The Solar System Exam_01

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answers

01 – 10 aebed baadb

11 – 20 dbeba acedc

21 – 30 dadbd dedab

31 – 40 cdcbb edabc

41 – 50 dcded cedce

51 – 60 cdbba aeada

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.	One arcsecond is equal to
	A)	1/3600 degree.
	B)	1/60 degree
	C)	1/60 of a full circle.
	D)	1/3600 of a full circle.
	E)	1/60 of a second.

2.	The average distance from the Earth to the Sun, 149,600,000 km can be written in shorthand notation as
	A)	1.496 × 10^9 km.
	B)	1.496 × 10^6 km.
	C)	1.496 × 10^4 km.
	D)	1.496 × 10^7 km.
	E)	1.496 × 10^8 km.

3.	One astronomical unit, or one AU is defined as the
	A)	distance traveled by light in one year.
	B)	mean distance between the Sun and the Earth.
	C)	distance from which Earth-Sun distance will subtend an angle of one arcsecond.
	D)	distance traveled by light in one second.
	E)	distance traveled by a letter in one year, sent via US Postal

4.	Suppose that at the same time on the same night we see one supernova (a star exploding) in the Andromeda galaxy, 2 million light-years away from us, and another in the galaxy M82, 6 million light-years away from us. Which of the following statements is correct?
	A)	Both stars exploded at the same time, because we saw the explosions at the same time.
	B)	We cannot tell which star actually exploded first, because they are so far away.
	C)	Even though these supernovae appeared to be in Andromeda and M82, we know that supernovae only occur in the Milky Way galaxy and thus they were too close to us to tell which one occurred first.
	D)	The supernova in the Andromeda galaxy actually occurred before the one in M82.
	E)	The supernova in the Andromeda galaxy actually occurred after the one in M82.

5.	An underlying theme of astronomy is that the
	A)	fundamental physical laws differ randomly from galaxy to galaxy, but they can be learned for a given galaxy by detailed observation.
	B)	fundamental physical laws governing the universe change in a predictable way with increasing distance from the Earth.
	C)	fundamental physical laws that govern the motion of heavenly bodies are special and different than the ones that govern the motion of bodies on Earth
	D)	entire universe is governed by a single set of fundamental physical laws.
	E)	universe is a hodgepodge of unrelated things behaving in arbitrary and unexplainable ways.

6.	A scientist observes a new phenomenon that disagrees with the scientist's own hypothesis. Following the scientific method, the correct procedure is to
	A)	accept the disagreement as part of the fundamental incomprehensibility of the universe.
	B)	check the validity of the observation and if it is ok, modify the hypothesis.
	C)	wait until someone develops an adequate explanation before announcing the new observation.
	D)	discard the observation as erroneous.
	E)	assume that the observation cannot be scientifically explained and accept the result on faith

7.	If a star is described as being in the constellation Leo, a modern astronomer knows that it is
	A)	somewhere in a particular region of sky having definite boundaries.
	B)	in a distant galaxy located in a particular direction from Earth.
	C)	inside a region of the sky bounded by two lines of right ascension in the sky.
	D)	one of a few individual bright stars that make a picture (of a lion) in the sky.
	E)	about to be swallowed up by a voracious lion.

8.	Which of the following directions remains fixed in the sky relative to an observer's horizon?
	A)	zenith
	B)	direction to the Moon
	C)	direction to the Sun
	D)	the autumnal equinox
	E)	the star, Betelguese

9.	In late September, Andromeda appears high in the sky at midnight. Six months later Virgo appears high in the sky at midnight. Where is Andromeda at this time?
	A)	Still chained to a rock off the coast of Jaffa and being ravaged by the sea monster, Cetus.
	B)	It has moved to the western horizon.
	C)	It has moved to the eastern horizon.
	D)	It is high in the sky at noon and is thus not visible.
	E)	It is still high in the sky at midnight.

10.	A sailor takes a sighting of Polaris, using his sextant, and measures its elevation angle (the angle above the sailor's horizon) to be only one degree. ____ A) The sailor is probably wearing a heavy parka. B) The sailor is probably wearing light-weight clothing at most. C) The sailor must be near Antarctica. D) The sailor might be passing through the Straits of Magellan (near Cape Horn). E) You can't figure out what this stupid sailor is wearing or where he is.
11.	The summer solstice position coordinates are RA = 6^h0^m0^s, declination = +23° 27´. What are the coordinates of the winter solstice?
	A)	RA = 18^h0^m0^s, declination = +23° 27´
	B)	RA = 0^h0^m0^s, declination = 0° 0°, by definition
	C)	RA = 12^h0^m0^s, declination = -23° 27´
	D)	RA = 18^h0^m0^s, declination = -23° 27´
	E)	RA = 0° 0°, declination = 18^h0^m0^s

12.	A science fiction writer, writing a story about inhabitants on Earth in 14,000 A.D. who have survived a disaster that included the loss of modern navigational aids, describes them traveling due north across barren wastes by walking toward Polaris, the Pole Star. What is wrong with this situation?
	A)	Polaris will have moved away from due north since it is moving rapidly with respect to surrounding stars.
	B)	Polaris will no longer be due north, because of Earth's precession.
	C)	By that time, Polaris will be due south, not due north, because of the reversal of the Earth's spin axis.
	D)	Polaris will no longer be visible since its lifetime is only a few thousand years.
	E)	Polaris will no longer exist since the disaster that devastated Earth will have destroyed Polaris.

13.	The equinoxes are located at the intersections of the
	A)	ecliptic and the horizon.
	B)	ecliptic and the celestial north pole.
	C)	ecliptic and the Moon's orbit.
	D)	1^st South and 13^th East.
	E)	ecliptic and the celestial equator.

14.	At what average speed does the Sun appear to move across our sky with respect to the stars in order to move through one full circle in one year?
	A)	15° per hour
	B)	about 1° per day
	C)	The Sun never appears to move with respect to the stars in the sky.
	D)	about 13° per day
	E)	186,000 miles per second

15.	One required condition for seasons to occur is that a planet's
	A)	spin axis be tilted with respect to the perpendicular to its orbital plane.
	B)	axis be perpendicular to its orbital plane.
	C)	atmosphere be thick.
	D)	distance from the Sun vary.
	E)	orbit be highly elliptical.

16.	The time of autumnal equinox, about September 22, is what season for Australians in the southern hemisphere?
	A)	beginning of spring
	B)	middle of winter
	C)	middle of summer
	D)	beginning of autumn or fall
	E)	there are no seasons for Australians

17.	If you were standing on the equator, which of the following positions in the sky would pass directly over your head (i.e., through your zenith) at some time in one 24-hour period?
	A)	the position of the Sun at summer solstice
	B)	the ecliptic pole, or perpendicular to the direction of the ecliptic plane
	C)	the vernal equinox, or the zero point of the right ascension on the celestial equator
	D)	the north celestial pole, or perpendicular to the direction of the celestial equator
	E)	you can’t stand on the equator … it’s all water there

18.	The Big Dipper, or Ursa Major, will return to the same position in an observer's sky in what time period in solar time?
	A)	24 hours 4 minutes
	B)	365.25 days
	C)	29.5 days
	D)	24 hours exactly
	E)	23 hours 56 minutes

19.	On a particular day, the Sun is at the vernal equinox and the Moon is at the autumnal equinox. The lunar phase on this particular day is
	A)	quarter.
	B)	new.
	C)	not predictable from this information alone.
	D)