Frontiers in Astronomy Exam 1 UPDATED
ACTUAL Exam Questions and CORRECT
Answers
How old is the universe? - CORRECT ANSWER - Appears to be 13.8 billion years old
What are constellations? - CORRECT ANSWER - Simply pictures that ancient people
drew on the sky long ago as part of a religion or mythology
What is the Celestial Sphere? - CORRECT ANSWER - The stars (including the sun)
appear to spin around the earth around every 24 hours
This is an illusion-the earth is spinning around the stars and the stars stay fixed
What is a circumpolar star? Where are all the stars like this? - CORRECT ANSWER - Star
is one that never rises or sets
At the poles, all of the visible stars are circumpolar
What is the cause of daytime and nighttime? - CORRECT ANSWER - Consequence of a
star (our sun) "spinning around us" every 24 hours
The rotation of the earth makes the hemisphere with Ohio on it alternately face that sun and then
face away from the sun
What is the cause of the tides? - CORRECT ANSWER - Depends on the fact that gravity
gets weaker with distance
Moon pulls on earth, earth pulls on moon
What is the cause of the seasons? - CORRECT ANSWER - Two things:
1. The earth's axis of rotation is tilted relative to the orbital plane (23 degrees)
2. The earth rotates around the sun once per year
, Why do we see lunar phases? - CORRECT ANSWER - We usually see the moon at night
because the sun is so bright
The period of one lunar orbit is not exactly one month
Depends on what part we see and what part is lit up by the sun
What happens during an eclipse? - CORRECT ANSWER - The earth's shadow hits the
moon (lunar) or the moon's shadow hits the earth (solar)
What is retrograde motion? - CORRECT ANSWER - Planet goes through orbit and looks
like it goes backwards
Optical illusion
Different speeds of orbit causes this illusion (Ex. Mars has a slower orbit than Earth)
What is a light year? - CORRECT ANSWER - The distance light travels in one year
What is the geocentric model? - CORRECT ANSWER - Earth is at the center of the
universe
What is the heliocentric model? - CORRECT ANSWER - Sun is at the center of the
universe
Aristotle - CORRECT ANSWER - Sphere of the prime mover
Geocentric view
56 spheres - only perfect shape was a circle
Ptolemy - CORRECT ANSWER - Added more spheres; spheres on spheres
Also geocentric view
ACTUAL Exam Questions and CORRECT
Answers
How old is the universe? - CORRECT ANSWER - Appears to be 13.8 billion years old
What are constellations? - CORRECT ANSWER - Simply pictures that ancient people
drew on the sky long ago as part of a religion or mythology
What is the Celestial Sphere? - CORRECT ANSWER - The stars (including the sun)
appear to spin around the earth around every 24 hours
This is an illusion-the earth is spinning around the stars and the stars stay fixed
What is a circumpolar star? Where are all the stars like this? - CORRECT ANSWER - Star
is one that never rises or sets
At the poles, all of the visible stars are circumpolar
What is the cause of daytime and nighttime? - CORRECT ANSWER - Consequence of a
star (our sun) "spinning around us" every 24 hours
The rotation of the earth makes the hemisphere with Ohio on it alternately face that sun and then
face away from the sun
What is the cause of the tides? - CORRECT ANSWER - Depends on the fact that gravity
gets weaker with distance
Moon pulls on earth, earth pulls on moon
What is the cause of the seasons? - CORRECT ANSWER - Two things:
1. The earth's axis of rotation is tilted relative to the orbital plane (23 degrees)
2. The earth rotates around the sun once per year
, Why do we see lunar phases? - CORRECT ANSWER - We usually see the moon at night
because the sun is so bright
The period of one lunar orbit is not exactly one month
Depends on what part we see and what part is lit up by the sun
What happens during an eclipse? - CORRECT ANSWER - The earth's shadow hits the
moon (lunar) or the moon's shadow hits the earth (solar)
What is retrograde motion? - CORRECT ANSWER - Planet goes through orbit and looks
like it goes backwards
Optical illusion
Different speeds of orbit causes this illusion (Ex. Mars has a slower orbit than Earth)
What is a light year? - CORRECT ANSWER - The distance light travels in one year
What is the geocentric model? - CORRECT ANSWER - Earth is at the center of the
universe
What is the heliocentric model? - CORRECT ANSWER - Sun is at the center of the
universe
Aristotle - CORRECT ANSWER - Sphere of the prime mover
Geocentric view
56 spheres - only perfect shape was a circle
Ptolemy - CORRECT ANSWER - Added more spheres; spheres on spheres
Also geocentric view
