Cosmic Perspective

CH. 2

Homework

1) Which of the following statements about the celestial sphere is not true? A) The "celestial sphere" is just another name for our universe. B) From any location on Earth, we can see only half the celestial sphere at any one time. C) When we look in the sky, the stars all appear to be located on the celestial sphere. D) The earth is placed at the center of the celestial sphere. E) The celestial sphere does not exist physically.

2) Which of the following statements about the celestial equator is true at all latitudes? A) It extends from your horizon due east, through your zenith, to your horizon due west. B) It lies along the band of light we call the Milky Way. C) It cuts the dome of your sky exactly in half. D) It represents an extension of the earth's equator onto the celestial sphere. E) It extends from your horizon due north, through your zenith, to your horizon due south.

3) What is the ecliptic? A) the Sun's apparent path along the celestial sphere B) the constellations commonly used in astrology to predict the future C) the Moon's apparent path along the celestial sphere D) the Sun's daily path across the sky E) when the Moon passes in front of the Sun

4) Which of the following correctly describes the meridian in your sky? A) a half-circle extending from your horizon due north, through your zenith, to your horizon due south B) a half-circle extending from your horizon due east, through your zenith, to your horizon due west C) a half-circle extending from your horizon due east, through the north celestial pole, to your horizon due west D) the boundary between the portion of the celestial sphere you can see at any moment and the portion that you cannot see E) the point directly over your head

5) If it is midnight in New York, it is A) midnight in Los Angeles. B) midnight everywhere. C) midnight in Sydney, Australia. D) daytime in Sydney, Australia. E) midday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

6) What is a circumpolar star? A) a star that makes a daily circle around the celestial sphere B) a star that is visible from the Arctic or Antarctic circles C) a star that is close to the north celestial pole D) a star that always remains above your horizon E) a star that is close to the south celestial pole

7) We describe a position on the earth's surface by stating its A) latitude and direction. B) latitude and longitude. C) meridian and longitude. D) altitude and direction. E) altitude and azimuth.

8) You are standing on the earth's equator. Which way is Polaris, the North star? A) on the northern horizon B) directly overhead C) 30 degrees up, due West D) The answer depends on whether it's winter or summer. E) The answer depends on what time of day (or night) it is.

9) Why do we have seasons on Earth? A) As the earth goes around the Sun and the earth's axis remains pointed toward Polaris, the Northern and Southern hemispheres alternately receive more and less direct sunlight. B) Seasons are caused by the influence of the planet Jupiter on our orbit. C) The earth's distance from the Sun varies, so that it is summer when we are closer to the Sun and winter when we are farther from the Sun. D) The tilt of the earth's axis constantly changes between 0 and 23 1/2degree, giving us summer when the earth is tilted more and winter when it is straight up.

10) Which of the following statements about constellations is false? A) There are only 88 official constellations. B) Some constellations can be seen from both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. C) Most constellations will be unrecognizable hundreds of years from now. D) Some constellations can be seen in both the winter and summer. E) It is possible to see all the constellations from the earth's equator.

11) Which of the following is not a phase of the Moon? A) third-quarter moon B) new moon C) first-quarter moon D) full moon E) half moon

12) What conditions are required for a lunar eclipse? A) The phase of the Moon must be new, and the Moon's orbital plane must lie in the ecliptic. B) The phase of the Moon must be new, and the nodes of the Moon's orbit must be nearly aligned with the earth and the Sun. C) The phase of the Moon must be full, and the Moon's orbital plane must lie in the ecliptic. D) The phase of the Moon must be full, and the nodes of the Moon's orbit must be nearly aligned with the earth and the Sun. E) The phase of the Moon can be new or full, and the nodes of the Moon's orbit must be nearly aligned with the earth and the Sun.

TRUE/FALSE. Write 'T' if the statement is true and 'F' if the statement is false. 13) The seasons on Earth are caused by its elliptical orbit around the Sun.

14) It is possible to view the Moon in first-quarter phase the day after a total lunar eclipse.

MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.

1) A

2) D

3) A

4) A

5) D

6) D

7) B

8) A

9) A

10) C

11) E

12) D

TRUE/FALSE. Write 'T' if the statement is true and 'F' if the statement is false. 13) FALSE

14) FALSE

HW3 Perspective

Science of Astronomy

Cosmic

1) He discovered that Jupiter has moons. A) Galileo B) Aristotle C) Kepler D) Ptolemy E) Tycho Brahe

2) One of the "nails in the coffin" for the earth-centered universe was A) eclipses of the Sun. B) Galileo's observation of stars in the Milky Way. C) the phases of the Moon. D) Galileo's observations of the moons of Jupiter.

E) the retrograde motion of the planets.

3) Which of the following is not one of, nor follows directly from, Kepler's laws? A) A planet travels faster when it is nearer to the Sun and slower when it is farther from the Sun. B) The force of attraction between any two objects decreases with the square of the distance between their centers. C) The orbit of each planet about the Sun is an ellipse with the Sun at one focus. D) As a planet moves around its orbit, it sweeps out equal areas in equal times. E) More distant planets move at slower speeds.

4) Kepler's third law, p2 = a3, means that A) the period of a planet does not depend on its mass. B) all orbits with the same semimajor axis have the same period. C) planets that are farther from the Sun move at slower average speeds than nearer planets. D) a planet's period does not depend on the eccentricity of its orbit. E) All of the above are correct.

5) Kepler's second law, which states that as a planet moves around its orbit it sweeps out equal areas in equal times, means that A) a planet's period does not depend on the eccentricity of its orbit. B) a planet travels faster when it is nearer to the Sun and slower when it is farther from the Sun. C) planets that are farther from the Sun move at slower average speeds than nearer planets. D) the period of a planet does not depend on its mass. E) planets have circular orbits.

6) All the following statements are true. Which one follows directly from Kepler's third law? A) Venus orbits the Sun at a slower average speed than Mercury. B) Venus is more massive than Mercury. C) Venus has a thicker atmosphere than Mercury. D) Venus is farther from the Sun than Mercury.

TRUE/FALSE. Write 'T' if the statement is true and 'F' if the statement is false. 7) Copernicus's model of the solar system gave much better predictions than the model of Ptolemy.

8) Copernicus was the first person to suggest a Sunminuscentered solar system.

9) Galileo found "imperfections" on the Sun in the form of sunspots and "imperfections" on the Moon in the form of mountains and valleys.

SHORT ANSWER. Write the word or phrase that best completes each statement or answers the question. 10) State Kepler's three laws of planetary motion.

MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question. 1) A

2) D

3) B

4) E

5) B

6) A

TRUE/FALSE. Write 'T' if the statement is true and 'F' if the statement is false. 7) FALSE

8) FALSE

9) TRUE

SHORT ANSWER. Write the word or phrase that best completes each statement or answers the question. 10) 1. The orbit of each planet is an ellipse with the Sun at one focus. 2. As a planet moves around its orbit, it sweeps out equal areas in equal times. 3. A planet's period squared is equal to its semimajor axis cubed.