The Night Sky

1. The Big Dipper is

a. a circumpolar constellation for southern hemisphere observers.

b. always on an observer’s zenith.

c. an asterism. *

d. only visible from the southern hemisphere.

e. a constellation.

2. A planet might be distinguishable from a star because

a. stars twinkle whereas planets do not*

b. planets twinkle whereas stars do not

c. planets appear to be large objects

d. stars appear to be further away

e. planets are always brighter than stars.

3. The Moon

a. may appear anywhere in the sky

b. always appears within a few degrees of the ecliptic*

c. always appears within a few degrees of the celestial equator

d. generally appears opposite the Sun.

4. An astronomical unit is the

a. distance from the Earth to the Moon

b. distance from the Earth to the Sun*

c. distance from the Earth to the nearest star

d. distance light travels in one year

e. circumference of the Earth.

5. Diurnal motions of heavenly bodies are caused by

a. the rapid rotations of heavenly bodies

b. the motion of the Moon about the Earth

c. the motion of the Sun about the Earth

d. the motion of the Earth on its rotation axis*

e. the precession of the Earth's axis.

6. The ecliptic is the

a. projection of the Earth's equator onto the celestial sphere

b. the Moon's orbital plane projected onto the celestial sphere

c. apparent path of the Moon on the celestial sphere

d. apparent path of the Sun on the celestial sphere*

7. Seen from the northern latitudes, the star Polaris

a. is never above the horizon during the day.

b. always sets directly in the west.

c. is always above the northern horizon. *

d. is never visible during the winter.

e. is the brightest star in the sky.

8. If you find that most of the stars at night are circumpolar, then you are

a. near the equator

b. nearing summer solstice

c. half-way between one of the poles and the equator

d. near one of the poles*

9. Precession is

a. the accuracy with which numbers are given in astronomy

b. the slow motion of the Earth's rotation axis on the celestial sphere*

c. the apparent backward motion of planets on the celestial sphere

d. the daily eastward motion of the Sun around the celestial sphere.

10. At the vernal equinox, an observer on the equator in Quito, Ecuador will observe the Sun to be ___ above the horizon at noon.

a. 0°

b. 30°

c. 45°

d. 60°

e. 90°.*

11. The sun is on the celestial equator at the times of the

a. vernal equinox and the summer solstice.

b. autumnal equinox and the vernal equinox.*

c. summer solstice and the winter solstice.

d. autumnal equinox and the winter solstice.

e. sun is on the ecliptic and is never on the celestial equator.

12. The apparent lunar motion is

a. south to north

b. along the celestial equator

c. along the ecliptic

d. nearly along the celestial equator

e. nearly along the ecliptic.*

13. As seen from the Earth, the Moon moves eastward through the zodiac about 360° in

a. one day

b. one week

c. one month*

d. one year

14. If the Moon did not rotate we would observe

a. the same as we now observe

b. only the lunar backside

c. the lunar north polar region

d. both the front and backsides of the Moon.*

15. Between the vernal equinox, ~March 21^st, and the autumnal equinox, 6 months later, by how much does the right ascension of the sun change?

a. 0 ^h

b. 0°

c. 12 ^h *

d. 12°

e. None of the above.

16. Relative to the stars of the zodiac, the Sun as seen from the Earth moves

a. about one degree westward each day.

b. about one degree eastward each day. *

c. about 360 degrees westward each day.

d. about 360 degrees eastward each day.

e. along the celestial equator.

17. How does the declination of the sun vary over the year (starting on the first day of Spring)?

a. From 0° to +23.5° to 0° to -23.5° to 0°.*

b. From 0° to +90° to 0° to -90° to 0°.

c. From 0 ^h to 6 ^h to 12 ^h to 18 ^h to 24 ^h (0 ^h).

d. By definition, it remains at 0 ^h all year.

e. None of the above.

18. Would it make sense to express longitude in units of time?

a. Yes, every 30° would correspond to 1 ^h.

b. Yes, every 45° would correspond to 1 ^h.

c. Yes, every 60° would correspond to 1 ^h.

d. Yes, every 90° would correspond to 1 ^h.

e. None of the above.*

19. Why is it more difficult to work out a system to predict eclipses than it is to work out a system to predict the position of the Sun at the summer solstice?

a. Because it is difficult to predict the periodicity of the Sun.

b. Because it is difficult to predict the periodicity of the Moon.

c. Because it is difficult to predict the periodicity of the rotation of the Earth.

d. Because it is difficult to predict the relative positions of the Sun and the Earth.*

e. None of the above.

20. Eclipses do not occur each month because

a. the Moon is always in the ecliptic

b. the Moon is never in the ecliptic

c. the Earth's axis is tilted to the ecliptic

d. the Moon's orbit is in the ecliptic

e. the Moon's orbit is not in the ecliptic.*

21. In order for a solar eclipse to occur, the Moon must be

a. near new moon*

b. near first or last quarter

c. high in the sky

d. near full moon

e. in a retrograde loop.

22. If you were on the Moon during an eclipse of the Moon, which of the following phenomena would you observe?

a. The Earth would eclipse the Sun.

b. The atmosphere of the Earth would appear reddish.

c. It would be dark all over the daylight side of the Moon.

d. All of these.*

e. None of these.

23. Why isn't there a solar eclipse once a month?

a. The Moon's orbit does not pass between the Earth and Sun that often.

b. The Sun's orbit does not pass between the Earth and the Moon that often.

c. It is rare that the Moon crosses the ecliptic just when its orbit passes between the Earth and the Sun.*

d. It is rare that the Earth crosses the ecliptic just when the Moon's orbit passes between the Earth and the Sun.

e. None of these.

24. If you lived on the Moon, would the motion of the planets appear any different than from Earth?

a. The motion of the planets would not appear significantly different than on the Earth.*

b. The planets would not appear to go around the Moon.

c. The planets would not appear to go around the Earth.

d. The planets would not appear to go around the Sun.

e. None of the above.

25. Which of the following planets can never be seen on the meridian at midnight?

a. Venus*

b. Mars

c. Ceres

d. Jupiter

e. Saturn.

26. The object(s) which exhibit retrograde motion, as seen from the Earth, are

a. the stars

b. the Moon

c. the planets*

d. the Earth

e. the Sun

27. The point in Earth's orbit where Earth is farthest from the sun is known as

a. aphelion. *

b. perihelion.

c. precession.

d. the winter solstice

e. a and d

28. You move to another planetary system that has 10 planets including your own. Four of them undergo retrograde motion at opposition. You are most likely on the ___ planet from your star.

a. 4^th

b. 1^st

c. 10^th

d. 6^th *