ASTRONOMY 101 FINAL EXAM (ANSWERED)
150 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
2025/2026.
At approx. what time would a full moon be on your meridian?
A) 6 P.M.
B) noon
C) 6 A.M.
D) Midnight
E) 9 A.M.
Midnight
In the Northern Hemisphere, the day that the Sun is up the longest in the sky is on the June solstice
A) true
B) false
True
Copernicus was the first person to suggest a Sun-centered solar system.
A) true
B) false
False
Why is it summer in the Northern Hemisphere is closer to the Sun than the Souther Hemisphere?
A) the northern hemisphere is tilted away from the sun and receives more indirect sunlight
B) due to earth's tilt, the northern hemisphere is closer to the sun than the Southern Hemisphere
C) the northern hemisphere is tilted toward the sun and receives more direct sunlight
D) it isn't; both hemispheres have the same seasons at the same time. summer comes where earth is
nearest the sun
the northern hemisphere is tilted toward the sun and receives more direct sunlight
During the period each year when we see Mars undergoing apparent retrograde motion in our sky,
what is really going on in space?
A) mars is moving around the sun in the opposite direction from which earth is moving around the
sun
B) earth and mars are getting getting closer
C) earth is catching up with and passing by mars in their respective orbits
D) earth and mars are on opposite sides of the sun
earth is catching up with and passing by mars in their respective orbits
From Kepler's Second Law: Planetary orbits, when drawn with a line connecting the planet to the
sun, show that this line sweeps out equal areas in equal times, no matter where the planet is in its
orbit, we may conclude that...
A) planets move slower when they are closer to the sun
B) planets have circular orbits
,C) planets have elliptical orbits
D) planets move faster when they are closer to the sun
planets move faster when they are closer to the sun
Which of the following statements about lunar phases is true?
A) the time between new moons is two weeks
B) only one quarter of the first-quarter moon is illuminated by the Sun
C) the full moon sometimes rises around midnight
D) it is possible to have two full moons during January, but not during February
E) it is possible to have two full moons during November, but not December
it is possible to have two full moons during January, but not during February
By locating the north celestial pole in the sky, how can you determine your latitude?
A) the altitude of the NCP is the same as your distance from the North Pole
B) the direction of the NCP is the angular distance from the North Pole
C) the altitude of the NCP is the same as your latitude
D) the direction of the NCP is the same as your latitude
E) the altitude of the NCP is your angular distance from the North Pole
the altitude of the NCP is the same as your latitude
If the moon is setting at 6 A.M., the phase of the Moon must be
A) third quarter
B) waning crescent
C) new
D) first
E) full
full
One light-year is the distance light travels in one year. The speed of light is about 300,000 km/s
(3x10^5 km/s). How far is 1 light-year?
A) 1.8x10^7 km
B) 9.46x10^12 km
C) 3x10^5 km
D) 1.08x10^9
9.46x10^12 km
The universe is defined as
A) all material, space, and energy that exist: everything
B) all the objects we can see and the space between
C) all the stars and galaxies that we can see with telescopes
D) the entire milky way galaxy
all material, space, and energy that exist: everything
The moon rises in the east and sets in the west
A) earth rotates once each day
B) earth revolves around the sun each year
, C) the direction of earth's axis in space precesses with a period of 26,000 years
D) the universe is expanding
earth rotates once each day
Planets show retrograde motion
A) earth rotates once each day
B) earth revolves around the sun each year
C) the direction of earth's axis in space precesses with a period of 26,000 years
D) the universe is expanding
earth revolves around the sun each year
In the year A.D. 15,000, Vega will be a better "North Star" than Polaris
A) earth rotates once each day
B) earth revolves around the sun each year
C) the direction of earth's axis in space precesses with a period of 26,000 years
D) the universe is expanding
the direction of earth's axis in space precesses with a period of 26,000 years
The stars of Orion's Belt rise in the east and set in the west
A) earth rotates once each day
B) earth revolves around the sun each year
C) the direction of earth's axis in space precesses with a period of 26,000 years
D) the universe is expanding
earth rotates once each day
The Greeks rejected the notion that the Earth orbits the Sun. Why?
A) they were not as smart as we are
B) they could not measure how big the earth was
C) they could not measure a change in stars' positions on the sky
D) they believed that the sun is a God
they could not measure a change in stars' positions on the sky
The number of official constellations is
A) 88
B) 123
C) 205
D) 56
88
The stars are present in the local sky during the daytime. We just can't see them.
A) true
B) false
true
The great contribution of Tycho Brahe was to
A) offer the first detailed model of a sun-centered solar system, thereby beginning the process of
overturning the earth-centered model of the Greeks
150 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
2025/2026.
At approx. what time would a full moon be on your meridian?
A) 6 P.M.
B) noon
C) 6 A.M.
D) Midnight
E) 9 A.M.
Midnight
In the Northern Hemisphere, the day that the Sun is up the longest in the sky is on the June solstice
A) true
B) false
True
Copernicus was the first person to suggest a Sun-centered solar system.
A) true
B) false
False
Why is it summer in the Northern Hemisphere is closer to the Sun than the Souther Hemisphere?
A) the northern hemisphere is tilted away from the sun and receives more indirect sunlight
B) due to earth's tilt, the northern hemisphere is closer to the sun than the Southern Hemisphere
C) the northern hemisphere is tilted toward the sun and receives more direct sunlight
D) it isn't; both hemispheres have the same seasons at the same time. summer comes where earth is
nearest the sun
the northern hemisphere is tilted toward the sun and receives more direct sunlight
During the period each year when we see Mars undergoing apparent retrograde motion in our sky,
what is really going on in space?
A) mars is moving around the sun in the opposite direction from which earth is moving around the
sun
B) earth and mars are getting getting closer
C) earth is catching up with and passing by mars in their respective orbits
D) earth and mars are on opposite sides of the sun
earth is catching up with and passing by mars in their respective orbits
From Kepler's Second Law: Planetary orbits, when drawn with a line connecting the planet to the
sun, show that this line sweeps out equal areas in equal times, no matter where the planet is in its
orbit, we may conclude that...
A) planets move slower when they are closer to the sun
B) planets have circular orbits
,C) planets have elliptical orbits
D) planets move faster when they are closer to the sun
planets move faster when they are closer to the sun
Which of the following statements about lunar phases is true?
A) the time between new moons is two weeks
B) only one quarter of the first-quarter moon is illuminated by the Sun
C) the full moon sometimes rises around midnight
D) it is possible to have two full moons during January, but not during February
E) it is possible to have two full moons during November, but not December
it is possible to have two full moons during January, but not during February
By locating the north celestial pole in the sky, how can you determine your latitude?
A) the altitude of the NCP is the same as your distance from the North Pole
B) the direction of the NCP is the angular distance from the North Pole
C) the altitude of the NCP is the same as your latitude
D) the direction of the NCP is the same as your latitude
E) the altitude of the NCP is your angular distance from the North Pole
the altitude of the NCP is the same as your latitude
If the moon is setting at 6 A.M., the phase of the Moon must be
A) third quarter
B) waning crescent
C) new
D) first
E) full
full
One light-year is the distance light travels in one year. The speed of light is about 300,000 km/s
(3x10^5 km/s). How far is 1 light-year?
A) 1.8x10^7 km
B) 9.46x10^12 km
C) 3x10^5 km
D) 1.08x10^9
9.46x10^12 km
The universe is defined as
A) all material, space, and energy that exist: everything
B) all the objects we can see and the space between
C) all the stars and galaxies that we can see with telescopes
D) the entire milky way galaxy
all material, space, and energy that exist: everything
The moon rises in the east and sets in the west
A) earth rotates once each day
B) earth revolves around the sun each year
, C) the direction of earth's axis in space precesses with a period of 26,000 years
D) the universe is expanding
earth rotates once each day
Planets show retrograde motion
A) earth rotates once each day
B) earth revolves around the sun each year
C) the direction of earth's axis in space precesses with a period of 26,000 years
D) the universe is expanding
earth revolves around the sun each year
In the year A.D. 15,000, Vega will be a better "North Star" than Polaris
A) earth rotates once each day
B) earth revolves around the sun each year
C) the direction of earth's axis in space precesses with a period of 26,000 years
D) the universe is expanding
the direction of earth's axis in space precesses with a period of 26,000 years
The stars of Orion's Belt rise in the east and set in the west
A) earth rotates once each day
B) earth revolves around the sun each year
C) the direction of earth's axis in space precesses with a period of 26,000 years
D) the universe is expanding
earth rotates once each day
The Greeks rejected the notion that the Earth orbits the Sun. Why?
A) they were not as smart as we are
B) they could not measure how big the earth was
C) they could not measure a change in stars' positions on the sky
D) they believed that the sun is a God
they could not measure a change in stars' positions on the sky
The number of official constellations is
A) 88
B) 123
C) 205
D) 56
88
The stars are present in the local sky during the daytime. We just can't see them.
A) true
B) false
true
The great contribution of Tycho Brahe was to
A) offer the first detailed model of a sun-centered solar system, thereby beginning the process of
overturning the earth-centered model of the Greeks
