Busy. Please wait.
Log in with Clever
or

show password
Forgot Password?

Don't have an account?  Sign up 
Sign up using Clever
or

Username is available taken
show password


Make sure to remember your password. If you forget it there is no way for StudyStack to send you a reset link. You would need to create a new account.
Your email address is only used to allow you to reset your password. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.


Already a StudyStack user? Log In

Reset Password
Enter the associated with your account, and we'll email you a link to reset your password.

Chapter 2-The Sky

Quiz yourself by thinking what should be in each of the black spaces below before clicking on it to display the answer.
        Help!  

Question
Answer
The Greek-letter designation indicates a star's   relative brightness and constellation  
🗑
In the constellation Orion, we receive more light from the star Rigel than we do from the star Betelguese. Why does this figure have the alpha and beta designations as shown?   This is one exception to the way in which brightness has been assigned in this system  
🗑
Which statement below most accurately describes modern constellations?   They are 88 well-defined regions on the celestial sphere  
🗑
The precession of Earth's rotational axis causes the location of the   all of the above  
🗑
The apparent visual magnitudes of four stars are listed below. Of these four stars, which one appears dimmest in the sky?   +2.8  
🗑
At what location on Earth is an observer if the celestial equator passes through the point directly overhead?   At Earth's equator  
🗑
The bowl of the Big Dipper is about 10 degrees wide. Use this figure to determine the angular separation between Polaris and the upper pointer star of the Big Dipper.   About 30 degrees  
🗑
If Earth's rotational period changed to 16 hours, and Earth's shape remained the same, how would this affect Earth's precession?   The precession cycle would be longer than it is now  
🗑
Which of the following is an asterism?   the Big Dipper  
🗑
If the apparent visual magnitude of the sun is -26.5 and that of the full moon is -12.5, what is the approximate light-intensity ratio of sunlight to full moonlight received on Earth?   About 400,000  
🗑
On a clear, very dark night far from city lights, how many stars are visible to the naked human eye?   A few thousand  
🗑
How many apparent brightness classes did Hipparchus assign to stars?   6  
🗑
If the tilt of Earth's axis were to change from 23.5 degrees to 0 degrees, what celestial circles would coincide for all observers?   The celestial equator and the ecliptic  
🗑
At what location on Earth is an observer who has the south celestial pole directly overhead?   At Earth's South Pole  
🗑
From which of the following countries is the north celestial pole never above the horizon?   Australia  
🗑
What is the faintest apparent magnitude that can be detected by the human eye on a clear, very dark night?   6  
🗑
The apparent visual magnitude of star A is 2 and the apparent visual magnitude of star B is 1. Based on this information, which statement below must be true?   Light output and distance cannot be determined from a star's apparent visual magnitude alone  
🗑
You observe that the north celestial pole is 42 degrees above the horizon. What does this information tell you?   That your latitude is 42 degrees north  
🗑
Which pair of apparent visual magnitudes listed below indicates that we receive about 16 times as much visible light from star W as we do from star X?   m star W = 2, and m star X = 5  
🗑
When you observe a star on the celestial equator over a period of a few hours, you notice that it   moves from east to west relative to the horizon  
🗑
The remaining 48 ancient constellations that we still recognize today are located   at mid and northern celestial latitudes  
🗑
From what location on Earth are all constellations circumpolar?   Both North and South Poles  
🗑
What is responsible for the motion described in the previous question?   Earth's rotation on its axis  
🗑
What is the most likely Greek-letter name of the second brightest star in the constellation Lyra?   beta Lyrae  
🗑
Use this figure to determine which constellation will be the nearest to the north point on the horizon 15 hours into the future.   Perseus  
🗑
From what location on Earth are no constellations circumpolar?   The equator  
🗑
Why does Earth's rotational axis precess?   The sun and moon pull on Earth's equatorial bulge  
🗑
If Earth's equatorial bulge was larger and more massive, and Earth's rotation rate remained the same, how would this affect Earth's precession?   The precession cycle would be shorter than it is now  
🗑
In this figure it is apparent that the radius of the precession circle is 23.5 degrees. At what latitude on Earth is the entire precession path currently above the horizon?   At all locations north of 23.5 degrees north latitude  
🗑
Notice in this figure that the magnitude scale is "awkward" in that the smaller, or more negative, magnitude number corresponds to a brighter star. Why does the scale have this "awkward" direction?   The system was originally set up as a set of classes with first class as the brightest  
🗑
   
🗑


   

Review the information in the table. When you are ready to quiz yourself you can hide individual columns or the entire table. Then you can click on the empty cells to reveal the answer. Try to recall what will be displayed before clicking the empty cell.
 
To hide a column, click on the column name.
 
To hide the entire table, click on the "Hide All" button.
 
You may also shuffle the rows of the table by clicking on the "Shuffle" button.
 
Or sort by any of the columns using the down arrow next to any column heading.
If you know all the data on any row, you can temporarily remove it by tapping the trash can to the right of the row.

 
Embed Code - If you would like this activity on your web page, copy the script below and paste it into your web page.

  Normal Size     Small Size show me how
Created by: dabruns
Popular Science sets