Homework 02

Please answer at least 4 of the following 5 questions correctly for full credit:

Question 1

Two conditions need to be met simultaneously for an eclipse to occur. One is that the moon be either new or full. What is the other condition?

Question 2

Can you have a lunar eclipse on a new moon?

Question 3

Spheres and circles were the perfect forms of old. Copernicus made a great scientific advance by re-introducing the heliocentric model of our solar system, but was still unable to think of celestial motion as anything but circular. Give the names of the two types of circles used to explain the observed planetary orbits in the Copernican as well as Ptolemaic model of the solar system.

Question 4

How bright a planet appears in the night sky is coupled to the relative position of the planet and earth. What is the most important factor that determines if Jupiter appears brighter or dimmer in the night sky?

Question 5

Which direction does a comet's tail point? When you answer this question, please remember that along any axis there always are two different orientations that a direction aligned with the axis can have. Be specific about the orientation also when you describe the direction. Depending on what the axis is, is it pointing outward or inward, forward or backward, left or right, up or down?
Please submit your answer as plain test in the main message body of an e-mail to kai-1060-hw@physics.utah.edu before midnight (MST) on Jan. 24, 2008. Plain text in the main message body of your e-mail means no attachments!!!
Last modified: Fri Jan 18 13:50:02 MST 2008