,Chapter 0 Charting the Heavens: The Foundations of Astronomy
1) Right ascension in the sky is very similar to latitude on the Earth.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.1
2) Latitude and right ascension are coordinate systems used to find objects on the celestial
sphere.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.1
3) The celestial sphere is divided into 88 modern constellations.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.1
4) In the sky, declination is measured in degrees north or south of the celestial equator.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.1
5) The south celestial pole is located at a declination of -90 degrees.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.1
6) In general, the brightest star in a given constellation is designated as alpha.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.1
7) Constellations are close clusters of stars, all at about the same distance from the Sun.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.1
8) The closest terrestrial analog to hours of right ascension is angle of longitude.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 0.1
,9) Over 20,000 stars are visible to the naked eye on the darkest, clearest nights.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 0.1
10) A star with a right ascension of 2.6 hrs will rise 2.6 hours after the vernal equinox.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 3
Section Ref.: More Prec. 0.1
11) A tropical year is the same as a sidereal year.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.2
12) The sidereal day is determined by the Earth's rotation with respect to the stars.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.2
13) The vernal equinox marks the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.2
14) There are 3,600 arc seconds in a degree.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: More Prec. 0.1
15) An hour of right ascension corresponds to 60 degrees in the sky.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 0.2
16) From Earth, the Sun and Moon have about the same angular diameter.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.2
17) At the solstices, the Sun's declination will be 23.5 degrees from the equator.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 0.2
, 18) At the equinoxes, the declination of the Sun must be zero degrees.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 0.2
19) As it orbits the Earth, the Moon appears to move its own diameter (0.5 degrees) eastward
every hour against the background stars.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 3
Section Ref.: 0.3
20) From full moon to third quarter moon takes about a week.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.3
21) Only people in the Moon's umbral shadow can see a total solar eclipse.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.3
22) If we are the Moon's penumbra, then we will see a partial lunar eclipse.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.3
23) There is a solar eclipse of some kind every new moon.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.3
24) Eighteen days past new moon, the Moon's phase is waning gibbous.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 0.3
25) A total solar eclipse will only occur when the new moon is both on the ecliptic and at its
greatest distance from Earth.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 0.3
26) The larger the parallax shift, the closer an object is to us.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.4
27) The parallax shift for all stars is very small.
1) Right ascension in the sky is very similar to latitude on the Earth.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.1
2) Latitude and right ascension are coordinate systems used to find objects on the celestial
sphere.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.1
3) The celestial sphere is divided into 88 modern constellations.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.1
4) In the sky, declination is measured in degrees north or south of the celestial equator.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.1
5) The south celestial pole is located at a declination of -90 degrees.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.1
6) In general, the brightest star in a given constellation is designated as alpha.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.1
7) Constellations are close clusters of stars, all at about the same distance from the Sun.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.1
8) The closest terrestrial analog to hours of right ascension is angle of longitude.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 0.1
,9) Over 20,000 stars are visible to the naked eye on the darkest, clearest nights.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 0.1
10) A star with a right ascension of 2.6 hrs will rise 2.6 hours after the vernal equinox.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 3
Section Ref.: More Prec. 0.1
11) A tropical year is the same as a sidereal year.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.2
12) The sidereal day is determined by the Earth's rotation with respect to the stars.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.2
13) The vernal equinox marks the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.2
14) There are 3,600 arc seconds in a degree.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: More Prec. 0.1
15) An hour of right ascension corresponds to 60 degrees in the sky.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 0.2
16) From Earth, the Sun and Moon have about the same angular diameter.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.2
17) At the solstices, the Sun's declination will be 23.5 degrees from the equator.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 0.2
, 18) At the equinoxes, the declination of the Sun must be zero degrees.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 0.2
19) As it orbits the Earth, the Moon appears to move its own diameter (0.5 degrees) eastward
every hour against the background stars.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 3
Section Ref.: 0.3
20) From full moon to third quarter moon takes about a week.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.3
21) Only people in the Moon's umbral shadow can see a total solar eclipse.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.3
22) If we are the Moon's penumbra, then we will see a partial lunar eclipse.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.3
23) There is a solar eclipse of some kind every new moon.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.3
24) Eighteen days past new moon, the Moon's phase is waning gibbous.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 0.3
25) A total solar eclipse will only occur when the new moon is both on the ecliptic and at its
greatest distance from Earth.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 0.3
26) The larger the parallax shift, the closer an object is to us.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.4
27) The parallax shift for all stars is very small.