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The slow tipping of the Earth's axis in a circle with a period of about 26,000 years is called:
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Every celestial object appears to go around the Earth once a day. In addition to this motion, which celestial object has the fastest apparent motion in the sky?
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Astro 1 Pretest
Chapter One
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| The slow tipping of the Earth's axis in a circle with a period of about 26,000 years is called: | Precession |
| Every celestial object appears to go around the Earth once a day. In addition to this motion, which celestial object has the fastest apparent motion in the sky? | The Moon |
| Someone who observes the sky every clear night in Boston for many years will NEVER get to see: | The south circumpolar zone |
| Why is there a 4-minute difference between the solar day and the sidereal day? | because the Earth is going around the Sun in the course of a year |
| What is the name of the constellation T from the constellations diagram in question 62? | Cygnus |
| When the Sun rises, it is located in the constellation Gemini. When the Sun sets later that same day, it will be: | In the constellation Gemini |
| Assume you are stargazing at 34º N latitude, about the latitude of Los Angeles, California. For the declinations of the bright stars Sirius (-16º 44'), Canopus (-57º 12'), and Rigil Ke... nvr above horizon? | All of them |
| Which of the following best describes the Tropic of Cancer? | It is a place where the Sun is directly overhead at noon on the summer solstice. |
| The 88 sectors into which astronomers today divide the celestial sphere (the whole sky) are called: | Constellations |
| The place the Sun stops its northward motion along the ecliptic is the: | summer solstice |
| Among these stars with their corresponding apparent magnitudes, Vega (0.03), Arcturus (-0.05), Capella (0.08), and Rigil Kentaurus (-0.01), which stars are the dimmest and the brightest respectively? | capella and arcturus |
| What would you have to change about the Earth to stop our planet from having significantly different seasons? | the tilt of its axis |
| Some college students decide to form a secret society that would meet each year after graduation at a time when the day and night were the same length. Which of the following would be a time they could meet? | september 23 |
| The ecliptic and celestial equators intersect at two points called the | equinoxes |
| The time it takes for the Sun to return to the same place in our sky after the Earth has rotated once is called: | a solar day |
| If you want to locate someone precisely on the surface of the Earth, you specify her exact latitude and longitude. If you want to locate a star precisely on the sky, you need to specify its exact: | right ascension and declination |
| The constellations of the zodiac fall along: | the ecliptic |
| The celestial sphere turns once around each day because | the planet on which we live is rotating |
| Suppose you live at latitude 40°N. Which of the following describes the conditions that make a star circumpolar? | Stars are circumpolar if they have declination > +50°. |
| The south celestial pole and the north celestial pole lie in the sky directly above the | earth's axis |
| Where should be your location on Earth to see Polaris appears on your northern horizon? | Jacksonville, Florida (30º 22' N). |
| Which of the following was NOT done by Hipparchus, the great ancient astronomer? | created the system of star magnitudes that we still (alas) use today |
| From horizon to opposite horizon, the sky takes up how much angular distance? | 180 degrees |
| The star that is currently closest to the North Celestial Pole is: | polaris |
| What is a circumpolar star? | a star that always remains above your horizon |
| The "prime meridian" (where longitude equals zero) passes through: | Greenwich, England |
| While watching a star, you see it moves 15 degrees across the sky. How long have you been watching it? | 1 hour |
| The Sun's apparent path around the celestial sphere is called | the ecliptic |
| In the Northern Hemisphere, the altitude (height in degrees above the horizon) of the North Star is always roughly equal to the | latitude of the observer |
| The point in the sky directly above your head at any given time is called the | zenith |
| Name the three bright stars that mark the points of the famous Winter Triangle. | Procyon, Betelgeuse, and Sirius |
| Which statement about the ecliptic is FALSE? | The Moon can never leave it, but moves twelve times faster than the Sun. |
| Where on Earth can you observe all the stars in the sky over an entire year? | equator |
| A star with a right ascension of 2.0 hours will rise | 2.0 hours after the vernal equinox |
| Which of the following correctly describes the meridian in your sky? | a half-circle extending from your horizon due north, through your zenith, to your horizon due south |
| As seen from the continental United States, the Big and Little Dipper | are in the north circumpolar zone throughout the year |
| Where should be your location on Earth to see Vega practically crosses your zenith? | Sacramento, California (38º 35'N). |
| Which statement about the length of a day is FALSE? | The sidereal day includes both the Earth's rotation and revolution around the Sun |
| Which of the following is the reason for the solar day being longer than a sidereal day | the combined effect of the rotation of Earth and its orbit about the Sun |
| The average length of a solar day is | 24 hours |
| Halfway between the celestial poles lies the | celestial equator |
| You note that a particular star is directly overhead. It will be directly overhead again in | 23 hours 56 minutes |
| The strip of the sky through which the Sun, the Moon, and the bright planets appear to move in the course of a year is called: | The zodiac |
| If your astrological sign is Aries, the Sun should be in the constellation Aries on your birthday. The dates, according to astrological tradition, during which the Sun is in the constellation Aries are March 21 to April 20th. which constellation sun in | Pices |
| How many stars can you see (according to your textbook) with your naked eye on a clear, moonless night from a dark location? | a few thousand |
| Which of the following is an important part of the reason it is hotter in summer in North America than in winter? | the Sun's rays hit the Earth more directly in the Summer, and spread out less |
| If Taurus is now rising at sunset, which constellation will rise at sunset next month? | gemini |
| Which statement about declination is FALSE? | It is measured eastward in units of time. |
| Taking astronomy in college ruins you for having any kind of ordinary job, you decide to become the leader of a new religious cult. You decide to hold a big religious festival days are shortest and the nights are longest in the United States. time? | in late december |
| Within a constellation, a recognizable pattern of stars is often called: | an asterism |
| For an observer at latitude 40º N or higher, which constellations are north circumpolar? | all of the above |
| Which of the following statements about the celestial sphere is not true? | The "celestial sphere" is just another name for our universe. |
| Where on Earth do stars always circle the zenith (and never rise and set)? | at the north pole |
| Which statement about Right Ascension is FALSE? | it is very similar to the latitude on earth |
| Suppose the date is March 21 and the Sun passes through your zenith at noon. Where are you? | the equator |
| If a star rises at 9:30 P.M. tonight, at approximately what time will it rise two months from now? | 5:30 pm |
| On the first day of spring, the Sun rises | directly east |
| Why do some different contellations appear in the sky each seaon? | Because of Earth's revolution around the Sun. |
| If Taurus is now rising at sunset, which constellation will rise at sunset next month? | gemini |
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