Chapter 0 C h a r t i n g the Heavens: The Foundations of Astronomy
1) Right ascension in the sky is very similar to latitude on the Earth.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.1
2) Latitude and right ascension are coordinate systems used to find objects on the celestial
sphere.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.1
3) The celestial sphere is divided into 88 modern constellations.
Answer: TRUE
St
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.1
4) In the sky, declination is measured in degrees north or south of the celestial equator.
ud
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.1
5) The south celestial pole is located at a declination of -90 degrees.
yN
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.1
6) In general, the brightest star in a given constellation is designated as alpha.
Answer: TRUE
es
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.1
7) Constellations are close clusters of stars, all at about the same distance from the Sun.
Answer: FALSE
t
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.1
8) The closest terrestrial analog to hours of right ascension is angle of longitude.
Answer: TRUE
,9) Over 20,000 stars are visible to the naked eye on the darkest, clearest nights.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 0.1
10) A star with a right ascension of 2.6 hrs will rise 2.6 hours after the vernal equinox.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 3
Section Ref.: More Prec. 0.1
11) A tropical year is the same as a sidereal year.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.2
St
12) The sidereal day is determined by the Earth's rotation with respect to the stars.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.2
ud
13) The vernal equinox marks the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.2
yN
14) There are 3,600 arc seconds in a degree.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: More Prec. 0.1
es
15) An hour of right ascension corresponds to 60 degrees in the sky.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 0.2
t
16) From Earth, the Sun and Moon have about the same angular diameter.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.2
17) At the solstices, the Sun's declination will be 23.5 degrees from the equator.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 0.2
,18) At the equinoxes, the declination of the Sun must be zero degrees.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 0.2
19) As it orbits the Earth, the Moon appears to move its own diameter (0.5 degrees) eastward
every hour against the background stars.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 3
Section Ref.: 0.3
20) From full moon to third quarter moon takes about a week.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.3
St
21) Only people in the Moon's umbral shadow can see a total solar eclipse.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
ud
Section Ref.: 0.3
22) If we are the Moon's penumbra, then we will see a partial lunar eclipse.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
yN
Section Ref.: 0.3
23) There is a solar eclipse of some kind every new moon.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.3
es
24) Eighteen days past new moon, the Moon's phase is waning gibbous.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 0.3
t
25) A total solar eclipse will only occur when the new moon is both on the ecliptic and at its
greatest distance from Earth.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 0.3
26) The larger the parallax shift, the closer an object is to us.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.4
27) The parallax shift for all stars is very small.
, Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.4
28) Increasing the baseline will increase the parallax angle.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 3
Section Ref.: 0.4
29) In the scientific method, it is not necessary to test your theory.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.5
30) Drawing on Eratosthenes' method, if two observers are due north and south of each other and
St
are separated by 400 km, what is the circumference of their spherical world if they see the same
star on their meridian at altitudes of 23 degrees and 47 degrees respectively, and at the exact
same time?
A) 2,000 km
ud
B) 4,000 km
C) 6,000 km
D) 8,000 km
E) 12,000 km
Answer: C
yN
Diff: 3
Section Ref.: 0.4
31) The star Wolf 1061 has a parallax of 2.34 arc seconds, while the star Ross 652 has a parallax
of 1.70 arc seconds. What can you correctly conclude?
A) Both stars are outside the Milky Way galaxy.
es
B) Wolf 1061 must have a larger proper motion than Ross 652.
C) Ross 652 must have a larger proper motion than Wolf 1061.
D) Ross 652 is closer to Earth than Wolf 1061.
E) Wolf 1061 is closer to Earth than Ross 652.
Answer: E
t
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 0.4
1) Right ascension in the sky is very similar to latitude on the Earth.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.1
2) Latitude and right ascension are coordinate systems used to find objects on the celestial
sphere.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.1
3) The celestial sphere is divided into 88 modern constellations.
Answer: TRUE
St
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.1
4) In the sky, declination is measured in degrees north or south of the celestial equator.
ud
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.1
5) The south celestial pole is located at a declination of -90 degrees.
yN
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.1
6) In general, the brightest star in a given constellation is designated as alpha.
Answer: TRUE
es
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.1
7) Constellations are close clusters of stars, all at about the same distance from the Sun.
Answer: FALSE
t
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.1
8) The closest terrestrial analog to hours of right ascension is angle of longitude.
Answer: TRUE
,9) Over 20,000 stars are visible to the naked eye on the darkest, clearest nights.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 0.1
10) A star with a right ascension of 2.6 hrs will rise 2.6 hours after the vernal equinox.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 3
Section Ref.: More Prec. 0.1
11) A tropical year is the same as a sidereal year.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.2
St
12) The sidereal day is determined by the Earth's rotation with respect to the stars.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.2
ud
13) The vernal equinox marks the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.2
yN
14) There are 3,600 arc seconds in a degree.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: More Prec. 0.1
es
15) An hour of right ascension corresponds to 60 degrees in the sky.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 0.2
t
16) From Earth, the Sun and Moon have about the same angular diameter.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.2
17) At the solstices, the Sun's declination will be 23.5 degrees from the equator.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 0.2
,18) At the equinoxes, the declination of the Sun must be zero degrees.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 0.2
19) As it orbits the Earth, the Moon appears to move its own diameter (0.5 degrees) eastward
every hour against the background stars.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 3
Section Ref.: 0.3
20) From full moon to third quarter moon takes about a week.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.3
St
21) Only people in the Moon's umbral shadow can see a total solar eclipse.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
ud
Section Ref.: 0.3
22) If we are the Moon's penumbra, then we will see a partial lunar eclipse.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
yN
Section Ref.: 0.3
23) There is a solar eclipse of some kind every new moon.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.3
es
24) Eighteen days past new moon, the Moon's phase is waning gibbous.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 0.3
t
25) A total solar eclipse will only occur when the new moon is both on the ecliptic and at its
greatest distance from Earth.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 0.3
26) The larger the parallax shift, the closer an object is to us.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.4
27) The parallax shift for all stars is very small.
, Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.4
28) Increasing the baseline will increase the parallax angle.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 3
Section Ref.: 0.4
29) In the scientific method, it is not necessary to test your theory.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.5
30) Drawing on Eratosthenes' method, if two observers are due north and south of each other and
St
are separated by 400 km, what is the circumference of their spherical world if they see the same
star on their meridian at altitudes of 23 degrees and 47 degrees respectively, and at the exact
same time?
A) 2,000 km
ud
B) 4,000 km
C) 6,000 km
D) 8,000 km
E) 12,000 km
Answer: C
yN
Diff: 3
Section Ref.: 0.4
31) The star Wolf 1061 has a parallax of 2.34 arc seconds, while the star Ross 652 has a parallax
of 1.70 arc seconds. What can you correctly conclude?
A) Both stars are outside the Milky Way galaxy.
es
B) Wolf 1061 must have a larger proper motion than Ross 652.
C) Ross 652 must have a larger proper motion than Wolf 1061.
D) Ross 652 is closer to Earth than Wolf 1061.
E) Wolf 1061 is closer to Earth than Ross 652.
Answer: E
t
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 0.4
