ASTR 1141 INTRODUCTORY
ASTRONOMY-THE SOLAR SYSTEM
FINAL EXAM Thompson Rivers
University
,Part A—True/False (15 marks total)
Please answer true (T) or false (F) for each question.
F 1. The constellations you see in the night sky change in an
annual cycle because the Earth rotates on its axis.
Should be: The constellations you see in the night sky
change in an annual cycle because the Earth orbits around
the Sun.
The Solar System, Seeds and Backman 10th ed – A User’s Guide to
the Sky,
p. 12
T 2. A solstice occurs when the Sun appears at its most
northerly and southerly points in the sky.
The Solar System, Seeds and Backman 10th ed – Seasons, pp. 21–
23
F 3. Stars appear to “twinkle” because of random
oscillations in their brightness.
Should be: Stars appear to “twinkle” because the Earth’s
atmosphere is unstable and continuously refracts their light in a
random way.
The Solar System, Seeds and Backman 10th ed – The
Powers and Limitations of Telescopes, pp. 108 - 109
T 4. Radio telescopes can operate any time during the day or night.
The Solar System, Seeds and Backman 10th ed – Radiation:
Information from Space, pp. 102–107
F 5. A 24 cm diameter telescope can gather 6 times more light
than a 4cm diameter telescope.
Should be: A 24 cm diameter telescope can gather 36 times
more light than a 4cm diameter telescope.
The Solar System, Seeds and Backman 10th ed – The
Powers and Limitations of Telescopes, pp. 107–110
, F 6. Copernicus geocentric model of the Solar System challenged
the accepted heliocentric model of the Solar System put
forward by Ptolemy.
Should be: Copernicus heliocentric model of the Solar System
challenged the accepted geocentric model of the Solar System
put forward by Ptolemy.
The Solar System, Seeds and Backman 10th ed – Origins of modern
Astronomy, pp. 58–64
T 7. Tycho Brahe’s precise astronomical observations allowed
Kepler to develop his three laws of planetary motion.
The Solar System, Seeds and Backman 10th ed – Tycho,
Kepler, and Planetary Motion, pp. 64–67
F 8. To estimate the age of various meteorites, and thus the age of
the Solar System, astronomers use the accounts written in
certain ancient books. Should be: To estimate the age of
various meteorites, and thus the age of the Solar System,
astronomers use the ratio of the abundance of certain
radioactive elements to the abundance of their daughter
elements contained within the meteorites.
The Solar System, Seeds and Backman 10th ed – 10-1d Age of the
Solar
System, pp. 198 –200
T
9. Confirmed exoplanets have masses that range from a little
less than the mass of Earth to many times the mass of
Jupiter.
The Solar System, Seeds and Backman 10th ed – 10-4 Planets
Orbiting Other Stars, pp. 211–218; Also check the web at sites
like:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exoplanet
http://www.openexoplanetcatalogue.com/
http://exoplanet.eu/catalog/
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