Astro 1 PSU Final Exam Prep Test Bank Latest 2025
With 150 Exam Practice Questions And Correct
Verified Answers/ PSU Astro 1 Exam Prep Questions
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Why do we see the Moon appear to go through phases as seen from Earth?
A. The Moon reflects "Earthshine", so it depends on how much light from the Earth is hitting the
Moon
B. As the Moon rotates, it presents a different phase to us over the course of its "day".
C. Depending on where the Moon is along its orbit, we see different amounts of its illuminated side
D. The Earth's shadow blocks out part of the Moon from time to time - ANSWER-C. Depending on
where the Moon is along its orbit, we see different amounts of its illuminated side
The Zodiac constellations are
A. directly above the North Pole and South Pole
B. distributed fairly evenly over the northern portion of the celestial sphere
C. aligned with the Earth's orbit around the Sun
D. distributed fairly evenly over the entire celestial sphere
E. directly above the Earth's equator - ANSWER-C. aligned with the Earth's orbit around the Sun
If Earth was compressed so that its radius was 4 times smaller, but the mass stayed the same, the
force of gravity felt at its surface would be...
A. 2 times weaker
B. 2 times stronger
C. 4 times weaker
D. 4 times stronger
E. 16 times weaker
F. 16 times stronger - ANSWER-E. 16 times weaker
The season during which we see a constellation at night changes over time because of the
,A. Earth's orbit around the Sun
B. precession of Earth's spin axis
C. Earth's spin
D. tilt of the Earth's spin axis relative to the Earth's orbit
E. the elliptical shape of the Earth's orbit - ANSWER-B. precession of Earth's spin axis
Which of the following are true? Select all that apply.
A. If Earth is moving through space, stars should exhibit parallax motion
B. Aristotle detected parallax motion of stars
C. Planets exhibit parallax motion, but it is too small to see with the naked eye
D. Aristotle believed in the geocentric model of the solar system - ANSWER-A. If Earth is moving
through space, stars should exhibit parallax motion
D. Aristotle believed in the geocentric model of the solar system
If the time is midnight and Mars is in opposition, where is Mars in the sky?
A. on the horizon and rising
B. on the horizon and setting
C. on the meridian
D. beneath you
E. Mars can never appear in opposition - ANSWER-C. on the meridian
Earth experiences seasons because
A. the Earth's spin axis is tilted relative to the Earth's orbit
B. the Earth's spin axis is precessing
C. the Earth's orbit is slightly elliptical, so the Earth's distance from the Sun changes during the year
D. during winter and summer, one hemisphere is closer to the Sun than the other one - ANSWER-
A. the Earth's spin axis is tilted relative to the Earth's orbit
Which of these statements about planetary orbits in our solar system is true? Select all that apply.
A. The planets are found close to the Zodiac constellations
B. The planets move in elliptical orbits with the Sun at the center of the ellipse
,C. A planet moves slowest at the point in its orbit that is closest to the Sun
D. Inferior planets take more time to orbit the Sun than superior planets
E. Planets always travel west to east relative to the stars - ANSWER-A. The planets are found close
to the Zodiac constellations
In State College, we can see Orion at night during the winter, but we don't see it at night during the
summer. This is because of the
A. Earth's orbit around the Sun
B. tilt of the Earth's spin axis relative to the Earth's orbit
C. Earth's spin
D. motion of the constellations through space
E. precession of the Earth's spin axis - ANSWER-A. Earth's orbit around the Sun
Which of the following did Galileo observe with his telescope? Select all that apply.
A. craters and mountains on Mercury
B. phases of Venus
C. retrograde motion
D. rings of Neptune
E. moons of Jupiter
F. sunspots - ANSWER-B. phases of Venus
E. moons of Jupiter
F. sunspots
Which of the following statements are true? Select all that apply.
A. If no force acts on a moving object, it will eventually slow down and come to a stop
B. There is no gravity in space
C. For every force, there is an equal and opposite force
D. While in space, an astronaut's mass is the same as their mass while on Earth
E. F = m / a - ANSWER-C. For every force, there is an equal and opposite force
D. While in space, an astronaut's mass is the same as their mass while on Earth
, Objects A and B feel an attractive force due to gravity. A has a smaller mass than B. Which one
experiences a greater acceleration?
A. object A
B. object B
C. The same acceleration is experienced by both objects - ANSWER-A. object A
Among the following, who was the first to propose the heliocentric model for the solar system?
A. Copernicus
B. Galileo
C. Aristotle
D. Ptolemy
E. Kepler
F. Tycho Brahe - ANSWER-A. Copernicus
Which of these is not experiencing weightlessness?
A. a planet orbiting a star
B. an astronaut standing on the Moon
C. a person sky diving
D. an astronaut orbiting Earth - ANSWER-B. an astronaut standing on the Moon
What kind of spectrum does the Sun produce? - ANSWER-Absorption line
If the masses of both Earth and the Moon became twice as large, the force of gravity experienced by
each would
A. remain unchanged
B. increase by a factor of 2
C. increase by a factor of 4
D. increase by a factor of 8
E. increase by a factor of 16 - ANSWER-C. increase by a factor of 4
The side of the Moon that is currently facing away from us
With 150 Exam Practice Questions And Correct
Verified Answers/ PSU Astro 1 Exam Prep Questions
Bank/ Astronomy
Why do we see the Moon appear to go through phases as seen from Earth?
A. The Moon reflects "Earthshine", so it depends on how much light from the Earth is hitting the
Moon
B. As the Moon rotates, it presents a different phase to us over the course of its "day".
C. Depending on where the Moon is along its orbit, we see different amounts of its illuminated side
D. The Earth's shadow blocks out part of the Moon from time to time - ANSWER-C. Depending on
where the Moon is along its orbit, we see different amounts of its illuminated side
The Zodiac constellations are
A. directly above the North Pole and South Pole
B. distributed fairly evenly over the northern portion of the celestial sphere
C. aligned with the Earth's orbit around the Sun
D. distributed fairly evenly over the entire celestial sphere
E. directly above the Earth's equator - ANSWER-C. aligned with the Earth's orbit around the Sun
If Earth was compressed so that its radius was 4 times smaller, but the mass stayed the same, the
force of gravity felt at its surface would be...
A. 2 times weaker
B. 2 times stronger
C. 4 times weaker
D. 4 times stronger
E. 16 times weaker
F. 16 times stronger - ANSWER-E. 16 times weaker
The season during which we see a constellation at night changes over time because of the
,A. Earth's orbit around the Sun
B. precession of Earth's spin axis
C. Earth's spin
D. tilt of the Earth's spin axis relative to the Earth's orbit
E. the elliptical shape of the Earth's orbit - ANSWER-B. precession of Earth's spin axis
Which of the following are true? Select all that apply.
A. If Earth is moving through space, stars should exhibit parallax motion
B. Aristotle detected parallax motion of stars
C. Planets exhibit parallax motion, but it is too small to see with the naked eye
D. Aristotle believed in the geocentric model of the solar system - ANSWER-A. If Earth is moving
through space, stars should exhibit parallax motion
D. Aristotle believed in the geocentric model of the solar system
If the time is midnight and Mars is in opposition, where is Mars in the sky?
A. on the horizon and rising
B. on the horizon and setting
C. on the meridian
D. beneath you
E. Mars can never appear in opposition - ANSWER-C. on the meridian
Earth experiences seasons because
A. the Earth's spin axis is tilted relative to the Earth's orbit
B. the Earth's spin axis is precessing
C. the Earth's orbit is slightly elliptical, so the Earth's distance from the Sun changes during the year
D. during winter and summer, one hemisphere is closer to the Sun than the other one - ANSWER-
A. the Earth's spin axis is tilted relative to the Earth's orbit
Which of these statements about planetary orbits in our solar system is true? Select all that apply.
A. The planets are found close to the Zodiac constellations
B. The planets move in elliptical orbits with the Sun at the center of the ellipse
,C. A planet moves slowest at the point in its orbit that is closest to the Sun
D. Inferior planets take more time to orbit the Sun than superior planets
E. Planets always travel west to east relative to the stars - ANSWER-A. The planets are found close
to the Zodiac constellations
In State College, we can see Orion at night during the winter, but we don't see it at night during the
summer. This is because of the
A. Earth's orbit around the Sun
B. tilt of the Earth's spin axis relative to the Earth's orbit
C. Earth's spin
D. motion of the constellations through space
E. precession of the Earth's spin axis - ANSWER-A. Earth's orbit around the Sun
Which of the following did Galileo observe with his telescope? Select all that apply.
A. craters and mountains on Mercury
B. phases of Venus
C. retrograde motion
D. rings of Neptune
E. moons of Jupiter
F. sunspots - ANSWER-B. phases of Venus
E. moons of Jupiter
F. sunspots
Which of the following statements are true? Select all that apply.
A. If no force acts on a moving object, it will eventually slow down and come to a stop
B. There is no gravity in space
C. For every force, there is an equal and opposite force
D. While in space, an astronaut's mass is the same as their mass while on Earth
E. F = m / a - ANSWER-C. For every force, there is an equal and opposite force
D. While in space, an astronaut's mass is the same as their mass while on Earth
, Objects A and B feel an attractive force due to gravity. A has a smaller mass than B. Which one
experiences a greater acceleration?
A. object A
B. object B
C. The same acceleration is experienced by both objects - ANSWER-A. object A
Among the following, who was the first to propose the heliocentric model for the solar system?
A. Copernicus
B. Galileo
C. Aristotle
D. Ptolemy
E. Kepler
F. Tycho Brahe - ANSWER-A. Copernicus
Which of these is not experiencing weightlessness?
A. a planet orbiting a star
B. an astronaut standing on the Moon
C. a person sky diving
D. an astronaut orbiting Earth - ANSWER-B. an astronaut standing on the Moon
What kind of spectrum does the Sun produce? - ANSWER-Absorption line
If the masses of both Earth and the Moon became twice as large, the force of gravity experienced by
each would
A. remain unchanged
B. increase by a factor of 2
C. increase by a factor of 4
D. increase by a factor of 8
E. increase by a factor of 16 - ANSWER-C. increase by a factor of 4
The side of the Moon that is currently facing away from us
