The first 5 questions refer to the figure below:
1. Which letter best marks the position of the Sun on the day with the greatest number of daylight hours for an observer in Eugene, OR (latitude 45oNorth)
a. A *b. E c. C d. F e. H
2. The annual motion of the Sun is best described by which set of letters?
a. A
B
C
D b. A
F
C
E * c. A
E
C
F d. A
D
C
B e. I
J
K
L
3. The Celestial Equator is best described by which set of letters?
*a. A,B,C,D b. A,E,C,F c. I,J,K,L d. N,D,M,B e. A,G,C,H
4. In Eugene, OR, spring begins when the Sun reaches which letter?
*a. A b. C c. M d. H e. N
5. Which object is best viewed in the winter by an observer in Eugene, OR?
* a. G b. H c. I
6. The diurnal paths of celestial objects at the North Pole are best described as
* a. circles centered on the zenith of the observer. b. ellipses centered on the zenith of the observer. c. circles which are slightly tilted with respect to the horizon. d. circles centered on the Summer Solstice. e. semi-circles centered on the north point on the horizon
7. Around what date would the Sun first peek above the horizon for an observer at the North Pole of the Earth?
a. the autumnal equinox (Sep 21) b. the summer solstice (June 21) * c. the vernal equinox (Mar 21) d. the winter solstice (Dec 21) e. the Sun is always above the horizon at the North Pole
8. The synodic month differs from the sidereal month because
a. the Earth's and the Moon's rotation periods are the same. b. the rotation axis of the Earth is slowly precessing. * c. the Earth orbits around the Sun. d. the Moon is slowing down the Earth's rotation. e. the rotational and orbital periods of the Earth are identical.
9. A total solar eclipse can occur only
a. at midnight b. at noon * c. when the Moon is new d. when is the Moon is at First Quarter e. when the Moon is full
10. Suppose that Planet X rotates in the counter-clockwise sense as viewed from the North Celestial Pole, i.e., it spins from west to east, while it orbits about the Sun in the clockwise sense. Which of the following statements about Planet X is true?
a. The stars rise in the west and set in the east. * b. The solar day is shorter than the sidereal day. c. The annual motion of the Sun through the stars is west to east. d. The Sun always rises on the east point of the horizon. e. All of the above are correct statements about Planet X.
11. The annual variation in the constellations which can be seen by an observer in Eugene at midnight is caused by
* a. the Earth's revolution about the Sun. b. the Earth's rotation on its axis. c. the motion of the Moon about the Earth. d. the precession of the Earth's axis of rotation. e. the proper motion of the stars
12. The failure to detect annual shifts in the positions of stars
a. is strong evidence for a spherical Earth. b. conclusively shows that the stars do not move. c. explains why Polaris is the North Star. d. was used by the Greeks to rule out Ptolemy's model. * e. can be support for the idea that the Earth is stationary.
13. In Honolulu, HI (latitude = 21o N, longitude = 202o E), the altitude of the North Celestial Pole above the horizon is
a. 0o * b. 21o c. 69o d. 44o e. 69o
14. At which of the following locations on the Earth are no stars circumpolar?
a. the North Pole b. the South Pole * c. the equator d. anywhere in a small region the size of Ohio centered on the North Pole e. anywhere in a small band the size of Ohio centered on the equator
15. Where must an observer be located on the Earth in order to see the entire sky over the course of a year?
a. the North Pole b. Eugene, OR (or near Eugene, OR) * c. the equator d. the South Pole e. near Santiago, Chile (latitude = 30o S)
16. The reason Copernicus believed in the helio-centric model was
a. it matched the observational data better than the geo-centric models b. it did not need to use epicycles to match the observational data * c. it was philosophically pleasing to him (it was prettier than the geo-centric model) d. that he demonstrated that the Sun was much larger than the Earth e. the accepted laws of physics of the day indicated a helio-centric model was correct
17. If a total lunar eclipse occurred 1 week ago, what would be the approximate phase of the Moon today?
a. new b. first quarter c. full * d. third quarter e. depends on the season
18. Solar and Lunar eclipses occur
a. every month, somewhere in the world. b. every 18 - 19 years (the Saros cycle). c. when the Earth's rotation axis points to the Moon. d. only when the Moon is at the Vernal or Autumnal Equinox. * e. when the line-of-nodes points to the Sun.
19. The variation in the length of the Solar Day over the course of a year is due to
a. the increase in the orbital period of the Moon about the Earth * b. the changing speed of the Earth in its orbit about the Sun c. the orbit of the Sun about the center-of-mass of the Solar System d. changes in the rotation rate of the Earth on its axis e. the slow rotation of the Sun on its axis
20. Yesterday I went outside and saw star Z rise at precisely 10:00 p.m. If I go outside in one month, approximately when will star Z rise?
* a. around 8:00 p.m. b. around 9:00 p.m. c. at precisely 10:00 p.m. d. around 11:00 p.m. e. around midnight
21. On the Autumnal Equinox, the Sun
a. reaches its farthest point south of the Celestial equator b. crosses the Celestial equator moving northward c. reaches its highest point north of the Celestial equator * d. crosses the Celestial equator moving southward e. circles parallel to the horizon for an observer at the equator
22. The location of the South Celestial Pole is determined by
a. the direction in which the Earth orbits about the Sun b. the direction in which the Moon orbits about the Earth * c. the direction in which the Earth's rotation axis points d. the direction in which the Sun moves on the Celestial Sphere e. the direction in which the Moon rotates on its axis
24. The assumption that the stars are fixed firmly to the Celestial Sphere turns out to be reasonable because
a. stars are, in fact, stationary; they do not move b. stars move very slowly compared to planets; speeds much less than 1 mile per hour * c. stars are extremely distant d. stars are fairly nearby e. stars are optical illusions
25. Suppose that Planet X rotates in the counter-clockwise sense as viewed from the North Celestial Pole, i.e., it spins from west to east, while it orbits about the Sun in the clockwise sense. Which of the following statements about Planet X is true?
a. The stars rise in the west and set in the east. * b. The solar day is shorter than the sidereal day. c. The annual motion of the Sun through the stars is west to east. d. The Sun always rises on the east point of the horizon. e. All of the above are correct statements about Planet X.
26. Which of the following is an incorrect statement about the motions of the planets?
a. The planets usually move west to east through the Zodiac constellations. b. The planets all exhibit retrograde motions at one time or another, even Venus. c. The planets rise in the east and set in the west over the course of a day. * d. All planets will exhibit a new phase for observers on or near the Earth. e. The planets rise in the east and set in the west even when they undergo retrograde motion.
27. Suppose you are near the equator. You go out and see the full moon and it is setting. Roughly, what time is it?
a. noon b. sunset c. midnight * d. sunrise
28. Suppose you are standing on the Moon during a penumbral lunar eclipse. What kind of Solar eclipse will you see?
a. total Solar eclipse b. an annular Solar eclipse * c. partial Solar eclipse d. penumbral Solar eclipse
29. According to Copernicus, retrograde motion
a. arises when a slower moving inner planet (Mars, for example) is caught and left behind by a faster moving outer planet (Saturn, for example) b. is due to the epicyclic motion of the planet * c. arises when a faster moving inner planet catches and passes a slower moving outer planet d. occurs because of the slow drift of the Earth's rotation axis caused by precession e. cannot be easily understood in a helio-centric model
30 The seasons are caused by
a. the varying distance between the Sun and the Earth * b. the variation in the angle at which sunlight strikes different regions on the Earth c. the slow motion of the Vernal Equinox along the Celestial Equator d. the tilt of the Earth's orbital plane with respect to the Moon's orbit e. the periodic change of the direction in which the rotation axis of the Earth points
31. Suppose that the Earth was placed into an orbit about the Sun which was twice as large as its current orbit. What would happen to the strength of the gravitaional force between the Sun and the Earth?
a. It would become 2 times stronger b. It would become 2 times weaker c. It would become 4 times stronger * d. It would become 4 times weaker e. The force of gravity is universal; it does not ever change.
32. In non-mathematical terms, Kepler's third law says that
a. a planet moves more rapidly when near the Sun than when farther away * b. planets close to the Sun have shorter periods than those farther away c. the Sun is at the center of planetary orbits d. slowly moving planets are close to the Sun
33. Which of the following is not a property associated with planetary motions?
a. All planets orbit about the Sun in the same direction b. All planets orbit around the Sun roughly in the ecliptic plane c. All planets have roughly circular orbits d. All planets have elliptical orbits * e. All of the above are true statements about planetary motion
34. Tycho Brahe's principal contribution to astronomy was
a. his noble bloodline b. his suggested model for the Solar System * c. the accuracy and completeness of his observational records d. his astute choice of Galileo as his assistant and protege e. his observation of a supernova in 1572
35. Of the following, who proposed the first heliocentric theory for the Solar System?
a. Erastosthenes * b. Aristarchus c. Kepler d. Copernicus e. Newton
36. According to Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation
a. objects repel each other if they are placed too close together b. objects attract each other more strongly if their momenta are large * c. the force of gravity will behave the same on the Earth as it does in the farthest reaches of the Solar System! d. objects attract each other more strongly if they are accelerated e. if the distance between two objects is doubled, the force of attraction will be one-half as large
37. The Greeks believed that the Earth was spherical because
a. the stars always rose in the east and set in the west b. the full Moon was round * c. the appearance of the sky was different from different latitudes d. of the annual seasonal variations e. the stars did not appear to change positions from night-to-night
40. Which of the following is not a correct statement about the Ptolemaic and Copernican models?
a. Both assumed that the planets moved with circular motions. b. Both models used epicycles. * c. The Copernican model matched the observations of the day much better than did the Ptolemaic model. d. The Copernican model prediced the correct relative placement of the naked eye planets in the Solar System. e. Wait, all of the above statements are true statements. None of them is incorrect.
41. Suppose that the orbital period of the Earth was 4 years, which of the following would be true?
a. the Mean Solar Day would be 4 minutes shorter than the sidereal day b. the Mean Solar Day would be 4 minutes longer than the sidereal day c. the Mean Solar Day would be 1 minutes shorter than the sidereal day * d. the Mean Solar Day would be 1 minutes longer than the sidereal day e. the Mean Solar Day would be 12 minutes longer than the sidereal day
42. The geocentric theory for the Solar System can explain
a. retrograde motion b. the motion of the Sun along the ecliptic c. the motion of the Moon d. the daily rising and setting of the stars * e. All of the above can be explained by the geo-centric theory.
43. Comet Herb passed through perihelion in 1995. Herb has an orbit whose semi-major axis is 100 A.U. When will Herb return to the inner Solar System?
a. 2095 b. 2495 * c. 2995 d. 1996 e. 3995
44. From his analysis of the data acquired by Tycho, Kepler was able to conclude that
a. the planets move in circular orbits with the Sun at the center b. the planets all undergo retrograde motion once per year * c. the planets move in elliptical orbits d. nearby planets always keep the same side pointed toward the Earth e. the planets all orbited the Sun precisely in the ecliptic plane
45. Kepler's second law of planetary motion means that
* a. a planet moves more slowly when far from the Sun than when nearer b. planets closer to the Sun travel more quickly than planets farther from the Sun c. the Sun resides at the center of the orbits of the planets d. the more slowly moving planets are found near the Sun e. a planet exerts an equal and opposite gravitational force on the Sun
46. It is noon on March 21 and the Sun is passing through the Zenith; what is your latitude?
* a. you are on the equator b. you are at 23.5 degrees South c. you are at 23.5 degrees North d. you are at the South Pole e. you are at the North Pole
47. To which of the following may Kepler's 3rd law be applied?
a. the motion of the Moon about the Earth b. the motion of a comet about the Sun c. the motion of one star about another star (a binary star system) d. the motion of Pluto about the Sun * e. all of the above.
48. The morning and evening stars are not stars; they are
a. actually comets b. actually just the Moon c. actually the Sun when it is near the Vernal Equinox * d. the planets Mercury and Venus e. Wait, Mercury is always the morning star and Venus is always the evening star
49. The reason for the phases of the Moon is
a. the Moon's rotation and revolution periods are the same b. the Moon's orbital plane coincides with that of the Earth's equator * c. the Moon shines by reflected sunlight and it orbits the Earth d. the Moon is peculiarly self-luminous e. the Moon does not rotate while it revolves around the Earth