©Jason McConnel 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Mastering Astronomy Exam Questions With
Correct Answers A+
Before we can use parallax to measure the distance to a nearby star, we first need to know
__________. - Answer✔the Earth-Sun distance
Which of the following is a valid way of demonstrating parallax for yourself? - Answer✔Hold
up your hand in front of your face, and alternately close your left and right eyes
What is the cause of stellar parallax? - Answer✔Earth's orbit around the Sun.
The more distant a star, the __________. - Answer✔smaller its parallax angle
Approximately what is the parallax angle of a star that is 20 light-years away? - Answer✔0.16
arcsecond
Suppose that a star had a parallax angle of exactly 1 arcsecond. Approximately how far away
would it be, in light-years? - Answer✔3.3 light-years
The shadow cast by a simple stick or obelisk allowed ancient people to - Answer✔tell the time of
day
Why wasn't the Sun-centered model of Copernicus immediately adopted after he proposed it? -
Answer✔it was not noticeably more accurate than the old Ptolemaic model
An original observation of Galileo's that helped to overturn the ancient Earth-centered model was
- Answer✔the phases of Venus
Which of the following are the three key hallmarks of science? - Answer✔1. Modern science
seeks explanations for observed phenomena that rely solely on natural causes.
2. Models must make testable predictions that will force us to revise or abandon the model if
they do not agree with observations.
3. Science progresses through the creation and testing of models of nature that explain the
observations as simply as possible.
Based on the video, which Venus phase would be impossible to see (from Earth) if Venus
orbited Earth as described in Ptolemy's Earth-centered model? - Answer✔gibbous (nearly full)
1|Page
, ©Jason McConnel 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Which of the following can you observe about Venus with the naked eye? Select all that apply. -
Answer✔1. Venus sometimes shines brightly in the western sky shortly after sunset
2. Venus sometimes shines brightly in the eastern sky shortly before dawn
In Ptolemy's Earth-centered model, when would Venus appear directly behind the Sun as viewed
from Earth? - Answer✔never
As you learned in the video, Galileo's observations of Venus in gibbous (nearly full) phase
showed conclusively that Venus orbits the Sun, not Earth. Which figure shows Venus's position
when Galileo saw it in gibbous phase? - Answer✔C
(venus is on the upper left portion of the sun)
As a giant cloud of gas collapses due to gravity, you would expect its rate of rotation to -
Answer✔increase
Which of the following represents a change from potential energy to kinetic energy? -
Answer✔A rock starting from rest on a high cliff, then moving faster and faster as it falls.
Suppose two objects are attracting each other gravitationally. If you double the distance between
them, the strength of their gravitational attraction __________. - Answer✔decreases by a factor
of 4
Which of the following are allowed orbital paths under gravity? - Answer✔1. hyperbolic
2. elliptical
3. parabolic
___ generates energy deep in its core through the fusion of hydrogen into helium - Answer✔The
Sun
has an axis tilt that gives it very extreme seasons. - Answer✔Uranus
has a famous storm known as the Great Red Spot. - Answer✔Jupiter
is similar in size to Pluto and also considered a dwarf planet. - Answer✔Eris
has a greater difference in temperature between its day and night sides than any other world. -
Answer✔Mercury
has a large moon, Triton, that almost certainly once orbited the Sun independently. -
Answer✔Neptune
was studied up close in 2015 by the New Horizons spacecraft. - Answer✔Pluto
has a single moon that is surprisingly large compared to its planet. - Answer✔Earth
is orbited by at least two geologically active moons: Titan and Enceladus. - Answer✔Saturn
2|Page
Mastering Astronomy Exam Questions With
Correct Answers A+
Before we can use parallax to measure the distance to a nearby star, we first need to know
__________. - Answer✔the Earth-Sun distance
Which of the following is a valid way of demonstrating parallax for yourself? - Answer✔Hold
up your hand in front of your face, and alternately close your left and right eyes
What is the cause of stellar parallax? - Answer✔Earth's orbit around the Sun.
The more distant a star, the __________. - Answer✔smaller its parallax angle
Approximately what is the parallax angle of a star that is 20 light-years away? - Answer✔0.16
arcsecond
Suppose that a star had a parallax angle of exactly 1 arcsecond. Approximately how far away
would it be, in light-years? - Answer✔3.3 light-years
The shadow cast by a simple stick or obelisk allowed ancient people to - Answer✔tell the time of
day
Why wasn't the Sun-centered model of Copernicus immediately adopted after he proposed it? -
Answer✔it was not noticeably more accurate than the old Ptolemaic model
An original observation of Galileo's that helped to overturn the ancient Earth-centered model was
- Answer✔the phases of Venus
Which of the following are the three key hallmarks of science? - Answer✔1. Modern science
seeks explanations for observed phenomena that rely solely on natural causes.
2. Models must make testable predictions that will force us to revise or abandon the model if
they do not agree with observations.
3. Science progresses through the creation and testing of models of nature that explain the
observations as simply as possible.
Based on the video, which Venus phase would be impossible to see (from Earth) if Venus
orbited Earth as described in Ptolemy's Earth-centered model? - Answer✔gibbous (nearly full)
1|Page
, ©Jason McConnel 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Which of the following can you observe about Venus with the naked eye? Select all that apply. -
Answer✔1. Venus sometimes shines brightly in the western sky shortly after sunset
2. Venus sometimes shines brightly in the eastern sky shortly before dawn
In Ptolemy's Earth-centered model, when would Venus appear directly behind the Sun as viewed
from Earth? - Answer✔never
As you learned in the video, Galileo's observations of Venus in gibbous (nearly full) phase
showed conclusively that Venus orbits the Sun, not Earth. Which figure shows Venus's position
when Galileo saw it in gibbous phase? - Answer✔C
(venus is on the upper left portion of the sun)
As a giant cloud of gas collapses due to gravity, you would expect its rate of rotation to -
Answer✔increase
Which of the following represents a change from potential energy to kinetic energy? -
Answer✔A rock starting from rest on a high cliff, then moving faster and faster as it falls.
Suppose two objects are attracting each other gravitationally. If you double the distance between
them, the strength of their gravitational attraction __________. - Answer✔decreases by a factor
of 4
Which of the following are allowed orbital paths under gravity? - Answer✔1. hyperbolic
2. elliptical
3. parabolic
___ generates energy deep in its core through the fusion of hydrogen into helium - Answer✔The
Sun
has an axis tilt that gives it very extreme seasons. - Answer✔Uranus
has a famous storm known as the Great Red Spot. - Answer✔Jupiter
is similar in size to Pluto and also considered a dwarf planet. - Answer✔Eris
has a greater difference in temperature between its day and night sides than any other world. -
Answer✔Mercury
has a large moon, Triton, that almost certainly once orbited the Sun independently. -
Answer✔Neptune
was studied up close in 2015 by the New Horizons spacecraft. - Answer✔Pluto
has a single moon that is surprisingly large compared to its planet. - Answer✔Earth
is orbited by at least two geologically active moons: Titan and Enceladus. - Answer✔Saturn
2|Page
