Astronomy 1

On February 1, a careful observer notes the exact compass point on the horizon where the sun
rises. A few days later, the sun rises
1. further north
2. at the same place
3. further south
On May 25, a careful observer notes the exact point on the horizon where the star Antares
rises. On May 30, Antares rises _______ . (Ignore effects of precession, please.)
1. further north
2. at the same place
3. at the same place
An observer is located in Panama, at 15˚ north latitude. Can the observer see the north
celestial pole?
1. Yes
2. No
3. Sometimes
The same Panamanian observer plants a vertical pole and watches the shadow cast by the sun
over the course of a year. When does the pole cast no shadow at noon?
1. Never. It always casts a shadow.
2. Twice yearly, on the equinoxes
3. Twice yearly, between the equinoxes and the Dec 21 solstice
4. Twice yearly, between the equinoxes and the June 21 solstice
An observer in Arizona at 35 degrees north latitude looks at the north celestial pole location
in the sky. That is, they look
1. South, 35 degrees up from the horizon (az., alt.) = (180, 35)
2. South, 90 – 35 = 55 degrees up from the horizon (az., alt.) = (180, 55)
3. North, 35 degrees up from the horizon (az., alt.) = (0, 35)
4. North, 90 – 35 = 55 degrees up from the horizon (az., alt.) = (0, 55)
The sun rises due east
1. twice a year, on the solstices
2. twice a year, on the equinoxes
3. never
4. always
The longest-period periodic motion of the earth we have so far talked about is the 26,000 year
1. revolution
2. rotation
3. precession
4. obliquity
At sunset, you look toward the south and high in the sky. You see the moon. What phase is
the moon in?
1. new
2. first quarter
3. full
4. last quarter
At sunset, you look toward the east. The moon is right on the horizon. What phase is the
moon in?
1. new
2. first quarter
3. full
4. last quarter
You wish to photograph a third quarter moon. It says “third quarter moon” for today on the
calendar. You need to set up your camera
1. at noon, pointing toward the south, high up
2. at sunset, pointing toward the south, high up
3. at midnight, pointing toward the south, high up
4. at sunrise, pointing toward the south, high up
I really really enjoyed seeing the full moon! How long do I have to wait to see another?
1. A day
2. 12 days
3. 14 days
4. 29 days
A solar day is when the earth rotates 360 degrees
1. with respect to the sun. It is 24 hours long.
2. with respect to the sun. It is more than 24 hours long.
3. with respect to the stars. It is less than 24 hours long.
4. with respect to the stars. It is more than 24 hours long.
A sidereal day is when the earth rotates 360 degrees
1. with respect to the sun. It is less than 24 hours long.
2. with respect to the sun. It is 24 hours long.
3. with respect to the stars. It is less than 24 hours long.
4. with respect to the stars. It is more than 24 hours long.
The celestial coordinate right ascension is measured
1. west from the summer solstice
2. west from the autumnal equinox
3. east from the winter solstice
4. east from the vernal equinox
The sun is at (R.A., dec.) = (6 h, +23.5 degrees)
1. That happens around June 21 and is called the summer solstice.
2. That happens around March 21 and is called the summer solstice.
3. That happens around September 21 and is called the autumnal solstice.
4. That happens around December 21 and is called the winter solstice.
The sun is at (R.A., dec.) = (6 h, -23.5 degrees).
1. That happens around June 21 and is called the summer solstice.
2. That happens around March 21 and is called the summer solstice.
3. That happens around September 21 and is called the autumnal solstice
4. The sun will never be at those coordinates.
The sun is at (R.A., dec.) = (12 h, 0 degrees).
1. That happens around June 21 and is called the summer solstice
2. That happens around March 21 and is called the vernal equinox.
3. The sun will never be at those coordinates
4. That happens around September 21 and is called the autumnal equinox.
Other things being equal, an astronomer would prefer an instrument with a
1. Small resolution angle
2. Large resolution angle
Which wavelength regime contains potentially ionizing (electron-stripping) photons?
1. Microwave
2. Infrared
3. Visible
4. Ultraviolet
Which wavelength regime penetrates earth's atmosphere and finds it perfectly transparent?
1. Microwave
2. Infrared
3. X-rays
4. Radio
The earth's atmosphere is transparent to
1. infrared
2. visible
3. X rays
4. ultraviolet
The red supergiant star Betelgeuse, at surface temperature 2900 Kelvin, is substantially
cooler than the sun. In what wavelength region does it emit most of its light?
1. visible
2. ultraviolet
3. infrared
4. microwave
What's faster?
1. a laser beam
2. radio waves
3. same speed for both
KJEM FM radio broadcasts at 88.9 MHz (megahertz) and has a wavelength of about 3.4
meters. Reasoning from a formula you know, the wavelength characteristic of 105 MHz is
1. 105 meters
2. 2.9 meters
3. 3.4 meters
4. 3.9 meters
Newton extended Kepler's 3rd law to be applicable to orbiting bodies of all masses.
1. True
2. False
Suppose you have two planets tugging on each other with a force of 1028 Newtons of force.
Now you double the distance between them. What is the new force?
1. ¼ × 10^28
2. ½ × 10^28
3. 2 × 10^28
4. 4 × 10^28
Keeping Kepler’s first law firmly in mind, what is at the center of the orbit of Halley's comet?
Halley's comet has an orbital eccentricity of 0.967. Pluto's is 0.249
1. the sun
2. the earth
3. no object
4. the moon
Which of the following did Newton not predict or describe?
1. elliptical orbits for planets
2. line spectra for elements
3. the physics of motion
4. the force of gravity between planets
Which is not a major category of optical telescope?
1. condensing
2. refracting
3. reflecting
The best place for an X-ray telescope is
1. in a deep cave
2. in the ocean
3. on a high mountaintop
4. in space
Which of the following is not light (not electromagnetic radiation)
1. gamma rays
2. X rays
3. cosmic rays
4. radio waves
The star Alpha Centauri has a spectrum that looks almost exactly like the sun's. If it is indeed
a twin of the sun, why is it about a hundred billion times fainter in terms of luminous flux?
1. It must be small
2. It must be distant
3. It must be cool
4. It must be located behind an absorbing cloud of dusty gas
Which nebula is not associated with star formation?
1. Dark Cloud
2. Reflection nebula
3. H II region
4. Planetary Nebula
What nebula is the coolest and densest and might be the site of very early star formation?
1. Dark Cloud
2. Reflection nebula
3. H II region
4. Planetary Nebula
The stronger of the two sorts of tides we experience on earth is
1. Spring Tide
2. Neap Tide
3. Crimson Tide
A neap tide happens at lunar phase
1. new
2. waxing crescent
3. waxing gibbous
4. third quarter
A spring tide happens at lunar phase
1. new
2. first quarter
3. third quarter
4. waxing gibbous
We think the “frost line” during the times when the solar system was forming was
1. inside Mercury's orbit
2. between Mars's and Jupiter's orbits
3. around Pluto's orbit
4. anywhere on earth over 10,000 feet of altitude
The order of assembly of units as the solar system formed is (“small debris” means few-kg
objects of rocky or icy composition)
1. planetesimals – small debris – dust grains – protoplanets.
2. molecules – dust grains – small debris – planetesimals – protoplanets.
3. small debris – dust grains – molecules – planetesimals – protoplanets.
4. planetesimals – molecules – small debris – dust grains – protoplanets.
Gas giants are mostly
1. solid rock
2. liquid water
3. gas
4. plasma
A “geologically old” surface is characterized by
1. divergent and convergent plate boundaries
2. volcanos
3. granite and basalt rock types
4. impact craters
Io has a geologically young surface characterized by
1. divergent and convergent plate boundaries
2. volcanos
3. granite and basalt rock types
4. impact craters
In addition to the law of gravity, which additional physical law means that flat, spinning gas
clouds, and therefore flat, orderly planetary systems, must be common and almost inevitable?
1. conservation of energy
2. conservation of mass
3. conservation of angular momentum
4. conservation of time
Most of the mass in the solar system is contained in
1. the planets
2. the sun
3. small bodies in the solar system
Most of the angular momentum in the solar system is contained in
1. the planets
2. the sun
3. small bodies in the solar system
The solar system is about
1. 6000 years old
2. 66 million years old
3. 4.55 billion years old
4. 14 billion years old
Saturn's rings are somewhat of a mystery, but they most likely were made by
1. a very volcanic moon that ejected material into its orbital path
2. a “spin up” event on Saturn that caused it to throw off material
3. the capture of millions of small asteroids
4. a moon that got too close and disintegrated due to tidal forces
An object coming toward you exhibits a
1. redshift
2. blueshift
__________ is most properly called an ice giant due to more water in its overall composition.
1. Saturn
2. Titan
3. Uranus
4. Jupiter
If my list of evidence for tectonism observed on a planet includes rift zones, volcanoes,
pancake volcanoes, lava channels, mountains, and coronae, the world I am observing is
1. Earth
2. Mars
3. Venus
4. Mercury

Astronomy 1

Astronomy Quiz 1