ASTR-1023 EXAM 1 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED
ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) ALREADY GRADED A+
standard form Ans✓✓✓1300000
Scientific Notation Ans✓✓✓1.3x10^6
Why is light the cosmic speed limit? Ans✓✓✓Light is the fastest
possible speed and always travels at the same speed. 1 LY = 1 EY
Does the wavelength of light affect its travel speed? Ans✓✓✓no, light
always travels at the same speed unless affected by traveling through
different mediums. All electromagnetic waves travel at the same speed.
What is a Light Year? How long? Ans✓✓✓1 LY = 1 EY, the distance
light travels in one year
What is AU? Ans✓✓✓Astronomical Unit. This is the average Earth-Sun
distance and became a measuring standard (abt 150 million km)
Asterism Ans✓✓✓A group of stars inside of a constellation. Ex. the Big
Dipper (part of Ursa Major), Orions Belt (Part of Orion)
Constellation Ans✓✓✓A group of stars that form a pattern in the sky.
Ex. Orion, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor
, Age of the Universe Ans✓✓✓14 billion years
Age of our solar system Ans✓✓✓4.6 billion years
solar day Ans✓✓✓the time it takes for the Earth to rotate about its axis
so that the Sun appears in the same position in the sky (relative to sun),
24 hours
sidereal day Ans✓✓✓the time for one complete rotation of the earth
relative to a particular star, about 4 minutes shorter than a mean solar
day (relative to "fixed stars"), 23hrs 56min 4 sec
What causes the time difference between a solar day and a sidereal day?
Ans✓✓✓The Earth moving forward while it rotates on its axis
What is stellar parallax? Ans✓✓✓the apparent shift in an object's
position caused by the observers orbital motion around the Sun over the
course of the year
axial precession Ans✓✓✓The earth bulges at the equator due to the
gravitational pull of the Sun and moon. This pull causes the Earth
wobble like a top over time called precession. Eventually this will cause
Polaris' position to change in the sky, therefore theres a new "North
Star" every few centuries
ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) ALREADY GRADED A+
standard form Ans✓✓✓1300000
Scientific Notation Ans✓✓✓1.3x10^6
Why is light the cosmic speed limit? Ans✓✓✓Light is the fastest
possible speed and always travels at the same speed. 1 LY = 1 EY
Does the wavelength of light affect its travel speed? Ans✓✓✓no, light
always travels at the same speed unless affected by traveling through
different mediums. All electromagnetic waves travel at the same speed.
What is a Light Year? How long? Ans✓✓✓1 LY = 1 EY, the distance
light travels in one year
What is AU? Ans✓✓✓Astronomical Unit. This is the average Earth-Sun
distance and became a measuring standard (abt 150 million km)
Asterism Ans✓✓✓A group of stars inside of a constellation. Ex. the Big
Dipper (part of Ursa Major), Orions Belt (Part of Orion)
Constellation Ans✓✓✓A group of stars that form a pattern in the sky.
Ex. Orion, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor
, Age of the Universe Ans✓✓✓14 billion years
Age of our solar system Ans✓✓✓4.6 billion years
solar day Ans✓✓✓the time it takes for the Earth to rotate about its axis
so that the Sun appears in the same position in the sky (relative to sun),
24 hours
sidereal day Ans✓✓✓the time for one complete rotation of the earth
relative to a particular star, about 4 minutes shorter than a mean solar
day (relative to "fixed stars"), 23hrs 56min 4 sec
What causes the time difference between a solar day and a sidereal day?
Ans✓✓✓The Earth moving forward while it rotates on its axis
What is stellar parallax? Ans✓✓✓the apparent shift in an object's
position caused by the observers orbital motion around the Sun over the
course of the year
axial precession Ans✓✓✓The earth bulges at the equator due to the
gravitational pull of the Sun and moon. This pull causes the Earth
wobble like a top over time called precession. Eventually this will cause
Polaris' position to change in the sky, therefore theres a new "North
Star" every few centuries
