solar umbra b. in the Earth’s umbra c. between the Earth and the Sun d. at its greatest distance from the Earth ANSWER: b 105. Which of the following describes a concept very similar to latitude? a. right ascension b. declination c. magnitude d. meridian ANSWER: b 106. For an observer at the North Pole, what is the angular distance between a star at a declination of +30° and the zenith? a. 30° b. 60° c. 90° d. 150° ANSWER: b 107. The star delta Cephei has a declination of about +58.5 degrees. Which observer will see it above their horizon for the longest fraction of one night? a. an observer in Valdivia, Chile, at a latitude of 39° S b. an observer in Windhoek, Namibia, at a latitude of 22.5° S c. an observer in Zacatecas, Mexico, at a latitude of 22.5° N d. an observer in Edmonton, Canada, at a latitude of 53.5° N ANSWER: d 108. The second is defined as a fixed interval of time, with no reference to astronomical timescales. If the Earth's period of rotation doubled, but its period of revolution stayed the same, what would happen? a. There would half as many seconds in the day. b. There would be twice as many seconds in the day. c. There would be half as many seconds in the year. d. There would be twice as many seconds in the year. ANSWER: b 109. Which of the following measures time relative to the stars? a. solar day b. sidereal day c. tropical year d. synodic month ANSWER: b 110. You want to observe the star Arcturus just as it crosses the meridian. If the meridian crossing happens at exactly 9:00 p.m. tonight, at what time will it occur 7 days from now, at the same location? a. 8:32 p.m. b. 9:00 p.m. c. 9:28 p.m. d. 6:00 a.m. ANSWER: a 111. Do the constellations visible in the sky at a particular time of night (say 9 p.m.) follow a seasonal pattern? a. No, the same constellations are visible at 9 p.m. on any clear night of the year. b. No. As the year progresses, the constellations visible at 9 p.m. are the same, but their shapes change. c. Yes, at 9 p.m. on a clear winter night, ALL of the constellations you can see are different from the ones that appear at the same time on a summer night. d. Yes, at 9 p.m. on a summer night, MOST of the constellations you can see are different from those you can see on a winter night. Some constellations are visible all year long. ANSWER: d 112. Why does the Gregorian calendar use leap years? a. because the tropical year is 365 days, 5 hours, and 49 minutes long b. because the sidereal year is 365 days, 6 hours, and 9 minutes long c. because the Earth’s axis is precessing d. because the Earth’s rotation is slowing down ANSWER: b 113. What is the term for the period of time it takes for the Moon to complete a cycle of the lunar phases that is approximately 29.5 days long? a. sidereal period of the Moon b. Saros cycle of the Moon c. synodic period of the Moon d. eclipse season of the Moon ANSWER: c 114. What is the sidereal period of the Moon? a. the period of time between one full Moon and the next b. the period of time for the Moon to orbit the Earth once with respect to the stars c. the period of time between successive eclipses at a given location on Earth d. the period of time from when the Moon rises until the Moon rises again the next night ANSWER: b 115. What is apparent solar time? a. the time between successive meridian crossings of a particular star b. time measured relative to successive meridian crossings of the Sun c. the period of time between successive solar eclipses at a given location on Earth d. time measured relative to sunrise and sunset ANSWER: b 116. During the month of June, the north celestial pole points towards Polaris; where does it point during the month of December? a. just south of Polaris b. towards the star Vega c. towards the star Thuban d. still towards Polaris ANSWER: d 117. Which of the following is a prominent constellation in the Canadian winter sky? a. Taurus b. Aquila c. Cygnus d. Virgo ANSWER: a 118. In what season is the constellation of Orion most visible in Canada? a. spring b. summer c. fall d. winter ANSWER: d 119. Which of the following constellations is visible year-round in most of Canada? a. Gemini b. Libra c. Orion d. Cassiopeia ANSWER: d 120. Why is the constellation Leo not visible all year from Canada? a. Leo is in the southern celestial hemisphere. b. Leo is on the ecliptic, so it is sometimes directly behind the Sun in the sky. c. Leo is on the celestial equator, so it is often directly behind the Moon in the sky. d. Leo has no stars visible to the unaided eye. ANSWER: b 121. In what two seasons does the Milky Way arc from east to west in the sky, as seen from Canada? a. winter and spring b. spring and summer c. summer and fall d. fall and winter ANSWER: d 122. ____________________ is a measure of the light energy that hits one square metre in one second. ANSWER: Flux 123. Star A has an apparent visual magnitude of 6.3 and star B has an apparent visual magnitude of 5.3. Star A is ____________________ than star B. ANSWER: fainter 124. The ____________________ is the point on the celestial sphere directly above an observer, regardless of where the observer is located on Earth. ANSWER: Zenith 125. The full Moon has an angular diameter of approximately ____________________ arc minutes for an observer located on the surface of the Earth. ANSWER: 30 (thirty) 126. The Earth's rotation axis ____________________ slowly so that in a few thousand years Polaris will no longer be the North Star. ANSWER: precesses 127. ______________ is the point in the Earth's orbit when the Earth is closest to the Sun. ANSWER: Perihelion 128. The planets ____________ and _____________ are never visible near the eastern horizon at sunset. ANSWER: Mercury, Venus OR Venus, Mercury 129. For a northern hemisphere observer, the _____________ ____________ Moon is visible in the south-eastern sky just after sunset. ANSWER: waxing gibbous 130. A(n) ____________________ eclipse occurs when the Moon is at its greatest distance from the Earth, and the Moon is new. ANSWER: annular 131. The ____________________ period of the Moon is the time required for one revolution of the Moon around the Earth with respect to the stars. ANSWER: sidereal 132. The constellations were created by the Greeks. a. True b. False ANSWER: False 133. A second magnitude star in Ursa Major is brighter than a fourth magnitude star in Orion. a. True b. False ANSWER: True 134. The Greek letter designation conveys information about a star's location and brightness. a. True b. False ANSWER: True 135. The celestial equator always passes directly overhead. a. True b. False ANSWER: False 136. The celestial equator always crosses the horizon at the east point and west point. a. True b. False ANSWER: True 137. Navigators can find their latitude in the northern hemisphere by measuring the angle from the northern horizon to the north celestial pole. a. True b. False ANSWER: True 138. A scientific model is a mental conception that provides a framework that helps us think about some aspect of nature. a. True b. False ANSWER: True 139. The constellation of Orion is currently visible in the evenings in January. Precession will not affect this, and 13,000 years from now Orion will still be visible in January. a. True b. False ANSWER: False 140. A third magnitude star is three times brighter than a first magnitude star. a. True b. False ANSWER: False 141. As the Earth rotates, circumpolar stars appear to move counterclockwise around the north celestial pole. a. True b. False ANSWER: True 142. The third quarter Moon rises at noon. a. True b. False ANSWER: False 143. During an annular eclipse of the Sun, the corona of the Sun is visible. a. True b. False ANSWER: False 144. A total solar eclipse will be visible from the same location on Earth one Saros cycle later. a. True b. False ANSWER: False 145. The path of totality for a solar eclipse is swept out by the tip of the Moon's umbra as the umbra moves over the Earth. a. True b. False ANSWER: True 146. A total lunar eclipse is visible only from the path of totality. a. True b. False ANSWER: False 147. If you were on the Moon during a total lunar eclipse, the Sun would be hidden behind the Earth. a. True b. False ANSWER: True 148. The totally eclipsed Moon glows coppery red because sunlight reaches the Moon's surface after passing through the Earth's atmosphere. a. True b. False ANSWER: True 149. An eclipse season is the interval during which the Sun crosses a node of the Moon's orbit. a. True b. False ANSWER: True 150. The umbra of the Moon's shadow is the region from which no part of the photosphere is visible. a. True b. False ANSWER: True 151. The Moon and visible planets are always within a few degrees of the ecliptic. a. True b. False ANSWER: True 152. Precession of the Earth's axis causes the date at which perihelion of the Earth's orbit occurs to slowly change. a. True b. False ANSWER: True 153. Polaris has always been the star nearest the north celestial pole. a. True b. False ANSWER: False 154. The seasons are caused by the precession of the Earth's axis. a. True b. False ANSWER: False 155. A lunar eclipse can only occur during the full phase of the Moon, i.e. when the Moon is full. a. True b. False ANSWER: True 156. Describe the path that a star on the celestial equator follows from the time it rises until it sets, a) for a person at a latitude of 60° North, and b) for a person at the equator. ANSWER: Answer not provided. 157. Describe the location of Polaris in the sky relative to the horizon as seen by observers in Yukon (lat. = 60° N), Texas (lat. = 33° N), Ecuador (lat. = 0°), and Australia (lat. = 30° S) ANSWER: Answer not provided. 158. What information does a star's Greek-letter designation convey? ANSWER: Answer not provided. 159. What advantage is there in referring to a star by its Greek-letter designation and constellation name rather using its traditional name? ANSWER: Answer not provided. 160. How are the celestial poles and equator defined by the Earth's rotation? ANSWER: Answer not provided. 161. How is a constellation different from an asterism? ANSWER: Answer not provided. 162. Why does the Moon glow coppery red during a total lunar eclipse? ANSWER: Answer not provided. 163. Why have more people seen total lunar eclipses than total solar eclipses? ANSWER: Answer not provided. 164. Why don't eclipses occur at every new Moon and full Moon? ANSWER: Answer not provided. 165. What would you see if you were on the Moon and facing the Earth when people on the Earth saw a total lunar eclipse? ANSWER: Answer not provided. 166. Why does one cycle of lunar phases take 29.53 days, even though the Moon orbits the Earth in 27.32 days? ANSWER: Answer not provided. 167. How do tidal forces affect the rotation of celestial bodies and their orbital motion? ANSWER: Answer not provided. 168. Why are penumbral eclipses less obvious than partial eclipses? ANSWER: Answer not provided. 169. Describe how a small change in the relative distance of the Earth from the Sun at perihelion could affect the formation of glaciers on Earth. ANSWER: Answer not provided. 170. Why isn't the winter solstice the coldest day of the year? ANSWER: Answer not provided. 171. Give two reasons why summer days are warmer than winter days. ANSWER: Answer not provided. 172. Why can neither Venus nor Mercury remain visible throughout the night as the full Moon does? ANSWER: Answer not provided. 173. What causes precession, and why does it move the celestial equator? ANSWER: Answer not provided. 174. Explain why people who live close to the equator do not experience major temperature changes in the seasons. ANSWER: Answer not provided. 175. The Earth is closest to the Sun during the month of January. Yet we do not experience our hottest weather in January. Explain why not. ANSWER: Answer not provided. 1. Why is scientific notation used in science? a. because it makes it easy to write very big or very small numbers b. because all astronomical distances are expressed in metric units c. because it makes conversions between units easy d. because it makes conversions between distances easy ANSWER: a 2. What is the approximate diameter of the Earth? a. 1 AU b. 13,000 light-years c. 13,000 kilometres d. 1,000,000 kilometres ANSWER: c 3. What is the average distance from Earth to the Sun? a. 1 ly b. 1 AU c. 1 million km d. 1 billion km ANSWER: b 4. Which one of the following statements best describes a planet? a. a non-luminous body b. an irregular shape c. a body that generates energy by nuclear fusion d. a body located at the centre of the Solar System ANSWER: a 5. Which one of the following statements best describes the Sun? a. generates energy by nuclear fusion b. located 10 AU from Earth c. orbiting the Solar System d. located in the centre of the Milky Way ANSWER: a 6. What does the Solar System contain? a. the Sun, its planets, and some smaller bodies b. the Sun, galaxies, planets, and stars c. the Sun, planets, moons, and stars d. the Sun, planets, asteroids, and galaxies ANSWER: a 7. Approximately how many times larger than the diameter of a typical planet (the Earth) is the diameter of a typical star (the Sun)? a. 10 times b. 100 times c. 1000 times d. 10,000 times ANSWER: b 8. How does the radius of the Moon’s orbit compare to the radius of the Earth? a. It is 0.6 times as large. b. It is 6 times as large. c. It is 60 times as large. d. It is 600 times as large. ANSWER: c 9. Which of the following is no longer considered a major planet? a. Mercury b. Uranus c. Pluto d. Saturn ANSWER: c 10. In the diagram, what is the diameter of Mercury? a. about 240 km b. about 2400 km c. about 24,000 km d. about 240,000 km ANSWER: b 11. If the distance from the Sun to the Earth is represented by roughly 15 metres, then what would the distance from the Earth to the Moon on the same scale be? a. about 30 metres b. about 10 metres c. about 1 metre d. smaller than the width of your hand ANSWER: d 12. Earth has a radius of about 6400 km, the Sun has a radius of about 7.0×105 km, and a rubber ball has a radius of 6.4 cm. If you were to construct a scale model of the Solar System using the rubber ball to represent Earth, what is the radius of a ball needed to represent the Sun in your model? a. 7.0 × 105 cm b. 7.0 cm c. 700 cm d. 70 cm ANSWER: c 13. How is a planet different from a star? a. Planets are larger than stars. b. Planets reflect light, while stars produce their own light. c. Stars move faster in the sky than planets. d. Planets are brighter than stars. ANSWER: b 14. Which of the following is the smallest? a. size of a typical planet b. 1 AU c. 1 light-year d. size of a typical galaxy ANSWER: a 15. Assume the size of the Sun is represented by a baseball (diameter about 7 cm). At this scale, the Earth is about 15 metres (150 million km or 8 light-minutes) away. How far away, to scale, would the nearest stars to the Sun be? Pick the closest answer. a. about the distance between Windsor and Toronto (about 400 km) b. about 100 metres away c. about the distance across Canada from Toronto to Vancouver (about 4300 km) d. about the distance across 50 football fields (50 x 100 m, or 5 km) ANSWER: c 16. In the diagram, what is the diameter of Jupiter? a. about 7.0 × 104 km b. about 7.0 × 105 km c. about 1.4 × 104 km d. about 1.4 × 105 km ANSWER: d 17. What is 5.7×107 the same as? a. 5.7 million b. 57 thousand c. 570 thousand d. 57 million ANSWER: d 18. What is 1.95 billion the same as? a. 1.95 × 1012 b. 1.95 × 109 c. 1.95 × 106 d. 1.95 × 105 ANSWER: b 19. How many centimetres are there in one kilometre? a. 100 b. 1,000 c. 10,000 d. 100,000 ANSWER: d 20. What is one thousandth of one metre? a. one kilometre b. one centimetre c. one millimetre d. one hectometre ANSWER: c 21. Which of the following has the distances arranged in order from smallest to largest? a. kilometre, light year, millimetre, Astronomical Unit b. Astronomical Unit, millimetre, light year, kilometre c. millimetre, kilometre, Astronomical Unit, light year d. light year, kilometre, Astronomical Unit, millimetre ANSWER: c 22. Which of the following has the distances arranged in order from largest to smallest? a. light year, Astronomical Unit, kilometre, millimetre b. Astronomical Unit, millimetre, light year, kilometre c. kilometre, millimetre, Astronomical Unit, light year d. light year, kilometre, Astronomical Unit, millimetre ANSWER: a 23. It takes light 1.3 seconds to travel from the Moon to Earth and 8 minutes for light to travel from the Sun to Earth. Which of the following statements is true? a. The Sun is 6.2 times farther from Earth than the Moon. b. The Sun is 10 times farther from Earth than the Moon. c. The Sun is 370 times farther from Earth than the Moon. d. The Sun is 0.10 times farther from Earth than the Moon. ANSWER: c 24. If light takes 8 minutes to travel from the Sun to Earth, and over 4 hours to travel from the Sun to the planet Neptune, what is the distance from the Sun to Neptune? a. 5 AU b. 30 AU c. 30 ly d. 5 ly ANSWER: b 25. How long does it take for light to travel from the Sun to Neptune? a. several seconds b. several minutes c. several hours d. several weeks ANSWER: c 26. The speed of light is 3.0×105 km/s, and it takes 1.3 seconds for light to travel from the Moon to Earth. Based on this information, what is the distance from the Earth to the Moon? a. 390,000 km b. 230,000 km c. 3.9 km d. 2.3 km ANSWER: a 27. Which sequence is correct when ordered by increasing size? a. Earth, Solar System, Milky Way Galaxy, clusters of galaxies b. Solar System, Earth, galaxy clusters, Milky Way Galaxy c. Earth, Milky Way Galaxy, Solar System, galaxy clusters d. galaxy clusters, Solar System, Milky Way Galaxy, Earth ANSWER: a 28. How does one light-year relate to Astronomical Units, roughly? a. 63,000 AU b. 10,000 AU c. 380,000 AU d. 1,400 AU ANSWER: a 29. What does a typical galaxy like our Milky Way galaxy contain? a. primarily planets b. gas only c. stars (some with planets), gas, and dust d. a single star and planets ANSWER: c 30. If the distance to a star is 450 light-years, what can we conclude about the star? a. The star is 450 million AU away. b. The star’s light takes 450 years to reach us. c. The star must have formed 450 billion years ago. d. The star must be very young. ANSWER: b 31. How long does it take for light to cross the Milky Way galaxy? a. about 8 minutes b. about 8 years c. about 80,000 years d. about 200 million years ANSWER: c 32. Which statement best describes the Milky Way Galaxy? a. It contains about 100 billion stars. b. It is about 400 light-years in diameter. c. It is the largest known object in the universe. d. It contains numerous clusters and superclusters. ANSWER: a 33. What is the name of the hazy band of light that circles our sky, produced by the glow of our galaxy? a. the Milky Way b. the Solar System c. a spiral arm d. Alpha Centauri ANSWER: a 34. If we say that an object is 1,000 light-years away, how does that affect how we see it? a. We see it as it looked 1,000 years ago. b. We see it as it would appear to our ancestors 1,000 years ago. c. We see it as it looked 1,000 light-years ago. d. We see it as it is right now, but it appears 1,000 times dimmer. ANSWER: a 35. What is the implication if the distance to the nearest star is 4.2 light-years? a. The star is 4.2 million AU away. b. The light we see left the star 4.2 years ago. c. The star must be very old. d. The star must be very young. ANSWER: b 36. Which statement best describes the Milky Way Galaxy? a. It is a spiral galaxy. b. It is comprised of several smaller galaxies. c. It is about 1,000 light-years in diameter. d. It is type of supercluster. ANSWER: a 37. What is the reason for compressing the history of the universe into a single year in the cosmic calendar? a. to compare astronomical timescales with human experience b. to emphasize how old the universe is c. to simplify calculations of ages of objects in the universe d. to express the distances of objects in light-years ANSWER: a 38. Using the cosmic calendar, where the Big Bang happened January 1, in what month did the Milky Way form? a. January b. March c. August d. December ANSWER: b 39. The name of the average distance from Earth to the Sun is one ____________________. ANSWER: Astronomical Unit 40. Light takes about 8 minutes to travel from the Sun to Earth and about 40 minutes to travel from the Sun to Jupiter. Jupiter is about ____________________ AU from the Sun. ANSWER: five (5) 41. The number 52,700,000,000 would be written in scientific notation as ____________________. ANSWER: 5.27 × 1010 42. A(n) ____________________ is the largest known structure in the universe. ANSWER: filament 43. A(n) ____________________ is the distance that light would travel in one year. ANSWER: light-year 44. A cluster of galaxy clusters is called a(n) ________________________. ANSWER: supercluster 45. Proxima Centauri is 4.2 ly away. That means that it takes light ________ years to travel from Proxima Centauri to the Earth. ANSWER: 4.2 46. The average distance from Earth to the Sun is 1 AU. a. True b. False ANSWER: True 47. The nearest star is 1 ly from the Solar System. a. True b. False ANSWER: False 48. A light-year is the distance that light travels in one year. a. True b. False ANSWER: True 49. A kilometre contains 1 million metres. a. True b. False ANSWER: False 50. The Sun is a star in the Milky Way Galaxy. a. True b. False ANSWER: True 51. The metric system is a decimal system. a. True b. False ANSWER: True 52. 3.49 × 107 km is the same as 3.49 × 104 m. a. True b. False ANSWER: False 53. The numbers 9.85 × 105 and 985,000 are equivalent. a. True b. False ANSWER: True 54. An astronomical unit is larger than a light-year. a. True b. False ANSWER: False 55. The Sun is located at the centre of the Milky Way. a. True b. False ANSWER: False 56. A supercluster refers to a large group of stars within the Milky Way. a. True b. False ANSWER: False 57. Explain the difference between a light-year and the orbital period of Earth. ANSWER: Answer not provided. 58. What is scientific notation? Explain. ANSWER: Answer not provided. 59. Why would the English system of units be more useful if a foot contained 10 inches? ANSWER: Answer not provided. 60. Why do we measure some distances in astronomy in light-years and some in astronomical units? ANSWER: Answer not provided. 61. From what you know about astronomical units and light-years, how would you define a light-minute? ANSWER: Answer not provided. 62. “I live 20 minutes from Centre City.” How is this statement similar to giving astronomical distances in light-years? ANSWER: Answer not provided. 63. Describe the difference between a solar system and a galaxy. ANSWER: Answer not provided. 64. Considering that the Sun is about 1/100 AU in diameter and a typical planet like Earth is 1/10,000 AU, discuss whether or not our Solar System is crowded or empty. ANSWER: Answer not provided. 65. Briefly describe the scientific method. ANSWER: No answer provided.