Question 1

The eastern elongation of Mercury's orbit:

Accepted Answer

A)  is always the same. 
B)  depends on both the positions of Earth and Mercury in their orbits. 
C)  is always smaller than the western elongation. 
D)  is always the same as the western elongation. 
A)  is always the same. 
B)  depends on both the positions of Earth and Mercury in their orbits. 
C)  is always smaller than the western elongation. 
D)  is always the same as the western elongation.

Question 2

If a planet were to exist in our solar system in a circular orbit with a radius of 3 AU,about how long would it take to orbit the Sun once?

Accepted Answer

A)  5.2 years 
B)  2.1 years 
C)  27 years 
D)  3 years 
A)  5.2 years 
B)  2.1 years 
C)  27 years 
D)  3 years

Question 3

The time period between two successive passages of a planet past a particular star as seen from the Sun is its:

Accepted Answer

A)  synodic period. 
B)  sidereal period. 
C)  precessional period. 
D)  rotational period. 
A)  synodic period. 
B)  sidereal period. 
C)  precessional period. 
D)  rotational period.

Question 4

Kepler's second law states that a planet moves fastest when it:

Accepted Answer

A)  passes through the minor axis. 
B)  is closest to the Sun. 
C)  is farthest from the Sun. 
D)  is at conjunction. 
A)  passes through the minor axis. 
B)  is closest to the Sun. 
C)  is farthest from the Sun. 
D)  is at conjunction.

Question 5

Mars moves in an elliptical orbit around the Sun.The Sun is located at:

Accepted Answer

A)  the exact center of the ellipse. 
B)  the focus of the ellipse that is closer to the point where Mars moves fastest. 
C)  one end of the major axis of the ellipse. 
D)  the focus of the ellipse that is closer to the point where Mars moves slowest. 
A)  the exact center of the ellipse. 
B)  the focus of the ellipse that is closer to the point where Mars moves fastest. 
C)  one end of the major axis of the ellipse. 
D)  the focus of the ellipse that is closer to the point where Mars moves slowest.

Question 6

How long does a typical retrograde loop for Mars take?

Accepted Answer

A)  two days 
B)  one week 
C)  six months 
D)  six years 
A)  two days 
B)  one week 
C)  six months 
D)  six years

Question 7

What is the angle between the line from Earth to Mercury and the line from Mercury to the Sun when Mercury is at greatest elongation?

Accepted Answer

A)  90° 
B)  180° 
C)  anywhere between 0° and 180°, depending on the particular planetary alignment 
D)  0° 
A)  90° 
B)  180° 
C)  anywhere between 0° and 180°, depending on the particular planetary alignment 
D)  0°

Question 8

In the heliocentric model of the solar system,which of the following phases of Venus should NOT be visible from Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  full 
B)  gibbous 
C)  new 
D)  None of these; they are all visible. 
A)  full 
B)  gibbous 
C)  new 
D)  None of these; they are all visible.

Question 9

The average distance from the Sun to Earth is 1.50 × 10¹¹ meters.The speed of light is 2.99 × 10⁸ m/s.So the Astronomical Unit could also be expressed as:

Accepted Answer

A)  about a thousand light seconds. 
B)  about 8.3 light minutes. 
C)  about 1.6 × 10-⁴ light years.. 
D)  about 4.9 × 10-⁵ parsecs. 
A)  about a thousand light seconds. 
B)  about 8.3 light minutes. 
C)  about 1.6 × 10-⁴ light years.. 
D)  about 4.9 × 10-⁵ parsecs.

Question 10

In what direction is Venus moving when it is at greatest elongation?

Accepted Answer

A)  directly toward or away from Earth 
B)  directly toward or away from the Sun 
C)  It is not possible to say because the direction is different from one greatest elongation to the next. 
D)  perpendicular to the line from Venus to Earth 
A)  directly toward or away from Earth 
B)  directly toward or away from the Sun 
C)  It is not possible to say because the direction is different from one greatest elongation to the next. 
D)  perpendicular to the line from Venus to Earth

Question 11

As far as we know,the first person to propose a Sun-centered model of the solar system was

Accepted Answer

A)  Plato. 
B)  Aristarchus of Samos. 
C)  Ptolemy. 
D)  Copernicus. 
A)  Plato. 
B)  Aristarchus of Samos. 
C)  Ptolemy. 
D)  Copernicus.

Question 12

Planets move past the background stars as seen by someone on Earth.What is the normal direction of this motion?

Accepted Answer

A)  east to west because of the rotation of Earth 
B)  east to west because of the motion of the planet along its orbit 
C)  west to east because of the motion of Earth along its orbit 
D)  west to east because of the motion of the planet along its orbit 
A)  east to west because of the rotation of Earth 
B)  east to west because of the motion of the planet along its orbit 
C)  west to east because of the motion of Earth along its orbit 
D)  west to east because of the motion of the planet along its orbit

Question 13

A body whose velocity is constant:

Accepted Answer

A)  can have any non-zero acceleration. 
B)  has a positive acceleration. 
C)  has zero acceleration. 
D)  has a negative acceleration. 
A)  can have any non-zero acceleration. 
B)  has a positive acceleration. 
C)  has zero acceleration. 
D)  has a negative acceleration.

Question 14

In the geocentric model for the solar system developed by Ptolemy,to what does the word epicycle refer?

Accepted Answer

A)  small circle about which a planet moves while the center of this circle moves around Earth 
B)  large circle (orbit) that carries the planet around Earth while the planet itself is moving in a smaller circle 
C)  complete cycle of planetary motions after which the motions repeat themselves (almost) exactly 
D)  length of time from when the planet is farthest from Earth to the next time it is farthest from Earth 
A)  small circle about which a planet moves while the center of this circle moves around Earth 
B)  large circle (orbit) that carries the planet around Earth while the planet itself is moving in a smaller circle 
C)  complete cycle of planetary motions after which the motions repeat themselves (almost) exactly 
D)  length of time from when the planet is farthest from Earth to the next time it is farthest from Earth

Question 15

In the ancient Greek era,it was almost universally believed that:

Accepted Answer

A)  the pole star represented the center of the universe about which Earth and all other objects revolved. 
B)  the Milky Way represented the observable universe, and its center was the center of the universe. 
C)  the Sun was at the center of the universe. 
D)  Earth was at the center of the universe. 
A)  the pole star represented the center of the universe about which Earth and all other objects revolved. 
B)  the Milky Way represented the observable universe, and its center was the center of the universe. 
C)  the Sun was at the center of the universe. 
D)  Earth was at the center of the universe.

Question 16

An inferior planet will be closest to Earth when it is at:

Accepted Answer

A)  inferior conjunction. 
B)  greatest elongation. 
C)  opposition. 
D)  superior conjunction. 
A)  inferior conjunction. 
B)  greatest elongation. 
C)  opposition. 
D)  superior conjunction.

Question 17

What is the size of the force you exert on Earth compared with the force Earth exerts on you as you stand on its surface?

Accepted Answer

A)  zero because you do not exert a force on Earth 
B)  very small because your mass is small compared with that of Earth 
C)  twice as large because of Earth's rotation 
D)  the same 
A)  zero because you do not exert a force on Earth 
B)  very small because your mass is small compared with that of Earth 
C)  twice as large because of Earth's rotation 
D)  the same

Question 18

The time interval between two successive repeated positions of a planet with respect to the Sun and Earth in its orbit,such as conjunction to conjunction,is known as:

Accepted Answer

A)  1 day. 
B)  the planet's synodic period. 
C)  1 year. 
D)  the planet's sidereal period. 
A)  1 day. 
B)  the planet's synodic period. 
C)  1 year. 
D)  the planet's sidereal period.

Question 19

Ancient Greek philosophers put forth the idea that:

Accepted Answer

A)  the universe is governed by regular laws. 
B)  the Sun is the center of the solar system. 
C)  Earth is only one of hundreds of planets scattered throughout the Galaxy. 
D)  gravitation keeps the planets in their orbits. 
A)  the universe is governed by regular laws. 
B)  the Sun is the center of the solar system. 
C)  Earth is only one of hundreds of planets scattered throughout the Galaxy. 
D)  gravitation keeps the planets in their orbits.

Question 20

When Mars is at opposition,it is:

Accepted Answer

A)  high in the sky at midnight. 
B)  high in the sky at sunset. 
C)  high in the sky at noon. 
D)  rising at about midnight. 
A)  high in the sky at midnight. 
B)  high in the sky at sunset. 
C)  high in the sky at noon. 
D)  rising at about midnight.

The eastern elongation of Mercury's orbit:

If a planet were to exist in our solar system in a circular orbit with a radius of 3 AU,about how long would it take to orbit the Sun once?

The time period between two successive passages of a planet past a particular star as seen from the Sun is its:

Kepler's second law states that a planet moves fastest when it:

Mars moves in an elliptical orbit around the Sun.The Sun is located at:

How long does a typical retrograde loop for Mars take?

What is the angle between the line from Earth to Mercury and the line from Mercury to the Sun when Mercury is at greatest elongation?

In the heliocentric model of the solar system,which of the following phases of Venus should NOT be visible from Earth?

The average distance from the Sun to Earth is 1.50 × 10¹¹ meters.The speed of light is 2.99 × 10⁸ m/s.So the Astronomical Unit could also be expressed as:

In what direction is Venus moving when it is at greatest elongation?

As far as we know,the first person to propose a Sun-centered model of the solar system was

Planets move past the background stars as seen by someone on Earth.What is the normal direction of this motion?

A body whose velocity is constant:

In the geocentric model for the solar system developed by Ptolemy,to what does the word epicycle refer?

In the ancient Greek era,it was almost universally believed that:

An inferior planet will be closest to Earth when it is at:

What is the size of the force you exert on Earth compared with the force Earth exerts on you as you stand on its surface?

The time interval between two successive repeated positions of a planet with respect to the Sun and Earth in its orbit,such as conjunction to conjunction,is known as:

Ancient Greek philosophers put forth the idea that:

When Mars is at opposition,it is:

Discovering the Night Sky

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 2: Gravitation and the Waltz of the Planets

The eastern elongation of Mercury's orbit:

If a planet were to exist in our solar system in a circular orbit with a radius of 3 AU,about how long would it take to orbit the Sun once?

The time period between two successive passages of a planet past a particular star as seen from the Sun is its:

Kepler's second law states that a planet moves fastest when it:

Mars moves in an elliptical orbit around the Sun.The Sun is located at:

How long does a typical retrograde loop for Mars take?

What is the angle between the line from Earth to Mercury and the line from Mercury to the Sun when Mercury is at greatest elongation?

In the heliocentric model of the solar system,which of the following phases of Venus should NOT be visible from Earth?

The average distance from the Sun to Earth is 1.50 × 10¹¹ meters.The speed of light is 2.99 × 10⁸ m/s.So the Astronomical Unit could also be expressed as:

In what direction is Venus moving when it is at greatest elongation?

As far as we know,the first person to propose a Sun-centered model of the solar system was

Planets move past the background stars as seen by someone on Earth.What is the normal direction of this motion?

A body whose velocity is constant:

In the geocentric model for the solar system developed by Ptolemy,to what does the word epicycle refer?

In the ancient Greek era,it was almost universally believed that:

An inferior planet will be closest to Earth when it is at:

What is the size of the force you exert on Earth compared with the force Earth exerts on you as you stand on its surface?

The time interval between two successive repeated positions of a planet with respect to the Sun and Earth in its orbit,such as conjunction to conjunction,is known as:

Ancient Greek philosophers put forth the idea that:

When Mars is at opposition,it is:

Discovering the Night Sky

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