AST Test 1
Terms
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What do astronomers mean by a constellation?
A.A constellation is a group of stars related through an ancient story.
B.A constellation is a region in the sky as seen from Earth.
C.A constellation is a group of stars that are all located in about - B. A constellation is a region in the sky as seen from Earth.
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What is the ecliptic?
A.the Sun's daily path from east to west in our sky
B.the path traced by the Moon's shadow on Earth during a solar eclipse
C.the path the Sun appears to trace around the celestial sphere each year - C. the path the Sun appears to trace around the celestial sphere each year
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Stars that are visible in the local sky on any clear night of the year, at any time of the night, are called _________.
A.celestial
B.circumpolar
C.seasonal
D.bright - B. circumpolar
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If we have a new moon today, when we will have the next full moon?
A.in about 1 week
B.in about 2 weeks
C.in about a month
D.in about 6 months
- B. in about 2 weeks
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We cannot see a new moon in our sky because _________.
A.it is obscured by Earth's shadow
B.it is above the horizon during the daytime
C.no sunlight is illuminating the Moon
D.a new moon is quite near the Sun in the sky
< - D. a new moon is quite near the sun in the sky
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Lunar eclipses can occur only during a _________.
A.new moon
B.full moon
C.first quarter moon
D.third quarter moon
- B. full moon
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How would a star's parallax change as its distance from Earth increases?
A.The parallax shift decreases as the star's distance from Earth increases.
B.The parallax shift increases as the star's distance from Earth increases.
C.The parallax shift - A.
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An angle of 1 arcsecond is ________.
A.about the width of a finger held at arm's length
B.less than the thickness of a human hair held at arm's length
C.about the width of your fist held at arm's length - B.
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When traveling north from the United States into Canada, you'll see the North Star (Polaris) getting ________.
A.brighter
B.lower in the sky
C.dimmer
D.higher in the sky
- D.
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The Sun's path, as viewed from the equator, is highest in the sky on ________.
A.the winter solstice
B.the summer solstice
C.the spring and fall equinoxes
D.the day when Earth is closest to the Sun - C.
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It's 6 a.m. and the Moon is at its highest point in your sky (crossing the meridian). What is the Moon's phase?
A.full
B.third quarter
C.new
D.first quarter
- B.
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You observe a full moon rising at sunset. What will you see at midnight?
A.a first quarter moon
B.a waning gibbous moon
C.a third quarter moon
D.a full moon high in the sky
- D.
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How many arcseconds are in one degree?
A.100
B.3,600
C.10,000
D.60
E.360
- B.
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If the Moon is setting at 6 A.M., the phase of the Moon must be
A.full.
B.new.
C.third quarter.
D.first quarter.
E.waning crescent. - A.
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If part of the full moon passes through Earth's umbra, we will see a(n)
A.partial lunar eclipse.
B.penumbral lunar eclipse.
C.partial solar eclipse.
D.annular eclipse.
E.total lunar eclipse. - A.
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When are eclipse seasons?
A.in the spring and fall
B.when the nodes of the Moon's orbit are nearly aligned with the Sun
C.in the summer and winter
D.during an eclipse
E.when Earth, the Sun, and the Moon are exactly aligned for an eclipse - B.
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The precession of the Moon's nodes means that
A.there is a solar eclipse every 6 months.
B.the vernal equinox will be in Aquarius in a few hundred years.
C.the eclipse seasons occur less than 6 months apart.
D.there is a lunar eclipse every 6 - C.
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Which of the following never goes in retrograde motion?
A.Jupiter
B.the Sun
C.Venus
D.Mars
E.Saturn - B.
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How many arcseconds are in one arcminute?
A.10,000
B.60
C.3600
D.100
E.360 - B.
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Has Polaris always been the "North Star"?
A.No, because the Earth's axis slowly changes the direction it points.
B.No, because the Milky Way blocked our line of site to it for a long time.
C.Yes, because the stars are unchanging. - A.
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If you see Polaris directly overhead at midnight, you must be at
A.the South Pole.
B.the Tropic of Cancer.
C.the North Pole.
D.the equator. - C.
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If the Moon is setting at noon, then it rose at
A.midnight.
B.9 A.M.
C.noon.
D.6 A.M.
E.6 P.M. - A.
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Which of the following celestial objects do NOT rise in the east and set in the west, as viewed from Earth?
A.galaxies
B.stars
C.the Sun
D.the Moon
E.All of these objects rise in the east and set in the west. - E.