Question 1

The ___________side of the Moon is always visible from Earth.

Accepted Answer

A)  dark 
B)  same 
C)  polar 
D)  cratered 
A)  dark 
B)  same 
C)  polar 
D)  cratered

Question 2

What is the modern explanation for "guest stars" that appear in the night sky and then disappear?

Accepted Answer

A)  comets passing close to Earth 
B)  unusually bright planets produced when they pass closest to earth 
C)  alignments of stars that make them suddenly appear bright 
D)  stars that go nova or supernova and appear as bright objects during the event and then go away 
A)  comets passing close to Earth 
B)  unusually bright planets produced when they pass closest to earth 
C)  alignments of stars that make them suddenly appear bright 
D)  stars that go nova or supernova and appear as bright objects during the event and then go away

Question 3

One of the discoveries which led to the modern view of the solar system was that the orbits of the planets are ___________.

Accepted Answer

A)  parabolas 
B)  circles 
C)  hyperbolas 
D)  ellipses 
A)  parabolas 
B)  circles 
C)  hyperbolas 
D)  ellipses

Question 4

The ancient Greeks proposed an ___________centered view of the universe.

Accepted Answer

A)  Sun 
B)  Moon 
C)  Saturn 
D)  Earth 
A)  Sun 
B)  Moon 
C)  Saturn 
D)  Earth

Question 5

The period of time required for the Moon to complete a cycle of phases is called the___________ month.

Accepted Answer

A)  sidereal 
B)  zodiacal 
C)  synodic 
D)  equinox 
E)  Julian 
A)  sidereal 
B)  zodiacal 
C)  synodic 
D)  equinox 
E)  Julian

Question 6

Discuss the phases of the Moon and how they relate to the motions of the Earth and Moon. Also, how are eclipses of the Moon and Sun related to these motions?

Accepted Answer

The Moon goes through phases each month,

Question 7

Galileo believed in a ___________view of the universe.

Accepted Answer

A)  Earth 
B)  Geocentric 
C)  Heliocentric 
D)  Ptolemaic 
A)  Earth 
B)  Geocentric 
C)  Heliocentric 
D)  Ptolemaic

Question 8

The Bayeux Tapestry is pictured here:   Which astronomical event is featured in this picture?

Accepted Answer

A)  an eclipse 
B)  the arrival of Haley's Comet 
C)  a supernova 
D)  collapse of a nebula 
A)  an eclipse 
B)  the arrival of Haley's Comet 
C)  a supernova 
D)  collapse of a nebula

Question 9

The two primary motions of Earth are ___________and___________ .

Accepted Answer

A)  aphelion; perihelion 
B)  rotation; revolution 
C)  inertia; gravity 
D)  expansion; collapse 
A)  aphelion; perihelion 
B)  rotation; revolution 
C)  inertia; gravity 
D)  expansion; collapse

Question 10

Galileo observed several features using the telescope. Which one of the following did he not discover?

Accepted Answer

A)  the two moons of Mars 
B)  sunspots 
C)  phases of Venus 
D)  Jupiter's four largest moons 
A)  the two moons of Mars 
B)  sunspots 
C)  phases of Venus 
D)  Jupiter's four largest moons

Question 11

When viewing the planets, Mars appears to move backwards, or retrograde, because___________ .

Accepted Answer

A)  it is rotating around the Sun slower than Earth's rotation 
B)  it is rotating at approximately the same speed but its orbit is more elliptical than Earth's rotation 
C)  it is rotating at approximately the same speed but its orbit is more circular than Earth's orbit 
D)  it is rotating around the Sun faster than Earth's rotation 
A)  it is rotating around the Sun slower than Earth's rotation 
B)  it is rotating at approximately the same speed but its orbit is more elliptical than Earth's rotation 
C)  it is rotating at approximately the same speed but its orbit is more circular than Earth's orbit 
D)  it is rotating around the Sun faster than Earth's rotation

Question 12

This scientist determined the nature of the forces that kept the planets in their orbits.

Accepted Answer

A)  Sir Isaac Newton 
B)  Galileo 
C)  Tycho Brahe 
D)  Nicolaus Copernicus 
A)  Sir Isaac Newton 
B)  Galileo 
C)  Tycho Brahe 
D)  Nicolaus Copernicus

Question 13

Three laws of planetary motion were discovered by___________ .

Accepted Answer

A)  Johannes Kepler 
B)  Galileo 
C)  Nicolaus Copernicus 
D)  Tycho Brahe 
A)  Johannes Kepler 
B)  Galileo 
C)  Nicolaus Copernicus 
D)  Tycho Brahe

Question 14

The length of daylight on the Moon is about ___________.

Accepted Answer

A)  24 hours 
B)  two weeks 
C)  one year 
D)  one month 
E)  48 hours 
A)  24 hours 
B)  two weeks 
C)  one year 
D)  one month 
E)  48 hours

Question 15

Why were planets called "wanderers" by early astronomers?

Accepted Answer

A)  They move in random paths across the sky due to their complex orbits around the Sun. 
B)  They move relative to the North Star, but not other stars. 
C)  They move relative to the Moon because of their orbits around Earth. 
D)  They move relative to the stars. 
A)  They move in random paths across the sky due to their complex orbits around the Sun. 
B)  They move relative to the North Star, but not other stars. 
C)  They move relative to the Moon because of their orbits around Earth. 
D)  They move relative to the stars.

Question 16

The planets are "wanderers" in the night sky because they move relative to the stars. However, there movement is limited to the plane of the solar system, which is disk shaped. So relative to the celestial coordinate system, how do the planets actually move across the sky?

Accepted Answer

A)  The move along the zodiac. 
B)  They follow wobbling paths related to the precession of equinoxes. 
C)  They move along the celestial equator. 
D)  The move perpendicular to the celestial equator. 
A)  The move along the zodiac. 
B)  They follow wobbling paths related to the precession of equinoxes. 
C)  They move along the celestial equator. 
D)  The move perpendicular to the celestial equator.

Question 17

Tycho Brahe set out to disprove Copernicus, so why is he famous for developing modern astronomical theory?

Accepted Answer

A)  Although he set out to disprove Copernicus, he ultimately accepted Copernicus' theory and was executed by the inquisition. 
B)  He theorized the concept of gravity with no data, which was left undiscovered until Newton. 
C)  He made very precise measurements that were key data used by Kepler. 
D)  None of these is correct. 
A)  Although he set out to disprove Copernicus, he ultimately accepted Copernicus' theory and was executed by the inquisition. 
B)  He theorized the concept of gravity with no data, which was left undiscovered until Newton. 
C)  He made very precise measurements that were key data used by Kepler. 
D)  None of these is correct.

Question 18

The signs of the zodiac used in astrology refer to the constellations that lie along the plane of the___________ .

Accepted Answer

A)  planetary orbit 
B)  comet's path 
C)  Earth's axis 
D)  ecliptic 
A)  planetary orbit 
B)  comet's path 
C)  Earth's axis 
D)  ecliptic

Question 19

When Earth is the farthest from the Sun, it is said to be in the ___________position.

Accepted Answer

A)  ecliptic 
B)  aphelion 
C)  celestial 
D)  inertia 
A)  ecliptic 
B)  aphelion 
C)  celestial 
D)  inertia

Question 20

Examine the words and/or phrases below and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option that does not fit the pattern.

Accepted Answer

A)  revolution 
B)  declination 
C)  rotation 
D)  precession 
A)  revolution 
B)  declination 
C)  rotation 
D)  precession

Exam 21: Origins of Modern Astronomy

The ___________side of the Moon is always visible from Earth.

What is the modern explanation for "guest stars" that appear in the night sky and then disappear?

One of the discoveries which led to the modern view of the solar system was that the orbits of the planets are ___________.

The ancient Greeks proposed an ___________centered view of the universe.

The period of time required for the Moon to complete a cycle of phases is called the___________ month.

Discuss the phases of the Moon and how they relate to the motions of the Earth and Moon. Also, how are eclipses of the Moon and Sun related to these motions?

Galileo believed in a ___________view of the universe.

The Bayeux Tapestry is pictured here: Which astronomical event is featured in this picture?

The two primary motions of Earth are ___________and___________ .

Galileo observed several features using the telescope. Which one of the following did he not discover?

When viewing the planets, Mars appears to move backwards, or retrograde, because___________ .

This scientist determined the nature of the forces that kept the planets in their orbits.

Three laws of planetary motion were discovered by___________ .

The length of daylight on the Moon is about ___________.

Why were planets called "wanderers" by early astronomers?

The planets are "wanderers" in the night sky because they move relative to the stars. However, there movement is limited to the plane of the solar system, which is disk shaped. So relative to the celestial coordinate system, how do the planets actually move across the sky?

Tycho Brahe set out to disprove Copernicus, so why is he famous for developing modern astronomical theory?

The signs of the zodiac used in astrology refer to the constellations that lie along the plane of the___________ .

When Earth is the farthest from the Sun, it is said to be in the ___________position.

Examine the words and/or phrases below and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option that does not fit the pattern.

Introduction to Earth Science

Matter and Minerals

Rocks: Materials of the Solid Earth

Plate Tectonics: a Scientific Revolution Unfolds

Earthquakes and Earths Interior

Volcanoes and Other Igneous Activity

Crustal Deformation and Mountain Building

Weathering, Soil, and Mass Movement

Running Water and Groundwater

Glaciers, Deserts, and Wind

Geologic Time

Earths Evolution Through Geologic Time

The Ocean Floor

Ocean Water and Ocean Life

The Dynamic Ocean

The Atmosphere: Composition, Structure, and Temperature

Moisture, Clouds, and Precipitation

Air Pressure and Wind

Weather Patterns and Severe Storms

World Climates and Global Climate Change

Touring Our Solar System

Light, Telescopes, and the Sun

Beyond Our Solar System

Filters

The two primary motions of Earth are _and_ .