Question 1

Which planets are never visible near the eastern horizon at sunset?

Accepted Answer

Mercury and Venus
Mercury & Venus

Question 2

Halley's comet has an orbital period of 76 years, what is the average distance of Comet Halley from the sun?

Accepted Answer

A)  51 AU 
B)  18 AU 
C)  114 AU 
D)  660 AU 
E)  38 AU 
A)  51 AU 
B)  18 AU 
C)  114 AU 
D)  660 AU 
E)  38 AU B

Question 3

Uranus's orbital period is 84 years. How far is Uranus from the sun?

Accepted Answer

19 AU

Question 4

Gravity obeys an inverse square relation. This statement implies that the force due to gravity between two masses

Accepted Answer

A)  will increase as the distance between the two masses increases. 
B)  will decrease as the square of the distance between the two masses increases. 
C)  will cause the two masses to move away from each other. 
D)  will cause the two masses to move in a straight line. 
E)  will cause the two masses to orbit each other. 
A)  will increase as the distance between the two masses increases. 
B)  will decrease as the square of the distance between the two masses increases. 
C)  will cause the two masses to move away from each other. 
D)  will cause the two masses to move in a straight line. 
E)  will cause the two masses to orbit each other.

Question 5

Parallax is

Accepted Answer

A)  the apparent motion of an object due to the motion of the observer. 
B)  the distance between two foci of an ellipse. 
C)  the small circle that the planets slid along in Ptolemy's geocentric universe. 
D)  the circular orbits used in Copernicus' heliocentric universe. 
E)  half the length of the shortest diameter of an ellipse. 
A)  the apparent motion of an object due to the motion of the observer. 
B)  the distance between two foci of an ellipse. 
C)  the small circle that the planets slid along in Ptolemy's geocentric universe. 
D)  the circular orbits used in Copernicus' heliocentric universe. 
E)  half the length of the shortest diameter of an ellipse.

Question 6

When Mars is located directly behind Earth with respect to the sun in its orbit, it is

Accepted Answer

A)  at the midpoint in the sky between east and west at sunset. 
B)  at the midpoint in the sky between east and west at midnight. 
C)  at the midpoint in the sky between east and west at sunrise. 
D)  at the midpoint in the sky between east and west at noon. 
E)  not visible in the night sky. 
A)  at the midpoint in the sky between east and west at sunset. 
B)  at the midpoint in the sky between east and west at midnight. 
C)  at the midpoint in the sky between east and west at sunrise. 
D)  at the midpoint in the sky between east and west at noon. 
E)  not visible in the night sky.

Question 7

Why did Galileo's observations of moons orbiting Jupiter disagree with geocentric model of the universe of his time?

Accepted Answer

A)  The moons moved in non-circular orbits about Jupiter. 
B)  The moons did not appear to orbit the sun. 
C)  The moons did not appear to orbit Earth. 
D)  The moons appeared to be too small, and therefore too far away, to be considered part of the solar system. 
A)  The moons moved in non-circular orbits about Jupiter. 
B)  The moons did not appear to orbit the sun. 
C)  The moons did not appear to orbit Earth. 
D)  The moons appeared to be too small, and therefore too far away, to be considered part of the solar system.

Question 8

An object has been located orbiting the sun at a distance from the sun of 65 AU. What is the approximate orbital period of this object?

Accepted Answer

A)  65 years 
B)  275,000 years 
C)  4225 years 
D)  8.1 years 
E)  524 years 
A)  65 years 
B)  275,000 years 
C)  4225 years 
D)  8.1 years 
E)  524 years

Question 9

____ occur when the moon is first or third quarter.

Accepted Answer

A)  Neap tides 
B)  Spring tides 
C)  Total solar eclipses 
D)  Annular eclipses 
E)  A coppery red moon will 
A)  Neap tides 
B)  Spring tides 
C)  Total solar eclipses 
D)  Annular eclipses 
E)  A coppery red moon will

Question 10

The Copernican model of the solar system has the planets orbit the sun along elliptical paths.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

Ocean tides of low amplitude that occur at first and third quarter moons are called ____________________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Ocean tides of low amplitude that occur...

Question 12

Why does Ptolemy include epicycles in his model?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why does Ptolemy include epicycles in his...

Question 13

Galileo's telescopic discovery of moons orbiting Jupiter was important because it showed that

Accepted Answer

A)  the universe could contain centers of motion other than Earth. 
B)  Earth might move along an orbit and not leave the moon behind. 
C)  Jupiter was much more massive than Earth. 
D)  all of the above. 
E)  a and b above. 
A)  the universe could contain centers of motion other than Earth. 
B)  Earth might move along an orbit and not leave the moon behind. 
C)  Jupiter was much more massive than Earth. 
D)  all of the above. 
E)  a and b above.

Question 14

If the mass of the Earth decreased by a factor of two with no change in radius, your weight would

Accepted Answer

A)  increase by a factor of 4. 
B)  increase by a factor of 2. 
C)  stay the same. 
D)  decrease by a factor of 2. 
E)  decrease by a factor of 4. 
A)  increase by a factor of 4. 
B)  increase by a factor of 2. 
C)  stay the same. 
D)  decrease by a factor of 2. 
E)  decrease by a factor of 4.

Question 15

The law of gravitation is termed universal because it is a property of all material objects.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

Galileo used a telescope to discover

Accepted Answer

A)  spots on the sun. 
B)  craters on the moon. 
C)  moons around Jupiter. 
D)  moon-like phases of Venus. 
E)  all of these. 
A)  spots on the sun. 
B)  craters on the moon. 
C)  moons around Jupiter. 
D)  moon-like phases of Venus. 
E)  all of these.

Question 17

Which type of curve would accurately represent a closed orbit?

Accepted Answer

A)  ellipse 
B)  hyperbola 
C)  parabola 
D)  straight line 
A)  ellipse 
B)  hyperbola 
C)  parabola 
D)  straight line

Question 18

Many classical Greek astronomers believed Earth could not move because they detected no parallax.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

Galileo's observations of a complete set of phases of Venus proved

Accepted Answer

A)  that Venus orbited the sun. 
B)  that Earth orbited the sun. 
C)  that all of the planets orbited the sun. 
D)  that the moon orbited Earth. 
E)  that Venus had an atmosphere. 
A)  that Venus orbited the sun. 
B)  that Earth orbited the sun. 
C)  that all of the planets orbited the sun. 
D)  that the moon orbited Earth. 
E)  that Venus had an atmosphere.

Question 20

If Copernicus overthrew the geocentric universe, what did Kepler overthrow?

Accepted Answer

The answer of If Copernicus overthrew the geocentric universe, what...

Which planets are never visible near the eastern horizon at sunset?

Halley's comet has an orbital period of 76 years, what is the average distance of Comet Halley from the sun?

Uranus's orbital period is 84 years. How far is Uranus from the sun?

Gravity obeys an inverse square relation. This statement implies that the force due to gravity between two masses

Parallax is

When Mars is located directly behind Earth with respect to the sun in its orbit, it is

Why did Galileo's observations of moons orbiting Jupiter disagree with geocentric model of the universe of his time?

An object has been located orbiting the sun at a distance from the sun of 65 AU. What is the approximate orbital period of this object?

____ occur when the moon is first or third quarter.

The Copernican model of the solar system has the planets orbit the sun along elliptical paths.

Ocean tides of low amplitude that occur at first and third quarter moons are called ____________________.

Why does Ptolemy include epicycles in his model?

Galileo's telescopic discovery of moons orbiting Jupiter was important because it showed that

If the mass of the Earth decreased by a factor of two with no change in radius, your weight would

The law of gravitation is termed universal because it is a property of all material objects.

Galileo used a telescope to discover

Which type of curve would accurately represent a closed orbit?

Many classical Greek astronomers believed Earth could not move because they detected no parallax.

Galileo's observations of a complete set of phases of Venus proved

If Copernicus overthrew the geocentric universe, what did Kepler overthrow?

Here and Now

A Users Guide to the Sky

Cycles of the Sun and Moon

Light and Telescopes

Atoms and Spectra

The Sun

The Family of Stars

The Formation and Structure of Stars

The Deaths of Stars

Neutron Stars and Black Holes

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies: Normal and Active

Modern Cosmology

The Origin of the Solar System

Earth and Moon: Bases for Comparative Planetology

Mercury, Venus and Mars

The Outer Solar System

Meteorites, Asteroids, and Comets

Astrobiology: Life on Other Worlds

Filters

Exam 4: The Origin of Modern Astronomy

Which planets are never visible near the eastern horizon at sunset?

Halley's comet has an orbital period of 76 years, what is the average distance of Comet Halley from the sun?

Uranus's orbital period is 84 years. How far is Uranus from the sun?

Gravity obeys an inverse square relation. This statement implies that the force due to gravity between two masses

Parallax is

When Mars is located directly behind Earth with respect to the sun in its orbit, it is

Why did Galileo's observations of moons orbiting Jupiter disagree with geocentric model of the universe of his time?

An object has been located orbiting the sun at a distance from the sun of 65 AU. What is the approximate orbital period of this object?

____ occur when the moon is first or third quarter.

The Copernican model of the solar system has the planets orbit the sun along elliptical paths.

Ocean tides of low amplitude that occur at first and third quarter moons are called ____________________.

Why does Ptolemy include epicycles in his model?

Galileo's telescopic discovery of moons orbiting Jupiter was important because it showed that

If the mass of the Earth decreased by a factor of two with no change in radius, your weight would

The law of gravitation is termed universal because it is a property of all material objects.

Galileo used a telescope to discover

Which type of curve would accurately represent a closed orbit?

Many classical Greek astronomers believed Earth could not move because they detected no parallax.

Galileo's observations of a complete set of phases of Venus proved

If Copernicus overthrew the geocentric universe, what did Kepler overthrow?

Here and Now

A Users Guide to the Sky

Cycles of the Sun and Moon

Light and Telescopes

Atoms and Spectra

The Sun

The Family of Stars

The Formation and Structure of Stars

The Deaths of Stars

Neutron Stars and Black Holes

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies: Normal and Active

Modern Cosmology

The Origin of the Solar System

Earth and Moon: Bases for Comparative Planetology

Mercury, Venus and Mars

The Outer Solar System

Meteorites, Asteroids, and Comets

Astrobiology: Life on Other Worlds

Filters