Question 1

If an observer were at the South Pole of Earth for a full year, what would be the highest angle reached by the Sun above their horizon?

Accepted Answer

A)  90° 
B)  It would never reach above the horizon-the South Pole is always in darkness. 
C)  0°; it would only just reach the horizon. 
D)  23.5° 
A)  90° 
B)  It would never reach above the horizon-the South Pole is always in darkness. 
C)  0°; it would only just reach the horizon. 
D)  23.5°

Question 2

The reason for the slow drift of the position of the vernal equinox through the sky against the background stars over long periods of time is the

Accepted Answer

A)  motion of Earth in its orbit. 
B)  overall movement of local stars in the sky. 
C)  movement of the Sun in the Milky Way Galaxy. 
D)  precession of the spin axis of Earth. 
A)  motion of Earth in its orbit. 
B)  overall movement of local stars in the sky. 
C)  movement of the Sun in the Milky Way Galaxy. 
D)  precession of the spin axis of Earth.

Question 3

Where would an observer have to be to see the north celestial pole directly overhead (i.e., at the zenith)?

Accepted Answer

A)  on the equator 
B)  at the North Pole of Earth 
C)  at a position about 1° away from Earth's South Pole, to account for precession 
D)  at the South Pole of Earth 
A)  on the equator 
B)  at the North Pole of Earth 
C)  at a position about 1° away from Earth's South Pole, to account for precession 
D)  at the South Pole of Earth

Question 4

The person who introduced the leap year into our calendar was

Accepted Answer

A)  Sir Isaac Newton. 
B)  Pope Gregory XIII. 
C)  Julius Caesar. 
D)  Ptolemy. 
A)  Sir Isaac Newton. 
B)  Pope Gregory XIII. 
C)  Julius Caesar. 
D)  Ptolemy.

Question 5

The alt-azimuth coordinates measured for Polaris are 37°, 0°. From what latitude are observing?

Accepted Answer

A)  37° N 
B)  37°, N or S 
C)  53° N 
D)  It is not possible to determine the answer from the information given. 
A)  37° N 
B)  37°, N or S 
C)  53° N 
D)  It is not possible to determine the answer from the information given.

Question 6

The mean distance of Saturn from the Sun, 1,427,000,000 km, can be written in scientific notation as

Accepted Answer

A)  1.427 × 106 km. 
B)  0.1427 × 109 km. 
C)  1.427 × 107 km. 
D)  1.427 × 109 km. 
A)  1.427 × 106 km. 
B)  0.1427 × 109 km. 
C)  1.427 × 107 km. 
D)  1.427 × 109 km.

Question 7

What is the phase of the Moon during a total lunar eclipse?

Accepted Answer

A)  new 
B)  full 
C)  gibbous 
D)  first quarter 
A)  new 
B)  full 
C)  gibbous 
D)  first quarter

Question 8

What was the approximate declination of the Sun on June 21 this year?

Accepted Answer

A)  -23.5° 
B)  90° 
C)  0° 
D)  + 23.5° 
A)  -23.5° 
B)  90° 
C)  0° 
D)  + 23.5°

Question 9

What would the position and motion of the Sun be on December 21 from the South Pole?

Accepted Answer

A)  It would move completely around the sky in 24 hours while maintaining an angle of 23.5° above the horizon. 
B)  It would remain below the horizon for the whole 24 hours. 
C)  It would pass across the sky from the horizon at midnight to reach an angle of 23.5° above the horizon at midday and then return to the horizon. 
D)  It would rise in the east at 6 A.M. and set in the west at 6 P.M., reaching 47° above the horizon at midday. 
A)  It would move completely around the sky in 24 hours while maintaining an angle of 23.5° above the horizon. 
B)  It would remain below the horizon for the whole 24 hours. 
C)  It would pass across the sky from the horizon at midnight to reach an angle of 23.5° above the horizon at midday and then return to the horizon. 
D)  It would rise in the east at 6 A.M. and set in the west at 6 P.M., reaching 47° above the horizon at midday.

Question 10

The constellation Pisces the Fish is high in the sky at midnight on the autumnal equinox. When is the next time Pisces is high in the sky at midnight?

Accepted Answer

A)  12 hours later 
B)  6 months later 
C)  12 months later 
D)  vernal equinox 
A)  12 hours later 
B)  6 months later 
C)  12 months later 
D)  vernal equinox

Question 11

A total lunar eclipse can last more than an hour and a half, but a total solar eclipse never lasts more than 7 1/2 minutes. What is the principal cause of the difference?

Accepted Answer

A)  A total solar eclipse always occurs when the Moon is at perigee; it is moving fastest at that time. 
B)  A total solar eclipse always occurs when Earth is at perihelion; it is moving fastest at that time. 
C)  Both Earth and the Moon move clockwise in their orbits, as seen from the north. Thus, during a solar eclipse, Earth and Moon are moving in opposite directions, and during a lunar eclipse, they are moving in the same direction. 
D)  Earth's shadow at the Moon's distance is much larger than the Moon's shadow at Earth's distance. As Earth rotates, this narrow lunar shadow sweeps quickly over any given spot. 
A)  A total solar eclipse always occurs when the Moon is at perigee; it is moving fastest at that time. 
B)  A total solar eclipse always occurs when Earth is at perihelion; it is moving fastest at that time. 
C)  Both Earth and the Moon move clockwise in their orbits, as seen from the north. Thus, during a solar eclipse, Earth and Moon are moving in opposite directions, and during a lunar eclipse, they are moving in the same direction. 
D)  Earth's shadow at the Moon's distance is much larger than the Moon's shadow at Earth's distance. As Earth rotates, this narrow lunar shadow sweeps quickly over any given spot.

Question 12

Precession of Earth's spin axis results in

Accepted Answer

A)  changes of the positions of the constellations that are visible at night from Earth over the period of 1 year. 
B)  a gradual shift of the vernal equinox along the ecliptic. 
C)  a daily shift in the position of the overhead direction (the zenith) of an observer relative to the celestial equator (for an observer at a fixed location on Earth). 
D)  a gradual change in the angle between the ecliptic and the celestial equator. 
A)  changes of the positions of the constellations that are visible at night from Earth over the period of 1 year. 
B)  a gradual shift of the vernal equinox along the ecliptic. 
C)  a daily shift in the position of the overhead direction (the zenith) of an observer relative to the celestial equator (for an observer at a fixed location on Earth). 
D)  a gradual change in the angle between the ecliptic and the celestial equator.

Question 13

In the southern hemisphere, day and night are of equal duration on about

Accepted Answer

A)  March 21. 
B)  December 21. 
C)  January 1 
D)  June 21. 
A)  March 21. 
B)  December 21. 
C)  January 1 
D)  June 21.

Question 14

The Sun appears to be about 1/2° in diameter. On the equator, approximately how long does it take for the Sun to set, from first contact with the horizon to complete disappearance below the horizon?

Accepted Answer

A)  2 seconds 
B)  about 1 hour 
C)  4 minutes 
D)  2 minutes 
A)  2 seconds 
B)  about 1 hour 
C)  4 minutes 
D)  2 minutes

Question 15

The right ascension of a star is one coordinate of its position, measured along the

Accepted Answer

A)  observer's meridian. 
B)  celestial equator. 
C)  observer's horizon. 
D)  ecliptic. 
A)  observer's meridian. 
B)  celestial equator. 
C)  observer's horizon. 
D)  ecliptic.

Question 16

Over the period of 1 complete year, an observer at the South Pole would be able to see what fraction of the overall sky?

Accepted Answer

A)  50% 
B)  100% 
C)  somewhat less than 50%, except in a leap year 
D)  a variable amount, depending on the observer's longitude 
A)  50% 
B)  100% 
C)  somewhat less than 50%, except in a leap year 
D)  a variable amount, depending on the observer's longitude

Question 17

One essential condition for "seasons" to occur on a planet is that the planet's

Accepted Answer

A)  equator is tilted with respect to its orbital plane. 
B)  distance from the Sun varies. 
C)  atmosphere is thick. 
D)  axis is perpendicular to its orbital plane. 
A)  equator is tilted with respect to its orbital plane. 
B)  distance from the Sun varies. 
C)  atmosphere is thick. 
D)  axis is perpendicular to its orbital plane.

Question 18

The declination of a star in the sky is defined as the angle between the

Accepted Answer

A)  position of the center of the Galaxy and the star, measured along the galactic plane. 
B)  celestial equator and the star, measured along a great circle passing through both celestial poles. 
C)  Sun and the star, measured along the ecliptic plane. 
D)  great circle passing through the star and both celestial poles and the equivalent great circle through the vernal equinox, measured along the celestial equator. 
A)  position of the center of the Galaxy and the star, measured along the galactic plane. 
B)  celestial equator and the star, measured along a great circle passing through both celestial poles. 
C)  Sun and the star, measured along the ecliptic plane. 
D)  great circle passing through the star and both celestial poles and the equivalent great circle through the vernal equinox, measured along the celestial equator.

Question 19

If the daytime sky were not so bright, how fast would an observer see the Sun move across it with respect to the stars as it moves through one full circle in 1 year?

Accepted Answer

A)  about 1° per day 
B)  about 15° per hour 
C)  The Sun would never appear to move with respect to the stars in the sky. 
D)  exactly 24° per day or 1° per hour 
A)  about 1° per day 
B)  about 15° per hour 
C)  The Sun would never appear to move with respect to the stars in the sky. 
D)  exactly 24° per day or 1° per hour

Question 20

The difference in longitude between Boston and San Francisco is approximately 52°. They are three time zones apart, so standard clocks differ by 3 hours. Without the time zones, what would be the difference between traditional (or astronomical) noon (when the Sun is highest in the sky) at these two places?

Accepted Answer

A)  2.5 hours 
B)  3 hours 
C)  3.5 hours 
D)  4 hours 
A)  2.5 hours 
B)  3 hours 
C)  3.5 hours 
D)  4 hours

If an observer were at the South Pole of Earth for a full year, what would be the highest angle reached by the Sun above their horizon?

The reason for the slow drift of the position of the vernal equinox through the sky against the background stars over long periods of time is the

Where would an observer have to be to see the north celestial pole directly overhead (i.e., at the zenith)?

The person who introduced the leap year into our calendar was

The alt-azimuth coordinates measured for Polaris are 37°, 0°. From what latitude are observing?

The mean distance of Saturn from the Sun, 1,427,000,000 km, can be written in scientific notation as

What is the phase of the Moon during a total lunar eclipse?

What was the approximate declination of the Sun on June 21 this year?

What would the position and motion of the Sun be on December 21 from the South Pole?

The constellation Pisces the Fish is high in the sky at midnight on the autumnal equinox. When is the next time Pisces is high in the sky at midnight?

A total lunar eclipse can last more than an hour and a half, but a total solar eclipse never lasts more than 7 1/2 minutes. What is the principal cause of the difference?

Precession of Earth's spin axis results in

In the southern hemisphere, day and night are of equal duration on about

The Sun appears to be about 1/2° in diameter. On the equator, approximately how long does it take for the Sun to set, from first contact with the horizon to complete disappearance below the horizon?

The right ascension of a star is one coordinate of its position, measured along the

Over the period of 1 complete year, an observer at the South Pole would be able to see what fraction of the overall sky?

One essential condition for "seasons" to occur on a planet is that the planet's

The declination of a star in the sky is defined as the angle between the

If the daytime sky were not so bright, how fast would an observer see the Sun move across it with respect to the stars as it moves through one full circle in 1 year?

Gravitation and the Motion of the Planets

Light and Telescopes

Atomic Physics and Spectra

Exoplanets and the Formation of Planetary Systems

Formation of the Solar System

Earth and the Moon

The Other Terrestrial Planets

The Outer Planets

Vagabonds of the Solar System

The Sun: Our Extraordinary Star

Characterizing Stars

The Lives of Stars From Birth Through Middle Age

The Death of Stars

Black Holes: Matters of Gravity

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies

Quasars and Other Active Galaxies

Cosmology

Astrobiology

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Exam 1: Discovering the Night Sky

If an observer were at the South Pole of Earth for a full year, what would be the highest angle reached by the Sun above their horizon?

The reason for the slow drift of the position of the vernal equinox through the sky against the background stars over long periods of time is the

Where would an observer have to be to see the north celestial pole directly overhead (i.e., at the zenith)?

The person who introduced the leap year into our calendar was

The alt-azimuth coordinates measured for Polaris are 37°, 0°. From what latitude are observing?

The mean distance of Saturn from the Sun, 1,427,000,000 km, can be written in scientific notation as

What is the phase of the Moon during a total lunar eclipse?

What was the approximate declination of the Sun on June 21 this year?

What would the position and motion of the Sun be on December 21 from the South Pole?

The constellation Pisces the Fish is high in the sky at midnight on the autumnal equinox. When is the next time Pisces is high in the sky at midnight?

A total lunar eclipse can last more than an hour and a half, but a total solar eclipse never lasts more than 7 1/2 minutes. What is the principal cause of the difference?

Precession of Earth's spin axis results in

In the southern hemisphere, day and night are of equal duration on about

The Sun appears to be about 1/2° in diameter. On the equator, approximately how long does it take for the Sun to set, from first contact with the horizon to complete disappearance below the horizon?

The right ascension of a star is one coordinate of its position, measured along the

Over the period of 1 complete year, an observer at the South Pole would be able to see what fraction of the overall sky?

One essential condition for "seasons" to occur on a planet is that the planet's

The declination of a star in the sky is defined as the angle between the

If the daytime sky were not so bright, how fast would an observer see the Sun move across it with respect to the stars as it moves through one full circle in 1 year?

Gravitation and the Motion of the Planets

Light and Telescopes

Atomic Physics and Spectra

Exoplanets and the Formation of Planetary Systems

Formation of the Solar System

Earth and the Moon

The Other Terrestrial Planets

The Outer Planets

Vagabonds of the Solar System

The Sun: Our Extraordinary Star

Characterizing Stars

The Lives of Stars From Birth Through Middle Age

The Death of Stars

Black Holes: Matters of Gravity

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies

Quasars and Other Active Galaxies

Cosmology

Astrobiology

Filters