ESTUDY
ASTRO 1 PSU- FINAL EXAM UPDATED EXAM WITH MOST
TESTED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS | GRADED A+ |
ASSURED SUCCESS WITH DETAILED RATIONALES
1. **Why do we see the Moon go through phases from Earth?**
- A) The Moon reflects "Earthshine", so it depends on how much light from Earth is hitting the Moon.
- B) As the Moon rotates, it presents a different phase to us over the course of its "day".
- C) Depending on where the Moon is in its orbit, we see different amounts of its illuminated side.
- D) The Earth's shadow blocks out part of the Moon from time to time.
**Answer: C) Depending on where the Moon is in its orbit, we see different amounts of its illuminated
side.**
2. **The Zodiac constellations are:**
- A) Directly above the North Pole and South Pole.
- B) Distributed fairly evenly over the northern portion of the celestial sphere.
- C) Aligned with the Earth's orbit around the Sun.
- D) Distributed fairly evenly over the entire celestial sphere.
- E) Directly above the Earth's equator.
**Answer: C) Aligned with the Earth's orbit around the Sun.**
3. **In 13,000 years, will July occur during winter in the northern hemisphere?**
- True or False?
**Answer: False**
4. **Over a few hours, you see the Moon rising above the horizon. What causes this motion?**
,ESTUDY
- A) Moon's spin.
- B) Moon's orbit around Earth.
- C) Earth's spin.
- D) Earth's orbit around the Sun.
**Answer: C) Earth's spin.**
5. **Which of the following statements about eclipses are true? (Select all that apply.)**
- A) A total solar eclipse is visible from half of Earth.
- B) Lunar eclipses occur during the new Moon.
- C) Solar eclipses occur when the Moon is in opposition.
- D) Total solar eclipses occur roughly every 360 years for a given location on Earth.
- E) Only a small portion of the Sun can be covered by a solar eclipse.
**Answer: D) Total solar eclipses occur roughly every 360 years for a given location on Earth.**
6. **What did Aristotle use to explain why planets appear to move backward (then forward) in space?**
- A) Parallax as one planet passes by another.
- B) The motion of Earth around the Sun.
- C) A shooting star.
- D) Epicycles.
- E) Precession of Earth's spin axis.
**Answer: D) Epicycles.**
7. **If Earth was compressed to a radius 4 times smaller, but the mass stayed the same, the force of
gravity felt on its surface would be:**
- A) 2 times weaker.
- B) 2 times stronger.
,ESTUDY
- C) 4 times weaker.
- D) 4 times stronger.
- E) 16 times weaker.
- F) 16 times stronger.
**Answer: E) 16 times weaker.**
8. **The season during which we see a constellation at night changes over time because of the:**
- A) Earth's orbit around the Sun.
- B) Precession of Earth's spin axis.
- C) Earth's spin.
- D) Tilt of Earth's spin axis relative to its orbit.
- E) The elliptical shape of Earth's orbit.
**Answer: B) Precession of Earth's spin axis.**
9. **Which of the following are true? (Select all that apply.)**
- A) If Earth is moving through space, stars should exhibit parallax motion.
- B) Aristotle detected parallax motion of stars.
- C) Planets exhibit parallax motion, but it is too small to see with the naked eye.
- D) Aristotle believed in the geocentric model of the solar system.
**Answer: A) If Earth is moving through space, stars should exhibit parallax motion.**
**Answer: D) Aristotle believed in the geocentric model of the solar system.**
10. **If the time is midnight and Mars is in opposition, where is Mars in the sky?**
- A) On the horizon and rising.
- B) On the horizon and setting.
, ESTUDY
- C) On the meridian.
- D) Beneath you.
- E) Mars can never appear in opposition.
**Answer: C) On the meridian.**
11. **Earth experiences seasons because:**
- A) The Earth's spin axis is tilted relative to the Earth's orbit.
- B) The Earth's spin axis is precessing.
- C) The Earth's orbit is slightly elliptical, so its distance from the Sun changes during the year.
- D) During winter and summer, one hemisphere is closer to the Sun than the other one.
**Answer: A) The Earth's spin axis is tilted relative to the Earth's orbit.**
12. **Which of these statements about planetary orbits in our solar system is true? (Select all that
apply.)**
- A) The planets are found close to the Zodiac constellations.
- B) The planets move in elliptical orbits with the Sun at the center of the ellipse.
- C) A planet moves slowest at the point in its orbit that is closest to the Sun.
- D) Inferior planets take more time to orbit the Sun than superior planets.
- E) Planets always travel west to east relative to the stars.
**Answer: A) The planets are found close to the Zodiac constellations.**
13. **In State College, we can see Orion at night during the winter, but not in the summer. Why?**
- A) Earth's orbit around the Sun.
- B) Tilt of the Earth's spin axis relative to Earth's orbit.
- C) Earth's spin.
- D) Motion of the constellations through space.
ASTRO 1 PSU- FINAL EXAM UPDATED EXAM WITH MOST
TESTED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS | GRADED A+ |
ASSURED SUCCESS WITH DETAILED RATIONALES
1. **Why do we see the Moon go through phases from Earth?**
- A) The Moon reflects "Earthshine", so it depends on how much light from Earth is hitting the Moon.
- B) As the Moon rotates, it presents a different phase to us over the course of its "day".
- C) Depending on where the Moon is in its orbit, we see different amounts of its illuminated side.
- D) The Earth's shadow blocks out part of the Moon from time to time.
**Answer: C) Depending on where the Moon is in its orbit, we see different amounts of its illuminated
side.**
2. **The Zodiac constellations are:**
- A) Directly above the North Pole and South Pole.
- B) Distributed fairly evenly over the northern portion of the celestial sphere.
- C) Aligned with the Earth's orbit around the Sun.
- D) Distributed fairly evenly over the entire celestial sphere.
- E) Directly above the Earth's equator.
**Answer: C) Aligned with the Earth's orbit around the Sun.**
3. **In 13,000 years, will July occur during winter in the northern hemisphere?**
- True or False?
**Answer: False**
4. **Over a few hours, you see the Moon rising above the horizon. What causes this motion?**
,ESTUDY
- A) Moon's spin.
- B) Moon's orbit around Earth.
- C) Earth's spin.
- D) Earth's orbit around the Sun.
**Answer: C) Earth's spin.**
5. **Which of the following statements about eclipses are true? (Select all that apply.)**
- A) A total solar eclipse is visible from half of Earth.
- B) Lunar eclipses occur during the new Moon.
- C) Solar eclipses occur when the Moon is in opposition.
- D) Total solar eclipses occur roughly every 360 years for a given location on Earth.
- E) Only a small portion of the Sun can be covered by a solar eclipse.
**Answer: D) Total solar eclipses occur roughly every 360 years for a given location on Earth.**
6. **What did Aristotle use to explain why planets appear to move backward (then forward) in space?**
- A) Parallax as one planet passes by another.
- B) The motion of Earth around the Sun.
- C) A shooting star.
- D) Epicycles.
- E) Precession of Earth's spin axis.
**Answer: D) Epicycles.**
7. **If Earth was compressed to a radius 4 times smaller, but the mass stayed the same, the force of
gravity felt on its surface would be:**
- A) 2 times weaker.
- B) 2 times stronger.
,ESTUDY
- C) 4 times weaker.
- D) 4 times stronger.
- E) 16 times weaker.
- F) 16 times stronger.
**Answer: E) 16 times weaker.**
8. **The season during which we see a constellation at night changes over time because of the:**
- A) Earth's orbit around the Sun.
- B) Precession of Earth's spin axis.
- C) Earth's spin.
- D) Tilt of Earth's spin axis relative to its orbit.
- E) The elliptical shape of Earth's orbit.
**Answer: B) Precession of Earth's spin axis.**
9. **Which of the following are true? (Select all that apply.)**
- A) If Earth is moving through space, stars should exhibit parallax motion.
- B) Aristotle detected parallax motion of stars.
- C) Planets exhibit parallax motion, but it is too small to see with the naked eye.
- D) Aristotle believed in the geocentric model of the solar system.
**Answer: A) If Earth is moving through space, stars should exhibit parallax motion.**
**Answer: D) Aristotle believed in the geocentric model of the solar system.**
10. **If the time is midnight and Mars is in opposition, where is Mars in the sky?**
- A) On the horizon and rising.
- B) On the horizon and setting.
, ESTUDY
- C) On the meridian.
- D) Beneath you.
- E) Mars can never appear in opposition.
**Answer: C) On the meridian.**
11. **Earth experiences seasons because:**
- A) The Earth's spin axis is tilted relative to the Earth's orbit.
- B) The Earth's spin axis is precessing.
- C) The Earth's orbit is slightly elliptical, so its distance from the Sun changes during the year.
- D) During winter and summer, one hemisphere is closer to the Sun than the other one.
**Answer: A) The Earth's spin axis is tilted relative to the Earth's orbit.**
12. **Which of these statements about planetary orbits in our solar system is true? (Select all that
apply.)**
- A) The planets are found close to the Zodiac constellations.
- B) The planets move in elliptical orbits with the Sun at the center of the ellipse.
- C) A planet moves slowest at the point in its orbit that is closest to the Sun.
- D) Inferior planets take more time to orbit the Sun than superior planets.
- E) Planets always travel west to east relative to the stars.
**Answer: A) The planets are found close to the Zodiac constellations.**
13. **In State College, we can see Orion at night during the winter, but not in the summer. Why?**
- A) Earth's orbit around the Sun.
- B) Tilt of the Earth's spin axis relative to Earth's orbit.
- C) Earth's spin.
- D) Motion of the constellations through space.
