Question 1

A person standing in the Moon's penumbra will see a:

Accepted Answer

A)  total lunar eclipse. 
B)  partial lunar eclipse. 
C)  total solar eclipse. 
D)  partial solar eclipse.

Question 2

A star rises at 8 P.M.,moves across the sky (crossing high overhead),and then sets at:

Accepted Answer

A)  midnight. 
B)  2 A.M. 
C)  8 A.M. 
D)  noon.

Question 3

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

Question 4

Viewed from 45° north latitude,stars appear to rise at an angle of 45° with respect to the eastern horizon.If you view from 50° north latitude,the angle at which stars rise with respect to the eastern horizon will be:

Accepted Answer

A)  35°. 
B)  40°. 
C)  50°. 
D)  55°.

Question 5

The boundaries of the 88 constellations were:

Accepted Answer

A)  established in antiquity. 
B)  established in the 1700s. 
C)  established in the 1800s. 
D)  not defined until the 1900s.

Question 6

When you look at the Moon in the sky,the terminator line (the division between the illuminated and the un-illuminated regions)moves:

Accepted Answer

A)  right to left. 
B)  left to right. 
C)  right to left from new to full and then left to right to new again. 
D)  left to right from new to full and then right to left to new again.

Question 7

If you stand at latitude 10° N,how many times during the year will the Sun pass precisely through a point directly overhead,the zenith?

Accepted Answer

A)  twice 
B)  never 
C)  once 
D)  every day for a half a year

Question 8

The fact that the Earth-Moon system orbits the Sun (covering 30° per month)while the Moon orbits Earth means that,compared with one lunar orbital (sidereal)period,the time between successive full Moons (the synodic month)is:

Accepted Answer

A)  about 2 days longer. 
B)  about 2 days shorter. 
C)  about twice as long. 
D)  zero because these periods are always the same, by definition.

Question 9

While you are observing during the course of a night,which of the following does NOT change?

Accepted Answer

A)  the star at your zenith 
B)  the declination of a particular star 
C)  the altitude of a particular star 
D)  the azimuth of a particular star

Question 10

During a particular solar eclipse (when the Moon and the Sun are precisely in line),the eclipse can be either total (Sun completely covered)or annular (Sun not quite covered)when viewed from the eclipse centerline because:

Accepted Answer

A)  the Moon has deep valleys on its surface. 
B)  the Moon's orbit is inclined at several degrees to that of Earth. 
C)  the Moon's distance from Earth varies from eclipse to eclipse. 
D)  of the time of day at the viewing site; annular eclipses always occur in early mornings and early evenings.

Question 11

The constellation Orion is:

Accepted Answer

A)  a pattern of stars commonly seen to depict an ancient hunter. 
B)  an entire region of the sky bounded by Gemini, Taurus, Eridanus, Lepus, and Monoceros. 
C)  one of 125 regions into which the entire sky is divided. 
D)  an asterism.

Question 12

If you are at the equator,how would you describe the angle with the horizon made by stars as they rise and set?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is perpendicular to the horizon. 
B)  It is variable but never more than 23.5°. 
C)  It is variable but never more than 66.5°. 
D)  The stars do not rise and set when viewed from the equator but instead move parallel to the horizon.

Question 13

The motion of the Moon across the sky,against the background of stars,is approximately:

Accepted Answer

A)  13° per day. 
B)  1° per day. 
C)  15° per hour. 
D)  its own diameter per day.

Question 14

When the Sun and the Moon are separated by 12 hours of right ascension,the phase of the Moon is always:

Accepted Answer

A)  first quarter. 
B)  third quarter. 
C)  full. 
D)  either first or third quarter.

Question 15

Which of these years was NOT a leap year?

Accepted Answer

A)  2000 a.d. 
B)  1600 a.d. 
C)  1988 a.d. 
D)  1800 a.d.

Question 16

Which way are you moving with respect to the background stars because of the revolution of Earth in its orbit around the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A)  westward 
B)  northeastward 
C)  northwestward 
D)  eastward

Question 17

If the Moon in its orbit around Earth moves alternately between Earth and the Sun and behind Earth from the Sun,why do we not see solar and lunar eclipses every month?

Accepted Answer

A)  The Moon's motion in its orbit is so slow that it reaches eclipse position only once every six months. 
B)  The Moon's orbital plane is slightly inclined to the ecliptic. 
C)  The Moon's orbital plane is at right angles to the ecliptic. 
D)  The Moon's orbital plane is inclined slightly to the celestial equator, which is the path of the Sun across the sky.

Question 18

Which of the following bodies will never be seen from Earth as a crescent?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mercury 
B)  Mars 
C)  Venus 
D)  the Moon

Question 19

When does the third quarter Moon rise?

Accepted Answer

A)  about 6 a.m. 
B)  about 6 p.m. 
C)  close to noon 
D)  close to midnight

Question 20

Over the duration of a given night,some stars will be observed to pass through (from one side to the other of)the:

Accepted Answer

A)  zodiac. 
B)  celestial equator. 
C)  zenith. 
D)  vernal equinox.

Exam 1: Discovering the Night Sky