Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Calgary Centre calgary.rasc.ca Astronomy Quiz 1. The Big Dipper is part of which constellation?

a) Ursa Major b) Ursa Minor c) The Great Bear d) Both answers a) and c) above. 2. What are the names of the two stars in the Big Dipper used to locate Polaris? a) The North Seekers b) The Pointer Stars c) The Pointer Sisters 3. What are circumpolar stars? a) Stars that can only be seen from the North Pole b) Stars that cannot be seen from the North Pole c) Stars that never set 4. What prominent pattern of stars is seen overhead after dark in the late Summer and throughout the Fall? a) Orion s Belt b) The Fall Hexagon c) The Winter Hexagon d) The Summer Triangle 5. What causes the Moon s phases? a) The Sun lights up only one half of the Moon and as the Moon orbits the Earth we can sometimes see the unlit side of the Moon.

b) The Sun lights up only one half of the Moon and as the Sun orbits the Earth we can sometimes see the unlit side of the Moon. c) The Earth s shadow falls on the Moon, blocking the sunlight. 6. The large dark patches on the Moon s surface are known as a) Dark matter b) Maria, or seas, even though there is no water on the Moon c) Maria, or seas, because they are filled with water d) Moon spots Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Calgary Centre calgary.rasc.ca 7. What is the technical name for a star family that formed at the same time from a single cloud of gas? a) Nuclear family b) Galaxy c) Star Cluster d) Constellation 8. What is the brightest star in the night sky? a) The Morning Star b) Sirius c) The North Star d) Polaris e) Both answers c) and d) above 9. What celestial objects can be seen with the unaided eye during the daytime? a) The Sun b) The Moon and Sun c) The Sun and Venus

d) The Sun, Moon and Venus 10. When the Moon is Full: a) It rises when the Sun sets b) It sets when the Sun sets c) It rises when the Sun rises d) Both answers b) and c) above Match the following constellation names with their descriptions: Constellation: 11. Ursa Minor 12. Orion 13. Pegasus 14. Gemini 15. Cygnus Choices: a) The Swan b) The Little Bear c) The Hunter d) The Twins e) The Flying HorseRoyal Astronomical Society of Canada Calgary Centre calgary.rasc.ca Answers to Astronomy Quiz: 1d, Both answers a) and c) above. The Great Bear is another name for Ursa Major. 2b, The Pointer Stars 3c, Stars that never set. 4d, The Summer Triangle, which consists of Deneb from the constellation Cygnus, Vega from

Lyra and Altair from Aquila. 5a, The Sun lights up only one half of the Moon and as the Moon orbits the Earth we can sometimes see the unlit side of the Moon. 6b, Maria, or seas, even though there is no water on the Moon. 7c, Star Cluster. 8b, Sirius. The Morning Star is brighter, but it is not really a star, it is the planet Venus. 9d, The Sun, Moon and Venus. Venus is the trickiest to find. 10a, It rises when the Sun sets. In order for us to see a fully-illuminated Moon, we need to be looking at the same side of the Moon that is facing the Sun. So, the Sun must be behind us when we look at a Full Moon. Constellation Matching Answers: 11b, This faint constellation contains Polaris -- everyone remember what Polaris represents? 12c, This Winter constellation straddles the celestial equator. 13e, This Fall constellation is part of the Perseus Andromeda story. 14d, This late Winter or early Spring Constellation is also part of the Zodiac. 15a, This Summer and Fall constellation marks the Milky Way and is also known as the Northern Cross.