Question 1

The maximum number of eclipses (both solar and lunar)that can occur in one calendar year is:

Accepted Answer

A)  five. 
B)  one. 
C)  seven. 
D)  two. 
A)  five. 
B)  one. 
C)  seven. 
D)  two.

Question 2

The length of Earth's year at the present time is:

Accepted Answer

A)  exactly 365 days. 
B)  between 365 and 366 days over a period of about 400 years. 
C)  between 364 and 365 days over a period of about 200 years. 
D)  approximately 365 days. 
A)  exactly 365 days. 
B)  between 365 and 366 days over a period of about 400 years. 
C)  between 364 and 365 days over a period of about 200 years. 
D)  approximately 365 days.

Question 3

The true orbital period of Earth around the Sun,defined as the time taken to complete one orbit with respect to the background stars,is one:

Accepted Answer

A)  sidereal year. 
B)  Gregorian year. 
C)  tropical year. 
D)  solar day. 
A)  sidereal year. 
B)  Gregorian year. 
C)  tropical year. 
D)  solar day.

Question 4

Which of the following points remains fixed in the sky relative to an observer's horizon over a time scale of 100 years?

Accepted Answer

A)  the direction to a distant star (e.g., Betelgeuse, in Orion) 
B)  the north celestial pole 
C)  the winter solstice 
D)  the vernal equinox 
A)  the direction to a distant star (e.g., Betelgeuse, in Orion) 
B)  the north celestial pole 
C)  the winter solstice 
D)  the vernal equinox

Question 5

The full Moon always occurs:

Accepted Answer

A)  on the first of the month. 
B)  when the Moon is at right angles to the direction of the Sun. 
C)  when the Moon is closer to the Sun than Earth is. 
D)  when the Moon is farther from the Sun than Earth is. 
A)  on the first of the month. 
B)  when the Moon is at right angles to the direction of the Sun. 
C)  when the Moon is closer to the Sun than Earth is. 
D)  when the Moon is farther from the Sun than Earth is.

Question 6

What will be the elevation angle of the Sun above the horizon at midday on June 21 every year at latitude 66.5° S?

Accepted Answer

A)  90°, in the zenith 
B)  23.5° 
C)  The Sun will not appear above the horizon at all on this date at this location. 
D)  0° 
A)  90°, in the zenith 
B)  23.5° 
C)  The Sun will not appear above the horizon at all on this date at this location. 
D)  0°

Question 7

To someone on Earth who is watching a total lunar eclipse,the:

Accepted Answer

A)  Sun is hidden behind the Moon. 
B)  Sun is hidden below the horizon. 
C)  Sun is relatively high in the sky because the Earth-Moon line is at right angles to the Earth-Sun line. 
D)  Moon is hidden behind the Sun. 
A)  Sun is hidden behind the Moon. 
B)  Sun is hidden below the horizon. 
C)  Sun is relatively high in the sky because the Earth-Moon line is at right angles to the Earth-Sun line. 
D)  Moon is hidden behind the Sun.

Question 8

The Moon is seen to keep one face toward Earth at all times.If viewed from a point directly above the plane of the planetary system,how does it have to rotate to maintain this alignment?

Accepted Answer

A)  The Moon must rotate once per day to maintain its direction toward Earth. 
B)  The Moon must not rotate at all because we always see the same face from Earth. 
C)  The Moon must rotate once per year, as Earth and the Moon orbit the Sun together. 
D)  The Moon must rotate once per month, or once per orbit around Earth. 
A)  The Moon must rotate once per day to maintain its direction toward Earth. 
B)  The Moon must not rotate at all because we always see the same face from Earth. 
C)  The Moon must rotate once per year, as Earth and the Moon orbit the Sun together. 
D)  The Moon must rotate once per month, or once per orbit around Earth.

Question 9

About how much time passes between a new Moon and the first quarter?

Accepted Answer

A)  one day 
B)  one week 
C)  one sidereal month 
D)  one synodic month 
A)  one day 
B)  one week 
C)  one sidereal month 
D)  one synodic month

Question 10

The most readily observed east-to-west motion of objects in the night sky is caused by the:

Accepted Answer

A)  relative motions of stars with respect to each other in the sky. 
B)  rotation of Earth on its axis. 
C)  rotation of the whole universe around a fixed axis near the Great Attractor. 
D)  revolution of Earth in its orbit around the Sun. 
A)  relative motions of stars with respect to each other in the sky. 
B)  rotation of Earth on its axis. 
C)  rotation of the whole universe around a fixed axis near the Great Attractor. 
D)  revolution of Earth in its orbit around the Sun.

Question 11

A given star will reach its highest point in the sky for a particular observer in the southern hemisphere when it passes through the:

Accepted Answer

A)  ecliptic plane. 
B)  zodiac. 
C)  celestial equator. 
D)  region of the sky due north. 
A)  ecliptic plane. 
B)  zodiac. 
C)  celestial equator. 
D)  region of the sky due north.

Question 12

The bright star at the base of the backward question mark that forms the head of Leo,the Lion,is:

Accepted Answer

A)  Arcturus. 
B)  Regulus. 
C)  Rigel. 
D)  Fomalhaut. 
A)  Arcturus. 
B)  Regulus. 
C)  Rigel. 
D)  Fomalhaut.

Question 13

(0.5)³ =

Accepted Answer

A)  0.125 
B)  125 
C)  1.25 × 10-² 
D)  1.5 
A)  0.125 
B)  125 
C)  1.25 × 10-² 
D)  1.5

Question 14

You face the Moon from a position in the northern hemisphere and observe that the right half is illuminated and the left half is dark.What phase are you observing?

Accepted Answer

A)  waxing crescent 
B)  first quarter 
C)  third quarter 
D)  waning gibbous 
A)  waxing crescent 
B)  first quarter 
C)  third quarter 
D)  waning gibbous

Question 15

Are the constellations seasonal?

Accepted Answer

A)  No. If you wait long enough, you can see all the constellations on any clear night of the year. 
B)  Yes. On a summer night, all the constellations you can see are different from the constellations you can see on a winter night. 
C)  Yes. On a summer night, many of the constellations you can see are different from the constellations you can see on a winter night. But there are some constellations you can see all year long. 
D)  Yes. As the year progresses, the constellations change their positions with respect to each other, so every night brings a different mixture of summer and winter constellations. 
A)  No. If you wait long enough, you can see all the constellations on any clear night of the year. 
B)  Yes. On a summer night, all the constellations you can see are different from the constellations you can see on a winter night. 
C)  Yes. On a summer night, many of the constellations you can see are different from the constellations you can see on a winter night. But there are some constellations you can see all year long. 
D)  Yes. As the year progresses, the constellations change their positions with respect to each other, so every night brings a different mixture of summer and winter constellations.

Question 16

A lunar eclipse does NOT occur at every full Moon because the:

Accepted Answer

A)  eclipse cannot occur after sunset. 
B)  plane of the Moon's orbit is at an angle to the plane of Earth's orbit. 
C)  path of the Sun is inclined at an angle of 5° to the ecliptic plane. 
D)  orbit of the Moon is not a perfect circle. 
A)  eclipse cannot occur after sunset. 
B)  plane of the Moon's orbit is at an angle to the plane of Earth's orbit. 
C)  path of the Sun is inclined at an angle of 5° to the ecliptic plane. 
D)  orbit of the Moon is not a perfect circle.

Question 17

If the polar axis of Earth moves through a full circle in 26,000 years as a result of precession (see Figure 1-19c,Comins,Discovering the Essential Universe,6th ed.),how long will it take for the line between the center of the circle and the spin axis to move through 180° (i.e.,to the other side of the circle)?

Accepted Answer

A)  26,000 years 
B)  1 year 
C)  about 100 years 
D)  13,000 years 
A)  26,000 years 
B)  1 year 
C)  about 100 years 
D)  13,000 years

Question 18

What is the lowest latitude above which one would see the Sun for a full 24 hours on at least one day per year?

Accepted Answer

A)  23.5° 
B)  90° 
C)  52° 
D)  66.5° 
A)  23.5° 
B)  90° 
C)  52° 
D)  66.5°

Question 19

The bright stars Vega,Deneb,and Altair form:

Accepted Answer

A)  the summer triangle. 
B)  the winter triangle. 
C)  the Big Dipper. 
D)  Orion, the Hunter. 
A)  the summer triangle. 
B)  the winter triangle. 
C)  the Big Dipper. 
D)  Orion, the Hunter.

Question 20

What is the equivalent angle along the celestial equator of 1 hour in the right ascension coordinate direction?

Accepted Answer

A)  30° 
B)  variable, depending on the declination of the star, but not greater than 15° 
C)  1° 
D)  15° 
A)  30° 
B)  variable, depending on the declination of the star, but not greater than 15° 
C)  1° 
D)  15°

The maximum number of eclipses (both solar and lunar)that can occur in one calendar year is:

The length of Earth's year at the present time is:

The true orbital period of Earth around the Sun,defined as the time taken to complete one orbit with respect to the background stars,is one:

Which of the following points remains fixed in the sky relative to an observer's horizon over a time scale of 100 years?

The full Moon always occurs:

What will be the elevation angle of the Sun above the horizon at midday on June 21 every year at latitude 66.5° S?

To someone on Earth who is watching a total lunar eclipse,the:

The Moon is seen to keep one face toward Earth at all times.If viewed from a point directly above the plane of the planetary system,how does it have to rotate to maintain this alignment?

About how much time passes between a new Moon and the first quarter?

The most readily observed east-to-west motion of objects in the night sky is caused by the:

A given star will reach its highest point in the sky for a particular observer in the southern hemisphere when it passes through the:

The bright star at the base of the backward question mark that forms the head of Leo,the Lion,is:

(0.5)³ =

You face the Moon from a position in the northern hemisphere and observe that the right half is illuminated and the left half is dark.What phase are you observing?

Are the constellations seasonal?

A lunar eclipse does NOT occur at every full Moon because the:

What is the lowest latitude above which one would see the Sun for a full 24 hours on at least one day per year?

The bright stars Vega,Deneb,and Altair form:

What is the equivalent angle along the celestial equator of 1 hour in the right ascension coordinate direction?

Gravitation and the Waltz of the Planets

Light and Telescopes

Formation of the Solar System and Other Planetary Systems

Exoplanets

The Terrestrial Planets and Their Moons

The Outer Planets and Their Moons

Vagabonds of the Solar System

The Sun: Our Extraordinary Ordinary Star

Characterizing Stars

The Lives of the Stars From Birth Through Middle Age

The Deaths and Remnants of Stars

The Galaxies

Cosmology

Astrobiology

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Exam 1: Discovering the Night Sky

The maximum number of eclipses (both solar and lunar)that can occur in one calendar year is:

The length of Earth's year at the present time is:

The true orbital period of Earth around the Sun,defined as the time taken to complete one orbit with respect to the background stars,is one:

Which of the following points remains fixed in the sky relative to an observer's horizon over a time scale of 100 years?

The full Moon always occurs:

What will be the elevation angle of the Sun above the horizon at midday on June 21 every year at latitude 66.5° S?

To someone on Earth who is watching a total lunar eclipse,the:

The Moon is seen to keep one face toward Earth at all times.If viewed from a point directly above the plane of the planetary system,how does it have to rotate to maintain this alignment?

About how much time passes between a new Moon and the first quarter?

The most readily observed east-to-west motion of objects in the night sky is caused by the:

A given star will reach its highest point in the sky for a particular observer in the southern hemisphere when it passes through the:

The bright star at the base of the backward question mark that forms the head of Leo,the Lion,is:

(0.5)³ =

You face the Moon from a position in the northern hemisphere and observe that the right half is illuminated and the left half is dark.What phase are you observing?

Are the constellations seasonal?

A lunar eclipse does NOT occur at every full Moon because the:

What is the lowest latitude above which one would see the Sun for a full 24 hours on at least one day per year?

The bright stars Vega,Deneb,and Altair form:

What is the equivalent angle along the celestial equator of 1 hour in the right ascension coordinate direction?

Gravitation and the Waltz of the Planets

Light and Telescopes

Formation of the Solar System and Other Planetary Systems

Exoplanets

The Terrestrial Planets and Their Moons

The Outer Planets and Their Moons

Vagabonds of the Solar System

The Sun: Our Extraordinary Ordinary Star

Characterizing Stars

The Lives of the Stars From Birth Through Middle Age

The Deaths and Remnants of Stars

The Galaxies

Cosmology

Astrobiology

Filters