AST 101 - MIDTERM 1 EXAM QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS
LATEST UPDATE 2026
Rotation of the Earth - Answers west to east (counterclockwise as viewed from NCP)
Rise of sun and stars - Answers from east and set in west
Ecliptic plane - Answers earth's orbital path
Earth's axis tilt - Answers 23 1/2 degrees from the line perpendicular to ecliptic plane
Axis tilt is pointed at? - Answers Polaris
Earth orbits the sun - Answers counterclockwise
Patterns in constellations seem to be fixed because.. - Answers stars are so far away
Constellation - Answers region in the sky with well defined patterns
Zodiacal constellations - Answers the constellations that the ecliptic crosses
Apparent retrograde motion - Answers over many days or weeks, the planet moves
westward relative to the stars, rather than the usual eastward relative to the stars
Celestial Sphere - Answers a model of the sky; earth seems to be in the center
Local Sky - Answers appears like a dome because we only see half in the celestial
sphere
Horizon - Answers boundary between earth and sky
Zenith - Answers point directly overhead
Meridian - Answers imaginary half circle stretching from the horizon due south,
through zenith, to your horizon due north
Azimuth - Answers direction along horizon; degrees clockwise from North
On the north pole, your straight line is the same as.. - Answers the celestial equator
The big dipper is _____ from the North Pole - Answers visible
On the Northern Hemisphere, the altitude of the north celestial pole equals.. -
Answers your latitude
Circumpolar - Answers stars that are visible in the local sky on any clear night of the
year, at any time of the night, and always remains above your horizon
Latitude - Answers North and south; 0 degrees at equator
Longitude - Answers east and west
Latitude affects location of horizon and zenith relative to celestial sphere.. - Answers
affects constellations we see; sky varies with latitude
Same latitude = - Answers same set of constellations
LATEST UPDATE 2026
Rotation of the Earth - Answers west to east (counterclockwise as viewed from NCP)
Rise of sun and stars - Answers from east and set in west
Ecliptic plane - Answers earth's orbital path
Earth's axis tilt - Answers 23 1/2 degrees from the line perpendicular to ecliptic plane
Axis tilt is pointed at? - Answers Polaris
Earth orbits the sun - Answers counterclockwise
Patterns in constellations seem to be fixed because.. - Answers stars are so far away
Constellation - Answers region in the sky with well defined patterns
Zodiacal constellations - Answers the constellations that the ecliptic crosses
Apparent retrograde motion - Answers over many days or weeks, the planet moves
westward relative to the stars, rather than the usual eastward relative to the stars
Celestial Sphere - Answers a model of the sky; earth seems to be in the center
Local Sky - Answers appears like a dome because we only see half in the celestial
sphere
Horizon - Answers boundary between earth and sky
Zenith - Answers point directly overhead
Meridian - Answers imaginary half circle stretching from the horizon due south,
through zenith, to your horizon due north
Azimuth - Answers direction along horizon; degrees clockwise from North
On the north pole, your straight line is the same as.. - Answers the celestial equator
The big dipper is _____ from the North Pole - Answers visible
On the Northern Hemisphere, the altitude of the north celestial pole equals.. -
Answers your latitude
Circumpolar - Answers stars that are visible in the local sky on any clear night of the
year, at any time of the night, and always remains above your horizon
Latitude - Answers North and south; 0 degrees at equator
Longitude - Answers east and west
Latitude affects location of horizon and zenith relative to celestial sphere.. - Answers
affects constellations we see; sky varies with latitude
Same latitude = - Answers same set of constellations
