ASTRO 1 PSU EXAM 4 2024-2025 QUESTIONS
WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
If a planet is seeing its Moon in the New Phase right now, in what phase would the
planet
appear to be when viewed from its Moon?
a) Third Quarter Planet
b) Full Planet
c) New Planet
d) You can't see the planet from its Moon
e) First Quarter Planet - CORRECT ANSWER B
What is the reason for the seasons on Earth?
a) Earth is cloest to the Sun in July, farthest from the Sun in January
b) Earth is tilted with respect to the Sun by about 23.5 degrees
c) Earth orbits the Sun more slowly in winter, faster in summer
d) Earth rotates more slowly in winter, faster in summer
e) Earth's Moon blocks more sunlight from reaching Earth in winter than in summer -
CORRECT ANSWER B
As compared to a cool star, a hotter star emits:
a) shorter wavelength, lower frequency, redder color
b) shorter wavelength, higher frequency, redder color
c) shorter wavelength, lower frequency, bluer color
d) shorter wavelength, higher frequency, bluer color
,ASTRO 1 PSU EXAM 4 2024-2025 QUESTIONS
WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
e) longer wavelength, higher frequency, bluer color - CORRECT ANSWER D
At approximately what time does the third quarter Moon rise?
a) 9pm
b) 6pm
c) noon
d) 6am
e) midnight - CORRECT ANSWER E
The electrons in a cloud of hydrogen gas are making the transition from excited states to
the ground state. What does the spectrum of this cloud of gas look like?
a) It will be completely black at all wavelengths.
b) It will be bright at every wavelength, giving off some radio waves, some visible light,
and X-rays.
c) It will consist of a few bright emission lines at very specific wavelengths.
d) It will be bright at most colors, but with some dark absorption lines at very specific
wavelengths.
e) It will be identical to the spectrum of the Sun. - CORRECT ANSWER C
If Earth had its orbit changed so that at all points along its orbit it was always the same
distance from the Sun (circular orbit), how would this affect the seasons on Earth?
a) longer than they are now.
,ASTRO 1 PSU EXAM 4 2024-2025 QUESTIONS
WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
b) reversed in order (winter, fall, summer, spring).
c) the same as they are now.
d) there would no longer be seasons.
e) shorter than they are now. - CORRECT ANSWER C
I detect a star giving off more ultraviolet light than green light. What property of the
star can I estimate with this information?
a) Its chemical composition
b) Its temperature
c) Its density
d) Its age
e) Its distance from Earth - CORRECT ANSWER B
What do you expect the spectrum of an object that is 1,000,000 Kelvin to be like?
a) It should give off less total light than the Sun.
b) It should peak at violet wavelengths.
c) It should peak at X-ray wavelengths.
d) It should give off about 10 times more total light than the Sun.
e) It should peak at radio wavelengths. - CORRECT ANSWER C
What time of year is it dark all day (and night) at the South pole?
a) never
, ASTRO 1 PSU EXAM 4 2024-2025 QUESTIONS
WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
b) June
c) December
d) September
e) March - CORRECT ANSWER B
A planet with its rotation axis tilted by 40 degrees relative to its orbital plane around
its star would:
a) have dark all the time on the South pole during its winter
b) have shorter days and nights than those of Earth
c) have longer years than those of Earth
d) have longer days and nights than those of Earth
e) have dark all the time on the North pole during its summer - CORRECT ANSWER
A
The planets are seen in the Zodiac constellations because:
a) they reach the zenith at noon during the fall equinox
b) they orbit the Earth just like the Sun does
c) they orbit the Sun in the same plane as the Earth does
d) they reach the meridian at noon during the summer solstice
e) they reach the zenith at noon during the summer solstice - CORRECT ANSWER C
What makes a transition from a higher energy state to a lower energy state when a
WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
If a planet is seeing its Moon in the New Phase right now, in what phase would the
planet
appear to be when viewed from its Moon?
a) Third Quarter Planet
b) Full Planet
c) New Planet
d) You can't see the planet from its Moon
e) First Quarter Planet - CORRECT ANSWER B
What is the reason for the seasons on Earth?
a) Earth is cloest to the Sun in July, farthest from the Sun in January
b) Earth is tilted with respect to the Sun by about 23.5 degrees
c) Earth orbits the Sun more slowly in winter, faster in summer
d) Earth rotates more slowly in winter, faster in summer
e) Earth's Moon blocks more sunlight from reaching Earth in winter than in summer -
CORRECT ANSWER B
As compared to a cool star, a hotter star emits:
a) shorter wavelength, lower frequency, redder color
b) shorter wavelength, higher frequency, redder color
c) shorter wavelength, lower frequency, bluer color
d) shorter wavelength, higher frequency, bluer color
,ASTRO 1 PSU EXAM 4 2024-2025 QUESTIONS
WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
e) longer wavelength, higher frequency, bluer color - CORRECT ANSWER D
At approximately what time does the third quarter Moon rise?
a) 9pm
b) 6pm
c) noon
d) 6am
e) midnight - CORRECT ANSWER E
The electrons in a cloud of hydrogen gas are making the transition from excited states to
the ground state. What does the spectrum of this cloud of gas look like?
a) It will be completely black at all wavelengths.
b) It will be bright at every wavelength, giving off some radio waves, some visible light,
and X-rays.
c) It will consist of a few bright emission lines at very specific wavelengths.
d) It will be bright at most colors, but with some dark absorption lines at very specific
wavelengths.
e) It will be identical to the spectrum of the Sun. - CORRECT ANSWER C
If Earth had its orbit changed so that at all points along its orbit it was always the same
distance from the Sun (circular orbit), how would this affect the seasons on Earth?
a) longer than they are now.
,ASTRO 1 PSU EXAM 4 2024-2025 QUESTIONS
WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
b) reversed in order (winter, fall, summer, spring).
c) the same as they are now.
d) there would no longer be seasons.
e) shorter than they are now. - CORRECT ANSWER C
I detect a star giving off more ultraviolet light than green light. What property of the
star can I estimate with this information?
a) Its chemical composition
b) Its temperature
c) Its density
d) Its age
e) Its distance from Earth - CORRECT ANSWER B
What do you expect the spectrum of an object that is 1,000,000 Kelvin to be like?
a) It should give off less total light than the Sun.
b) It should peak at violet wavelengths.
c) It should peak at X-ray wavelengths.
d) It should give off about 10 times more total light than the Sun.
e) It should peak at radio wavelengths. - CORRECT ANSWER C
What time of year is it dark all day (and night) at the South pole?
a) never
, ASTRO 1 PSU EXAM 4 2024-2025 QUESTIONS
WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
b) June
c) December
d) September
e) March - CORRECT ANSWER B
A planet with its rotation axis tilted by 40 degrees relative to its orbital plane around
its star would:
a) have dark all the time on the South pole during its winter
b) have shorter days and nights than those of Earth
c) have longer years than those of Earth
d) have longer days and nights than those of Earth
e) have dark all the time on the North pole during its summer - CORRECT ANSWER
A
The planets are seen in the Zodiac constellations because:
a) they reach the zenith at noon during the fall equinox
b) they orbit the Earth just like the Sun does
c) they orbit the Sun in the same plane as the Earth does
d) they reach the meridian at noon during the summer solstice
e) they reach the zenith at noon during the summer solstice - CORRECT ANSWER C
What makes a transition from a higher energy state to a lower energy state when a
