ISP 205 MSU WITH CORRECT ANSWERS
2026
What is our place in the universe? - correct answer Earth<Solar System<Milky Way Galaxy<Local
Group<Local Supercluster<Universe
Are we ever sitting still? - correct answer No
Earth orbits Sun: > 100,000 km/hr
Solar system moves among stars: ~ 70,000 km/hr
Milky Way rotates: ~ 800,000 km/hr
Milky Way moves
in Local Group
Universe
expands
,Light-Year - correct answer the DISTANCE light can travel in a year.
About 10 trillion km (6 trillion miles)
How can we know what the universe was like in the past? - correct answer Light travels at a finite
speed (300,000km/s)
Moon - 1 second (light travel time)
Sun - 8 minutes
Sirius - 8 years
Andromeda Galaxy - 2.5 million years.
We see objects as they were in the past: the farther away we look in distance, the further back we
look in time.
Zenith - correct answer The point
directly overhead
(altitude = 90 deg.)
Horizon - correct answer All points 90°
away from zenith
(altitude = 0 deg.)
Meridian - correct answer Line passing through zenith
and connecting N and
S points on the horizon
, Full circle = - correct answer 360 degrees
1º = - correct answer 60′ (arcminutes)
1′ = - correct answer 60″ (arcseconds)
Stars near the north celestial pole are? - correct answer circumpolar and
never set.
Can we see stars near the south celestial pole? - correct answer No. They never rise
All other stars (and Sun, Moon, planets) rise - correct answer in east and
set in west.
Celestial Sphere - correct answer the imaginary sphere that stars lie on when observed from earth.
stars are different distances in the sky. on earth we lack the depth perception in seeing this.
North Celestial Pole - correct answer point directly over earths north pole
South Celestial Sphere - correct answer point directly over earths south pole.
Celestial Equator - correct answer a projection of earths equator into space, makes a complete
circle around the celestial sphere
Ecliptic - correct answer the path the sun follows as it appears to circle the celestial sphere once
each year. it crosses the celestial equator at 23.5 angle, because that is the tilt of the earth.
2026
What is our place in the universe? - correct answer Earth<Solar System<Milky Way Galaxy<Local
Group<Local Supercluster<Universe
Are we ever sitting still? - correct answer No
Earth orbits Sun: > 100,000 km/hr
Solar system moves among stars: ~ 70,000 km/hr
Milky Way rotates: ~ 800,000 km/hr
Milky Way moves
in Local Group
Universe
expands
,Light-Year - correct answer the DISTANCE light can travel in a year.
About 10 trillion km (6 trillion miles)
How can we know what the universe was like in the past? - correct answer Light travels at a finite
speed (300,000km/s)
Moon - 1 second (light travel time)
Sun - 8 minutes
Sirius - 8 years
Andromeda Galaxy - 2.5 million years.
We see objects as they were in the past: the farther away we look in distance, the further back we
look in time.
Zenith - correct answer The point
directly overhead
(altitude = 90 deg.)
Horizon - correct answer All points 90°
away from zenith
(altitude = 0 deg.)
Meridian - correct answer Line passing through zenith
and connecting N and
S points on the horizon
, Full circle = - correct answer 360 degrees
1º = - correct answer 60′ (arcminutes)
1′ = - correct answer 60″ (arcseconds)
Stars near the north celestial pole are? - correct answer circumpolar and
never set.
Can we see stars near the south celestial pole? - correct answer No. They never rise
All other stars (and Sun, Moon, planets) rise - correct answer in east and
set in west.
Celestial Sphere - correct answer the imaginary sphere that stars lie on when observed from earth.
stars are different distances in the sky. on earth we lack the depth perception in seeing this.
North Celestial Pole - correct answer point directly over earths north pole
South Celestial Sphere - correct answer point directly over earths south pole.
Celestial Equator - correct answer a projection of earths equator into space, makes a complete
circle around the celestial sphere
Ecliptic - correct answer the path the sun follows as it appears to circle the celestial sphere once
each year. it crosses the celestial equator at 23.5 angle, because that is the tilt of the earth.
