PHYS 1160 INTRODUCTION TO ASTRONOMY
EXAMINATION TEST 2026 QUESTIONS WITH
ANSWERS GRADED A+
◉ Keck Telescope. Answer: The largest optical telescope in Hawaii: 10
m aperture
◉ Tools of astronomy. Answer: Telescope
Spacecraft
Computers
Internet
Labs
◉ How far back does the study of astronomy go?. Answer:
Mesopotomia (Iraq) and the Sumerians developed first form of writing
sometime before 3000 BC. Studied the motions of celestial bodies and
developed sexagesimal (base 60) system of numbers
◉ Beginnings of astronomy as a SCIENCE. Answer: Developed in
Greece by philosophers. One of the earliest scientists were Pythagoras
, ◉ Geocentric model. Answer: A representation of the universe in which
starts and planets revolve around Earth (sun, moon and planets). Early
model proposed by Eudoxus, pupil of Plato.
◉ The only comprehensive work on ancient astronomy to be preserved
til today. Answer: Almagest by Ptolemy
◉ What does Almagest contain. Answer: - Catalogue of stars
- Model of planetary motions based on geocentric model
- Tables predicting the positions of the Sun, Moon and Planets which at
that time were the best available.
◉ The Ptolemaic System. Answer: Ptolemy's model of the universe with
the Earth at the center.
The Ptolemaic system required the use of epicycles. An epicycle is a
small circle that carried the planet, with the centre of the epicycle itself
moving around the Earth on larger circle called the deferent.
◉ Mars in retrograde. Answer: This is the fact that there are times when
Mars appears to move backwards relative to the stars compared with the
normal east to west motion seen most of the time.
EXAMINATION TEST 2026 QUESTIONS WITH
ANSWERS GRADED A+
◉ Keck Telescope. Answer: The largest optical telescope in Hawaii: 10
m aperture
◉ Tools of astronomy. Answer: Telescope
Spacecraft
Computers
Internet
Labs
◉ How far back does the study of astronomy go?. Answer:
Mesopotomia (Iraq) and the Sumerians developed first form of writing
sometime before 3000 BC. Studied the motions of celestial bodies and
developed sexagesimal (base 60) system of numbers
◉ Beginnings of astronomy as a SCIENCE. Answer: Developed in
Greece by philosophers. One of the earliest scientists were Pythagoras
, ◉ Geocentric model. Answer: A representation of the universe in which
starts and planets revolve around Earth (sun, moon and planets). Early
model proposed by Eudoxus, pupil of Plato.
◉ The only comprehensive work on ancient astronomy to be preserved
til today. Answer: Almagest by Ptolemy
◉ What does Almagest contain. Answer: - Catalogue of stars
- Model of planetary motions based on geocentric model
- Tables predicting the positions of the Sun, Moon and Planets which at
that time were the best available.
◉ The Ptolemaic System. Answer: Ptolemy's model of the universe with
the Earth at the center.
The Ptolemaic system required the use of epicycles. An epicycle is a
small circle that carried the planet, with the centre of the epicycle itself
moving around the Earth on larger circle called the deferent.
◉ Mars in retrograde. Answer: This is the fact that there are times when
Mars appears to move backwards relative to the stars compared with the
normal east to west motion seen most of the time.
