Question 1

The Sun is located at one focus of the orbit of a planet.What is located at the other focus?

Accepted Answer

A) Nothing 
B) The Earth 
C) The planet itself 
D) One of the other planets 
A) Nothing 
B) The Earth 
C) The planet itself 
D) One of the other planets A

Question 2

In which model(s)of the solar system does Venus show a full range of phases from new to full?

Accepted Answer

A) Both the geocentric and heliocentric 
B) Neither the geocentric nor heliocentric 
C) Geocentric 
D) Heliocentric 
A) Both the geocentric and heliocentric 
B) Neither the geocentric nor heliocentric 
C) Geocentric 
D) Heliocentric D

Question 3

What object is located at one focus of the orbit of the planet Mars?

Accepted Answer

A) The Sun 
B) The Earth 
C) Mars 
D) Jupiter 
A) The Sun 
B) The Earth 
C) Mars 
D) Jupiter A

Question 4

Callisto is 1.76 times as far from Jupiter as is Ganymede.The orbital period of Callisto is 16.7 days.What is the orbital period of Ganymede?

Accepted Answer

A) About 3 days 
B) About 7 days 
C) About 10 days 
D) About 13 days 
A) About 3 days 
B) About 7 days 
C) About 10 days 
D) About 13 days

Question 5

When does retrograde motion of Venus occur in the heliocentric model of the solar system?

Accepted Answer

A) When Venus passes the Earth 
B) When the Earth and Venus are on opposite sides of the Sun 
C) When the Earth is nearest the Sun 
D) When the Sun and Venus are opposite each other in the sky 
A) When Venus passes the Earth 
B) When the Earth and Venus are on opposite sides of the Sun 
C) When the Earth is nearest the Sun 
D) When the Sun and Venus are opposite each other in the sky

Question 6

Why did Tycho Brahe reject Copernicus's model of the solar system?

Accepted Answer

A) He could not detect stellar parallax 
B) He could not detect retrograde motion for Mars 
C) The ellipse had not been discovered yet 
D) Tycho found mistakes in Copernicus's calculations 
A) He could not detect stellar parallax 
B) He could not detect retrograde motion for Mars 
C) The ellipse had not been discovered yet 
D) Tycho found mistakes in Copernicus's calculations

Question 7

What was significant about Galileo's discovery of Jupiter's four brightest satellites?

Accepted Answer

A) It showed that theories that a planet can only have one satellite are wrong 
B) It showed that there are some objects that do not orbit the earth 
C) It showed that some satellites have atmospheres 
D) It showed that Jupiter is the most massive planet 
A) It showed that theories that a planet can only have one satellite are wrong 
B) It showed that there are some objects that do not orbit the earth 
C) It showed that some satellites have atmospheres 
D) It showed that Jupiter is the most massive planet

Question 8

In the heliocentric model of the solar system,retrograde motion occurs when

Accepted Answer

A) Two planets are farthest apart 
B) Two planets are on opposite sides of the Sun 
C) Two planets pass each other in their orbits 
D) One of the planets is nearest the Sun in its orbit 
A) Two planets are farthest apart 
B) Two planets are on opposite sides of the Sun 
C) Two planets pass each other in their orbits 
D) One of the planets is nearest the Sun in its orbit

Question 9

A shift in the direction of an object caused by a change in the position of an observer is called

Accepted Answer

A) Parallax 
B) Precession 
C) The Coriolis effect 
D) Epicycle motion 
A) Parallax 
B) Precession 
C) The Coriolis effect 
D) Epicycle motion

Question 10

Which of the following best describes Tycho's model of the solar system?

Accepted Answer

A) Sun orbits Earth,planets orbit Sun 
B) Earth orbits Sun,planets orbit Earth 
C) Sun and planets orbit Earth 
D) Planets and Earth orbit Sun 
A) Sun orbits Earth,planets orbit Sun 
B) Earth orbits Sun,planets orbit Earth 
C) Sun and planets orbit Earth 
D) Planets and Earth orbit Sun

Question 11

If the size of the Earth's orbit were doubled,its period of revolution about the Sun would

Accepted Answer

A) Increase about 3 times 
B) Stay the same 
C) Decrease about 3 times 
D) Increase about 8 times 
A) Increase about 3 times 
B) Stay the same 
C) Decrease about 3 times 
D) Increase about 8 times

Question 12

Which of the following did Galileo use to support the heliocentric hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

A) Prograde motion of the planets 
B) Phases of the Moon 
C) Phases of Venus 
D) Existence of sunspots 
A) Prograde motion of the planets 
B) Phases of the Moon 
C) Phases of Venus 
D) Existence of sunspots

Question 13

A hypothetical planet orbits the Sun a distance of 4 AU.What is its orbital period?

Accepted Answer

A) 4 years 
B) 8 years 
C) 16 years 
D) 64 years 
A) 4 years 
B) 8 years 
C) 16 years 
D) 64 years

Question 14

Which of the following planets,when viewed from the Earth,can be seen at crescent phase?

Accepted Answer

A) Mercury 
B) Mars 
C) Saturn 
D) Pluto 
A) Mercury 
B) Mars 
C) Saturn 
D) Pluto

Question 15

According to Kepler's laws,a planet moves fastest in its orbit when it is

Accepted Answer

A) Nearest the Earth in the Earth's orbital plane 
B) Nearest the Sun 
C) Midway between the foci of its orbit 
D) Farthest from the ecliptic 
A) Nearest the Earth in the Earth's orbital plane 
B) Nearest the Sun 
C) Midway between the foci of its orbit 
D) Farthest from the ecliptic

Question 16

An asteroid has an orbital period of 5 years.Approximately what is its average distance from the sun?

Accepted Answer

A) 2 AU 
B) 3 AU 
C) 4 AU 
D) 5 AU 
A) 2 AU 
B) 3 AU 
C) 4 AU 
D) 5 AU

Question 17

Kepler's law of equal areas in equal times predicts that

Accepted Answer

A) Planets move fastest at perihelion 
B) Comets are often in unbound orbits 
C) The sun must be at the center of the solar system 
D) Planets all must lie in the same orbital plane 
E) Planets are in noncircular orbits 
A) Planets move fastest at perihelion 
B) Comets are often in unbound orbits 
C) The sun must be at the center of the solar system 
D) Planets all must lie in the same orbital plane 
E) Planets are in noncircular orbits

Question 18

Bodes's law "predicts" that there is a planet with an orbit having a semimajor axis of 77 AU.What would be the orbital period of the "predicted" planet?

Accepted Answer

A) 77 years 
B) 676 years 
C) 115 years 
D) 5930 years 
A) 77 years 
B) 676 years 
C) 115 years 
D) 5930 years

Question 19

Suppose a planet has an elliptical orbit.The speed of the planet is 20 km/s when it is at its average distance from the Sun.Which of the following is most likely to be the planet's speed when it is farthest from the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A) 15 km/s 
B) 20 km/s 
C) 25 km/s 
D) 30 km/s 
A) 15 km/s 
B) 20 km/s 
C) 25 km/s 
D) 30 km/s

Question 20

Why was Tycho unwilling to accept that the stars are too far away for him to be able to detect their parallaxes?

Accepted Answer

A) He thought he could measure the angular diameters of stars 
B) He assumed the Earth was stationary 
C) He knew Saturn was at the same distance as the stars 
D) Trick question,he could,in fact,measure stellar parallaxes 
A) He thought he could measure the angular diameters of stars 
B) He assumed the Earth was stationary 
C) He knew Saturn was at the same distance as the stars 
D) Trick question,he could,in fact,measure stellar parallaxes

Exam 4: Renaissance Astronomy

The Sun is located at one focus of the orbit of a planet.What is located at the other focus?

In which model(s)of the solar system does Venus show a full range of phases from new to full?

What object is located at one focus of the orbit of the planet Mars?

Callisto is 1.76 times as far from Jupiter as is Ganymede.The orbital period of Callisto is 16.7 days.What is the orbital period of Ganymede?

When does retrograde motion of Venus occur in the heliocentric model of the solar system?

Why did Tycho Brahe reject Copernicus's model of the solar system?

What was significant about Galileo's discovery of Jupiter's four brightest satellites?

In the heliocentric model of the solar system,retrograde motion occurs when

A shift in the direction of an object caused by a change in the position of an observer is called

Which of the following best describes Tycho's model of the solar system?

If the size of the Earth's orbit were doubled,its period of revolution about the Sun would

Which of the following did Galileo use to support the heliocentric hypothesis?

A hypothetical planet orbits the Sun a distance of 4 AU.What is its orbital period?

Which of the following planets,when viewed from the Earth,can be seen at crescent phase?

According to Kepler's laws,a planet moves fastest in its orbit when it is

An asteroid has an orbital period of 5 years.Approximately what is its average distance from the sun?

Kepler's law of equal areas in equal times predicts that

Bodes's law "predicts" that there is a planet with an orbit having a semimajor axis of 77 AU.What would be the orbital period of the "predicted" planet?

Suppose a planet has an elliptical orbit.The speed of the planet is 20 km/s when it is at its average distance from the Sun.Which of the following is most likely to be the planet's speed when it is farthest from the Sun?

Why was Tycho unwilling to accept that the stars are too far away for him to be able to detect their parallaxes?

Journeys Start

Patterns in the Sky

Ancient Astronomy

Gravity and Motion

Light and Telescopes

Overview of the Solar System

The Earth

The Moon

Mercury and Venus

Mars

Jupiter and Saturn

The Outer Solar System

Satellites

Small Solar System Bodies

Basic Properties of Stars

The Sun

The Formation of Stars and Planets

The Evolution of Stars

White Dwarfs, neutron Stars, and Black Holes

Binary Star Systems

The Milky Way

Galaxies

Quasars and Other Active Galaxies

Galaxy Clusters and the Structure of the Universe

Cosmology

Life in the Universe

Filters