Astronomy Exam 1 (Chapters 1-5) Questions With 100%
Correct!!
A line running from due north to due south through a point directly overhead is
called
a meridian
Residents of the Southern Hemisphere cannot see the stars around the north
celestial pole because
Earth itself is in the way.
A sky observer in the southern hemisphere would see stars moving which way?
clockwise
Is there any location on Earth where the entire sky is potentially visible within a
24 hour period (ignoring the fact that some stars can't be seen if it is daytime)?
At the equator
The equator is the only place on Earth where you can see the entire celestial
sphere (day or night) over the course of 24 hours.
True
If a star rises on the eastern horizon, it will set on the western horizon 6 hours
later.
False
Constellations are arbitrary groupings of stars in the sky.
True
Our Sun is the most massive and luminous star in the Milky Way.
False
Pluto is the only dwarf planet in our Solar System.
False
The heavy elements that make up most of Earth were formed via nuclear fusion in
the center of our Sun.
False
The Local Group is a member of the Virgo Supercluster.
True
If a scientific theory cannot be tested, it is assumed to be true.
False
A crucial component of a scientific theory is that it is able to be tested by
observations and thus proven true or false.
True
On the autumnal equinox, the lengths of both day and night are 12 hours.
True
The altitude of the Sun as it crosses the meridian changes during the year.
True
A person who lives at the equator will see the Sun directly overhead at noon
every day of the year.
False
The seasons on Earth are caused by the change in distance between the Sun and
Earth.
, False
The apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere during a year is called
the:
ecliptic plane
The ecliptic plane is defined by the motion of __________ in the sky.
the Sun
How far away on average is the Earth from the Sun?
150 million kilometers
If you go out at exactly 9 P.M. each evening over the course of one month, the
position of a given star will move westward by tens of degrees. What causes this
motion?
The revolution of the Earth around the Sun
The shortest day of the year for a person living in the NORTHERN Hemisphere is
the:
winter solstice
On which day of the year does the Sun reach its northernmost point in the sky?
Summer solstice
When the Northern Hemisphere experiences summer, the Southern Hemisphere
experiences:
winter
The fact that we always see the same side of the Moon indicates that the Moon
does not rotate about an axis.
False
When a solar eclipse occurs, the Sun lies between the Earth and Moon.
False
The Earth's rotational axis precesses in space and completes one revolution
every:
26,000 years
Leap years occur because:
the Earth's orbital period is 365.24 days
The Moon undergoes synchronous rotation, and as a consequence the:
rotational period of the Moon equals the orbital period of the Moon around the Earth
In regard to the phase of the Moon, the term waxing means:
increasing in brightness
If tonight the Moon is in the waxing gibbous phase, in three days the Moon will
most likely be in the:
full phase
If there is a full Moon out tonight, approximately how long from now will it be in
the third quarter phase?
One week
The observed phase of the Moon changes over the course of one night. t/f
false
At what time does a third quarter Moon rise? (Hint: A third quarter Moon occurs
approximately 3 weeks after a new Moon.)
12 midnight
During which lunar phase do solar eclipses occur?
Correct!!
A line running from due north to due south through a point directly overhead is
called
a meridian
Residents of the Southern Hemisphere cannot see the stars around the north
celestial pole because
Earth itself is in the way.
A sky observer in the southern hemisphere would see stars moving which way?
clockwise
Is there any location on Earth where the entire sky is potentially visible within a
24 hour period (ignoring the fact that some stars can't be seen if it is daytime)?
At the equator
The equator is the only place on Earth where you can see the entire celestial
sphere (day or night) over the course of 24 hours.
True
If a star rises on the eastern horizon, it will set on the western horizon 6 hours
later.
False
Constellations are arbitrary groupings of stars in the sky.
True
Our Sun is the most massive and luminous star in the Milky Way.
False
Pluto is the only dwarf planet in our Solar System.
False
The heavy elements that make up most of Earth were formed via nuclear fusion in
the center of our Sun.
False
The Local Group is a member of the Virgo Supercluster.
True
If a scientific theory cannot be tested, it is assumed to be true.
False
A crucial component of a scientific theory is that it is able to be tested by
observations and thus proven true or false.
True
On the autumnal equinox, the lengths of both day and night are 12 hours.
True
The altitude of the Sun as it crosses the meridian changes during the year.
True
A person who lives at the equator will see the Sun directly overhead at noon
every day of the year.
False
The seasons on Earth are caused by the change in distance between the Sun and
Earth.
, False
The apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere during a year is called
the:
ecliptic plane
The ecliptic plane is defined by the motion of __________ in the sky.
the Sun
How far away on average is the Earth from the Sun?
150 million kilometers
If you go out at exactly 9 P.M. each evening over the course of one month, the
position of a given star will move westward by tens of degrees. What causes this
motion?
The revolution of the Earth around the Sun
The shortest day of the year for a person living in the NORTHERN Hemisphere is
the:
winter solstice
On which day of the year does the Sun reach its northernmost point in the sky?
Summer solstice
When the Northern Hemisphere experiences summer, the Southern Hemisphere
experiences:
winter
The fact that we always see the same side of the Moon indicates that the Moon
does not rotate about an axis.
False
When a solar eclipse occurs, the Sun lies between the Earth and Moon.
False
The Earth's rotational axis precesses in space and completes one revolution
every:
26,000 years
Leap years occur because:
the Earth's orbital period is 365.24 days
The Moon undergoes synchronous rotation, and as a consequence the:
rotational period of the Moon equals the orbital period of the Moon around the Earth
In regard to the phase of the Moon, the term waxing means:
increasing in brightness
If tonight the Moon is in the waxing gibbous phase, in three days the Moon will
most likely be in the:
full phase
If there is a full Moon out tonight, approximately how long from now will it be in
the third quarter phase?
One week
The observed phase of the Moon changes over the course of one night. t/f
false
At what time does a third quarter Moon rise? (Hint: A third quarter Moon occurs
approximately 3 weeks after a new Moon.)
12 midnight
During which lunar phase do solar eclipses occur?
